Still Eighteen
Interview conducted on May 16, 2021
By Dan Locke
Still Eighteen is a unique and exciting alternative rock band made up of Canadian rockers: Joey, Samantha, and Karen.
Consisting of a mother, father, and daughter, Still Eighteen is not your average alternative rock band.
“That’s right, they’re a family band. But if you’re expecting warm ’n’ fuzzy, sing-songy tunes, you can ditch that image — and replace it with one where Jack and Meg White of the White Stripes have a badass baby that grows up to join them. The family that plays together slays together.” Darryl Sterdan of “Tinnitist” – One of Canada’s most followed Music Critics
Still Eighteen includes former Platinum Blonde and Trixie Goes Hollywood singer Joey Ciotti, along with his wife Karen on drums and daughter Samantha on bass.
What is your upbringing?
Joey: I grew up in Toronto with the Humber River in my backyard. From the age of around 3 or 4, besides having to go to school, I had a lot of freedom to do what I wanted. At the age of 4, under the influence of three older brothers and one older sister, I was introduced to the British Invasion and bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. After that, becoming a rock star was the only thing that mattered to me. I made my first fake guitar and microphone stand when I was 4 and would constantly bug my brothers or sister to watch me sing along to some new rock song. Electronics became one of my passions when I was 8 years old and I built my first real guitar amp when I was 12. To this day, I still love anything to do with electronics. My mom and dad generously allowed me to use the basement of our house to rehearse in. I’m not sure if they knew what they were getting into as I spent the next 6 years rehearsing there in various rock bands! I started playing professionally when I was 16 years old, mostly with members who were in their 20’s. I loved being in a band. I think the main reason I played guitar and played in a band was to meet girls!
How did you discover music?
Joey: Mainly from my sister and my brothers in the early 60’s. They played all the new songs from the 45’s and records. Every week, new songs would come out on the radio and they would go and buy them. Upstairs my sister had music playing all day, and downstairs my brothers were the same. It was everywhere. Even my mom and dad had the stereo going on the weekends with Dean Martin type stuff. We had an old acoustic guitar in the house with a couple of strings on it. I begged my mom to give me some money to buy strings for it. It took a lot of coaxing. I bought the strings and somehow managed to put them on. I do not know what happened to that guitar in the end. I am quite sure I could only play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on it. One day, I walked into my older brother’s bedroom that they shared and on one of the beds were two electric guitars. I can still remember them. They were the greatest things I ever saw. They told me they were putting a band together. I was blown away by the idea. It was the coolest thing I had ever heard. They never did end up putting a band together. All these guitars and the 60’s music really had a powerful effect on me.
Karen: My discovery of music didn’t really begin until AC/DC’s Back in Black album, I really loved their sound and they were the first concert I ever went to. Interestingly, my initial music tastes were quite diverse – I also loved Michael Jackson’s Thriller Album and the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.
Samantha: My first musical love was Avril Lavigne when I was about 7 years old. I couldn’t believe that a girl could rock it out like that and be so cool! Now, I love Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen and just about any band Jack White is in! I love music so much and listen to it constantly.
How did you start to write music?
Joey: I got my first real guitar when I was 11. I took some lessons from a crazy music store close to where I lived. Crazy, because the woman that taught theory was horribly mean and would get so angry if you got the answer wrong. I wrote my first song when I was 12. It was called “Test Tube Babies”. I put a three piece rock band together and started writing more and more.
Samantha: In school, I had a tiny cardboard box that I carried everywhere. I remember writing song lyrics in my notebook, tearing out the pages and putting them in the box, LOL. I was obsessed with doing this, and those lyrics turned into some of my first serious songs.
Joey-How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?
It was an acoustic guitar, a birthday present from my mom and dad when I was 11. I really wanted one. I gave it to a girl when I was 16 years old.
Joey- What is your guitar of choice now? Year, make and model?
Well, my main guitar now is a Fender Strat 1989. When I was in Platinum Blonde I had a 1977 Rickenbacker, which my daughter, Samantha has now and uses in Still Eighteen as one of her basses. I also love the sound of P 90’s so I have them on a Gibson Les Paul.
Samantha- How did you get your first instrument?
When I was eight years old, I saw the movie “The School of Rock”. It had such an impact on me that I wanted to play music right away. My first instrument was an Epiphone SG guitar that I still have to this day. I believe that I got it for my ninth birthday. I was so excited!
Samantha- Tell me about your all girl band Crush?
Crush began after watching “The School of Rock”. I was so inspired by seeing kids play in a band that the very next day I decided to form my own! I recruited five girls from my class (all who had never played an instrument before, the task of teaching us fell to my very patient father) to start an all-girl rock band. My dad was playing in a band at the time, so we had instruments in the house. The only thing we were missing was a drumset. My parents and I went to buy a drumset a few days later and while we were buying it at the music store, I called Crush’s bass player Sarah and I said “Sarah, the band’s on!”
The next day, as the girls and I were waiting after school for my mom to pick us up and bring us to my house for our first-ever rehearsal, the girls and I were busy discussing what the band should be called. One of the members, Paola, was drinking an orange Crush soda and I said: “what about Crush?” From then on, Crush rehearsed every Wednesday after school. You couldn’t really call it rehearsing. We spent the majority of the time talking and eating Cheetos and Snack Pack pudding. I think we rehearsed for fifteen minutes a week. Crush’s goal was to learn ACDC’s “It’s a Long Way to the Top” by the time the school talent show rolled around. We did it. We played the song at the talent show. I was dressed like a tiny, female Ozzy Osbourne. Our guitars were bigger than we were. My dad, who was helping the auditorium with its sound, told me years later that he’d turned a couple of us off completely because we would have played too many wrong notes. But I have to say, we still rocked it.
Karen- How did you start playing drums?
Samantha started an all-girl band, “Crush” when she was 8 years old. The girls had a repertoire of about 4 rock songs. At the time, Joey had a rock band and “Crush” would open up for the band at some of the venues. A few times, the drummer couldn’t make it, so I learned how to play the songs on the drums and I would fill in for the drummer. It was a lot of fun and I started to like drumming. I noticed that Joey and Samantha were spending more and more time together, practicing, jamming, listening to music and so on and frankly, I didn’t want to be left out. So I started to jam with them and it was a lot of fun!
Your band is father, mother and daughter. How did your band form?
Karen: Joey was especially inspired and was writing a lot of new originals and when we would jam together, Samantha and I would really push Joey to teach us the new songs. They were such meaningful songs about important issues and we would feel this amazing energy when we would play them together. It wasn’t until we had the opportunity to open up for Lauryn Hill at a charity concert that things really changed for us. There were a few hundred people there and when we finished our set, the reaction was overwhelming and took us by surprise. There were so many people coming up to us to tell us how powerful our songs were and how seeing a family rocking it up on a stage together was really special. It was after that concert that we said to ourselves, “wow, we should take this more seriously, we may have something unique and special here.” Eventually this led us to form Still Eighteen.
How did you get your bands name?
Joey wrote a song called “Still Eighteen” about feeling and acting young no matter your age. We thought the name really captured our essence. We are all full of energy and believe that youth is a state of mind. We like to have fun and love doing extreme sports, like surfing, kitesurfing, snowboarding, and mountain bike riding. Karen and Joey also have their black belts in karate. We all believe in doing our best to live life to its fullest! In the words of Nike, “just do it!”
Describe your music.
Our music has been described as David Bowie-meets-Pixies. Or, in the words of Darryl Sterdan from the blog Tinnitist, and one of Canada’s most-followed music critics, “That’s right, they’re a family band. But if you’re expecting warm ’n’ fuzzy, sing-songy tunes, you can ditch that image — and replace it with one where Jack and Meg White have a badass baby that grows up to join them. The family that plays together SLAYS together.”
Many of our songs tackle topics like, war, greed, poverty, and environmental degradation. Emerging Indie Bands Blog dubbed our band a “rock protest trio”. However, not all of our music follows these themes. For example, our fun, light-hearted song, “You Hit Me Like a Drug” and the accompanying funny music video went viral on Facebook with thousands of shares and over 1,000,000 views.
What was your first performance together like?
We played a semi-outdoor bar/restaurant. The stage was on a small platform in the corner, we had about 40 people there. We played a mix of our originals and classic rock covers by Hendrix, Stones etc… It was a fun night; the people were very nice and complimentary. Thankfully, someone took a photo, so we have it for memories!
Royalties never appear like magic. Royalties are only sent to you through work undertaken by a PRO to ensure that their members are getting paid. If you’re not yet signed up to a Performing Right Organization like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC, you may not be receiving all the royalties you deserve.
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP ?
Yes, we belong to BMI.
What makes a good songwriter?
Samantha: I think when a songwriter can write honestly, about things that others can relate to, then they’ve succeeded.
Tell me about being in the movie “Shotgun Wedding”?
We were very fortunate to be cast as family members of the groom who was played by Josh Duhamel. The shooting took place in the Dominican Republic and the scenery was spectacular. We filmed for 6 weeks inside a Covid bubble. The production was over-the-top incredible, and Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel are real-life superstars! We also enjoyed some fun moments with the very funny Jennifer Coolidge who was also starring in the film. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience and it was a fantastic Covid distraction. The movie won’t be out until June 2022, so we are looking forward to seeing it!
Joey – What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
My first two originals were “Test Tube Babies”, and “Just for you”. I wrote them both in grade 7. I asked my teacher if I could take home the reel to reel tape deck at the school. She let me and I recorded the songs in my bedroom. I still have the little tape.
What is the process of writing your music?
Joey: Sometimes, or most of the time, the song just kind of comes through you. Like it was already there, and you just have to spend time putting it together. You need to be connected to the creative energy field. There is a lot of work involved with perfecting it, rehearsing it, and then hours and hours of recording all of the parts. I find that when I pick up my guitar there is usually a riff or some interesting concept waiting to be played. I usually am around Samantha or Karen and they will record it with their phones. So, you really need to play as much as possible for new ideas to emerge. For me, I find that the piano is an incredible instrument for writing a ballad, so switching it up is a good idea. We are lucky that we have our own studio, so we record and produce all of our music ourselves.
How was it to hear yourself on Steve Van Zandt’s Underground Garage?
It was very cool, they were playing our song “Gubalinda” and we now have a quote that we can share that they said on the show. “Still Eighteen is an excellent, excellent band”. Definitely, something to be grateful for!
Tell me about “Tomorrow”?
The pandemic lockdown was a very introspective time and fueled a lot of creativity for us. We put out two pandemic-inspired songs, most recently, “Tomorrow”, which was our ode for saying goodbye to the painful and difficult year of 2020. “Tomorrow” is our anthem for brighter days ahead — a time when we can finally cast off our masks and step out from the darkness and into the light. The verses paint a picture of the dark days of the pandemic, while the choruses offer us hope for the future – eventually building to a very uplifting final chorus. When we released it in March it was our hope that it would offer a sense of healing and optimism about the future.
Our other pandemic inspired song is “I’m Finding It Hard to Believe in Something”. We wrote it and released the song and music video in the midst of the pandemic in 2020. Those unprecedented times were immensely challenging for so many of us. It was difficult to feel hopeful when there was so much uncertainty in the world, but regardless, we knew we had to try. The song is about a man who is feeling disillusioned about his life circumstances but is reaching to find inspiration somehow. The song and video seemed to really resonate with people, we were excited to see the wave of people sharing it on Facebook and all of the views on YouTube and the positive comments from around the world. It has been very gratifying for us.
What is your favorite track on your EP?
“Bullets & Dust” We truly love that song and it never gets old for us. Every time we hear the recording or play it live, we get emotional.
One of the songs you play is Smoke on the Water. Which version do you like better Tommy Bolin or Richie Blackmore?
Richie Blackmore with Ian Gillan in Deep Purple.
What are your feelings about streaming music?
Samantha: I have Spotify and I love how easy it is to use and how I can create playlists and a library. Of course, as an artist, I wish the streaming rates were higher, LOL, but it’s a great way to discover new music.
Digital vs. vinyl?
Well, digital, but of course you will have other opinions for vinyl.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
Samantha: One of my favorite songs that I listen to often is “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” by The Smiths. The sentiment of the song is dying beside someone you love. That might sound a bit morbid, but I actually find the song uplifting, because it’s about feeling alive and loving people as much as you can.
How was it to perform in Florence Italy?
Karen: Performing in Italy has been one of the highlights of our career. Joey’s dad was born in a small town in northern Italy in the Dolomites and it was a dream of ours to go there one day. That dream came true – we have now visited and played in Italy for 6 years in a row! Unfortunately, our European tour for early 2021 had to be cancelled but we can’t wait until we can return there! We have performed in many places in Italy now, from Rome in the south to Livigno in the far north. All of the concerts have been memorable experiences but certainly performing multiple times in the historic city of Florence was awe-inspiring!
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
If anything, musicians and the music industry are very adaptive. We read that overall in the U.S., virtual concerts earned $610 million in 2020 and that it was more money than was made from downloads, so obviously this is a viable model. However, we don’t think that virtual concerts can replicate the incredible energy that we and the audience feel at a live concert, it is truly magical. That being said, to play some virtual concerts in-between touring would be ideal. To also expand the live concert experience to include virtual access sounds like a really good idea.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
Recording, writing, rehearsing and getting ready to go back on tour!
How do you stay healthy during the lockdown?
We’ve actually been doing a good job with this, except for our new found love of Oreos! We’re all pretty active with various sports that we do but for the times that we can’t do them, we have been doing YouTube workouts, we are fans of Pamela Reif’s hardcore workouts. We also eat healthily, get enough sleep, meditate and try not to watch too much news, it is too sensational and negative for us to maintain the high level of positivity that we try to aspire to. Don’t get us wrong, we aren’t naive, we know there is a lot of bad stuff happening out there, but we have learned that your life experience is a reflection of where you put your attention and energy and we want to put our focus on what uplifts us.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
Joey: I have so many things I am interested in; I am always busy making something or fixing something electrical or mechanical. I love working on cars as well.
Karen: Mmm, nothing new really, I have so many sports that I already love doing and with all the band stuff, it’s hard to find the time to do everything.
Samantha: We have been writing and recording a lot, as well as rehearsing. We also started cooking more as a family.
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook. Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will includes [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only.
How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?
We’re not really sure but we know there are other platforms out there where you can live stream, so possibly musicians will adapt once again and move their business elsewhere.
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?
Samantha: Obviously, this past year and a bit has presented immense challenges for musicians, but I think putting out consistent and relevant content on social media, as well as new songs and music videos really helps. You just have to hang in there and keep going!
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
Why not, it could be very cool!
In the past if a musician stop doing music they find a new career. For example David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants.. If you can’t do music what would you like to be doing?
We don’t even want to think about that!
What is your happy place?
We have a lot of places that make us happy, but without question, the number one is being on a stage together playing to a live audience. Nothing can replace the intoxication of a great night!
Red Hot Chili Peppers are about to sell their entire song catalog for $140 Million. In the past year a lot of musicians such as Stevie Nicks ($100 Million) , Bob Dylan (over $400 Million), Taylor Swift, Journey, Def Leppard, K.T. Tunstall, and Shakira have sold their catalog rights within the last year. Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog for a reported $300 million. Neil Young song 50 percent of his worldwide copyright and income interest in his 1,180-song catalogue to Hipnosis Songs Fund limited. Once you get to the age of about 70. Publishing is far more lucrative than the mechanical royalties paid to artist based on sales, airplay and streams. A good example of this is Michael Jackson brought the rights to the Beatles catalog in 1985. And in the late 80’s the Beatles Revolution appeared in a Nike commercial.
The lump sums being offered by publishing firms are more tax friendly concerning estate planning.
Do you think you would be willing to sale your back catalog if someone like Universal is will to buy everything, such as all the rights to all your songs?
Sure, why not? Show me the money!
Your video “You Hit Me Like a Drug” has over a million views.
Spotify’s ‘Stream On’ event on (February 22), the company confirmed that more than 60,000 new tracks are now being ingested by its platform every single day. This means people are added new tracks uploaded to its platform every 1.4 seconds.
The figure, announced by Spotify’s co-Head of Music, Jeremy Erlich, means that across the course of this year, approximately 22 million tracks will be added to Spotify’s catalog. Spotify confirmed in November last year that its platform now played host to around 70 million tracks.
Therefore it’s reasonable to assume that, by the end of 2021, SPOT will be home to over 90 million tracks. And that in the early part of next year, it will surpass a catalog of 100 million for the first time.
But still back at the beginning of the year Spotify deleted 750,00 songs, mostly from independent artists. What do you think what that could mean to independent artist?
Samantha: The ups and downs of following a music career are major. You have to be in a band because you love it, and be willing to weather each storm. Since what Spotify does is out of our control, we just have to focus on our musical goals and spreading as much light and love through music as possible. I saw a heavy metal band made up of two seventeen-year-old kids in Canada a few years ago. The singer/guitarist was rocking out so hard – he was on the floor and everything – and there were only about six people in the bar. I loved his commitment to having the most fun possible, regardless of the size of the audience. I think, in a band, you have to decide to have fun regardless of what’s happening that’s out of your control. Just rock it out!
Sony Music in November and Warner Music Group in December, The ByteDance-owned video app revealed on (February 8) that it has struck an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group. Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more?
We’ve been reluctant so far only for the sake of preserving some non-screen time. We are always appreciative of the opportunity to expand our fan base though, so we will see.
How do you feel to be picked as one of the 10 Canadian artist for the upcoming Canadian music week festival?
We are excited to be chosen as one of the showcasing artists for the Canadian Music Week Festival and Conference. It’s now in its 38th year, and it is still the premier annual music business and networking event in Canada. This time around it’s being produced live, online & streamed worldwide. We also thought it was pretty cool that we have been picked as one of the top 10 Canadian Artists to see at Canadian Music Week by Femmusic.
Danny Wimmer Presents just announced their 2021 Festival Calendar: Which includes the following live shows:
DWP Partners With Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival For July 23-25 Event In Mansfield, OH
Louder Than Life Set For September 23-26 With Newly Added Thursday Night Celebration In Louisville, KY
Welcome To Rockville Expands To 4 Days And Shifts From Spring To November 11-14 In Daytona Beach, FL
Aftershock Set For October 7-10 In Sacramento, CA, Almost Sold Out
Would you be willing to play these shows and what precautions would you like to have in place?
Yes, we are ready to get back out there and we would follow the appropriate Covid protocols.
Joey- Since you were in Platinum Blonde and Trixie Goes Hollywood. How has the live music changed?
Almost everyone plays an instrument or wants to be a singer nowadays. They are all over the internet, and many of them don’t put the time in to becoming great. When you go to see a live band, they better be very good at what they do. People have now seen so much, that unless there is that “magic” coming off the stage, then there is no interest.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
Thank you UnRated Magazine for reaching out to us and for helping your readers to get to know us and our music! We appreciate what you are doing! Thank you to everyone that took the time to read this interview, please drop us a note on our social media, we’d love to hear from you!
