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7 Questions With…
The
Casket Crew
Q. Who
are you and what do you do in the band?
A. My
name’s Jesse Newland, and I'm the drummer in the band, unfortunately I'm
currently deployed in Iraq, not too many drum sets here.
Q. How
did the band and the name come about?
A. James Rodrock and I practiced in the same space, he was the drummer for
another band and he mentioned to me he also played guitar and wanted to do
something different than what he was doing now. On our first or second rehearsal
we were jamming and a friend came in and asked "what the f**k is this the casket
crew" and it just stuck.
Q. How
are things different now being in Iraq? And, how are you doing over there?
A. Things
are very different because we can't play shows, but we did get the drum tracks
laid on our second album "A Somber Ceremony" and have been able to work on that.
As for
myself in Iraq, well it's hot and dusty and people are trying to kill me, but it
makes for some great heavy metal music writing material.
Q. Who
would you say is one of your biggest influences both musically and non-musical?
A. Well for myself it's got to be Neil Peart on the drums, such precision and
power, and I'd say musically Megadeth or Kreator, and non musically at the
moment it's other Soldiers and Marines, there's a hell of a lot of sacrifice
going on here.
Q. What
are you listening to these days?
A. A lot of Opeth, Bob Marley,missing the ganja, Anthrax, and Slayer does a
good job of getting you pumped up for a patrol.
Q. If you
could be anyone in world history besides yourself, who would you be? Why?
A. I'd been Sadam Hussien as a child and killed myself, why is obvious.
Q. Is
there anything else you'd like to tell us about The Casket Crew?
A. Yes, our album "Poor Man's Coffin" is now available for download on iTunes
and Realplayer, and for sale on our website
www.thecasketcrew.com, and keep a lookout for our new album
sometime when I get back in 2007.
Inner
Surge
Steve
Moore- vocals.
Bryan
Sandau- drums and some electronics.
Scott
Taylor- guitars
Jim
Fernandes- bass.
Q. How did the band come about and what made you decide on Inner Surge as the
name?
A. The band was started as a pen on paper in 2000, and the 1st CD, "Solus
Verum", I recorded as a demo in 2001. After the next album "Matrika" was
recorded, the band died and didn't reform until I came across Bryan
Sandau(drums) and Scott Taylor(guitars). We all decided the name would suit
everything we come out with in the future. The music became more confident and
aggressive from that point on. When Jim Fernandes joined the band during our
recording of "Signals Screaming", we took another step and brought his melodic
bass and backup vocals into the fold. Everyone started participating in
different ways and we knew we had the right 4 people. I guess the current band
came about from 4 guys who are angry at the current state of music and society.
Q. What
would you like to tell us about your latest CD, Signals Screaming? Do you
have a favorite track on it?
A. "Signals Screaming" was released through Cyclone Records(www.cyclonerecords.ca)
on April 1, 2006. We put a lot into this album musically and lyrically. The
themes are generally the exact opposite of what you'll hear from a lot of
musicians/bands, and possibly one's some people will have issue with, and we
welcome that.
Our voice
tends to come more from our respect for indigenous peoples and people who
generally have no voice, or, who don't exist when you're using the financial map
as a reference. So we all read and study things of interest to us such as the
Rwandan genocide of 1994 and the unfortunate U.S/France safe passage, military
arms and financial support of the murderers(Hutu extremists, Interhamwe,
etc)shortly after the genocide upon setting up shop in Zaire. We're interested
in First Nations Peoples, the Zapatista movement in Chiapas, Mexico, human
rights abuses in places like Uzbekistan (such as the 2005 civilian massacre),
and also a wide range of philosophical and spiritual ideas, which all comes into
the music. Exposing uncomfortable truths is important and interesting to us, and
we all know the way our media works, so it is a necessary thing.
The ideas
are important, but the music comes first and that's why we made sure there were
no useless parts of the album. If a song didn't need a third chorus, it was
shortened, or an interlude was added to strengthen the song. We would change the
feel from one verse to the next. This is the way we enjoy composing together and
it will continue on the next album. Scott, Bryan and Jim are all extremely
creative so there's a lot more to come musically on the next album. Casey Lewis
from Echo Base Studios recorded, mixed and mastered "Signals Screaming" and he
did an amazing job. We're happy with it and should be working with him again.
Q. I see
that you have a tour coming up with Former IRON MAIDEN Vocalist PAUL DI'ANNO in
September. How did that come about and are you all planning anything special for
your fans who are able to make the shows?
A. This tour was finalized through the hard work of Brad Trew and Cyclone
Records. Paul Di'Anno's promoter got a hold of Brad at Cyclone Records, possibly
because he'd heard us somewhere and wanted us on board. We were honored that
they saw us as an up-and-coming band for a tour like this and we're thankful to
Di'Anno and his band. It was secured pretty quickly and we're now working on the
logistics and stocking up on "Signals Screaming" merchandise to make sure we
have enough CD's, t-shirts and posters. For our fans who come out to the shows,
we have a few things up our sleeves. You're going to see an eclectic show to say
the least, and if there are any particular songs you want to hear, let us know
in advance of the show date and we'll add it to our set list. There will be some
brand new post-SIgnals Screaming material, and some giveaways at every show as
well to say thanks to our supporters.
Q. Who would you say is one of your biggest influences both musically and
non-musical?
A. Musically we're fans of Refused, Tool, Public Enemy, Faith no More, the Mars
Volta, Radiohead, Dillinger Escape Plan, Helmet, Jeff Buckley, Sepultura, Rage
against the Machine, Dead can Dance, Fugazi, Machinehead, Deftones, Pink Floyd,
Portishead and hordes of others....there's quite a diverse taste between us.
Non-musically we're inspired by Noam Chomsky, Ward Churchill....come to think of
it, quite possibly a lot of people on Bernard Goldberg's list of the top 100
people who are screwing up America! Of course, no one in their right mind would
pay much attention to someone who focuses their efforts in that direction.
Moving on, Malcolm X has always been a driving influence in this band. Talisma
Nasrin as well for her activism and courage. Writers like George Orwell, Dean
Koontz and Edgar Allan Poe....there's too many to list but you can see the
pattern.
Q. If you
could be anyone in world history, besides yourself, who would you be? Why?
A. That's an interesting question because most of the people that stand out in
history for good reasons(eg: Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi,
Fred Hampton, Emiliano Zapata)all had a very hard road to walk, sometimes
unbearable. I would probably choose to be someone unknown to history but someone
who was able to do some good and help people.
Q. What
can we find you listening to these days?
A. I've been listening to the new Tool album which is quite a sad album, very
beautiful and in depth stuff. Also, a wide range of other stuff like the
Anti-Doctrine, Fugazi's "End Hits", Katatonia's "The Great Cold Distance",
Sepultura's "Dante II", Alice in Chains, Faith no More's "Angeldust" and
Radiohead's "Hail to the Thief".
Q. Is
there anything else you'd like to tell us about Inner Surge?
A. Well, you can keep up with us at
www.innersurge.com and keep up with Cyclone Records at
www.cyclonerecords.ca. Also, if you haven't seen it yet, our
music video for "Retribution Song" is available for free download to video iPods
and PSP's at
www.cabrassoundtrack.com. If you're in Canada, we're coming to
your town in September so rally your people together and we will see you there.
Thanks to Audio Nut, Scrub Radio and everyone who supports Inner Surge.
Subsistance
So we’ve
got Mat lead singer and bass, Phil guitar and back-up vocals and finally Scott
on the drum stool. We’ve been playing together for about 7 years.
Q. How did you decide on the name Subsistance?
A.
Mat: A show was coming up and we didn’t have a name yet, the name came out of an
unreleased song called Concrete and Dust. The name was also inspired by 7 years
of activity in the scene.
Q. You guys practice and embrace the DIY style in everything from booking shows
to making flyers and CDs. (Which gets a big thumbs up from me). Would you care
to explain this practice to someone who may not know or understand this concept?
A.
Mat: Since the beginning we always did everything ourselves, because no one was
there to show us. We learned how to produce shows, festivals, albums,
compilations and with that knowledge we help other as well. We refused to have
other people generate our own band and even more our scene. Why have the music
we crafted of pure passion sold like a product?
By using the DIY ethic we have total control, freedom and pride over our
materiel. By selling music with big distributors and major record labels, the
album prices are f**king ridiculous. Everyone is looking for his share of the
cake and some take much more then the band itself. Were DIY F**k EMI.
Q. I see you have a lot of show dates coming up. I take it there will be a tour
in July. Are you planning on expanding into August and are you going to travel
with any other bands?
A.
Mat: We hit the road for 14 dates in July, along side Menpenti from France and
L-Rebel from Quebec City. We’re only hitting Quebec for this tour.
Scott: August is going to be our last month for shows this year, but we want to
play as many out of town shows as possible. We’re trying to get some dates in
Ontario for August as well.
Q. I know that you have a French and English version of your website. Do you
ever perform or record your songs in French, or do you stick with doing them in
English?
A.
Mat: We do perform our shows in French, the reason why is that were in Quebec.
We have a couple of French songs coming up as well, can’t wait to play them.
Thing is if were in Ontario, we will speak English to the crowd. We adapt to
every town we go to, that way the shows are more interesting and unique.
Q. If you could be anyone in world history who would you be? Why?
A.
Mat: I’d be GG Allin; I would wrap myself with dynamite and blow myself up at
the end of a show.
Scott: Brooks Wackerman, drum for Bad Religion and the Vandals that’s a pretty
sweet deal.
Phil: Ill tell you who I don’t wanna be, a She-male and I don’t have to explain
why!
Q. What are you guys listening to these days?
A.
Mat: I carry a lot of CDs in my packsack:
Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, F-Minus, 69 Solution
Lars and the Bastards, Chocking victims, Leftover Crack
The Gutter Demons, Nausea, 7 Seconds and Motorhead
Scott: This is what I keep in the car:
Agnostic Front, Champion, Slayer, Misfits, Guns up, Bad Religion
Phil: For the long bus rides:
Pantera, The Gutter Demons, NoFx, Sublime and Rise Against
Q. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about Subsistance?
A.
Mat: We’re entering pre-production for our first full-length album in September
and hitting the road after that. We’re trying to get some dates for the states
and Europe. Check our web site for more info on that.
Scott: We would like to thank you for taking some of your time to check out
independent bands, like us, and give us a chance.
Subsistance on Myspace
Subsistance Home Page
Lockjaw
Medavon-vocals, guitars, programming.
Q. How did the band come about, and how did you decide on the name Lockjaw?
A. The band started out as a bedroom recording project with just myself. After a
few years of recording songs I released a cd and put a live band together and we
have been playing as a live band for the last 4 years.
The name is that of a disease. Also a side effect of LSD consumption. It also
reflected the desire to be heard when at the time i felt like people weren't
listening to me. All those elements define the name for me.
Q. Your latest CD, "Starving for Salvation" just came out. Is there anything
you'd like to tell us about it?
A. If you like your music dark with good hooks and are tired of all the trendy
crap out there then this is the perfect CD.
Q. If you had to pick just one track, which one would you say is your favorite
song on the disc?
A. Tastes Like Blood
Q. How do songs come about for you all? Do you pen lyrics and then come up with
the music or do you add words to music you already have?
A. It varies but 75% of the time I will put together some drum loops and
electronics(samples, synths, effects) in a song format and then write lyrics
over it. Then I present it at practice and everyone else adds a bit of their own
texture.
Q. If you could be anyone in world history besides yourself, who would you be?
Why?
A. I don't think I would really want to be anyone else but if I had to pick I
would say Ramses II. I have always had a fascination with Egypt and being a
Pharoah.
Q. What are you listening to these days?
A. The Newly Deads, Radiohead, the new NIN, A Perfect Circle, Faith No More.
Q. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about Lockjaw?
A. We have a brand new video for our latest single "Starving". It can be found
at (our)
myspace and we also have free downloadable versions at
LockjawX.com. And if you like us on CD....we are ten times more
intense live.
Belladonna
Q. Who
are you and what do you do in the band?
A. This
is Dani and I’m the guitar player of the band and co-writer with singer Luana of
all Belladonna songs.
Q. How
did the band come about, and how did you decide on the name Belladonna?
A. We
loved the idea of having a name that could mean many things: Belladonna can be a
cure, an hallucinatory drug and a deadly poison! Also, in Italian it means
“beautiful woman” which we thought was pretty apt!
Q. Tell
us a little about your debut CD "Metaphysical Attraction". Do you have one
particular song that is your favorite?
A. Of
course not! They’re all our children!! We are very happy about the CD, we
actually released it only because we were getting so many requests for a
Belladonna CD from MySpace that we had to buckle down to popular demand! The
reaction to it has been nothing short of awesome, leaving us very happy and
slightly baffled somewhat!…
Q. Who
would you say is one of your biggest influences both musically and non-musical?
A. Musically we try to sing our own hearts, so we somehow don’t fit in in any
particular genre (we have dubbed our own genre as rocknoir) and we definitely
don’t mould ourselves on any other band. We do love Led Zeppelin though, even if
we sound nothing like them!! As for non-musical influences, Edgar Allan Poe is
surely our only true influence. A true genius.
Q. What
are you listening to these days?
A. I
don’t know about the others in the band, but as for myself I have fallen in love
with Antony and the Johnsons, very emotional singer, highly recommended.
Q. If you
could be anyone in world history besides yourself, who would you be? Why?
A. Luana
told me a very smart answer to this most peculiar question, so I’ll go with her
answer: Hitler, so I can commit suicide while still young and save millions of
lives.
Q. Is
there anything else you'd like to tell us about Belladonna?
A. No,
but anybody is free to ask us anything: go to our
MySpace profile and drop us a comment, we always do our utmost
best to answer to everybody!
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