Today we’d like to introduce you to William Lewis.

Hi William, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

I am a 20 year Navy Retiree, and I created a non-profit organization to help support Veteran’s suffering with disabilities by building a recording studio and offering recording sessions free of charge. The only requirement to be part of Vet-Traxx Project Inc, is that the band must have at least one Veteran and they must have been discharged either General (under honorable conditions), or Honorably. I have been a musician for over 30 years and a recording engineer for 7 years. Due to the Navy and my duty station rotations I was able to get to the west coast, and I worked a second job at a music retailer. Working at the music store I met so many people in the music business that I kept contact with through the years. It’s funny to reminisce about the past and what led me to where I am. I never had a dream of becoming a big time music producer, but I always wanted to be a drummer, and I never gave that up. Nothing beats the excitement (besides the birth of my son) of walking on stage and doing what you love for the masses. To move things to present day, Vet-Traxx Project Inc. started the recording sessions again with a vengeance. Prior to Covid, we were fully booked with so many bands. It was an amazing time, but then everything came to a grinding halt. It really took a toll on my mental health, I had worked so hard to provide an outlet and then it was like life came to a stand still. I became depressed because I couldn’t help my fellow brothers and sisters. We weren’t able to promote Vet-Traxx Festival, or local shows that generated donations for the organization. I carry the debt burden on my back and stay the course. I am glad I didn’t give up, because once the Veteran’s started coming back to the studio, I felt the excitement again and the depression subsided. The biggest event that happened for us this year is we teamed up with Nick Miller (original guitarist from A Skylit Drive) and Cory LaQuay (original drummer from A Skylit Drive). Nick is an amazing producer and his talents far exceed mine, he is a mentor to me as well. Nick produces my band Failure by Proxy’s music, and a lot of other amazing artists in the NORCAL metro. Cory immediately jumped on the opportunity to be a session drummer for Veteran’s needing a drummer. I had seen Cory play live and knew he would be the right fit. Cory loves our Veteran’s, and has a family member that was in the Navy, so it was the right fit. He is very versatile in playing and can fill the shoes for any genre. We have several bands with music that is recorded and we have to make some slight adjustments, and then fire it off to Nick to make the magic happen.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

Money will always be the biggest struggle we face. Everything costs so much more now, and replacing gear isn’t as cheap as it use to be. Time = money. I don’t charge for services provided to the Veteran’s, and with the lack of promotion shows supporting Vet-Traxx Project Inc., I have to figure out ways to pay the bills.

Scheduling is always a challenge, but manageable. I have to keep a good balance of family/work/music/organization. lifestyle. When my band gears up and has a bunch of shows booked, I have to navigate through our practice schedule and book recording sessions. Fortunately I took a promotion at my job and work east coast hours, so I am able to start grinding in the studio much earlier.

Another challenge we face is when a Veteran reaches out to us, and they really don’t understand what our mission is. Lately we have been seeing email traffic and it appears that it is assumed that we give Veteran’s free music equipment. Unfortunately we can’t because we don’t have a budget for it.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?

I play drums for Failure by Proxy, recording engineer for Vet-Traxx Project Inc

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?

I had to laugh at this question. Personality wise, I was a SpAz. Always tapping on stuff, air drumming. I was super hyper, still to this day I am hyper. I was diagnosed with ADHD and it all made sense. One of my long time friends and former band mate gave me the nick name SpAz, and I still use it to this day. That’s what everyone calls me. It’s even on my signature drumsticks. It is actually weird to hear someone call me Eric out in the music scene environment. My interests was always music, specifically drums. I was so hyper and not focused, I was kicked out of my junior high school band. I just couldn’t focus, but I did learn to read music.

Another personality trait is I’ve always cared for others before myself. That comes naturally and I remember my Dad saying “Do for others, without expecting anything in return”.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.vet-traxxproject.org
• Instagram: instagram/fxpband
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/failurebyproxy
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@failurebyproxy