For those who may not know who you are, introduce yourselves quickly.
MARK VENNIS & DIFFERENT PLACE: WE ARE A GENRE JUMPING BAND ALL TIED TOGETHER BY PUNK ROCK ATTITUDE
Describe your sound in as few words as possible.
JOHNNY CASH AND BOB MARLEY MEET THE CLASH
Who are your three biggest influences as a band?
THE CLASH, BOB MARLEY, JOHNNY CASH.
What’s the meaning behind your band name?
MUSIC TAKES YOU TO A DIFFERENT PLACE. IT CAN TRANSFORM THE EVERYDAY AND GET YOU TO LOOK AT THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
How did you approach your latest release in terms of writing and recording?
I WRITE AND WRITE, THEN I RECORD. THIS ALBUM WAS A COLLECTION OF EPS AND SOME EXTRA SONGS, SO ALL THE THREE EPS WERE AVAILABLE OVER THE PAST THREE OR SO YEARS. SO IT WASN’T RECORDED IN ONE GO.
Do you have any personal favourite songs on the release?
‘RATTLE SNAKE’, ‘ACHILLES REMIX’
Explain the meaning behind the album title.
‘A BEAUTIFUL LIE OR THE UGLY TRUTH’ IS THE TITLE. AND ITS REALLY ABOUT WHETHER YOU WANT TO BELIEVE THE BULLSHIT OR NOT.
Do you have any dates lined up at present?
CANNES FILM FESTIVAL 2019, FLASHFEST PORTSMOUTH 2019
What are your favourite songs to perform live?
‘WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE’, ‘AINT NO CHOICE’.
What are the best and worst shows you’ve played to date?
BEST: VOUT O RENEES, LONDON. JAN 2019, WORST: BLOTTED ANY BAD EXPERIENCE OUT OF MY MIND!
If you could open for anyone, who would it be?
PAUL WELLER
Any comical stories from your time as a band you can share with us?
NONE THAT I CAN REPEAT
What’s the plan for the rest of 2019?
GIG. RECORD. RELEASE NEW ALBUM.
Any closing comments?
WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF ROCK N ROLL TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, MAKE THEM DANCE, MAKE THEM THINK AND, IN A LITTLE WAY, CHALLENGE ARTIFICIAL DIVISIONS IN SOCIETY.
For those who may not know who you are, introduce yourselves quickly.
Terraborn (Melodic Death Metal) based in Sussex, UK
Describe your sound in as few words as possible.
Post-Apocalyptic Soundtrack of Destruction.
Who are your three biggest influences as a band?
Lamb of God, Pantera, Parkway Drive
What’s the meaning behind your band name?
It means “Born of the Earth”. Mainly fitting in with the post-apocalyptic theme
How did you approach your latest release, the ‘Call to War’ EP, in terms of writing and recording?
Mainly through collaboration at home for the writing process with most of the music written by Dave (Guitars). All of the EP was recorded, mixed and edited by ourselves (with the exception of live drums) and fully self-produced using Andy (Guitars) home studio setup
Do you have any personal favourite songs on the release?
Our favourite tracks from the EP are the title track ‘Call to War’ and ‘Nations Wake’
Explain the meaning behind the title.
Call to War! – Rallying the troops for battle.
Describe the concept of the video.
Trying to bring the Chaos behind our live performances into a video…Lots of lights, glitches, flashing, sci-fi type feel!
How does it tie in with the themes around the song?
Yes, calling on our soldiers to join the cause and fight for survival
Was it fun to shoot or did it prove to be quite a challenge?
Very fun, with access to a lot of hi-tech kit, an array of 4K HD cameras, HUGE screens, crazy lighting rigs! – As with any video though when you have performed the song 100+ times it wears a little thin!!
Do you have any live dates lined up at present?
Friday 2nd August at the Facebar in Reading (Supporting Rammlied – Rammstein tribute), Friday 1st November at the Crown in Littlehampton (Headline)
What are your favourite songs to perform live?
‘Hypocrisy’, ‘Nations Wake’.
What are the best and worst shows you’ve played to date?
The Best: Mammothfest 2016, M2M final Brighton 2017. The Worst: The Hub Brighton (horrendous sound issues!!)
If you could open for anyone, who would it be?
Lamb of God
Any comical stories from your time as a band you can share with us?
A Seagull stealing, and swallowing whole our bass players battered sausage outside of Sticky Mikes in Brighton, and our Guitarist (Dave) having to run out of the car at traffic lights in a one way system approaching Reading as he needed to pee, for us only to realise afterwards he had left his phone in the Car and was subsequently lost in the middle of the City with no way for us to contact him!
What’s the plan for the rest of 2019?
Promoting our video release and continuing the writing process for our album which we hope to get into the studio to record later this year – with a few live shows thrown in to keep us on our toes of course!
Hailing from Toronto, Canada, Gnostic Gorilla is a dark electronic project which wears unpredictability as easily as imagination in its ear gripping sound. Recently we had the chance and pleasure to talk about the solo project with creator Dean Mason, exploring its origins and music amongst many things as well as picking at Dean’s thoughts about music in general.
Hello Dean and thanks for taking time out to talk with us.
Thank you. My pleasure!
Can you first introduce the project and give us some background to how it all started?
Sure. As a teenager, I began exploring the idea of recording music. I was of course a major day tripper…I mean…day dreamer. Hahahahaha! So I ventured out to record two songs, Dark Hallway and Golgotha for a single. I had some excellent musicians join me in the studio (Dave Davidson, Tony Bourdeau, Shaun Saunders and Chris Byrnes) and with the help of my parents I released the 45 rpm under the so called label name “Lonely Ghost Productions”. That was my first experiment with recording music. I left it at that and went to school to find some sort of career. In 2012, I returned to recording, as a hobby and recorded exclusively electronic music with a dark bent. (Gothic/Dark Wave/Industrial) I released a few singles on iTunes etc. and then in 2015 I released the first album (St. Basil’s Asylum) using the project name “Gnostic Gorilla”. Before that I was using the project name “The Lonely Ghost Project” but that changed once I learnt there was an American band called “The Lonely Ghost Parade”. I wanted to avoid confusion. So that’s a brief history of “Gnostic Gorilla”.
What inspired the name “Gnostic Gorilla”?
As I mentioned earlier, initially my project was called “The Lonely Ghost Project” but I changed it to “Gnostic Gorilla”. I had a song called Gnostic Gorilla (now renamed Eye for a Lie) and I decided to use that name for the project. The idea behind the name is a sort of convergence of two world views: the religious ‘creation’ story and Darwin’s theory of evolution. “Gnostic” means “knowledge” or “to know”. That is a reference to the “tree of knowledge”. Obviously, “Gorilla” is in reference to the idea that we evolved from some sort of ‘ape’ species (not specifically the Gorilla of course) and here we are. “Gnostic Gorilla” is not about Gnosticism as some may think.
Was there any specific idea behind the forming of the project and also in what you wanted it and your sound to offer?
In many ways a lot of it was allowing the creative process to dictate where I wanted the project to go and how I wanted to sound. I started off doing simply instrumental/soundtrack type recordings. Then I decided to try and do a complete song with lyrics/vocals. The first song I did as part of this new electronic music pursuit was a song called Requiem for the Prophet of Doom which was a tribute to Peter Steele of Type O Negative who passed away in 2010. There were two versions of that track. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEnSgqaI3JA & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0N7Uxzg7ac
That was released under the name “Dean Mason of The Lonely Ghost Project”, as singles. Soon after this, I began to really become more interested in a sound that was more industrial and Gothic or Dark Wave and eventually after a few more singles I recorded St. Basil’s Asylum which is now rereleased by Cleopatra Records. Most of my music has been industrial or Gothic since then.
Do the same sparks still drive the project or have they evolved over time and equally since your early days, how would you say your sound has specifically evolved?
Sort of continuing on from the previous question…yeah…there was definitely an ‘evolution’ of sorts. I look back on what I did in 2012 and some of it doesn’t send me far, with the exception of Nietzsche’s Cyborg. I will always be proud of that song. It was a game changer. It’s on St. Basil’s Asylum even though it was recorded in the fall of 2012 and St. Basil’s Asylum was released in 2015 and then rereleased by Cleopatra Records in 2018. But back on track here, I guess for me, I became more interested in an abrasive and weird industrial sound. (Psalm for the Lost was actually more of a retro Goth/New Wave type deal though) My latest album, Freak’s Mind is in my opinion one of my strongest in many ways. The next album to be released by Cleopatra Records (Shaman Rave) will blow your socks off! Promise!
Has it been more of an organic movement of sound or more you deliberately wanting to try new things?
A bit of both… I don’t want to be boxed into a specific genre to be honest. So, I go through phases where I really like menacing and weird industrial and then other times I prefer a more velvety Goth or Doom Psychedelic type mood in my music. I have been inspired not only by other artists but also by some soundtracks like, the soundtrack for Sinister which is absolutely mind numbing! So sometimes I watch a movie like that or like Queen of the Damned and it gives me inspiration. So, yeah, there is an evolution of sorts but I never deviate too far from being a dark electronic act.
Presumably there is a wide range of inspirations; are there any in particular which have impacted not only on your music but your approach to and ideas about creating and playing music?
Well, one of my first inspirations would be Gary Numan. I mean, I was a huge KISS fan when I was still in diapers hahaha …but Numan was the one that inspired me to consider doing my own thing in music. That said, I don’t write and record in the style of Numan. I owe more to Ministry, Skinny Puppy and Rammstein as far as recording style goes. I also am very much inspired by Peter Steele of Type O Negative and Jim Morrison of The Doors, especially for their unique lyrical style. Did you know that the first time the term ‘Goth or Gothic’ was used in reference to a rock band was when someone did a review of The Doors, the day after (or close anyway) that Morrison had met Andy Warhol? Anyway…I owe a lot of gratitude to Nash The Slash for being an inspiration as an indie artist as well.
Is there a certain process to your songwriting?
I usually begin a track with a general idea of the kind of mood/style I want to pursue. Then, usually, the song ends up being something totally different than want I first imagined. I usually start with either synth riffs/loops and/or beats/drum patterns and build from there. Kind of difficult to explain how a song evolves and usually I look back and think, “how did I even come up with this”?
… And where do you draw the inspirations to the lyrical side of your songs?
Many of my songs address the human struggle. I never write ‘love’ songs or ‘sex in the corvette’ songs…there are ample of those so …why compete right? I usually write in sort of ‘mystical’ story form. I use a lot of imagery and I allow the listener/reader (of lyrics) to decide for themselves what it means to them, even though I may have a specific idea in mind. I often use religious imagery and also imagery of ‘battles’ or ‘war’ but not in the sense that they are LITERALLY about armed combat. The imagery of ‘battle’ is more of an emotional/psychological journey of that inner struggle. I use a lot of religious imagery, but I don’t push ANY sort of religious point of view…for or against. Again, I let people decide for themselves what any song could mean. I address the issue of mental illness and depression and even the tendency for despair. I don’t encourage ‘despair’ but that experience of wondering where there is hope is quite universal. As well, I often, in veiled language, address the ‘tribalism’ that we humans seem to cling to. I have a real personal distaste for hatred of any kind and the world is full of that. Religious people bashing and rejecting others for being ‘different’ or of the ‘wrong tribe’ and all the bigotry and racism and all the phobias that still exist in a so called ‘evolved’ modern world. That ‘tribalism’ isn’t just from those of a religious persuasion but it also exists among ,many ‘atheists’ and ‘secularists’ who can be just as hateful towards those of the ‘other tribe’. We just don’t know how to leave each other be do we?! Hatred of any kind is for the birds. Wait…not even the birds want it!
Give us some background to your latest release.
The latest release is Freak’s Mind. It’s very abrasive and weird and even at times ‘gothadelic’ (a term coined by Peter Steele by the way). That album is the album that wasn’t supposed to be. I never really wanted to record anything new but one song at a time, and I ended up recording an album’s worth of dark wave/industrial/Gothic madness and I’m really proud of this album. It touches on all those subjects I mentioned earlier. Womb To The Tomb is one of my favourites on that album. It’s a strange combo of wild 60’s psychedelic with raging industrial sounds. Veil is a powerful song, which was recorded in 2013 actually. It’s a good album and I’m not the type that easily says things like that about my own music.
Could you give us some insight to the themes behind it and its songs?
Womb to The Tomb is about the cycle of life more or less, but also looks at the life of a corrupt village and all its citizens, including the powerful who take advantage and the victims who are taken advantage of. It’s kind of inspired by modern day events, without being specific. Chaos Frankenstein is sort of a ‘mystical’ telling of conflict and chaos and suffering and deception. Finally, (I won’t dissect every song) Freak’s Mind, the title track, is more or less about someone struggling with some sort of psychological or emotional turmoil.
Tell us about the live side to the band?
At present, Gnostic Gorilla is not planning on any live shows. I’d need to lasso a bunch of musicians to do that and I don’t see it happening. I don’t think so anyway…Maybe a one off someday.
It is not easy for any new act/artist to make an impact regionally let alone nationally and further afield. How have you found it your neck of the woods? Are there the opportunities to make a mark if the drive is there for new bands/artists?
You’re so right. It’s not easy. I mean, as far as having an impact is concerned. It’s a different world… a different industry and there are many factors that make it very difficult to make a dent anywhere, even locally…especially if you’re in a bigger city. Technology and the age of communication (social media) make it so that anyone can set themselves up and do music and even videos and put it out there. It makes for a VERY clogged reality in cyberspace. There is SO much out there. Everyone wants to be considered the next big thing…Fair game. But here’s the thing, it’s all been done. After KISS and Sabbath, and Manson and Depeche Mode and Numan and NIN, Slipknot, Cradle of Filth, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Ice T, Eminem, Shaggy, Run DMC etc. …how does one come up with a unique style? I don’t want to be a pessimist but let’s be realistic. It’s VERY difficult to make a dent because it’s almost impossible to snap people out of an oversaturated “yawn…I’ve seen it all before” mindset. You can’t impress people easily. You can barely shock people unless you are involved in some sort of controversy or are pretty like a Barbie/Ken doll. Legends/pioneers are no longer being made and I know that would piss a lot of people off to hear that, but it’s true. As for my own situation, I must confess that as I proud Canadian, I am very unimpressed with the way I’ve been treated by the reps/labels in Canada. I have a label deal with Cleopatra Records (LA) for two albums, a deal with KL-Dark Records in Germany and Nowhere Now Records in Australia and have never even received a reply from the Canadian labels I sent music to. Kind of disappointing but I guess they’re all waiting for the second coming or RUSH or Justin Bieber or Gordon Lightfoot.
How has the internet and social media impacted on your project to date? Do you see it as something destined to become a negative from a positive as the project grows and hopefully gets increasing success or is it more that bands/artists struggling with it are lacking the knowledge and desire to keep it working to their advantage?
As I said before, the world has changed dramatically in more ways than one. The internet and social media have forever changed MANY things, not just music. Look at what it’s done to the world of politics! (not always for the better) Even the Pope has a presence on social media. Hahahaha. But more specifically related to the music industry…it’s a mixed bag I suppose. It’s great to promote one’s music/art but also you’re not the only one doing it. Millions are doing it. With regards to the reality of ‘streaming’ though, as an example…that too is a combination of blessing and curse. What’s happening is people don’t feel like buying music is even a concept. It’s not their fault. It’s the way things evolved. (There’s that word again…hahahaha) Younger people grew up knowing nothing else and so, even the concept of music as art is kind of challenged. It’s rarely seen as ‘art’ and just part of the regular noise and scenery of cyberspace all mixed in with the latest ‘app’. It’s like music is there for the taking the way fruit on trees is there for the taking…it’s just a part of the way life goes. It’s all there to snatch and rarely pay much more than a standard monthly fee or something and have unlimited music. Hey, I do it myself, so I’m not criticizing. Also, it needs to be said, with reference to struggling artists: there are also different organizations that promise ‘hi-fi mega stardom’ for a fee! Some of these take advantage of artists, even some of the big labels have jumped on that bandwagon. Don’t get me wrong, there are some decent, honest organizations that genuinely want to assist struggling artists, but there are also a lot of vultures out there cashing in on Wendy and Charlie’s dreams of “making it”. I guess in the end, like anything else, it’s what you do with it right? Maybe it’s just another challenge for artists to be creative, even with regards to promoting and marketing.
Once again a big thanks for sharing time with us; anything you would like to add or reveal for the readers?
It is I who thank you! All I can say is that if you are a struggling artist…be true to the art, to being creative. I know that sounds like hippie bullshit, but it’s true. As soon as your goal is to become a ‘celebrity’ you’re setting yourself up for deception. Don’t dream about being a ‘star’. Instead, be creative and express yourself and be true to yourself…regardless of who does and who doesn’t approve. The rest will follow because in the end, authenticity speaks louder than the need to be ‘worshipped’. That’s what I believe.
From São Paulo, Brazil, High Moonlight recently gave us the pleasure to talk about and get to the heart of its unique sound…
Hello and thanks for taking time out to talk with us.
Can you first introduce the band and give us some background to how it all started?
The band High Moonlight was formed in the late 90s among some friends of the school. All we wanted was to play a good old rock in roll as high as possible, that’s what united us in the beginning. The grunge scene was high at the time, bands like Nirvana, Alice and others dominated the rock scene of the time, we did not like that sound and we wanted to play the good old Heavy / Rock of all time.
We heard Dio, Sabbath, AC / DC, Rainbow … so they were the bands that inspired us. At first we were just a trio, guitar, bass and drums. Like all bands, we used to play several covers of bands we used to sing (Uriah Heep, Dio, Rainbow), but the goal was always their own songs.
Have you been or are involved in other bands?
No, I’ve never been involved with other bands. My focus has always been High Moonlight.
What inspired the band name?
I have always enjoyed mystical, magical, supernatural and related things. That was precisely what I wanted to address in my lyrics. And the moon is a very mystical symbol, both for wizards, enchanted beings, wolves and Lycans, so I chose it as the name of my band and added the word “High” to magnify it even more. High Moonlight is a tribute to this historical and mysterious symbol that is the moon and all the mystical beings that exist or existed and are part of our history.
Do the same ideas and intention still drive the band from when it was fresh-faced or have they evolved over time?
Yes. I still preserve the same principles, the same ideals and the same goals since when I decided to take the music and the band seriously. The initial change was in relation to the members that have been changing over the years.
Since your early days, how would you say your sound has evolved?
At first I made heavy metal with a mix of progressive, the songs were longer. Over time, I have been refining my playing technique and understanding the type of sound I wanted to play. Today my music comes down to an authentic heavy metal and a lot of quality and good taste. All my songs revolve around many original and creative riffs.
Has it been more of an organic movement of sound or more you deliberately wanting to try new things?
No. My sound is defined and based on heavy rock or simply heavy metal, some call it Hard rock but I do not consider it that way.
You have already mentioned some inspirations; are there any in particular which have impacted not only on the band’s music but your personal approach and ideas to creating and playing music?
At first I listened a lot to Rainbow and Ronnie James Dio. This did not impact my sound but it always helped me a lot when composing, because I always wrote or composed my songs wondering what it would be like to have Dio, as a vocalist that is, singing my songs. Blackmore also showed me how to create things out of the ordinary inside Rock n Roll.
Is there a particular process to your songwriting?
First I create the riffs, then I compose the whole song and then I write the lyrics on top of what I just played. Nothing too complicated or different. This is my creative process.
Where do you, more often than not, draw the inspirations to the lyrical side of your songs?
I do not hear much heavy metal when I’m in the process of writing. Instead I prefer to listen to Eastern culture or classical music.
Could you give us some background to your latest release?
Our first EP that is available (for now) only on SoundCloud and as a demo, is a compilation of seven compositions that define well the High Moonlight, both sonorous and thematic. It is a Heavy Metal / Rock n Roll of the best quality possible and really innovative. It’s a way of telling people that it’s still possible to make quality music and good taste and that Heavy Metal, Rock n Roll still has a lot of firewood to burn, you can believe!!! I’m sure that after hearing “Arcturians”, “Storm” or “Inovaya” for example, many will say, “Dude, what’s this sound ?! I’ve never heard anything like it” or else: “Rock is still alive, that’s very good!!!”You can be sure!
Give us some insight to the themes and premise behind the songs.
The lyrics deal with mystical themes, conspiracies and adventures. The sound is based on creative riffs with great melodies and beautiful guitars solos. Worth checking out, yes!
Do you go into the studio with songs pretty much in their final state or prefer to develop them as you record?
Yes. I’m already in the studio with the songs developed in their final stage, practically defined.
Tell us about the live side to the band, presumably a favourite aspect of the band?
Simply play and do shows. This is the living side that motivates us to move on. We do not play for money or fame, we just like to play and period.
It is not easy for any new band to make an impact regionally let alone nationally and further afield. How have you found it?
I do not intend to please anyone with my music. Touch, compose and record for personal satisfaction. That’s what keeps me going as a musician. I’m happy when people share the same musical tastes that I hear and hear, sing and praise the band.
My space as a band is still searching and it is through communication vehicles like this that things happen little by little. Whenever I can try to spread my work around the world anyway, I just need people to pay attention to what I’m talking about and start listening to my songs so they can know and evaluate the work.
How has the internet and social media impacted on the band to date? Do you see it as something destined to become a negative from a positive as the band grows and hopefully gets increasing success or is it more that bands struggling with it are lacking the knowledge and desire to keep it working to their advantage?
I think that ended with creativity in general. But unfortunately it was the way that humanity resolved then I followed what? We need to adjust to these new conditions if we want to play our songs, there is no other way, but this for me is only degrading music in general.
Once again a big thanks for sharing time with us; anything you would like to add or reveal for the readers?
I thank you for the opportunity of this interview and I hope that people who read this can give a check on my work. I’ll leave the link here:
Jamie Jordan (Vocals/Guitars) – Me and Adam had played in bands around Manchester for years when we were teenagers. I guess this line-up really started when me and George met Danny while we were studying music at Huddersfield University.
Who plays in the band now and what are they playing?
JJ – Our current line-up is: Jamie Jordan on lead vocals and guitars, George Turner on guitars and backing vocals, Dan Woodhead on bass and Adam Jones on drums. The music is primarily written by Jamie and produced by George.
Who has inspired you?
JJ – The biggest influences on my songwriting are bands like Metallica, Avenged Sevenfold and Bullet For My Valentine. These bands really taught me the importance of strong melodic material in heavy music. In terms of my guitar playing, I learnt a lot from Jeff Loomis’ (Arch Enemy/Nevermore) solo records, learning his material really took my playing to the next level.
Adam Jones (Drums) – Matt Halpern of Periphery is by far my greatest inspiration (even though we don’t have that much sort of stuff implied by our music) for his creativity in unique uses of parts of the kit, groove and learning how to make the most of what you have in front on you, which is what drumming’s all about at gigs.
Dan Woodhead (Bass) – Rush are the band that started it all for me. They really got me into how bass guitar can fit into progressive music and not just be a background instrument. All through the career, even in the synths 80’s period, bass is such a prominent part of the band. From the grooves in Working Man all the way up to the latest Clockwork Angels album. I find it all musically inspiring. Bands from around my era have growing up still stick with me though, A Day To Remember and Four Year Strong being the big ones that made things in a life a little heavier for me.
Why this name? And tell us the meaning of it.
JJ – The name actually came from a British band called Malefice, they had a song called “As The Skies Turn Black” and I thought it sounded really cool!
Have you released any albums? If so, when and what’s the name of it?
DW – Our debut album was out 19th October, titled ‘No Place Like Home’. It’s a 13 track album and we have just released the first single from it, ‘Let You Down’, which did really well! We are just really excited to get the album out; you can pre-order it now from our webstore. We love it.
Have you played with some famous band?
DW – We’ve been on line ups with bands like Crazytown and supported a band called E.Y.E once that had supported Metallica, Evanescence and Anathema in their home country, so that was pretty cool. The dream is to be on a support tour with Avenged or Bullet; that for me would be perfect.
JJ – Although when we played on Kerrang! it was between Alice in Chains and Slipknot which was pretty cool
What’s the plans for the future?
DW – Keep going. We love what we do, and we want the band to do well, but the only way we can have a chance of this happening is by going strong constantly, there’s no resting for us. The album is out now so check it out on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music and loads more.
US rockers LoveSick Radio “bring a distinctive blend of unapologetic rock guitar coupled with pop melodies and a little hip-hop swagger, creating a fresh sound all their own. “ The words of their bio are swiftly backed up by a sound which infests body and spirit and a live presence which has had halls bouncing long before the likes of All-American Rejects, Bon Jovi, Dorothy, Bobaflex, Scott Weland of Stone Temple Pilots, Justin Bieber, Blue October, Kid Rock, Steel Panther, Three Days Grace, Hinder, Twenty One Pilots, Safety Suit, Paramore, Dead Sara and New Found Glory have followed the band on stage.
A short while back we had the pleasure thanks to the guys finding out more with the band, chatting about origins, their sound, songs, and much more…
Hello and thanks for taking time out to talk with us.
Can you first introduce the band and give us some background to how it all started?
David (Guitar): Thanks for having us! We are LoveSick Radio & we play honest rock & roll with a touch of blues/punk. This line-up started when I reached out to Troy, our singer. I asked him if he wanted to sing on a track I had & he was game. Oddly enough we have known each other forever but can’t remember how we met. That song snowballed into bringing in Glenn & the Matts. We’ve been writing & touring ever since.
Were you involved in other bands previously? If so has that had any impact on what you are doing now, in maybe style or direction?
Glenn (Bass): All of us have played in a bunch of bands prior to coming together and doing this one. We’ve all brought a lot of what we learned in the other bands, as far as what makes a band work and what doesn’t and what we want out of music, to this band. Everyone’s past musical experiences have really shaped the way this band operates. Being in a band is like a relationship: you have to go through some tough ones to discover what you want.
What inspired the band name?
Matt B. (guitar): Our previous drummer was going through a breakup. Whilst on his way to rehearsal he kept hearing all these songs about heartbreak on the radio & when he got to rehearsal he made a comment about how the radio seemed lovesick & everyone thought it sounded cool so we went with it.
Was there any specific idea behind the forming of the band and also in what you wanted it and your sound to offer?
Matt S. (Drummer): I wouldn’t say there were any specific ideas about forming the band. We are just 5 guys who vibe well with each other musically, have an almost obsessive passion for music, and the drive to write and play day in and day out. All of us have differing backgrounds musically, but at the heart of it, we love rock and roll. The sound is a culmination of the individual influences of all of us, but more importantly, we just want to write good songs. A good song is a good song, regardless of the genre. Some might sound heavier, more twangy, or more soulful than others, but that’s all of our personalities coming out.
Do the same things still drive the band from those fresh faced days or have they evolved over time?
Matt B.: Essentially writing great songs that we get off on performing & connecting with an audience has always been the driving force within the band.
As the band evolves the drive to widen our reach & get our music out to the masses becomes stronger & stronger
Since your early days, how would you say your sound has evolved?
Troy (Singer): “Early days” kinda makes me laugh as I still feel like we are in our “early days”, but as far as evolution I think that honestly happens from song to song. Not just in our sound, but as a band overall…getting more comfortable with one another and for me as a vocalist pushing myself to new places. I think evolution has started since day one for us.
Are those things, that evolution, something organic or more the band deliberately setting out to try new things?
Matt S.: We aren’t afraid to try new things or experiment musically. It just depends on the mood of the song and what makes sense. We don’t just follow a music equation, but obviously we want our music to be accessible to everyone. From the time that someone shares an idea, we build on it, we practice it, and we finally record it, the song could be almost completely different. I’d like to think it happens organically. When we get in the studio, that’s where the fun and experimentation begins. On the current album we are working on, we have instruments which we do not have live on stage (strings, keys, horns), the band plays kazoos and sings gang vocals, we stomp, we clap, we play instruments that we have never played before, just to get the sound and vibe that we hear in our heads..
Presumably across the band there is a wide range of inspirations; are there any in particular which have impacted not only on the band’s music but your personal approach and ideas to creating and playing music?
David: Yes everyone in the band love a million different things but I think the artist the inspire our approach are Aerosmith, AC/DC, The Stones, LED Zeppelin, Sex Pistols, The Rival Son & Stereophonics to name a few. These are all iconic bands & that’s what we strive to be one day. So we are constantly pushing ourselves to be the best we can be.
Is there a particular process to your songwriting?
Troy: There are always gonna be some variations, but music usually comes first…typically a killer riff. I’ll take a rough demo and live with it for a while…usually spend time driving around coming up with ideas and bring them to rehearsal where everyone chimes in. So in the beginning it’ a very “isolated” process but as we get things worked up, the band as a whole will bring in all the different influences.
Where do you, more often than not, draw the inspirations to the lyrical side of your songs?
Troy: Inspiration for me is always life…either something I lived or something I am watching someone go through. The only time it would vary is if I am asked to write for a specific TV or movie thing, but even then I have to draw from personal experiences…As an introvert I spend a lot of my time just watching people. I write what I see.
Please give us some background to your latest release.
Glenn: Our latest release is a song called “Young Hurricane”. It’s written kind of like a poem in the way the vocals are structured. Basically it’s just about sticking’ to your guns and doing what you know is right (kind of a metaphor for playing rock n roll in 2019). A lot of the really cool elements of the song came together in the studio when we had a chance to really sit down and play with different ideas to build the song.
Give us some insight to the collective themes and premise behind songs.
Troy: I think it is fair to say we have some pretty universal themes with all our tracks…def some self-reflection and overcoming, some rebellious middle finger flipping and of course love and loss. I’d say our next release “Bloodshot Eyes” falls in the self-reflecting/ overcoming category but doing the reflecting in some smokey bar if those still exist…haha
Are you a band which goes into the studio with songs pretty much in their final state or prefer to develop them as you record?
David: It happens both ways in the studio. But a lot of time we will have the music done to a certain point & start tracking before the vocals are finished. The bed tracks might influence Troy to do something different then what we had for the rough demo. We are never married to an idea. We are always changing or rewriting trying to get the best out of the song.
Tell us about the live side to the band, presumably the favourite aspect of the band?
With the live show we want to sound like a freight train going a full speed. So we work on dynamics, power & energy. We want you to feel it when you come to a show.
It is not easy for any new band to make an impact regionally let alone nationally and further afield. How have you found it your neck of the woods?
Matt S.: Like any other band, you have to put in the time. We have played for empty rooms, we have played for packed houses, and we have played festivals where you can’t see the end of the crowd. People seek out good music. The hard part is introducing it to them (luckily the internet exists). I feel that we have the sound and energy to lure people in, and to keep them coming back to shows. It doesn’t matter if it is regionally or worldwide. As long as you connect to the crowd, you will build a following. Whether it is a home show or something across the country, we put on the same game face each night and try to win over every crowd we play for. We have found that people like the resurgence of good old fashioned rock and roll everywhere we go, so everywhere feels comfortable and like our neck of the woods.
Are there the opportunities to make a mark if the drive is there for new bands and talking of the internet how has social media impacted on the band to date?
Glenn: Absolutely. It all comes down to a band’s desire and willingness to push themselves and go outside of their comfort zone to grow and do something cool and original. Social media and the internet are a great thing for bands because it allows us to reach people all over the world as independent artists. Without the internet, we might not have the opportunity to do this interview!
Do you see it as something destined to become a negative from a positive as the band grows and hopefully gets increasing success or is it more that bands struggling with it are lacking the knowledge and desire to keep it working to their advantage?
Troy: I think there will always be both negative and positives whether being the “underdog” band on the come up, or at the top trying to stay there. I think the internet and social media will always have the ugliness and trolls looking to tear you down, no matter what your status….however, the positive of how many people can be reached is hard to argue. Honestly with this band being started in the “new world” of technology, it’s really all we’ve known so is kinda our new normal.
Once again a big thanks for sharing time with us; anything you would like to add or reveal for the readers?
David: Thank you again for having us!!
If you would like to check out us & the music you can go to these links. See you on the road!
Raphael Meyer, Drums – When Andy Meier’s and Peter Lukas old band split up in 2012, their desire for a new music project grew, and that’s when David Lukas, Peter’s brother, who played in different bands before, got involved. Shortly after, they asked me if I wanted to join them. Although I wasn’t playing the drums for long, it just took a quick audition and I was in. We’re all from the same village in the back country of Lucerne, Switzerland. Our rehearsal room was in a barn, and I’m quite glad that these times are over as we moved to a nicer place, haha!
Shortly after we started rehearsing our first songs and we began looking for a bass player. That’s when Patrick Goncalves, a good friend who we knew from the Swiss hardcore scene, joined the band and completed the line-up.
Who plays in the band now and what are they playing?
RM-Nothing has changed, we still play in the original setup, David is the singer, Andy and Peter are the guitar players, Gonzi plays the bass and I am still the drummer. It’s great to be able to play in a band with my best mates.
Who has inspired you?
RM-I guess a big part of the inspiration to keep on doing music is the hardcore scene here in Switzerland which is like a big family, it makes you love being part of it and keep doing what you are doing.
Musically we are influenced widely; really various genres have always been big parts of our lives, starting at Post Rock up to Black Metal and Melodic Hardcore of course. I personally would call bands like Counterparts, Brutality Will Prevail, Broken Teeth, Windir and Wolves In The Throne Room my biggest influences.
Why this name? And tell us the meaning of it.
RM-Andy our guitarist works in IT and the word “invoke“ was showing up in his codes frequently. The meaning, relating to music and a band, “to invoke sth“ worked quite well for us, so we decided to go with that name.
Have you released an album? If so, when and what’s the name of it?
RM-Actually just last year, we dropped our debut album called ’Four Wall Nightmare’, and we are more than happy with all the positive feedback we received. It deals with the topic of depression and anxiety, which means a lot to all of us.
The album is not our first record though. We released an EP ‘Loose Lips Sinks Ships’ in 2013.
Have you played with some famous bands?
RM-Luckily we were able to play some shows with great bands, such as Counterparts, Being as an Ocean, Landscapes, Napoleon, and Break Even amongst others. Those shows have brought us some very inspiring and enjoyable moments.
What’s the plan for the future?
RM-I’m very excited about our new EP ‘Cursed to feel’, which will be released this year. A short time ago we released the first song of the EP which is called ‘End me’, and the next single will follow soon. We are looking forward to the upcoming live shows and our tour next year. There are many exciting things ahead of us.
How did you approach your latest release in terms of writing and recording?
Do the same sparks still drive the project or have they evolved over time and equally since your early days, how would you say your sound has specifically evolved?
Since your early days, how would you say your sound has evolved?
Since your early days, how would you say your sound has evolved?
