FILTHY HABIT for several reasons, primarily because for a good reason: no matter how different people are, one thing that links us to everyone else on the planet is that EVERYBODY has at LEAST one really bad or filthy habit (whether they'll discuss it or not is something else altogether)! Same goes for music: we incorporate many different styles of rock into our music, several styles may even influence just one song, since we all have different influences & backgrounds. The thing that links us to everyone else: with that kind of variety, we are bound to at some point be on common ground with each person in our audience. "Something for everyone -- the 'quintessential' rock music experience!"

We play live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area for the most part (until we start a regional tour this year). We've played: Trees (Deep Ellum,Dallas), the Ridglea Theater (FTW), Fast Freddies (Arlington), Dreamworld Music Complex (Arlington), Club Optimo, The AARDVARK, freq.@ the Black Dog Tavern (downtown Ft. Worth), The Jube (Hurst), The Poop Deck (SW FTW), The Happy Mermaid (SW FTW), J&J's Blues Bar (FTW), the Peppermill Lounge (FTW), 6th Street Grill (FTW), Lowry's Sports Bar (ARL) --private parties, various open mic's. Special moments? When it hit us that all that promoting pays off, seeing fans who only rarely made appearances at prev. shows made it out to one-then another- then another. Fans make it special...Special event: Local Commotion Benefit for Cancer Research in Sept. 2001...very special night!

The internet has changed the independent and local music industries because we, as independent musicians, now have the ability to distribute our original music out to a much wider audience! There are tons of sites with tons of advice and tools to help you succeed if you are willing to work hard for it. We don't have the pressure of grabbing the attention of the commercial market or major labels just to be heard, or to make a living playing music. Although you really miss out on the live show (and even that has been somewhat remedied with video/audio streaming), people can hear your music at any time from many different sources! It's also increased the competition out there. The up-side of this is that it makes us all work harder as musicians to tighten and fine tune our music, our production & performance, making us, and our audience satisfied with / & very proud of the results!

Hmmm...Tough one. These days, signing a "contract" w/a "major label" doesn't mean what it did in yrs past.
We certainly aren't waiting for any such contract OR Label to get us where we want to be, and it is NOT one of our primary goals (to get signed w/a major).
Filthy Habit will keep doing what we do: letting our own very hard work & dedication move us up the ladder. EX: We do our own promotion, marketing (music/live shows/merchandise/etc), our own P.R., graphics, websites, press kits, etc. We only recently acquired Management (MonkeyHood Mngmnt)to help us with the "business"-part of the music biz, since it started becoming too much for a couple of members w/ our increased gig schedule(& therefore pract.'s, etc.).
We're very proud to have fans, to have the number of fans we have -- AND most of all, thankful for such dedicated, supportive fans -- Without them, we're just wannabe's playing to an audience of furniture in our living room.
(u know who u are, & u know where the love is, BABY!).

We're very proud of the music we make, and of the fact that you CAN NOT put Filthy Habit into ANY one category or music genre. We BELIEVE in the music we create, and BELIEVE in our success, even if it is breaking ground in uncharted territory.

We are also extremely proud of the hard work we've done and continue doing, in order to make and maintain our band as a thriving business.

If Filthy Habit is successful, it is and will be due to the fact that we are the best at what we do, and we work(ed) very VERY hard to get there.

So, to ans. your question, ha ha: Yes, but only when signing a contract would do something positive regarding the success of the band, and/or maintain positive steps toward the goals we've chosen as a band, that we simply cannot (or have not been able to as yet) do for ourselves.

Jeff Aurand: Drums, vocals, rhythm guitar
Has been with several other bands in the FTW area from Blues to Heavy Metal (Scattershot, Outlaw Blues to name a couple)-- has had 20+years experience as a drummer (double-pedal heavy metal to blues), and in F.H. has expanded into lead vocals and rhythm guitar. With a distinct voice that can range from raspy and grunge-like, to soft, to powerful.

Dan Shook: Backing vocals, Lead Guitar
Dan has had 20+ years experience with playing lead electric guitar. He has been in several rock bands before in the Ft. Worth area, and also has sat in with Blues bands (still known to do so around the FTW area from time to time). He has a very distinct lead style that can range from Blues-style to hard-core heavy metal -- with many influences he can move from one sound to another seamlessly, and always highlights every song with riveting licks that move and inspire listeners. Dan's taking a little break from the live seen - health issues and such...but is still active with our recording project right now...and look for him to continue contributing / collaborating in the songwriting dept. We love you, man!

Paul Rickard: Lead Guitar, Bass, backing vocals
Paul joined Filthy Habit as a full-time Bass Player (replacing original member Dave Anderton)in January, and has moved to the Lead Guitar spot in June '02. The whole band met him last year at an open mic night. He was a regular at the open mic nights (every Tues) that WE hosted at The Black Dog Tavern, FT. Worth. Originally, we met him as a left-handed guitar player -- a phenomenal guitar player! He/Jeff/Danny would jam, making up songs on the fly -- people would always ask us "hey, that was so cool! who originally recorded that tune?" lol...He placed ad as a bass player / guitar player looking for band, and we found him on a website. asked him to come try bass w/us. Paul picked up the music very quickly, added energy to our shows and our music, and enhanced songs with strong and unique bass lines. He's been even more impressive on lead, and has written/co-written a couple of tunes that will be on our new album in Sept. Already a big contributor to orig. tunes and our "sound", we look for him to be a perm. part of the family, and couldn't be happier.

Misti Petty: Lead Vocals, Drums, Backing vocals
Coming from a very "musical" family-- famous and infamous family members participating in and supporting music for many generations. Has had formal vocal training (yrs ago), and performance experiences from choir to playing flute/backing vocals for a Jethro Tull cover band. She has been playing (and improving on) drums for just over a year now, playing and doing back-up vocals when Jeff's up front on guitar/lead vox. She has a lead vocal style that has been likened to a "Linda Perry (4 non-Blondes), meets Tori Amos) She moves from powerful heavy metal screams and to delicate ballad /formal vocal styles with ease and precision, her goal always to envelope the listener with the emotion that created the song she sings.

Michale Moore: Bass (master!), backing voc's, Great story-teller, ha!
Already a well-established and very talented bass player for another local band, Michale has joined FH to fill the spot for our live shows, and will assist us on the album this summer - will join us on our state and regional promo. tour this fall/winter! Michale most recently has been playing with a band called "REIN", a very hard-rocking progressive metal band. His keen ear and sense of structure have already contributed to new music, and to pumping a little life into our overall sound. He is just fantastic, incredible musician!

Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull (genre-breakers/benders themselves!), Iron Maiden, Tantric, Days of the New, Three Doors Down, STP, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Rush, Type O Negative, Concrete Blonde, The Beatles, Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Triumph, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, The Who, Kid Rock, Alanis Morisette, Aretha Franklin, Limp Bizkit, Drowning Pool, The Toadies, Trippin' Daisy, Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, Beck, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby/Stills/Nash(Young), Korn, Yes, Bad Company, Pantera, Donnovan, Natalie Merchant, (some alternative influences: Laurie Anderson, Peter Gabriel, Bill Laswell, The Cure, Depeche Mode, The Sundays, Mazzie Star, Saga, U2, Talking Heads, Tori Amos, PJ Harvey, Kate Bush ..too many to keep going!

Misti: Toss-up between 1) the drive from far W. Tx all the way to L.A- Mountains,desert,giant windmills!Inspiring, beautiful 2) any place free of bill collectors, stocked with tequila/salt/lemons, and a bathroom, lol....
Jeff: Chi-ca-go! Don't know what it is about that city, but it's definitely got a certain magnetice force about it -- San Francisco too, but didn't get to see enough of it while there to make it #1...
Danny:

Dave:

Guitars/Bass: Washburn, Fender, Gibson/Les Paul, Epiphone, Yamaha; Effects/Eff.Processors: Digitech, Line 6, others; Perc: Ludwig drums, Zildjian cymbals, other perc.; Amps: Crate, Marshall, Fender, SWV (bass), Vox; PA: Crate 8ch mixer/P.A.; Mains/Monitors: SoundDesign; Roland, SPD, BOSS BR8; Software: SoundForge, AcidPro, Vegas, Cakewalk, Cubase VST, and others...

Everybody, without exception EVERYBODY, has at least one FILTHY HABIT. Intellegent, powerful, inspiring original music, incorporating many styles of rock into each song, giving you a unique experience that will move you to "feel", and leave you wanting more! Filthy Habit's style is unlike any band known today -- they represent a new paradigm for the rock music genre, and it looks like it's catching on! Filthy Habit is one band that makes you want to be a rock star again!