Constantly surrounded by music from an early age, Tim Ellis, lead singer of Outsides, a local Kansas City band, began playing guitar and writing music when he was 10 years old.

With his first band, Skybox, Ellis practiced and recorded covers, like most bands, and also began writing and connecting the two: singing and guitar.

“The hard thing with playing music when you first start singing is like playing while you sing because the melodies and the rhythms don’t always correspond,” Ellis said.

With Skybox, Ellis toured in 2010, for eight months out of the year, but with Outsides, Ellis has toured around the Kansas City area, traveling as far as Chicago, Illinois.

We had the opportunity to interview Outsides lead singer, Tim Ellis:

First, please give a background on your interaction and work or experience with music before you began producing your music.

I grew up in a split home but both placed a big emphasis on music. My dad grew up a musician as well and had produced several albums of his own. He always had lots of records around, mostly classic rock and folk stuff. My mom was a huge Motown fan and liked to dance a lot, and my grandparents had lots of old country and honky-tonk records. I sang in a bunch of musicals and in a boys choir as well through my elementary school years, and always sang along to my favorite records trying to pick out all the different vocal harmonies. I first started making my own music though when I was around 11 and got my first keyboard, my buddies and I would make rap/r&b songs on it. Eventually we started playing punk music and I did that until high school while also singing and playing guitar/drums/bass/keyboards in church and things like that. Towards the end of high school a buddy and I got really into doing our own recordings on a tape machine and eventually a computer and so I sort of got my first experience with the producing end of things.

How did you come up with your name as an artist?

Working in my room writing and recording had a feeling at times of being cooped up in a dungeon…or a cave or something. And outside for me always felt amazing, when I could walk and get some coffee or jump on my bike and go for a ride. It’s the sense I hope people get when they listen to my music, a sense of freedom and being able to express their own thoughts into it, and the release that music gave me growing up, I hope people get that from my stuff too.

Where did you get your start in music (who helped you get started in learning instruments, singing, etc.)

Sort of answered this above, as far as where I got my start. I had lots of great teachers growing up and family and friends who were always very supportive of what I wanted to do. I feel fortunate that I always knew exactly what I wanted from the time I was a child but there are always some people who will root against you or say you can’t do it, I was lucky to have a lot more people on the other side of that. Later in life I had my manager who really helped me through a lot of situations and continues to for that matter. I had my lawyer and old booking agent who really helped me too and my current co-producer who is hugely supportive and always a big inspiration for me.

Who or what are some of your inspirations to make music?

I always really dug soundtracks: from john carpenter movies to Mark Mothersbaugh with Wes Anderson and Danny Elfman’s stuff, twin peaks, list goes on…The stuff I grew up on had an impact, my dad’s classic rock (zeppelin, floyd, stones) my mom’s Motown (Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight) even my grandparents’ Hank Williams and Johnny Cash records. I loved a lot of 90’s stuff the verve, My Bloody Valentine, Stone Roses, and later in life got into sampling and synth by listening to Kieran Hebden’s stuff and Daniel Snaith and James Murphy. I thought it was cool too later in the late 2000’s when these homemade records were coming out that had so much character like Toro Y Moi and washed out and others, it was inspiring to think that a song can be a good song no matter what it’s recorded with.

How do you reach out to fans?

I’ve always believed in giving away music as much as you can, especially in the case of singles and things like that. Now days there are all the social networking ways to help you get closer and communicate more directly with your fans and I think that is HUGE. I try to do as many of those as I can (without having too many to neglect one). Some people are just friends with me on tumblr some are just following instagram and others facebook or twitter, so I try to post different things on the different sites so that each situation is unique.

How would you describe your music?

(More than the genre, more your opinion, how you want to sound)

I hope that people from all different generations and backgrounds can find something in my stuff that speaks to a memory or a feeling and that they get something meaningful from it. I don’t intentionally make music that way, I really just try to put down what is in my head at the time, but I always try to keep my music as open as possible so people can interpret it their own way. The instruments I use (samplers, synths, guitars) to me are just tools to try and achieve that.

Review: “Pastures”, Outsides

Pastures is a balanced combination of electronic rock and alternative pop. Ellis created this interesting sound by adding electronic and classic keyboards along with drums, guitar and their electronic mixes that add an extra rhythmic element to Outsides’ music. With complex background in writing his own lyrics, Ellis has developed deep meanings within the lyrics that appear simple. At the top of this article is the song Pastures. Hit play and enjoy!                  

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Outsides will be playing at the Middle of the Map Fest April 3-5th. The festival is held downtown with local bands and small bands from around the country. Get your tickets now