WHITE COLLAR KISS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID SESSIONS
WEBSITE: www.facebook.com/pages/White-Collar-Kiss/23896179537?ref=ts
COUNTRY: South Africa STYLE: Rock

IN THE SHORT TIME THAT THE BAND HAS BEEN GOING YOU HAVE REALLY STARTED TO MAKE A NAME FOR YOURSELVES IN THE CAPE TOWN SCENE, ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE REACTION YOU’VE RECEIVED SO FAR?

MIKE: Absolutely, we are very excited with the reaction we have received so far!

BETH: The SA music scene has been very welcoming, and it has been great getting to know lots of other amazing bands.

A SAMPLE OF THE SONG “MIRACLE” HAS BEEN POSTED ONLINE AND YOU ARE BUSY RECORDING YOUR DEBUT ALBUM. IS “MIRACLE” A GOOD INDICATION OF THE DIRECTION YOU ARE TAKING MUSICALLY WITH THE REST OF THE ALBUM?

BETH: Yes and No, Miracle holds many elements that we are carrying through the rest of the album, but all the tracks differ considerably.

NATE: Vocally yes, but it’s a ballad, so the tune on the rest of the album is different.

ONE CAN HEAR A BIT OF A HARD ROCK INFLUENCE IN “MIRACLE” AS WELL. DO MOST OF YOUR SONGS GET BUILT AROUND STRONG VOCAL PARTS/IDEAS?

TREVOR: Yes, our intention when writing music is to write vocally satisfying music.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE RECORDING PROCESS SO FAR?

MIKE: It has been a massive learning curve, and immensely tiring, but very rewarding in the results we have received so far.

YOU ARE RECORDING WITH LOUIS HENN AT BURNING TONE STUDIOS. BESIDES HIM RECORDING YOU HOW BIG OF AN IMPACT HAS HE HAD ON THE WAY YOU APPROACHED WRITING THE SONGS FOR THE ALBUM?

BETH: Louis has provided us with a lot of constructive feedback which has assisted us in recording, his attention to detail in the recording process is amazing, but not so much on the song writing, we enjoy writing our own material.

HOW MUCH OF YOURSELVES AND YOUR PERSONALITIES DO YOU PUT INTO YOUR SONGS?

WCK: We as a band have decided on a theme of music that we love to write and perform to, and usually stick to that theme when writing our songs, each of us come from different musical backgrounds but ultimately love our style.

DO YOU HAVE A “TARGET AUDIENCE” THAT YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR MUSIC TO REACH?

TREVOR: We love writing music that all people can enjoy!

SORRY, BUT I MUST TO GET THIS QUESTION OUT OF MY SYSTEM…YOUR BAND BIO READS “…MUSIC PROMOTERS DUAL ENTERTAINMENT SPEAKING WITH NATHAN DICKSON (NOW WCK GUITARIST) ABOUT FORMING A BAND WITH INTERNATIONAL POTENTIAL.” AM I WRONG WHEN I THINK THERE’S A KIND OF “MANUFACTURED BAND” VIBE AROUND WHITE COLLAR KISS?

NATE: We were all friends before White Collar Kiss, and we all enjoyed playing music together, but when I talked to the guys from Dual Entertainment and Dual Records, they saw the potential of the members, and encouraged us to form a band!

ARE YOU COMFORTABLE YET WITH YOUR LIVE PERFORMANCES AND WHAT ASPECTS OF YOUR LIVE SHOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO WORK ON AND IMPROVE MORE?

BETH: As we have continued to perform more and more we continue to learn about performing live, but we have always had the mindset of 100% music and 100% showmanship.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE SONG THAT YOU LIKE TO PERFORM AT LIVE SHOWS?

BETH: Miracle
NATE: If Only
MIKE: 6 Feet
TREVOR: If Only

DON’T GET ME WRONG; I THINK YOU ARE ALL TALENTED AND YOU REALLY HAVE A GOOD THING GOING HERE BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT BANDS IN YOUR GENRE; WOULD YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT IT IS JUST THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS THAT BAND’S WITH ATTRACTIVE FEMALE VOCALISTS GET NOTICED FASTER THAN BAND’S WITH MALE VOCALISTS?

NATE: There is a growing wave of female fronted rock bands, but we rely on the music and know that a bands success is more than just the look of the front person and ultimately comes down to the quality of the music.

BESIDES YOUR ALBUM WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE WHITE COLLAR KISS GET UP TO IN 2009?

TREVOR: More shows, more singles, more tours, as much as we can!

ANY LAST COMMENTS/ADVISE OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

WHITE COLLAR KISS: We would love to thank everybody at Dual Records for their continued support and encouragement, Louis Henn from Burning Tone Studios, David Sessions, and all of our home base family and friends for their amazing support and love.

CROSSFAITH

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAXILLA
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/thecrossfaith
COUNTRY: Japan STYLE: Metal / Hardcore / Other

Interview Answered by Kenta Koie (Vocal)

I HAVE NEVER HEARD A BAND MIX ELECTRONIC AND HEAVY SOUNDS TOGETHER IN SUCH A UNIQUE WAY AS YOU DO; WHEN DID YOU REALISE THAT “HEY! WE REALLY HAVE SOMETHING THAT WORKS HERE”?

We came up to this music style about 2 years ago when we got together as Crossfaith and idea of adding something new to the basic band was already there from the very beginning.

WHEN WRITING SONGS, DO MOST OF THEM ORIGINATE OUT OF THE ELECTRONIC OR HEAVY GUITAR DRIVEN PARTS OF YOUR MUSIC?

In most of the cases, we start form guitars. A song called Mirror was exception though. The song was improvised from the intro of the song which Teru (Vision) made.

YOUR FIRST ALBUM TITLED “THE ARTIFICIAL THEORY FOR THE DRAMATIC BEAUTY” WAS RELEASED ON THE 29TH OF APRIL. WHO PRODUCED THE ALBUM AND HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO COMPLETE?

This album was completely produced by ourselves and it took about a year since we started to think about this album.

THE TRAILER THAT GREETS YOU WHEN YOU VIEW YOUR MYSPACE REALLY GOT ME INTERESTED TO BUY YOUR ALBUM. WHAT IS THE ONE THING THAT USUALLY CONVINCES YOU TO BUY ANOTHER ARTISTS MUSIC?

Thank you very much for your kind words. This PV was produced by a movie production team called "Escape Into Verse" and they are still very young as us. There might be some other reasons from other members but personally I choose what is good or bad from quality of songs at most.

WHAT TYPE OF REACTION HAVE YOU RECEIVED SO FAR ABOUT THE ALBUM AND DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA NOW IN WHAT DIRECTION TO TAKE THE BAND MUSICALLY?

We are getting some good reactions from not only Japan but all over the world day by day. We won't change our music by what people say about our music. Writing a song that makes kids enjoy will be always our main thing.

HOW WOULD YOU COMPARE THE SONGS ON “THE ARTIFICIAL THEORY FOR THE DRAMATIC BEAUTY” WITH THE MATERIAL YOU WROTE FOR THE "BLUEPRINT OF RECONSTRUCTION" EP?

The EP was not distributed properly and basically handed to fans who came to our shows or some CD stores. This our new album is different from the last EP at the point that it is now distributed though our label and it is available at any stores in Japan so it will be heard by much bigger number of people. To compare those 2 CDs, the EP only contained 3 tracks but the album contains 8 tracks and obviously the album would let people know what we really want to express and our concept of music with interlude and everything.

THE "BLUEPRINT OF RECONSTRUCTION" EP WAS LIMITED TO A PRINT RUN OF A THOUSAND COPIES WHICH SOLD OUT IN THE SPACE OF TWO MONTHS. ARE YOU PLANNING TO GO THE SAME ROUTE WITH YOUR NEW ALBUM AND IN WHAT WAYS WOULD YOU LIKE TO PROMOTE YOUR MUSIC TO A WIDER AUDIENCE IN THE FUTURE?

The EP was sold out in only 2 months. We are about to promote our music abroad because we want more people from all over the world to have a listen to our music. And we are looking for labels in other countries as well.

A LIVE VIDEO FOR THE SONG “BLUE” WAS RELEASED ONLINE A SHORT WHILE BACK. WHAT MADE THE SONG “BLUE” THE BEST CHOICE FOR THE VIDEO AND WHAT IS THE SONG ABOUT?

The reason why we chose "Blue" was we thought the song is that make people exciting at live shows. The song is about how an ego and thoughtless act that one person has created can mess our lives and I am screaming that it is too late to fix them.

WATCHING THE VIDEO FOR “BLUE” ONE CAN SEE THAT YOU HAVE A VERY STRONG ENERGY AND STAGE PRESENCE, WHERE DO YOU FIND THE ENERGY TO KEEP UP THE PACE OF A LIVE SET WHEN HEADBANGING AND JUMPING AROUND ALL THE TIME?

Thank you. Although music is something you listen to, we believe that the view and how we perform should come at first especially at live shows. I am not saying that not playing the instruments is good thing of course. I am not sure how we keep up the energy but we all focus how we should perform more than anyone else and that is what makes us running crazy during the show all the time.

HOW MUCH REHEARSAL TIME DO YOU PUT IN BEFORE A LIVE SHOW, AND DO THINGS ALWAYS GO AS PLANNED EVEN IF YOU DO REHEARSE ALLOT BEFORE A SHOW?

It depends. We sometimes have 30 mins but sometime we don't have any time to do it. In our case, we only check the sound before the show so we can't tell how we can perform until the show actually starts. Sometimes, the sound is not the same as what we asked to P.A guy at rehearsal and it makes us really annoyed.

HOW MANY LIVE SHOWS AND TOURS ARE YOU PLANNING TO PLAY THIS YEAR, AND WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO PERFORM THE MOST IF YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY?

From this point, we have about 20 shows coming up to October. If possible, we would like to play anywhere outside of Japan and especially U.S.A.

HOW POPULAR IS HEAVY MUSIC IN JAPAN AT THE MOMENT AND WHAT CAN BE DONE TO MAKE THE “HEAVY MUSIC” SCENE GROW MORE IN YOUR OPINION?

The scene of heavy music in Japan is still very small compared to anywhere else. Young bands like us should lead the way and then the level of this scene will be much better but now it is not very good. As I have said before, to be known by young kids is a way to make this scene bigger in Japan and it would be very exciting.

ANY LAST COMMENTS / ADVICE OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

Thank you very much for the interview. And thank you very much for reading this! And the best wishes and thanks to every one of you who would support us. We really hope from our deepest heart to perform our show in front of you someday!!!

LOST

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TSUN
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/lostjapan
COUNTRY: Japan STYLE: Screamo / Emo / Hardcore

Interview Answered by TAG (Drummer)

YOUR MUSIC HAS SO MANY “CALM” PARTS BUT THEN IT SUDDENLY SLIPS INTO AN ENTIRE OTHER DIMENSION WITH THE HARDCORE ELEMENTS YOU BRING INTO YOUR SONGS, HOW DO YOU FIND A BALANCE BETWEEN THE HEAVY AND SOFTER PARTS OF YOUR SOUND?

We are influenced by so many kind of music and we always aimed to make something new by mixing all the elements of music we like. For example bands like Deftones, Cynic, Glassjaw are our inspiration and they are all doing the mix so perfectly. Although it takes ages to find the best balance between heavy parts and softer parts, we believe that is an important element that let people know what LOST is about.

READING YOUR BAND BIOGRAPHY IT SEEMS THAT THE BAND HAS HAD MANY UPS AND DOWNS OVER THE YEARS, WHAT HAS INSPIRED YOU TO CARRY ON WITH THIS BAND NO MATTER WHAT?

You' re right. We had so many ups and downs and especially downs. But every time we faced very hard situation, there were always hope and we were always not satisfied with what we had done so far. What made us keep going was definitely the will that we should or could write something more and the confidence that we should simply stay in this band. And those our faith won't change until we found ourselves done with everything we can express though music.

HOW BIG OF AN IMPACT HAS ALL THE “NEWEST” MEMBERS IN THE BAND HAD ON THE SOUND AND DIRECTION YOU’RE TAKING WITH LOST?

I have to say the impact was very big for original members in many ways. The sound has certainly changed since different people are involved in writing music. I personally think that this is quite natural change for a band and besides we wanted the change in this band anyway. Keep playing in the same kind of music style is a way but LOST is not a band which sticks to one certain kind of style and wanted to do something new. So the replacement we had has been definitely plus for us and the direction of the band.

YOU ARE PART OF A SPLIT ALBUM/EP TITLED “A DECADE IN THREE WAYS” OUT MAY 15TH WHICH IS A ALBUM FEATURING YOU AND TWO OTHER BANDS IF I’M RIGHT; HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA AND HOW DID EACH BAND CONTRIBUTE TO THE ALBUM?

You're right. The split album is an album with other 2 bands Nature Living and Evylock. The three bands are based on very far location form the North to the South but we have some common points. We are all 10-year-old bands and we all own independent labels ourselves.

We met during the very big tour called "Crazy Fest" headlined by Evergreen Terrace and Across Five Aprils last year, and once we shared precious time together though the tour, it didn't take too long to come up to this idea and here we are. For this album, each band wrote a new song. And we also swapped an old song and covered it among the three bands which was very fun and a very interesting thing to do.

WHAT ASPECTS OF THE SONG WRITING PROCESS DO YOU LOVE AND HATE THE MOST?

We love every writing process. It is the best part of being in a band. But maybe we hate it when we don't have much time and being forced to finish the writing before we are really happy with the song...

WHERE DO MOST OF YOUR “SONG IDEAS” COME FROM AND WHAT SUBJECTS DO YOU COVER THE MOST WITH YOUR LYRICS?

With new album, with a new singer, we talked a lot about what this new album is about. What we did at first place was deciding the album's title and the concept of the album. And then we named all the titles of the songs we are supposed to write in order to make sure the album becomes a story and the songs match the lyrics perfectly. The title of our new album will be "Discovery" and it is about journey of life and the subjects of the lyrics are mainly about how we should live our lives in order to find something very important in the end.

IS IT BETTER SOMETIMES AS BANDS TO WORK TOGETHER RATHER THAN GO AT IT ALONE TO MAKE A MUSIC SCENE GROW LIKE YOU ARE DOING WITH “A DECADE IN THREE WAYS”?

Yes, it is. At least in Japan. I think Japan is a very unique country in music scene especially. Everything is centralized in Tokyo and the music scene there is huge. But at the same time, there are other music scene rising from other local areas such as Osaka and Hokkaido. Nature Living is from Tokyo and LOST is from Osaka and Evylock is from Hokkaido. So it was pretty good idea to release this kind of split album from this point of view as well.

THE ORIGINAL LINE-UP OF LOST STARTED OUT IN 1998, OVER THE YEARS HOW HAS THE BAND’S LIVE SHOW EVOLVED INTO WHAT IT IS TODAY?

Playing with many other bands over the years helped us in many many ways. Especially sharing stages with bands like Saosin, Underoath, Scapegoat, MIKOTO, The taken, Evergreen Terrace provoked us to be better live band and it led who we are today. Playing live show is definitely what makes us stronger as a band and the only way to tie the band members' relationship tight.

IF TIME TRAVEL WAS POSSIBLE; IS THERE ANY LIVE SHOW THAT YOU WOULD LOVE TO GO BACK IN TIME AND PLAY AGAIN FOR ANY GOOD OR BAD REASON?

You mean with new members? Then definitely, it would the Taste of Chaos 2006 when we played with Saosin and Underoath. The reason is because I was too chicken to talk with them although they were looking at us from side of the stages and knew that they liked what we were playing.

WOULD YOU SAY THAT EACH BAND MEMBER HAS AN ON STAGE PERSONALITY AND AN OFF STAGE PERSONALITY AND IF SO IN WHICH WAYS DO THEY DIFFER FROM EACH OTHER?

Of course we are more excited on the stage but we don't really have on and off personalities. We are trying to be what we are on the stage as well. We don't like to pretend someone else.

IN WHAT WAYS WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR MUSIC AND LIVE PERFORMANCES TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON PEOPLE AND AT THE END OF DAY, WHAT SHOULD MAKING MUSIC BE ALL ABOUT IN YOUR OPINION?

For people who come to our show and see our performance, we are trying our best to make them feel something from our music. They don't really have to make a circle pit or stage dive and something like that. Of course if that is the way people feel when they see us playing, that is always welcomed. Our goal is to touch people's heart with our music in any way that people would like to. That's the way we like music to be.

WHAT DOES LOST HAVE PLANNED FOR THE REST OF 2009?

We are now writing some songs for our new album which is about to be recorded in September with Jamie King at his studio in North Carolina. The album should be very good and we are very excited about this. After we record the album, we have not decided anything yet but as soon as we release the album, we should be on tour for the album. We only have been to Korea and no other countries out of Japan so this time we love to tour around the world with this album. That's our plan.

ANY LAST COMMENTS / ADVICE OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

Big thanks goes to Neil for giving us this chance to let people know about us. To everyone who read this interview, thank you very much for reading this interview. We really hope to play in your country someday! Thank you.

KNAVE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GRANT DIFFORD
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/knaveband
COUNTRY: South Africa STYLE: Rock

YOU RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THE DATES FOR YOUR NATIONAL TOUR TO SUPPORT YOUR NEW ALBUM “COGNITION”; WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THIS TOUR?

JEAN: Well, as with any new area/venue you play at, there is always that nervous feeling of 'god, I hope they like us...' but we've been having some great feedback on our Facebook and Myspace pages from people around the country, so I’m hoping we get to meet a lot of awesome people who wanna party with us!

CHRIS: None really, I go, I play, I come home and carry on with what I was doing before I left. All in all there are no real expectations except of our own personal performance because that’s what we are most critical of, regardless if the shows are sold out or not we always strive to put on our best performance.

MIKE: To reach all parts of SA – take the music out of our comfort zone and see how its sits with people who have not yet seen or heard of us. That or to build on an existing bonds with our fellow listeners.

Also to get our travel legs in order – we’ll be flying a lot this time round which is good for the safety of Knave… how we survived that last tour I do not know… still counting our lucky stars. Also, just building on the bond we share in this band and whether or not we’ll kill each other when the going gets tough :)

LOUIS: Not to fight any of my band mates – when a band can’t afford a therapist it becomes tough sharing a small space together for a lengthy period. But we’ve all become a lot closer since then – when you learn to cope with each other’s bullshit you become better friends, a better band and essentially a better unit. So with all that in mind – we want to spread the word and music of Knave and represent ourselves as the positive lot that we are.

DID IT TAKE LONG TO PUT THIS TOUR TOGETHER, AND IS IT ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE A PLAN B OR C IF THINGS DON’T GO AS PLANNED?

JEAN: For this, I have to thank our manager Mr. Duncan Bell... the man is a machine... A MACHINE!!

CHRIS: Our manager from Turning tricks entertainment organised the tour. If there are any hiccups we are confident that they will be taken care of. As our manager always says “the band must not be stressed out before they play”, that’s his job.

MIKE: We have a killer manager called Duncan Bell who made this tour possible – his foresight and experience has made dealing with various venue owners/ sponsors a complete pleasure.

LOUIS: We have a lovely manager who carries the load – Mr. Bell has all the plans.

WHO ARE THE BANDS THAT WILL BE SUPPORTING YOU ON VARIOUS PARTS OF THE TOUR?

JEAN: At the moment, the only band 100% Confirmed are our buddies Chromium… Jean loves his Chromesacks, but I’m really looking forward to seeing some of the coastal talent!

CHRIS: There are quite a few bands playing with us and they were handpicked by Turning tricks entertainment.

MIKE: The Durban leg will be rocked with our good friends Chromium, otherwise its 12th Ave, Military Rd, The undefined, Red light and many more who I look forward to meeting and rocking some good times with. The music scene is full of great people – I’m stoked to be a part of it.

LOUIS: No idea.

YOU WILL BE PLAYING IN AREAS WHERE YOU DON’T GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM AT OFTEN, EVER HAD AN “IDEA” IN YOUR MIND ABOUT HOW A CERTAIN VENUE WOULD BE LIKE AND THEN BE PROVEN COMPLETELY WRONG?

JEAN: Using our last tour as reference (as it’s the only tour we've ever been on) we did a coastal tour with Chromium, and it was one of the best experiences of my life... We arrived at venues that were completely empty minus the bands and bar staff... and then out of nowhere, the venues are packed... so I’m hoping its second time lucky... Buccaneers in East London deserves special mention... a venue RIGHT on the beach front?!? OMFG!! YES!

CHRIS: Nope, I normally make up my mind about the venue and sound once we have played there. Sometimes it’s hard not to be disappointed especially when you get to a show and it’s been badly organised and there are sound issues, no place for the band to park, no place for the band to set up or chill and other things like that.

MIKE: Many times, even here in JHB we get the odd surprise… one in particular reminded me of some Chainsaw Massacre set up, long story short is that while I was trying to “escape” I ran out of petrol and had a very shaky night’s sleep in the foetal position.

LOUIS: Just about every time – and even when you’re there it changes as the gig progresses. We were in Grahamstown on the last tour and when we got there it seemed like a concrete hole in the ground. By the time we played it was packed with crazy people. So you never know what you’re going to get. Tour is like a box of chocolates.

LOOKING AT YOUR PAGES ONLINE, THERE ARE A LOT OF POSITIVE COMMENTS ABOUT YOUR LIVE SHOWS. HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO FIND A “FORMULA” THAT WORKS AND COMPLEMENTS YOUR PERSONALITIES ON STAGE?

JEAN: I don’t think there is a 'formula' to Knave… we get on stage and pretty much do our own thing and just have fun... the process from us playing our first gig and being too sh*t scared to even move a muscle on stage due to nerves and lack of experience was a long one, but I think we're comfortable now, as individual musicians and as a unit... albeit, I do still get the pre-show jitters..

CHRIS: When we were a younger band we went through stages of trying to copy other styles and we tried the jumping thing, we also tried dressing up for shows or trying crazy gimmicks but in the end we grew out of it, we did formulate our own style, we just can’t tell you what that is. I guess having a good live show just comes with a lot of experience.

MIKE: We don’t have a specific “formula” or practiced stage performance routine… we practice the music, feed off the crowd energy and give it 110% at all times by just throwing it out there. The people are very perceptible to good energy on stage. We are also lucky to have our very own Star Wars’ Chewbacca on Bass… I for one eat that wookie stuff up. hhaha

LOUIS: It’s just confidence – everyone eventually finds their own stage persona. We have no gimmick – we don’t do synchronised jumps or pre-planned stage moves – we go out to have a good time – it’s more real that way, and that way the people who made the effort enjoy it with us as well.

THERE WAS A SMALL SHORTAGE OF YOUR ALBUM “POLARITY” IN STORES A WHILE BACK, IS IT HARD SOMETIMES TO ESTIMATE HOW BIG THE DEMAND WILL BE?

JEAN: Most definitely! When Taunt and Tether hit it big, we were totally unprepared for it, lesson learned and it won’t be happening again!

CHRIS: Yes especially when a band is ignorant towards understanding how their record label works, but then again we don’t even think our record label expected us to blow up like we did, it was due to our song being in a Prison Break promo and then play listed on 5fm shortly after.

This created a huge demand. Store orders were coming in and unfortunately our label just couldn’t make the albums as quickly as they were being sold, stores were cancelling backorders by the bucket load. Polarity is a rare album to have because you won’t find it in many stores anymore, if any at all. Polarity is now only available on download. Cognition will now take preference in stores.

MIKE: Yep, but we also had to deal with a “record label” who promised the stars and delivered zero. Prison Break happened for us and then 5fm followed which created a huge demand… unfortunately we couldn’t fully capitalise on our fortune but we learnt so many valuable lessons and gained some very important pieces in the process.

LOUIS: Of course it is – in this industry you have no liberties to assume how popular you are. It’s funny with us – we sell well in the scope of local heavy music. It’s very hard to predict how well your album might do. Due to the lack of support from the media for the local scene it’ll be foolish to get your hopes up. We’ve been lucky I guess.

HOW MUCH WORK WENT INTO YOUR NEW ALBUM AND ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS?

JEAN: Wow, where do I start? We’ve spent A LOT more time on 'Cognition' than we did with 'Polarity'… mostly because we are that much more experienced this time around, we knew more of what we wanted, and also needed to create in our eyes, a step up from Polarity.

CHRIS: A lot of work has gone into this album, we feel that we have become a much more mature band and it shows in our music, we are definitely happy with the results because this album is our best work to date. The creation of Polarity was a different process but this time round we all started with a blank canvas and instead of painting over each other’s work we worked together, cautiously adding to the canvas until we were happy with our final piece of art.

MIKE: Still busy with it – should be done come Mid-May… we are a little behind schedule but the studio has been fully booked. I’ll be happy when it’s done & dusted and meets everyone’s needs regarding production.

LOUIS: A lot of hard graft went into this one – the first album took longer because it was us finding our feet and each other, now the task was to mature and outdo ourselves. It’s been a very hard yet satisfying journey and I feel 100% confident that we topped ourselves with Cognition.

YOUR PREVIOUS ALBUM “POLARITY” REALLY GAVE YOU GUYS A PUSH IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, HOW MUCH OF THE “POLARITY SOUND” IS STILL PRESENT ON THE NEW ALBUM?

JEAN: I think upon hearing a song for the first time on radio or whatever, you will hear its Knave… we haven’t diverged from our 'core' sound, but we have most definitely become a little bit harder and a little bit lighter.. Cognition is a more mature Knave, we've honed our skills a little more, opened our minds a little more and most importantly, become closer as a band.

CHRIS: Although Polarity will forever be that first foot in the door we have grown a lot since then, we all have better equipment and our musicianship has grown, we are still Knave and have a unique sound so there will be some similarities between Polarity and Cognition, it’s inevitable. To the Knave fans that have the Polarity album they will definitely hear the growth in Cognition.

MIKE: I think every band grows a bit with each new release… I’m hoping this one gets out like Polarity did but creates a motion of “Knave is maturing for the better” kind of attitude with people.

LOUIS: Not as much as you’d think – we’ve honed ourselves more as a unit rather than individual songwriters – so all the songs have a lot more diversity than on Polarity. Cognition really takes you through a journey of moods and styles. We’re all much better represented in this effort. There is a lot more put on the table.

DID YOU USE ANY NEW INSTRUMENTS OR RECORDING TECHNIQUES FOR THE SONGS ON “COGNITION”?

JEAN: When we had finished recording one of our tracks 'The Abandoned Ballet', I immediately knew it needed an authentic violin sound, so I put out a message on Facebook, asking if any violinists would be kind enough to help us out… the feedback was astounding. Unfortunately, I had to choose one, and that was Natalie Cowling from a band called Frequency.

I sent her the track, and she came into studio a few days later with full musical notation on violin parts she had written for the song… our jaws were on the floor at this young lady's professionalism… she really added that 'something' to the track! THANKS NATALIE!!!!

CHRIS: This time round we recorded in a proper studio and not in one of our producers rooms at home, I think this made us work harder and inspired the addition of a violin in one of our tracks plus a guest performance on one track by a rap artist called Obita, also this time round we have included Louis (bass) voice to add to the bottom end screaming on some of the tracks. The production on Cognition will also be much better than in Polarity.

MIKE: Violins, Louis Voice, A lot Less triggered effects, induced Vodka sessions… etc

LOUIS: We used a violin in one of the tracks – we’ve also been more open to spontaneity - if a song calls for a new direction we were not shy about letting it take its natural course. With Polarity the songs were as they were written in the band room. We gave the studio environment and Jared, our producer, much more breathing space this time round. The man is a genius – he sees the music from a different place – and we allowed him to express himself in our music. It was very refreshing.

ONE OF THE MEANINGS OF THE WORD COGNITION IS “THAT WHICH COMES TO BE KNOWN”. WHAT ASPECTS OF THIS NEW ALBUM WOULD YOU LIKE IT TO BECOME KNOWN FOR?

JEAN: Cognition deals with a lot of subject matter, not purely personal, but everyday issues that plague our world... from religion to woman abuse, but all resolved in the positive light that we hold strong to.

CHRIS: All round good musicianship, song writing and unique vocals, we hope that people realise that Knave is here to stay no matter what, whether people like us or not or if we are popular or not we will continue to write and perform music together. A lot of bands break up after releasing their first album but for us to actually complete our second album has proven that we can stick together.

MIKE: Positive growth.

LOUIS: I remember the day we decided on the title – this is probably way too personal to mention in an interview – but at the end of Polarity the band was at the brink of destruction. We had major fallouts amongst ourselves. So we took the time to reconnect as people before we even picked up our instruments. We took a few occasions to just go into a serene environment and put our shit aside. That is where Cognition came from for me – we discovered each other. Rather than just fulfilling the band dream – we became a band. We became brothers.

YOU’VE HAD SOME SUCCESS WITH YOUR SONGS BEING PLAYED ON RADIO, WHEN WRITING YOUR NEW ALBUM DID THE WORDS “RADIO FRIENDLY” EVER COME UP; AND WHAT IS THE BIGGEST THING ABOUT LOCAL RADIO THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE IN YOUR OPINION?

JEAN: Radio Friendly? ...as much as it pains me… yes we have… but that’s all it ever is… talking about it… we have never sat down and tried to write a track for radio… I think if we had to sit down and try and force a song into existence, it would fail and be tossed into that void of horrible horrible Knave tracks that no one should ever hear.... ever…we aren't the kind of band that churns out 30 songs in a month… we take our time writing new songs… it’s a painful process at times, but ultimately, we all want to be 100% happy with the final product.

Regarding local radio… the biggest thing that needs to change is… Cognition…
Taunt and Tether on Radio is a prime example… it’s not one of our heavier tracks by any means, but it made it onto one of SA's biggest stations and did extremely well. But further submission of other tracks, even lighter ones; have proven uneventful, with the response being 'too heavy for their format'.

One would assume that a rock track doing so well would show that people out there want to hear more rock music on our airwaves. There are so so so many amazing rock and metal bands in this country of ours, and the people who are in a position to make these artists known on a national scale, just don't come to the party…

CHRIS: We did discuss which song was going to be our radio friendly song and we started off trying to write some radio friendly stuff, it just didn’t work, don’t ask me how but by doing this we somehow became heavier. I think also this time round with Jean (guitar) unfortunately always working his ass off in video editing, he opened the door for Myself and Louis (bass) to contribute towards the song writing which also added to the diversity.

There are two tracks titled “The abandoned ballet” and “Phenomenon” that I personally wrote and Knave moulded the songs into what they are on the album but I think these two tracks are probably the most radio friendly tracks we have, I think it’s because I have a more rock style of writing. This time I also worked hard at bringing a better balance between the actual music and vocals in Cognition. My opinion on local radio is that they need to catch a wake up call and realise that there is a lot of talented music right here in SA. They are making an effort to play local stuff but it’s not where it should be. Knave was also lucky to get the support of DJ Fresh and Catherine from 5fm.

MIKE: It’s called “Phenomenon” and has that radio friendly feel but on the whole I think it’s a bit heavier than Polarity but also has something for everyone… we write what we’re feeling on the day and I think it shows in our diversity.

Local radio is catering more and more for local content… a hell of a lot more than before.

LOUIS: Yes and no in regards to writing a radio song. I thought we needed a radio track, but we never ended up writing one. One of the tracks (called “Phenomenon”) came from a very sincere place in Chris’ soul, and even though the song is pleasant on the ears – it is based on a topic that could only be approached from a considerate view. Some things you can be angry about – others need to be approached with a bit more sonic tact.

YOU ALSO POSTED A FEW “IN STUDIO” VIDEOS ONLINE THAT WAS REALLY FUN TO WATCH. ANY OTHER VISUAL THINGS LIKE MUSIC VIDEOS PLANNED IN THE NEAR FUTURE?

JEAN: When I have a spare moment, I will post some more video footage of Knave goofing around in studio whilst trying to meet deadline on album release so that Duncan doesn't beat us with our own instruments stuff..............breathe.....but thanks for saying they are entertaining :)

CHRIS: Most definitely but these things do unfortunately take time and money.

MIKE: Definitely more music videos planned, a live DVD as well (shot at Seasons Wither 3) and I’m sure much more silly behind the scenes antics…

LOUIS: Yes – nothing (according to my knowledge) has been cast in stone. We do have some killer live footage that might materialise in something soon.

ANY LAST COMMENTS / ADVICE OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

JEAN: Just be nice... we are all in the same boat here, trying to make it as individual bands… jealousy rears its ugly head, musical endeavours and friendships can be lost in a second. Special thanks needs to go to our lovely Knave ladies for putting up with us over the past few months of late nights at studio.

Anton and Jacques at Music Connection, arguably the two most handsome and awesome guys in the universe! Our Sponsor Jagermeister for always bringing the party! Mr Gunston for being so incredibly talented and sexy. Our Super Hero - Dunc Man for taking Knave further than we could have hoped on our own :) and to you Neil, for wanting to interview us!

CHRIS: Thanks to everyone that’s given Knave a fighting chance and supported us along the way.

MIKE: Thank you for the interview, thanks to all who read this, to our existing friends who follow our music and shows and to the friends who we are about to meet.

Also, always big admiration to our various endorsements, companies and sponsors who make it possible: Music connection, Turning Tricks, Electromode, Gunston Studios, Jagermeister, Handstyle Tattoo’s.

LOUIS: Stay humble – there is no room for rock stars in this country. I’d like to thank the other chaps in the band. Duncan Bell and Jared Gunston deserve some special praise for this effort. And of course our respective significant others for putting up with the dream and the fans for making it a reality.

BARRICADE

WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/barricadesound
COUNTRY: Singapore STYLE: Progressive / Alternative / Rock

BARRICADE IS STILL A “YOUNG” BAND ONLY STARTING OUT IN OCTOBER 2008, HOW MUCH DID THE EXPERIENCE OF PLAYING IN OTHER BANDS HELP YOU TO GET THE BAND GOING?

Yeah. The experience is a lot and useful though. Before barricade was formed, we played gigs with each of our own previous individual bands. Like hell yeah, it gave us 1st blood in knowing the performing experience.

HOW MUCH DOES THE MUSIC YOU ARE MAKING WITH BARRICADE DIFFER FROM WHAT YOU HAVE PLAYED BEFORE?

We decided to mix it all up to one fine sound. From what each of us had played before, we decided to produce the core of our mixed genre in Barricade’s music. It doesn’t differ that much though, cause we have our main influence and all of it would be quite some of a similarity. Jyeah Jyeah!

DO YOU LIKE TO WRITE MUSIC THAT HAS A CERTAIN MOOD OR ATMOSPHERE?

It depends, sometimes randomness helps a lot. We would tend to write music after digging good music from the big bands and aim to write better then them. Sometimes the mood or atmosphere that we produce in our song-writing would be somehow of a soaring feeling and we let the audience define our songs in a different meaning as how they look upon it. Lol!

I WOULD LIKE TO TWIST MY PREVIOUS QUESTION A BIT… DO YOU FIND THAT YOU WRITE BETTER SONGS IF YOU ARE HAPPY OR ANGRY ABOUT SOMETHING?

Yeah. Letting out your emotions in writing songs would be better. Cause you have better understanding to the song and yet would be more meaningful not just to ourselves, but to who ever that feels the same way.

YOUR VOCALIST HAS A REALLY STRONG VOICE AND IT FITS YOUR MUSIC WELL. WHAT IS THAT “UNIQUE” FACTOR THAT EVERY BAND MEMBER BRINGS TO THE BAND THAT MAKES YOUR MUSIC SOUND GOOD IN THE END?

Errrm. Each of us do squeeze our brain cells in writing. As told, we would bring up what we have before and somehow fit in as one good tune. Yeah, and we’re glad to have a vocalists who fits in the music we’re creating. Drink honey tea, helps smoother your throat. Teeeheee.!

WHAT SUBJECT DO YOU FIND YOURSELVES COVERING THE MOST WITH YOUR LYRICS?

Mostly it would be about the surroundings on what is happening around us. Our lyrics would be indirect not too straight forward as in like you’ll understand it upon reading it. There would be many things that you could relate it with but it’s up to the individual. We have our own logical conversion to our lyrics and you can have yours too. :D

HOW MANY FINISHED SONGS DOES THE BAND HAVE AT THE MOMENT AND DO YOU PLAN TO RECORD AN EP OR AN ALBUM ANY TIME SOON?

Currently, we’re on the run in finishing our 4th song. Yea include that, we have ourselves 4 originals. Yea if everything goes well, we would be releasing our EP late this year.
But as we go…we would improvise the songs so it’s hard to tell when it will be out.

GOOD NEWS IS THAT YOU MADE IT ONTO THE LINE-UP FOR BAYBEATS 2009, CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE HERE; WWW.BAYBEATS.COM.SG . DO YOU SEE THIS AS A GOOD START FOR THE BAND AND A PLATFORM TO PLAY BIGGER AND BETTER SHOWS LATER ON?

Yeah. It is somehow kind of a breakthrough for us. Being a new band, playing for a big show, totally nerve wrecking or wadeva (goshhh.!) We’re just glad that we made it through this far. Hard work would be placed 1st in our overall attitude.

Good chances will come if you have great attitude. If we continue working hard, who knows we might be playing and touring with the big bands on Bigger and better stage. For example Underoath…geez we’re wondering when whether those guys would step their foot in this country …dying to see them live ahahaha. Wooooo! That’s awesooome!!

BASED ON YOUR EXPERIENCES; HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE CURRENT MUSIC SCENE IN SINGAPORE?

Hmmm. It’s just that listeners and audiences need to discover more bands in the local scene. We have lack of support. There are much better bands in our local scene that has the potential to go far thus, lack of exposure. Let’s make a difference and its up to you guys to give those supports :)

I’VE BEEN ASKING THIS ALLOT LATELY BUT DO YOU GUYS GO OUT TO WATCH OTHER BANDS ON A REGULAR BASIS AND HAVE YOU EVER LEFT A GIG AND FELT MORE INSPIRED TO BE A BETTER MUSICIAN?

Yea we do watch other bands performed as we support our own local talent and yeah, we do get inspired by them. Everyone wants to produce songs that make people happy so yeah we try to make our song even much better than we heard thus, making us to be better musician as a band.

WHAT CAN PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER ATTENDED A BARRICADE PERFORMANCE EXPECT TO SEE AT YOUR SHOWS?

Hmmm…they could expect to see our front man Rico is now bald and not having his hair to impress the crowd with his head banging technique ...LOL. Okay let’s get serious. They would expect a different kind of sound from a happy-swinging mood to down-low tempo breakdowns. Our music may be vary as it will evolve from a radio-friendly kind of sound and back to the underground roots.

I ASKED YOU EARLIER IF YOU WERE PLANNING TO RELEASE AN EP OR ALBUM ANY TIME SOON; WHAT ARE SOME OF THE GOALS YOU WOULD LIKE TO REACH WITH THIS BAND IN 2009?

One of our aimed this year is to play at Baybeats09 which we will in a few months time and so the plan on the EP released which we expect it to be done by late this year if things go according to plan. And we would like to build up our fan base. To continue exposing ourselves through be it a major or a minor gig. Yeah we ain’t bossy.

ANY LAST COMMENTS / ADVICE OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

We would like to thank those who gave us their full support, be it our family, friends, boyfriend/girlfriends and our fans. We really appreciate it a lot. And we would like to thank you, Neil van Zyl, sir for giving us the opportunity to be featured on your Blog. We’ll keep you guys update.

ALMOST IS NOTHING

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSE SCHAFER
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/almostisnothing
COUNTRY: United States STYLE: Metal / Thrash

Interview Answered by Aaron McCoy

WHAT IS THE THING YOU LOVE THE MOST ABOUT THE METAL CULTURE AND SOUND?

The thing I love most about metal culture is the dedication people show it. Unlike most other forms of music metal never goes out of style because of the dedication of the fans. It is a lifestyle and once you are part of it you stay with it forever. That is also why metal has had the staying power that it has, people stand by it.

I KNOW IT IS NOT EASY BUT HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC AND WHAT ASPECT OF YOUR SOUND WILL YOU ALWAYS LIKE TO KEEP IN YOUR MUSIC AND WHAT ASPECTS OF YOUR SOUND WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXPERIMENT WITH MORE?

I would like to make sure that we never lose the core of what made us play our style of metal to begin with. We are big fans of eighties bay-area thrash and the Gothenberg death metal sound, we have basically moulded those two together and have taken it in our own direction to forge what we consider to be something new and unique.

More specifically, we would like our music to remain guitar driven with a tight rhythm section for our vocalist to work around. Jeremy’s lead playing is essentially the catalyst of our music and we will make sure that his talent always shines through. We also maintain a strict focus on ensuring that we don’t write “filler” riffs, that shouldn’t make it into our songs.

If there is anything we would like to expand upon it would be to include more heavy doomy parts within the context of our up-tempo songs. We do this in a few of our songs and the dichotomy has a really cool contrast.

DO YOU HAVE “RULES” LIKE WRITING A SONG THAT IS NOT LONGER THAN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME WHEN WRITING NEW MATERIAL?

Not really, we just allow each other to be ourselves within the context of the band at all times. If your own personality doesn’t shine through what you are doing then you aren’t being honest with yourself or your fans and both deserve better.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE EACH MEMBER OF THE BAND’S PLAYING STYLE, AND WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BIGGEST FACTOR THAT MAKES YOU ALL “FUSE” TOGETHER SO WELL AS A BAND?

Jeremy is the lead guitar player in our band; he draws from a lot of virtuoso type shredders and has a good grasp on the techniques that allow guitarist to really control the instrument while having a soulful bluesy side to it.

Hunter can play a wide range of music as a drummer. He can go from jazz and funk to our own music easily, it seems like he uses all the technique he has learned over the years to create original drum parts.

Drew’s main job in our band is to keep our rhythm section tight, he has developed into a very solid bass player who plays his parts well and knows that his most important role is keep locked into the pocket.

I focus on holding down the rhythm end of the guitar playing similarly to what Drew does with the bass. Bands can sound sloppy very easily if the guitars aren’t tight and my goal is to keep all the technical, up-tempo riffs we play locked in.

Toby has a more shrill screaming style than most heavy metal vocalist and it is very abrasive. It’s quite different than most that you would hear, but that is what we like about it.

I think the thing that makes us gel well together is that four of us have been playing together for over four years now and we have developed a chemistry with each other that only comes with time. Hunter has only joined us recently, but he has integrated himself into our group seamlessly and has been able to pick up on the things that gel us as a band, which is our ability to play well together as a group.

THE BAND IS LAUNCHING A NEW CD ON THE 9TH OF MAY; CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THE CD?

The new CD is more up-tempo than anything we have done in the past. This is the first CD Hunter has played on and his ability to keep the drums tight at higher tempos allowed us to write more technical music. This is because for the first time our rhythm section could fully hold up their end. Everyone’s playing shines on this record and you can really hear the strengths of each person.

BEING AN INDEPENDENT BAND, WHAT HAS BEEN SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU HAVE FACED WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS LIKE CD DISTRIBUTION AND MARKETING THE BAND SO THAT YOU CAN INCREASE YOUR FAN BASE?

The toughest part is really financial, we spend a ton of time doing self-promoting in a number of different ways, but we only have so many resources to fall back on. Everything comes down to money, whether it be advertising, recording a CD or purchasing merch, a band needs money to get the word out and if that resource is limited so are your options for promotion.

YOU SEEM REALLY PROUD TO BE A D.I.Y. BAND. WHAT LEAD YOU TO GO THE DO IT YOURSELF ROUTE?

It really is more by force than choice. We would love to work with someone who really believes in our band who would help take this to another level. Since the start we knew we needed to stay focused on our goals and we had to try to reach them on our own and that is how we would catch someone’s interest, accomplishing things with no one’s helped will prove how serious we are, and we have accomplished quite a bit.

YOU HAVE TWO LIVE VIDEOS POSTED ON YOUR MYSPACE; DO YOU ALWAYS WRITE YOUR MUSIC WITH THE BAND’S LIVE SHOW IN MIND?

It is usually the opposite; we write music and then see how it can be integrated into our live show. The music needs to be written in as natural a way as possible so it doesn’t feel forced. Putting limitations on it by making rules so it can fit into our live set a certain way could potentially hurt the final product, so we stay away from that.

READING YOUR BAND BIOGRAPHY I SEE YOU HAVE OPENED SHOWS FOR SOME REALLY BIG BANDS SO FAR, IN WHAT WAYS HAVE OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THAT ENCOURAGED YOU TO MOVE FORWARD?

It keeps driving us. With everything we accomplish, we realize there is so much more to do. We can never settle for just the things we have done because we can always do so much more. Our goals for our band are far beyond what we have done so far, so while it is neat that we have done some pretty cool stuff, those things are only stepping stones towards the ultimate goal.

WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU CURRENTLY USE FOR YOUR LIVE SHOWS AND DO YOU HAVE “THAT INSTRUMENT” WHICH YOU’VE HAD FOR YEARS AND WOULD NOT SELL FOR ANY AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THE WORLD?

Our gear is pretty straight-forward, I use a Marshall JCM 2000 through a 1960 Vintage cab with Gibson Explorer guitars. Jeremy uses a Peavey XXX, through the same cab as myself with various guitars and Drew runs an Ampeg SVT Classic through an Ampeg 8x10 with an Ibanez Bass. Hunter uses Tama Drums and Sabian Cymbals and Toby uses an AKG microphone live.

Jeremy has an old Ibanez RG he’s owned for a long time now that he has played pretty much the entire history of our band. It is the only piece of gear that has been with one of our players for as long as it has and is the guitar Jeremy is most associated with.

DO YOU GO OUT TO WATCH OTHER BANDS LIVE ON A REGULAR BASIS AND WHEN YOU PLAY A SHOW WHERE THERE ARE A FEW BANDS PLAYING THAT NIGHT HOW DO YOU “FEED” OF THE PREVIOUS BAND’S ENERGY AND GET THE CROWD “INTO” YOUR SET?

When we play live we simply go onstage and do what we do. Seeing another band play well can get you pumped because you always want to outdo your peers, but it is a positive type of competition where you always drive each other to be better.

IS HAVING LONG HAIR A MUST WHEN IT COMES TO ADDING THAT EXTRA BIT OF “METALLITY” TO YOUR SHOW?

No, we all have different length hair and really, it is a personal choice for all of us. Having long hair does make headbanging look way better though!

ANY LAST COMMENTS / ADVICE OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

Thanks to anyone who has ever supported us or given our band any of their time, hopefully we’ll see all of you soon!

INEVITABLE END

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HELI LEHTONEN
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/inevitableend
COUNTRY: Sweden STYLE: Death Metal / Grindcore / Metal

YOUR MUSIC IS SO BRUTAL AND CHAOTIC AT THE SAME TIME, HOW DO YOU APPROACH THE SONG WRITING PROCESS WHEN WRITING NEW MATERIAL?

JOAKIM: The songs are often based on ideas me and Marcus come up with individually and then we jam and put them together in the rehearsal room. We try to make it sound as brutal as possible but yet catchy and straight.

WHAT WAS THE ONE THING YOU GUYS LEARNED THEORETICALLY ABOUT YOUR INDIVIDUAL INSTRUMENTS THAT MADE YOU BETTER MUSICIANS, AND WITH SONGS AS TECHNICAL AS YOURS HOW DO YOU STILL “CHALLENGE” YOURSELVES MUSICALLY?

JOAKIM: I haven´t played drums for more than about 2.5 years so I still find it challangeing to play. I started out as a guitarist in the band but when our former drummer left I decided to take over and give it a try. Personally, I think that made me a better musician. We challenge ourselves to play faster, more technical and write better songs.

I’VE COME ACROSS MANY BANDS THAT ONLY HAVE ONE GUITARIST BUT THEIR GUITAR TONE IS OF THE CHARTS! I SEE YOU USE A SEVEN STRING, ON WHAT LEVELS DOES A SEVEN STRING APPEAL MORE TO YOU THAN A NORMAL SIX STRING GUITAR?

MARCUS: I find it more inspirational to play a sevenstring then a sixstring. It has a wider range and more possibilitys. Obviously we often play on the darker notes and I guess that it would be possible for us to make the music we do using sixstrings but I think it's more fun!

AFTER RELEASING INDEPENDENT EP’S YOU SINGED WITH RELAPSE RECORDS TO RELEASE YOUR DEBUT ALBUM; THE SEVERED INCEPTION. DOES IT FEEL LIKE A WEIGHT HAS BEEN LIFTED OF YOUR SHOULDERS AFTER GETTING SIGNED AND BEING ABLE TO RELEASE A FULL ALBUM?

JOAKIM: Yes, definitely. That’s exactly how we feel since Relapse is such a great label with so many respected bands. It’s like a dream come true for us!

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES THE BAND HAD TO FACE UP TO THE POINT OF GETTING SIGNED?

ANDREAS: The line-up changes, maybe.

ARE THERE A FEW SONGS ON THE ALBUM THAT YOU LISTEN TO NOW AND THINK, “HOW ON EARTH DID WE EVER COME UP WITH THAT”, AND DO YOU FIND THAT THE BEST SONGS JUST COME OUT OF NOWHERE SOMETIMES?

JOAKIM: Personally I don’t feel that way at all. I feel that we could have done so many things better, but that’s easy to say now 2 years after we wrote the songs.

MARCUS: Some parts here and there maybe. I am for example very satisfied
with the first part of Embracing the Origin.

WOULD YOU SAY THAT THE IMAGE ON THE ALBUM COVER OF A SNAKE CONTAINED IN A JAR SYMBOLISES THE RELENTLESS FURY CONTAINED IN YOUR SONGS?

JOAKIM: Yes that’s a good simile.

IN YOUR BIOGRAPHY YOU MENTION THAT YOU WERE HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY THRASH METAL WHEN THE BAND STARTED AND SINCE THEN YOU HAVE INCORPORATED MANY DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF HARD MUSIC INTO YOUR SOUND. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR YOU TO MOVE “FORWARD” MUSICALLY AS A BAND?

ANDREAS: Extremely important.

YOU PROBABLY WOULDN’T BE PLAYING IN A BAND IF YOU DIDN’T ENJOY PLAYING LIVE. WHAT ARE THE STRONGEST ELEMENTS OF YOUR LIVE SHOWS IN YOUR OPINION?

ANDREAS: You're true about that. What we want to do is play live as much as possible. The most important thing for us is to try make the audience see what they hear, if you catch my drift?

NEW TOUR DATES HAVE RECENTLY BEEN POSTED ON YOUR MYSPACE ARE THERE MORE TO COME AND WHICH ONE OF THE SHOWS ARE YOU MOST EXITED ABOUT?

JOAKIM: Neurotic Deathfest in Holland.

DO YOU PREFER INDOOR OR OUTDOOR VENUES AS A BAND AND WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT TRAVELLING AND SEEING DIFFERENT PLACES AND PLAYING YOUR MUSIC TO DIFFERENT AUDIENCES?

ANDREAS: So far we prefer indoor venues. Best thing about touring is the gigs itself and meeting new bands and fans. Seeing new places is also a plus, I suppose, but travelling between gigs is often very boring (imo), to be honest...

LOOKING AT THE ALBUM COVER OF THE SEVERED INCEPTION AND READING THE LABEL ON THE BOTTLE WITH THE SNAKE INSIDE; IT READS, “KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN”. HOW BIG OF AN IMPACT DO YOU THINK EXTREME MUSIC WILL HAVE ON THE YOUTH IN YEARS TO COME?

ANDREAS: I think metal always had a big impact on youth, and I guess it will still.

ANY LAST COMMENTS / ADVICE OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

JOAKIM: We’re very thankful to our friend and producer Ulf Blomberg at HoboRec studios who made a very good job with the record. He worked his ass off!

WARTHANE

WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/warthaneband
COUNTRY: South Africa STYLE: Progressive / Thrash / Metal

I SAW THE LAST FOUR SONGS OF YOUR SET AT METAL 4 AFRICA WINTERFEST LAST YEAR (I MAY BE WRONG), BUT I DO REMEMBER THAT YOU GUYS HAD A REALLY GREAT “STAGE PRESENCE” IN YOUR PERFORMANCE THAT NIGHT. HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO BUILD UP THAT CONFIDENCE?

After our first couple of shows we learned to feed of the crowd. It helps when you enjoy what you are doing up there, which we do. It kinda comes naturally now.

EVEN IF YOU PERFORM ON A REGULAR BASIS DO THE NERVES CREEP UP ON YOU NOW AND THEN, AND IS IT BETTER TO BE HESITANT THAN COMPLETELY FEARLESS IN SOME SITUATIONS WHILE PERFORMING ON STAGE?

We are always nervous before a show, but it is a good thing because it keeps us sharp and on our toes.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE TO PEOPLE THAT ONLY THINK METAL IS ABOUT SOUNDING “HEAVY”; WHAT IT IS REALLY ABOUT AND HOW IT REFLECTS IN THE MUSIC YOU WRITE AND PERFORM?

Metal is a feeling. You’ve got to feel it. To us it is about breaking loose. It is a lifestyle.

WHEN LISTENING TO YOUR SONGS ON MYSPACE AND THOSE GUITARS START TO PLAY THERE IS HARDLY A PAUSE IN THE AMOUNT OF INTENSITY AND ENERGY IN YOUR SONGS. WHEN YOU RECORDED YOUR LATEST ALBUM DID YOU WRITE THOSE SONGS AS “LIVE SONGS” OR AS “RECORDED SONGS” WHERE ALMOST ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE AND THEN REWORKED THEM FOR LIVE SHOWS?

We write our songs as live songs. We love our songs and the music we play, and when you love it and believe it, you find the intensity and power you are striving for.

WHAT EQUIPMENT AND GUITAR TUNINGS DO YOU GUYS USE, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PLAYING AND ARE THERE STILL SPECIFIC TECHNIQUES THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO MASTER ON YOUR INSTRUMENTS?

We use ESP guitars and bass and Laney Amps. We play in standard E. Techniques are unlimited and we want to learn as much as possible. YOU GUYS

LAUNCHED YOUR LATEST TWELVE TRACK ALBUM/DVD TITLED “THE GALLOWS ARE CALLING” IN NOVEMBER LAST YEAR. SINCE THE BEGINNING OF WARTHANE IN 2004 WOULD YOU SAY THAT THE RELEASE OF THE ALBUM WAS THE END OF ONE PART AND THE START OF A “NEW CHAPTER” IN THE BAND’S CAREER?

Definitely! As a band we are now more polished and driven than ever before.

HAVE YOU GUYS MADE A FEW BAD DECISIONS ALONG THE WAY AND DID THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM THOSE MISTAKES MAKE YOU “SMARTER” ON THE BUSINESS SIDE OF THINGS AND DO YOU THINK WARTHANE WOULD HAVE TAKEN A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO THINGS IF YOU KNEW BACK THEN WHAT YOU KNOW NOW ABOUT THE LOCAL “MUSIC BUSINESS”?

Yes we’ve made a few mistakes and yes we have learnt from them. If we knew then what we know now we probably would have avoided those mistakes. From the start we have tried to carve our own path and although it cost a lot of frustration and sweat we are very proud of what we have achieved so far. That being said we see ourselves still at the beginning of our careers with a long wonderful and exciting way and a lot of work lying ahead.

IN WHAT WAYS DID THE GOOD AND BAD PARTS (IF THERE WERE ANY) OF THE RECORDING PROCESS MAKE YOU BETTER MUSICIANS IN YOUR OPINION?

We all went into the studio with a positive mindset and determined to come out wiser, so there were no real bad parts.

DO YOU ALWAYS FIND YOURSELVES WORKING ON NEW SONGS OR DO YOU WRITE NEW SONGS ONLY WHEN YOU START WORKING ON A NEW RECORDINGS AND THE BIG QUESTION AS WELL IS; WHERE TO FROM HERE?

We don’t “stop” to write an album, we write continuously. Our sound now is more defined, mature and darker than ever.

WHENEVER I ASK MUSICIANS WHAT THEIR FAVOURITE SONG IN THEIR SET LIST IS, THEY ANSWER, “ALL OF THEM BECAUSE AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF EFFORT WENT INTO ALL OF THEM”, OR SOMETHING SIMILAR BUT THERE HAS TO BE THAT ONE MOMENT WHERE YOU JUST FELL CRAZY IN LOVE WITH A NEW SONG YOU WROTE?

“Whore of the Pharaohs”. It has a lot of passion and power, and what a song to open with.

BESIDES METAL WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC HAS HAD THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON YOUR MUSIC?

Sean: Offspring, Robbie Williams
Dieter: Offspring
Gavin: Pink Floyd, Offspring
Nazar: Offspring

IN WHAT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE YOU GUYS PERFORM IN 2009 AND WHAT ELSE DO YOU HAVE PLANNED FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR?

We want to play across the whole country. We are also touring Germany and Switzerland in August.

ANY LAST COMMENTS / ADVICE OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

We would like to thank all our supporters and also all the other metal muso’s out there. Keep the faith.

DEANE CRESCENT

WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/deanecrescent
COUNTRY: South Africa STYLE: Progressive / Grindcore / Death Metal

LISTENING TO THE TWO SONGS POSTED ON YOUR MYSPACE, IT IS SAFE TO SAY THAT THE “BRUTALITY” OF THE SONGS IS OF THE CHARTS, BUT IS THERE MORE TO EXTREME METAL THAN SOUNDING BRUTAL?

The brutal impact of the songs was a natural thing as in we did not try and make the most brutal songs in life, we just made songs that we thought sounded good and the sound of the band basically just happened. On the note of extreme metal it is difficult to get all the elements of the band to sound groovy together when playing on the more extreme side of things, so the challenge is to be groovy whilst being heavy, as opposed to playing just ‘noise’.

Another point to add regarding Deane Crescent’s music is that when we write, we don’t write to be technical, we rather aim for intensity. I've seen guys who shred their instruments all day on stage and eventually it looses its appeal and becomes boring, when you see us on stage, or hear our Album, we want you to be captivated by the feeling of the music rather than judging our levels of skill, or vocal range.

FOR A BAND THAT HAS ONE GUITARIST YOU REALLY PACK A MEAN PUNCH, HOW HAS YOUR “SOUND” DEVELOPED SINCE THE BAND STARTED IN 2007?

Being in a band with one guitarist, we are forced to write in a way that we can maintain a full hard hitting sound, while still bringing across intensity. It’s not an easy challenge but everyone in the band is not afraid to admit if something sounds thin or weak, then we just have to go back and rework the section so make sure the energy comes through.

WHAT GUITAR TUNINGS AND GEAR DO YOU USE AND AFTER RELEASING THE “BLACK WE TURN E.P.” ARE YOU GUYS PLANNING TO HEAD INTO THE STUDIO AGAIN ANY TIME SOON?

We actually recorded “Black We Turn” in dropped C, but now we play in dropped B. The reason for the change was because our new material we are working on sounds much better in the lower tuning. Gear wise Mutt and Mike are endorsed by Dean Guitars, Mutt’s got a Dave Mustaine Signature VMNT and Mike’s got a Pro Edge 5. Mutt is opening his own studio in the very near future and we will be working on our new full length album, hopefully to be released later in the year. Be prepared for a few surprises on this one!

DO YOU FIND THAT WHEN WRITING SONGS THAT THE IDEAS JUST COME OUT WHEN YOU START WRITING OR IS EVERYTHING PLANNED OUT AND MORE OF A PROCESS?

The concept of the song is pre-planned but many twists and turns take place once the basic structure is complete. Vocals are done last in the process and many drafts are sometimes needed due to the different tastes in the band currently. So you could say that the idea of the song is planned, but the final product is born through trial and error.

THERE ARE SO MANY LOCAL BANDS THAT USE “SCREAMERS” THESE DAYS. WHAT MAKES GUTTURAL VOCALS SO HARD TO MASTER IN YOUR OPINION?

PAUL: I personally think that all vocalists have a unique sound to their voice although you do get some that sound the same, the key is to be your 'own bands' vocalist and relate the vocals to the music you are playing.

As for range and pitch and things I believe that most of it is innate and genetic and certain vocalists are born to do 'inward' or 'outward' depending on their throat structure and so forth. I write and perform vocals in the style I and my band like and enjoy, and I think this is how any vocalist should operate.

I SEE YOU GUYS HAVE DIFFERENT DEANE CRESCENT LOGOS ON YOUR MYSPACE AND FACEBOOK PAGES, SO WHICH ONE IS THE “OFFICIAL NEW LOOK” LOGO AND IN YOUR OPINION WHAT CAN BE DONE TO IMPROVE THE “IMAGE” OF EXTREME MUSIC IN SOUTH AFRICA?

The new one is the one on the Myspace, we changed it just because we thought it looked better and was more original… The scene is actually very good in SA and the image of extreme music is only misinterpreted by people who have never experienced it before.

If all the people (bands and fans as well as organisers) work together to grow the underground scene and bring new fans into the scene we could have a self sustaining and ever expanding metal scene in South Africa.

Also it is a bad habit to undermine local talent, just because bands are not international does not mean they don't deserve to be looked up to and supported in the same light. For example an American band can grow huge in USA and get praised just like we see on Youtube and Myspace and the American kids also support non-USA bands in the same light.

Why is it most SA people only put in extra effort and support for international acts when they come over here, instead of helping our local guys who can give the international scene stiff competition and can earn a place in the global metal scene.

DOES PLAYING EXTREME METAL AUTOMATICALLY MAKE YOU AN ANGRY PERSON AS THE MEDIA WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO BELIEVE, AND HOW MUCH OF YOUR OWN PERSONALITIES CAN BE FOUND IN YOUR SONGS?

It is true that anger is relayed and reflected in the songs we write but that is where the frustration and anger stays, in the song. The songs are not about happy things, but rather about things that people cannot express literally in the real world, it gives listeners a place to go to vent and relieve their frustration without hurting themselves or others.

Metalheads are the most docile people you can meet and genuine friendships are constantly forming within the scene, a far cry from angry solitary antisocial people. As for the band, we are just normal guys who write music that we enjoy and that gets us excited and we love all the people in the metal scene.

I SEE YOU GUYS GIG ON A REGULAR BASIS; IS IT IMPORTANT TO STAY CONSISTENT AND PLAY REGULARLY RATHER THAN PLAYING AND THEN NOT PERFORMING FOR THREE MONTHS AND THEN PLAYING AGAIN?

Consistency is important as it helps to keep pushing the limits of your performance, and to spread your music to as many people as possible. There is nothing better then sharing your own music with different people. Gigging too often is unproductive though, so it is a fine balance.

YOUR SONGS ARE VERY TECHNICAL; WAS IT HARD TO FIND A GOOD REPLACEMENT WHEN MATT WEST (DRUMMER '07 – MID '08) LEFT THE BAND LAST YEAR?

It was difficult but luckily we knew Nikola already, it is difficult to find a good drummer who has passion and commitment. We were very lucky.

I SEE YOU GUYS ARE HEADING TO DURBAN IN MAY, IS IT GOOD TO GET OUT OF JOHANNESBURG EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE AND UNLEASH YOUR BRAND OF METAL ONTO A WHOLE NEW AUDIENCE?

It's awesome, we had a great response last time we were in Durban and we are hoping for much of the same at the White Knuckle Blackout Fest ’09. As said earlier it is always great to play to new people and share your material. We are also heading down to Cape Town later in May for Deathfest Cape Town which we are looking forward to as we have never played in Cape Town before.

ANY OTHER SHOWS YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO AND PLANNING FOR LATER IN THE YEAR?

Yeah, we just finished Season’s Wither which was amazing, and now we are preparing ourselves for May, which is going to hectic! As mentioned before we are down in Durban for White Knuckle Blackout Fest ’09 this weekend, then back in JHB for Deathfest at Tempo’s, then CT the following weekend for DeathFest at Klein Liberta’s, back to JHB for a support show with The Dead Will Tell, Facing the Gallows for DBN band Show and Tell, then finishing with a bang at Headbangers Bash on the 30th. All these shows promise to be insane so we all looking forward to this month.

YOU GUYS WERE SUPPOSED TO PLAY WITH NILE AND DEVILDRIVER ON THEIR SA TOURS BUT THEY BOTH CANCELLED AND POSTPONED. ARE YOU GUYS AT LEAST IMPRESSED THAT YOU WERE SELECTED TO PLAY WITH BOTH BANDS?

We were honoured and were beyond upset when not only Nile was cancelled, but DevilDriver as well. A real blow to the morale of the band but that's life hey, got to keep going as there are always new opportunities ahead.

ANY LAST COMMENTS / ADVICE OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

Firstly, thanks to you for this interview, it’s been fun, thanks to Thornrose Music, and all our homies from all the bands (and those who aren’t in bands) we hang with at shows ;)

To all the organisers of the amazing shows we have had a privilege of playing, they have been amazing and turnouts have been rising which is great. Thanks to all the crazy kids at the show that always walk up to us bleeding after the show, you help us appreciate what we do and remind us why we do it!

TO HIS COY MISTRESS

WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/thcmband
COUNTRY: South Africa STYLE: Rock / Screamo / Happy Hardcore

WHAT SUBJECTS DO YOU SING ABOUT THE MOST AND WHO IS THE BEST SCREAMER IN THE BAND?

We sing about relationships very often but I guess that’s just where we’re at, but we also sing a lot about life from our own perspectives, and the things we wish we could say, do and experience. We have two awesome screamers but Jes Jes has more range..

OUT OF ALL THE LYRICS YOU HAVE WRITTEN SO FAR WHAT LYRIC STANDS OUT THE MOST FOR YOU WHEN YOU PERFORM A CERTAIN SONG?

Definitely the glory end of our song silhouettes its pretty epic, if you listen to it you’ll see why!

WHO HAS THE BIGGEST “CREATIVE MIND” IN THE BAND AND WHICH BAND MEMBER WOULD YOU PAY TO STAY IF THEY THREATENED TO LEAVE THE BAND?

No one can really take a leading role because we’re all creative in our own field, and we wouldn’t pay anyone to stay, we’re in this because we want to be… if anything we might pay someone to beat up the person who threatens to leave :)

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PLAYING YOUR RESPECTIVE INSTRUMENTS AND HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO REACH THE POINT WHERE YOU WERE CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO PLAY IN A BAND?

Sean and Craig started playing guitar at the same time about 8 years ago but only took it seriously for the last 3 to 4 years, Tim the lead vocalist started singing when he was about 15 in his first band with Sean because no one else wanted to do it and he eventually found a passion for it.

Jes Jes started playing drums about 6 to 7 years ago and played for a handful of bands. Conor the youngest and most arab member of the band started playing bass 5 years ago because of a band called the crooks! Done.

WHAT GEAR DO YOU CURRENTLY USE AND ARE YOU PLANNING TO EXPAND YOUR ARSENAL OF MUSICAL EQUIPMENT IN THE FUTURE?

Sean: Behringer half stack thing, Ibanez Ax guitar and a boss GT 8 effects pedal.

Craig: Bugera Half stack, Gibson SG guitar and a buttload of pedals that we know nothing about, apparently ones used to ‘tune’ his guitar whatever that means? :Pc

Jes Jes: Four Piece Yamaha Stage Custom Neuvou, Istanbul cymbals and Gibralter Direct drive double pedals.

Tim: A microphone (think it’s a shure) and his voice. Think he got a vocal pedal earlier? We’ll check the band room later.

Conor: Ibanez Pro session Bass, Behringer 150 watt thang.

We’re all obviously improving our gear but it only improves as our bank account fills up so more shows means more money which means more gear :) We don’t really put it up to gear to improve our band though we believe it counts more to become better as an individual musicians, having sick sound gear just compliments our mad skillz yo. :P

TO HIS COY MISTRESS HAS ENOUGH SONGS TO FIT ON AN EP POSTED ONLINE. ARE YOU PLANNING A RELEASE OF ANY KIND SOON?

We need to re record most of our songs but we ARE planning to bring out a properly cut EP with the release of our merchandise!

HOW MANY SONGS DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR SET LIST AT THE MOMENT AND I SEE YOU LIST MICHAEL JACKSON AS ONE OF YOUR INFLUENCES. ANY CHANCES THEN OF YOU GUYS DOING A COVER OF "BILLIE JEAN"?

We have a grand total of 5 AND A HALF SONGS!! AMPED! But we’re currently writing three new songs so just be chilled homeslice. And as for the Billie Jean Cover HELLZ YEAH! As long as its br00tal. :)

IN WHAT WAYS HAVE YOU BEEN INFLUENCED BY THE DIRECTION OTHER LOCAL BANDS HAVE BEEN TAKING WITH THEIR MUSIC AND LIVE SHOWS?

We wouldn’t necessarily say that we are influenced but most definitely inspired by many local bands that that have come and gone through the years and many bands that are still here. So many local SA bands have so much to offer in all aspects of being a band and we are excited and honoured to be apart of that. Amped :D

I CAN SEE YOU GUYS ENJOY BEING IN THIS BAND WHEN ONE SEES ALL THE SILLY COMMENTS ON YOUR FACEBOOK FAN PAGE, BUT HOW DO YOU BALANCE “HAVING FUN” WITH THE SERIOUS ASPECTS THAT COME WITH PLAYING IN A BAND?

Well we have Craig who is the Samual L Jackson of the band (Pulp Fiction bad ass). We are all serious when it comes down to our music and Craig keeps us in check if things get out of hand. It is obviously incredibly important to us to write music we feel is awesome and that only comes with hard work and having fun at the same time.

I guess we just do what we do where every member plays there roll to keep things going. We have a good group of members and it works for us.

DID YOU START OUT ORIGINALLY AS A POST HARDCORE/SCREAMO BAND OR WERE THERE A FEW “TWISTS AND TURNS” BEFORE YOU GOT TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?

HAHA non of us started as a Post Hardcore/ Screamo band we just kind of ended up here somehow haha. Tim and Sean started as a punk band then moved towards a posthard core vibe. Conor came from an Indie band called the Crooks, Jes came from many bands but mostly Deathcore Hardcore stuff and then there’s Craig who did something not quite sure what it was but we love him :)

HOW MANY SHOWS HAVE YOU PLAYED SO FAR AND BASED ON CROWD REACTION WHAT PARTS OF YOUR “SOUND” WOULD YOU LIKE TO BUILD ON FURTHER AS TIME GOES ON?

We’ve only played 6 shows so far… haha but I think the reaction we’ve been getting is far greater then we all thought. I guess we’re just gonna keep building on what we have at the moment. Catchy little leads and speedy stuff to keep the crowd going. We got a good thing and we have fun so uh.. ya :)

OK, PROMO TIME. WHAT ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO BE UP TO FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS?

Uh.. well, we’re playing a show tonight at Street Café tonight which is gonna be an awesome party!! And other then getting our merch out and working on recording we’re just gonna play as much as we can and just enjoy it.

ANY LAST COMMENTS / ADVICE OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

We would just like to thank our moms especially Jesse’s mom cause she let’s us make noise 3 to 4 times a week. Christian Bale must be thanked cause he’s just awesome and all the other bands that play and all the people that come out to support us and enjoy what we do.