Heavy Sigma EPK

We're a hard rock band from San Francisco. Just passionate about playing music and being committed to the Bay Area scene. We love jamming and rocking out. We put our music out there on social media. We're like a modern interpretation of all those late 80's and early 90's hard rock bands. No we won't change America or be on the covers of teen magazines, but we will rock you! 

Why this name?

Patrick: Well, I typed "Heavy" on a band name generator online and got the name Heavy Sigma when I saw it on the computer screen, liked it, and declared my one-man band under that moniker. At first, Heavy Sigma was named Chaos In Chinatown, which my Facebook friend Candace suggested when I posted a Facebook status about my ideas to do music outside of PLB. But I was worried it would offend Asian people and I'm very self respecting of my culture and my ethnicity, so I decided to change the name of my new garage band. I was thinking of calling it Your Audio 2 Riot, but I f***ing hated that idea. It sounded too much like a Bay Area metalcore band name, and this music that I am doing isn't modern metal. So when I went on one of those name generators on the Internet while I was browsing for King of Queens reruns to watch on my laptop on YouTube, that's how the band name Heavy Sigma came to be.

At one point, Heavy Sigma used to be known as Chaos In Chinatown, which a friend named Candace suggested. But I was scared shitless that it was gonna cause controversy, so I had to change it right away.

There has been rumors that I got the name Heavy Sigma based on an old grudge I had with someone from the scene, or it was a parody of Mick Jagger's supergroup Super Heavy. Or I was watching too much GI Joe, and was inspired to name my band after an old school cartoon from the 80's.

But the whole Heavy Sigma name was completely random and thought of without any real meaning. 

Do you play live?

Patrick: Not really. I'm more into producing my own original music at home. I have too many limitations and things that hold me back from playing live. I like recording more. Plus I'm not really that good at playing sometimes, but practice makes perfect right? But I played shows sporadically with Patrick Lew Band and Power Trip in the San Francisco Bay Area. We sounded like a punk band playing at a bar. Definitely not like the Rolling Stones playing Madison Square Garden, but we were definitely a no nonsense local rock and roll band from the Bay. Some of our live performances can be found on my YouTube page. Because I work 32 hours a week in retail trying to keep a roof over my head and pay the bills, sometimes I don't have a lot of time to pursue a career as a professional musician. But I'm still willing to take opportunities if someone throws a good deal either at Heavy Sigma or PLB.

How, do you think, does the internet (or mp3) change the music industry?

I came during a generation, where bands and musicians didn't need to sucker themselves into signing with a major record label, getting on TV and radio, and doing mass live performing as a way of bigger exposure. I came during a time where the computers and social-media made it more possible for the little or middle fish in the pond to get themselves heard. Despite my love for 90's rock, I highly doubt I would have been recognized back then like I am now supposedly, and it's not a money thing either. It's recognition and building an audience. And for bands who use social-media to get themselves out there, it increases chances of getting booked to play shows locally and other things. 

Would you sign a record contract with a major label?

Maybe. Who knows. If someone really appreciates what I do musically and gives me a chance to grow bigger as an artist. I would certainly do it.

Band History:

I'm a freelance rock musician who began making music on my own in 2009 after several flops with a local band I used to be in. I'm always trying my best to get better when recording and when it comes to playing the guitar. I always use social media to put my music and every band I played guitar and sang in out there.

Originally, I did Heavy Sigma as a creative outlet for my musical ideas that were rejected by former bandmates in my old band. I began making music with both Patrick Lew Band and Heavy Sigma, and my former bandmates and myself had creative and personal differences along with my dysfunctional relationship with my former fiancee at the time, so I quit creating music and playing guitar for about 2 or 3 years. I picked up the guitar again and started using my MacBook Air running GarageBand and began producing demos and new musical ideas again. Then one day in early 2015, my friend Erick Salazar who also plays drums in the San Francisco based punk band Neverfade sent me a private message on my Facebook profile talking about collaborating and working on new music together.

So in May of that year, me and Erick began creating music under the Heavy Sigma name in his home recording studio. Erick isn't an official member of the band, but he plays a big role in creating the music and business related things when getting it out there! And the rest is history!

Your influences?

Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Tesla, Def Leppard, White Lion, Mother Love Bone, Metallica, Guns N Roses, Green Day, Beady Eye, The White Stripes, Blink 182, Smashing Pumpkins, Enuff Z' Nuff, Liam Shy, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Beyond, L'Arc En Ciel, Nine Inch Nails

Favorite spot?

San Francisco, Seattle, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.

Equipment used:

My musical gear. I use this equipment as a Bay Area musician...

GUITARS:
- Epiphone HotWheels Les Paul
- Red Epiphone Les Paul Special Edition

BASSES:
- Rogue RBX200 Bass Guitar

AMPS:
- Fender 25 Watt Frontman

PEDALS:
- Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion
- Digitech RP50 Multi-Effects
- Digitech Death Metal Distortion

RECORDING GEAR:
- Line6 TonePort Silver DI
- Peavey XPort DI (used rarely)
- Line6 POD Farm
- Acoustica Mixcraft 6 (2009-2012)
- Apple GarageBand (2013-present)
- LANDR.com (for mastering all of my tracks)
- Toshiba PC Laptop (2009-2013)
- Early 2009 Macbook (2013-present)
- 2014 MacBook Air (since 2015)
- Apple Logic Pro (when collaborating with Erick at his studio)
- Radioshack Microphone
- Logitech USB Microphone

INSPIRATION:
- 32 GB Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Smartphone
- My BIG CD collection (mostly ROCK)
- Watching local bands live!
- Finding out about new music on the social-media or through friends.