Taste sat down with Armand DeMille to explore the romantic music of the artist.
Taste: Who is Armand DeMille?
Armand: I am a singer who plays the
guitar… not to be confused with a guitarist who sings.
Taste: How did you get involved in music?
Armand: I loved to sing along with the radio as a kid. I liked The Beatles and The Monkees. Then I took up the guitar
and it gave me an excuse to sing. If you’re auditioning for a band and it comes down to the vocalist and the vocalist who plays the guitar, the guitarist will get chosen every time.
Taste: You have quite the repertoire of songs. What is your favorite thing to play?
Armand: As a soloist, I don’t have to play anything I don’t like. I enjoy the 60’s, the era I grew up in, and also the 40’s and 50’s when the singers were really strong.
Taste: Tell us about your music?
Armand: I mix it up. Sometimes I just play guitar and sing, like with a James Taylor song. Other times I use a drum
machine for rhythm. When I get into my Sinatra songs, I need background music so I started my own imaginary “Mac” orchestra on my computer, complete with keyboards and horns. I can extract whatever instrumentals I want off of the original soundtrack and then remove the guitar and vocals to perform myself. So you will hear the original music from a Sinatra album but instead of Frank singing, it’s me. Overall, I play easy listening, romantic stuff. Nothing but love songs. I tell my audience, “No Rap and No Crap.”
Taste: Where can we find you?
Armand: I have been playing at The Studio for twelve years. The restaurant is a bit bohemian, a bit sexy and very artsy.
Classy. The perfect 1st date setting. I’ll start off mellow while people are eating with the Beatles and James Taylor then kick it up later on with some Michael Jackson. People love to get up and dance after a few glasses of wine. I can sense what the crowd wants and play to them: Soft or loud, slow or energetic.
Taste: Claim to Fame?
Armand: I played with The Vogues, a 1960’s band kind of like The Lettermen. We traveled around and sang oldies and
did reunion concerts. Our hits included “Turn Around Look at Me” and “My Special Angel”.
Taste: What’s the best thing about your gig?
Armand: The artistic satisfaction of performing great music, and seeing the smiles of joy on people’s faces.
Catch Armand and his love songs on Fridays and Saturdays at The Studio, 20 Executive Park Road or call 843-785-6000 for reservations.
