Indie Talking With Danielle Whalebone From Animal Hands

Indievotion publishes today the fourth interview from a series of in-depth talks with musicians/bands that we deeply cherish, acknowledge their talent, creativity, resilience and envision them as groundbreaking acts away from the inane mainstream numbness. 

The present interview is courtesy of Danielle Whalebone, the bright, brilliant and beautiful redhead front woman of Melbournian 4-piece indie rockers, Animal Hands. Formed back in 2011, Animal Hands have already received much international acclaim following the release of their self-titled EP with lots of highly praising reviews, earning them airplay from Australia to USA, UK, Germany and all around Europe.

Their indie, garage, grunge sonicscape filled the airwaves of college and community radio stations from Melbourne to Seattle KGRG. Animal Hands are recording their debut album at Birdland studios and directly working with prestigious Australian producer/musician Lindsay Gravina and aim to release their first single off the debut album by the end of 2016. One final and grateful word to Danielle Whalebone for her prompt, generosity and cooperation without which this amazing interview would not have been possible. Enjoy!

Animal Hands formed back in 2011. How did it happen and in which way did your cultural and musical background contribute to forming a band?

When I was very young my mother used to buy me blank tapes and I would spend hours recording songs and stories making my own sound effects. When I got older I became a part of the tape sharing culture. We would compete to be the first to discover and share new indie bands music, most of the people I hung around with were like myself from broken homes. We would hang out at skate parks, smoke weed, trawl op shops looking for cheap vintage clothes and go to underage gigs. I always admired female rock artists, they were not ‘princess’ types but were still very stylish, they had a strength that I wished to possess. They didn't care about what people thought of them and I wished, as a teenage girl to be like them. Starting my band seemed a natural conclusion, it is the culture I grew up in.

Is there any particular meaning for the name of the band or is it merely a name with no further “metaphysical” explanation?

It was my intention to give my band a name that has no singular way that it can be interpreted. In essence it is a blend of the Australian films Animal Kingdom and Two Hands both of these films possess a female character that was very underestimated, it is my homage to Janine and Helen. It also refers to human nature, art is an important domain of inquiry into human nature and into the question of what it is to be human.

You are not a full time musician. How do you see the artist’s challenge of balancing life and art and to what extent does it interfere with your creative process, rehearsal logistics and recording process?

It is a constant source of frustration for me, I feel that I have so much more that I could achieve artistically if I just had the time. I have not stopped for a break in five years even after an operation last year and feel that I have achieved little of my actual potential as an artist and performer. I have a Dip in Child Psychology and I’m currently studying for a Dip in Case Management. Recently I’ve been offered a position caring for children who have suffered from trauma and abuse, for the past few years I have been caring for people with disabilities that have extremely high physical needs. My work is very stressful but extremely rewarding, as is raising my family and being the head of a band. I have spent the past year saving to record at Birdland, to me it is like skydiving it is exhilarating knowing that I can't afford to make mistakes, it is a break from reality for me. I have one night a week to rehearse with the band and spend every spare minute I have studying, working on music, writing, editing etc. The balance is nearly impossible and I feel that due to prioritising, music comes last, it really is a privilege to pursue.

Animal Hands are frequently defined as a post - grunge band. Do you feel comfortable with this labelling of the band or do you consider that this labelling is somehow short sighted?

I do feel comfortable with the label because I am influenced by the music of the late eighties and nineties that was labeled ‘grunge’ the word itself to me has a certain stigma but it is one I can certainly live with. The only time I have travelled out of Australia was to go to Seattle to pay my respects. Seattle is like a sister city to Melbourne I loved it there, I even had the good fortune of catching Sonic Youth at the Moore Theatre, it was amazing. A few years later I meet Courtney Love, Eric Erlandson and Melissa Auf der Maur when Hole was on tour, that era in music defined who I am today. I hope not to be an artist that is perceived as simply trying to mimic or rehash this era in music. I believe I have other influences that also play a part in my songwriting.

Taking into account your previous answer how would you then define Animal Hands sound and what is your musical comfort zone if you think there is one?

It’s doomy, fuzz laden, dirty guitar with nearly new wave influences coming through at times, especially with my style of songwriting. There are moments where it gets really psychedelic with the drone of my SG played with the cello bow, it is a sound that I have been playing around with during the recording of the album. As I have gone through the recording process I have learned allot about how I have been ‘thinking’ about music, I tend to fill in the space more than I need to. It is all about the space and the artists who are manipulating the sound waves. I am very rarely comfortable; I am constantly trying to overcome my feelings of insecurity as a musician. Having no formal education I lack the ability to converse in musical terms and feel that I am often on a back foot when working with other musicians. Although due to my lack of formal education I find that I am free to explore music without the formulas that can stifle creativity.

You’re often compared to Adalita Srsen from Magic Dirt. How does it feel and how do you cope with such honorable comparison?

It is overwhelming, obviously Adalita has had an extreme influence on me as an artist, she is an enduring source of inspiration, as are all the members of Magic Dirt. They personify the strength that is required to endure as artists having suffered such as they have. It is such an honorable comparison and I hope it is because I am perceived as having the same kind of integrity as an artist, but I would never consider it to be anything more than that.

Australia is some gold mine of talented musicians and bands. As a Melbourne based musician how would you describe the Australian indie/alternative music scene and in particular the Melbourne one?

Cut throat and cliquey, but the cream definitely rises to the top. Unfortunately with the closing of venues and people's inclination to socialise on the web it is a shame that new independent bands don't get the same opportunities as they would have in the past. I feel the climate is similar to that of the nineties with a reemergence of the ‘cock rockers’ and the more understated ‘grunge’ crowd. It’s an Axl Rose Vs Kurt thing going on with the up and coming bands. I can appreciate the musicianship but that misogynist scene really irks me. My band recently played a festival with a bunch of those bands and it wasn't a good vibe for a woman backstage.

Which bands and/or musicians did influence you most and why and to which extent they still contribute to your creative imagination?

There are too many to name, I feel uncomfortable putting them in any order but there are particular artists whose music has a transcendent quality and who's lyrics speak of the human condition, they are my constant inspiration for creativity. Rowland S Howard and Patti Smith always come to mind.

Animal Hands did as far as we know a cover version The The’s “This is The Day”. Why a Matt Johnson song and is doing covers something you really like to do and considering future ones?

I first picked up a guitar with the sole intention of writing my own songs; I learned chords and started to write. I thought that learning other people's songs would pollute my own writing, to quote Iggy Pop ‘its like having dirty water come down the pipes’. Having said this I really dig clever covers, I listen to New Wave music allot and I thought “This is the day” has an irony that would add a bit of humor to Animal Hands quite melancholy debut EP. We are also recording a cover for the upcoming album another New Wave track by the Split Enz, when I was very young I thought this song was about having nightmares which was really cool to me.

Can it be objectively said that Animal Hands creative process is somewhat influenced by their urban environment or are there any other variables?

Yes, my songwriting is definitely influenced by my environment the neighbors tolerate my loud music, so when I'm inspired to play I can go for it with very few noise complaints lol. Also we have some great local venues that have touring bands coming through all the time it creates a buzz that can be felt in the street, the music culture in the hills is really prevalent.

Animal Hands had some lineup changes since 2011 particularly with the rhythmic section. You were looking for a bass player very recently after the last endured less than a year with the band. What are the main reasons related with this non lineup stability and how does it influences/delays dynamics, sound redefinition and working process of the band?

The delays due to the constant changes in the lineup make me miserable, it has been extraordinarily difficult to keep going with so many setbacks both financially and emotionally. The primary reason I believe is that I push myself really hard and set a standard that is intense, majority of the musicians I have worked with believe that they are up to coping with the level of stress with performing and recording and find that they are unable to, they begin to be destructive towards each other or self-sabotage. Also there is not a lot of incentive to keep going when the pay is so low and the commitment is so high, you have to really enjoy the culture of being in a band. Another reason is gender based; I have had a few members become physically and emotionally abusive towards me. I believe they saw me as a gimmick that can be used to make them money or someone that they can push around and bend to their will. It is my creative vision, I found it and I do a great deal of work keeping it going. I won't tolerate people trying to push me aside and take over, I treat everyone in the band with respect and I expect the same in return. I have had opportunities pass by and that is really disappointing, it is like having a broken go kart and watching all the racers go past. It really is about the principal, I want to know I achieved this goal because of my hard work and commitment not because someone did it for me. It’s very difficult finding people with the same influences musically therefore the sound is constantly being redefined, but it is important to surround myself with people who get satisfaction out of the experience of being in a working band.

How would you describe Animal Hands songwriting and composing process as well as the main trends of your lyrics? Do they come to mind naturally or do you revise them over a period of time before getting ready to studio?

To date I have written the songs and taken them to the band where they contribute their parts. I very rarely write lyrics for a song from beginning to end, I am always writing phrases or lines in my journal that are usually quite introspective. I also have melodies playing in my head and I write the chord structures down, often they will come with a phrase that may be a verse or a chorus and I will begin to construct the song from there. Often flipping through my journals for the right lines that work to express the emotion of the song. Very rarely will a story come out in its entirety or I have an outpouring of sequential thoughts. When it does happen I find it difficult to put a melody to the words, I am hoping with the improvising that the band has been doing lately that this form of writing will be useful. Generally in the interest of time saving in the studio we try to have the songs pretty set in stone, time is money in there and I don't like to waste it.

Animal Hands are about to finish their debut LP recording process. Your fan base is rather looking forward to it. What can you tell them about how things are going up to now and for when are you scheduling the album’s release?

Recording is my favorite aspect of being in a band, it is good stress and Birdland is a wonderful space to hang out in. Lindsay has taught me so much, I am so pleased that I initially worked with him on our EP. He gave me a crash course on how to manage studio time, add layers and work on arrangements. If I had never worked with him I wouldn’t have had the confidence to take on the task of recording our first album. As always it is a matter of finance and I have to wait until I have the money to re-record the bass lines and lead lines. I aim to release the first single off the album later this year.

When in comparison with previous material and particularly with Animal Hands EP and later with Roaring Girlie and Edge of The World singles released in 2014, what can we sonically expect from this album?

I think it is a really well balanced album, it has texture and energy. Some of the songs are more in your face with heavy distortion and others verge on ballads, yet I feel that they all interlink with each other well. They are more in the vain of ‘Roaring Girle’ I was wanting to maintain that edge, my intention was to bring the raw elements of performing them live into the studio, I think so far we have achieved that goal.

Considering that Animal Hands have always adopted a fully DIY approach to music industry how do you see the actual state of corporate music business in Australia right now?

From what I understand the best way for an independent band without artist representation or a distribution deal to attain exposure and financial gain is through the multimedia primarily through having music film clips on YouTube and social networks. Due to piracy and those damn people sharing tapes, I mean mp3’s there is not allot of revenue collected through digital sales of music for bands starting out. The best way to sell music is if you have a great recording press it to vinyl, sales of records are rising. Invest the money made at gigs into the band, advertise and have merchandise to sell. Design your own posters and shirts, make your own film clips and if you want to be completely DIY recording yourself is the best way to keep overheads down. Network and support independent radio stations, play with bands that aren’t trying to ladder climb, work with ones who are trying to create a scene that supports each other. As for the corporate music business in Australia, I would have no idea. All I know is allot of talented artists are waiting for the guy in the suit carrying a bag full of money but chances are he is not coming. So the best plan is to get to work do your own PR, even create your own indie label.

Are there any plans concerning touring Australia and if not Europe in a near future to promote the debut album? What would be the costs and logistics associated to touring the main Australian coastal cities from Perth to Brisbane?

No definite plans as yet, we have discussed Adelaide, Sydney and perhaps Brisbane. We have bands approaching us offering to support us if we travel up the coast but it is all a matter of finance.

If you had to describe the past five years in the band’s life in no less than 50 words how would they be like?

Trial by fire, it has tested our ability to perform under pressure, it has challenged our strength, endurance and commitment. We have had to sacrifice our ego’s and attempt to maintain our dignity, it is a constant challenge.

The Anchoress: Confessions of a Romance Novelist (Album Review)...

The artist subject of this review is in the true sense of the term a multi-instrumentist able to play a different range of instruments from piano to mandolin, from guitar to glockenspiel. Above all she is a rare case of mind-blowing talent, strength and resilience. A roaring thunder hailing from Wales. Apart from music she also has a PhD in Literature and Queer Theory from the University of London. She has written and published about epic poetry too. Exciting, right?

From 2006 until 2012 she has released a handful of beautiful limited edition, hand-stamped EP’s under Catherine AD moniker. From that period, we highlight "Long Day” (2006), “The Piano” (2007), “Songs for the Boy Who Wouldn't Read Rilke” (2008), “In The Bleak Midwinter” (2009), “Carry Your Heart” (2010), “Communion: Live at Church Studios” (2011 - recorded live in a single afternoon and – considered one of 20 Best Cult/Experimental Albums of 2011 by the NME) and “Reprise: The Covers Collection” (2012). All of them had a particular wave of acclaim among people craving for exciting emerging music acts.

She also collaborated with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in a show at the Royal Festival Hall, but also with the Scottish super-band Dark Flowers and Emmy The Great. In 2014 after many musical adventures she decided to work under a new moniker: The Anchoress (and no, she doesn’t live in seclusion), later that year she released her first EP under the new persona titled “One For Sorrow” (2014), while during the following year she engaged in the Simple Minds, Big Music World Tour 2015, as keyboard player and additional vocalist.

Catherine Anne Davies aka The Anchoress has some musical influences of a more objective nature, she recognizes for instance to have been influenced by Karen Carpenter and The Carpenters, though Prince and Kate Bush are her major idols, but while plunging into her whole work and not only the debut album one easily deconstructs the huge ineffable presence and theatricality of Amanda Palmer and her Dresden Dolls extension, Bjork (from Vespertine phase), as well as Marina & The Diamonds (Family Jewels era), PJ Harvey singing style also often present and the recurrent ghost of Tori Amos.

This fact leads us to the assumption that an album is not properly what a musician considers objectively as her or his narrative of influences, but the way the work speaks volume to the non-mainstream listener devoting time to depict and translate such aural flux of multiple genres and artists.


Confessions of a Romance Novelist released in the early babblings of this year (a week after the release of another top 2016 full length, the unavoidable Blackstar by David Bowie), is that kind of record that on first impact leaves you unexpectedly speechless like when something hits you hard enough, but you don’t quite get from where it came and just acknowledge that you got hit.

Confessions of a Romance Novelist risk being the best indie pop debut LP of 2016, and beyond doubt one of the most accomplished albums of the year. The album displays a very consistent bouquet of songs in some different musical styles, though it is perfectly evident that Catherine Anne Davies oscillates between a posh dark folk and some intense noir chamber pop full of delicious details that catch your attention each time you put the album to a new spin.

No, Confessions of a Romance Novelist isn’t a mainstream pop bubble gum type of album neither pleasant pop pretending to be profound. It is much more than just a pop and it wouldn’t be fair to ignore that there is also a gentle scent of Manic Street Preachers in the way guitars roar in this coherent, almost concept album that will assuredly stand out as one of the most highly rated released throughout 2016.

For this refined masterpiece needless to say that Catherine Anne Davies has played almost an “army” of instruments. It couldn’t be any different considering that the inherent organic character of this album, which in a way announces the closing of a life chapter with some stylized eccentricity and which counted with the contribution of the helping hand of ex-Mansun Paul Draper on production console and took Catherine Anne Davies approximately three and a half long years, fulfilled with many incidents in between, before it was finally concluded.



TRACK BY TRACK

The album opens with Long Year deals about a chain of circumstances and events that at some point do wonder if things are going to improve any better. The song appropriately seasoned with a sinister music box opening paves the way for a dark, dense mood filled with great vocals and exquisite musical details.The fantastic What Goes Around is the «I am going to get even when you’re least expecting it» sort of song that earned Catherine Anne Davies the label of the «revenge pop» artist. Pretty much radio friendly pop rock track highly above the bubble gum mainstream nausea.



Doesn't Kill You being the «nietzschean» contribution to the album. Enchanting song! Catherine Anne Davies literally hypnotizes the listener with her sweet languid vocals. Beautiful to hear and with a strong vibe that inevitably reminds some Manic Street Preachers soundscape. The kind of song and lyrics that you easily hear on loop mode. You and Only You is a «leave me the fuck alone» kind of tune and quite an anthem that you feel that should be sung on your way to work and back home. It has some sort of uplifting formula. A delicious duet between Catherine Anne Davies and Paul Draper.One For Sorrow is the «don’t bullshit me with that crap talk of having to settle down» type of song and once again we have The Manic Street Preachers so very present in this track with languid vocals at her best as well as some Prince-esque vibe resounding throughout this track.



P.S. Fuck You the «go fuck yourself, I don’t want to see you ever again» is a fabulous song that combines the a piano ballad with a layer of fuzzy psychedelic guitar building the sonic metaphor for the broken heart rage.Popular is almost inevitably one of the several highlights of the album and a very Cures-esque type of song with brilliant details all throughout it from which I underline the chorus of voices at the very end. Bury Me is dark emotional, almost elegiac, not confrontational like most of the previous songs. This track, which slightly reminds of Evanescence “Hello” in particular, is exceptionally haunting, showing off what a piano and the wonderful gothic vocals from Catherine Anne Davies can do with this song.



Intermission (Notes To The Editor) is an intermezzo in the album a mantra of dark, nightmarish voices along with a piano and obscure ethereal chorus. It clearly works as the open gate for the album’s epilogue. Waiting to Breathe is another stunning ballad, beautiful and immaculate. Chip On Your Shoulder a highly funk-pop up-tempo frenzied song. Confessions of a Romance Novelist being the melancholic statement which highlights the circularity of this “conceptual” work is a «no, you don’t really know me by the looks» immense heartfelt album closing.

Catherine Anne Davies is already working on her follow up album with ex-Suede guitarist Bernard Butler. Well, in fact and to be more precise this wonderfully talented young lady that i would love to interview was working on the two album simultaneously, but the need to finish confessions and close the cycle made her certainly give priority to that beautiful contribution with which she presented her loyal and growing fan base. The second album is expected for late this year and though different they may sound and be one thing remains for sure: the stakes are too high for Catherine Anne Davies and we are expecting the very best from her.

RATING: 9/10

Spirit System: Nightfalling Brilliance (Album review)

We can probably say without taking the risk of being inaccurate that Spirit System was born from the cold corpse of Elevator Action, but mostly from the still warm ashes of Telltale, the former musical project of Eric Gilstrap and Laurie Ruroden immediately after4 both musicians relocated from Brooklyn back to their native Winston Salem in North Carolina. It was the end of 2012 and along with it some brave new sonic adventures to both Eric and Laurie. 

To cut a long story short, we should mention that the initial aim of Spirit System was to rework on some unfinished ideas and definitely give them a go for some sonic though not yet explores reverberation boundaries. It didn’t take them long to bring to light their bedroom tapes effort in the form of «Together in The Merciful Dark», an EP which was released on January 1st 2013. 

The first semester of 2014 brought a new member to the band, nonetheless than their longtime collaborator and friend Gary Guthrie once a member of Elevator Action to take good care of both drums and samplers. Once the Spirit System holy trinity was completed, their symbiosis worked out smooth and nicely and most of all rewardingly in such a way that during the summer of 2014 they have not only played a bunch of shows, but also got into Galuminium Foil Productions to begin recording Spirit System’s debut full-length with a little help from Jeff Berner at the helm of production console, who was also in charge along with Max Goransson of additional guitars, synth, percussion and noise on some of the songs. The album was mastered by Alex DeTurk. 

The recording process which ends up being most of the times a properly called creative process too lasted from July 2014 until January 2015. The album was initially scheduled for release in March 2015, but due to unexpected delays was rescheduled for March 1st, 2016, but in the meantime precisely in June 25st, 2015, the band decided to release «Afterblume» their second EP containing the extras from the recording sessions of the album. 

Spirit System sonic imagery is anchored into the melodic gloom of post – punk derivatives maybe not so literally a «total sonic devastation», but admittedly a very good hallowed domain for ghosts and recurrent nightmares to come alive in a wasteland pinnacled of drone dark filtered neo psychedelic pop. 

Spirit System’s music burns slowly, spiraling in some sort of warm unfinished disquiet or as I like to call it an atmospheric tamed anxiety that surrealistically hoovers the listener by means of swollen waves of reverbed delay. The aesthetics they present builds upon post-punk refractions, shoegaze and goth and as a final product redounds in a light gloom dark neo-psychedelia. 

NIGHTFALLING - OUR SONG GUIDE 

«This Endless Dance» intro reminded me of Soundpool’s “Mirrors in Your Eyes”, but the song evolved into a swirl of reverberating new wavy guitars and steady drum and bass rhythm along with Juno 8 typical 80’s synth lines widely common among bands like The Cars and The Psychedelic Furs. The mention to both bands is justified not only because they are present at spaces in the album and in this particular song, but also because Eric’s voice tone and the vocals are pretty consistent blend of Richard Butler and Ric Ocasek singing styles without emulation though the similarities are there. 

«Lull» is a beautiful opium cloud of melodic dark guitar sewn with 80’s synth lines and a viciously syncopated rhythmic section that takes hold of the song giving it a wider sonic horizon. The vocals are Butler/Ocasek again and they are good. The general atmosphere inevitably reminds The Cure from their “Wish” period, but also December Sound “Silver Album”. 

«Black Moon» mesmerizes the ear drum with that hypnotic persistent drum pattern and the strong bass line recalling the Peter Hook bass playing style in which the bass is played almost not to say literally like a guitar, this reinforced with vocals that bring to mind Andrew Eldritch low tone. I’d say that this song is mostly a cold wave with synth lines that push it heavily to the atmospheric 80’s with slight strokes of new wave. At spaces, it brings to mind New Order. 

«December, Solitaire» which was co-written with Marty Rogers leaves the listener right from the beginning with the immediate feeling that something is going to be unveiled, maybe undressed. It is a take it off put it on, sway kind of feel. This sweet dream pop type of love song resounds to that Cocteau Twin-esque aesthetics of “Heaven or Las Vegas” album, irradiates a delicate feeling of sensuality, I’d even say that it is a song for any season, any lazy afternoon, almost an invitation to foreplay, beautifully crafted and structured with Laurie Ruroden’s sugary vocals enhancing the languid perfume pervading the song and exquisitely finished with the vocal duet. 

«100,000 Days» is clearly one of the stand out songs of the album and the first that we can properly call a dense dark one. The atmosphere of this song is half “Pornography” and half “Disintegration”. It is extremely Cure-esque and there’s no way out of this feeling. Not saying they were thinking of The Cure while composing this particular song, nor that I am the number one The Cure fan, but the way it affects the ear drum leaves it with a suffocating vivid Cure-esque vibe dancing in the air which is clearly present not only in the guitar drenching and steady bass, but in the excellent drum pattern. Once again we have a very good vocals from Eric and the additional vocals from Laurie gives the song a touch of completeness that help making it almost perfect. 

«Nest» is another stand out song a gorgeous trip of waves of distortion in the line of December Sound noise shoegaze, post-punk mix, a truly beautiful storm of psychedelia with some Television scented guitars, but on the other hand, I can’t help hearing here partial influences from The Church psychedelic drive in the “corpus” of the song. Showing off one more time a delightful rhythmic section with the bass and drums restlessly pounding the beat from start to finish. It is a super addictive track that makes the listener want to float amidst this swirling psychedelia. 

«More Is More» the closing track of the album offers us a reverberating melodicism of wind blowing hypnotic guitars and vocal layers of distant murmurs building upon the lead vocals. 

As an overall assessment I’d say that this is a fine, fine album with a set of seven songs that challenge the listener and does not give any room for remaining indifferent to the sonic release they propose. From track one to track seven we build the idea of something coherent and consistent, well written beautifully played, masterfully produced. There is circularity in this album not a repetitive one, but that of something perfectly finished like a life cycle that speaks to you as a whole piece of artistry.  Well done!

Rating: 7,5/10

 

Indie talking with Laurie Ruroden

Indievotion publishes the third interview of a series of in depth talkings with musicians and/or bands that we deeply cherish and that we envisage as groundbreaking acts away from mainstream numbness. This interview courtesy of Laurie Ruroden from the Winston Salem (North Carolina) based dark psychedelic gaze trio, Spirit System scheduled early this year constitutes a real narrative of the adventures in the musical world both by Laurie and their musical mates, that such as many other bands worldwide are doing wonders in a DIY regular basis. 

Spirit System debut album "Nightfalling" is due release March 1st with an album release party scheduled for March 4th at Snug Harbour (Charlotte, NC), in the meanwhile we are very proud to be working on their debut album review which will be published March 4th on our blog. One final and grateful word to Laurie Ruroden (and Eric Gilstrap) for prompt and generous cooperation without which this amazing interview wouldn’t have been possible. Good reading! 

1. In which way did your cultural and musical background contribute to forming a band? 

I think a big part of my desire to be a musician was being surrounded by incredible touring and local bands in my formative years. I moved to Winston Salem with my family during my sophmore year of High School, and completely submerged myself into the music scene. It was raw and refreshing to my thirsty ears. Although I didn't pick up the bass until a few years later when I moved to Charlotte, I feel like it was the vivacity of the punk/industrial/hardcore scene in Winston that shaped my mind. 

2. Before Spirit System was formed you were part of Tokyo Machine, Elevator Action, and Telltale. Tell us about this period and how it helped you to be an even better musician?

Well this period was over several years, between 2000 and 2010 to be exact. So let me summarize: Tokyo Machine was the first band that I joined and also where I first learned how to play bass. I had initially joined forces with Ryan Pace and Shannon Small with the notion I was to be their lead vocalist (in the vein of Everything But the Girl). After our first meeting/audition, I proved I was not yet comfortable in my own skin, so they were both quick to ask me if I would like to try my hand at bass. Of course I jumped at the chance! I immediately felt an innate bond with the instrument, and was not only able to play but also sing back up vocals straight away. Within 2 months I was already playing my first show with them at Fat City (Charlotte). Although my presence in the band was shortlived, it was a great introduction into the music world. It was also during this period that I met Eric. I could go into detail and ramble on about intimate particulars, but I will keep it brief and say our chemistry was instantaneous, and on multiple levels. Elevator Action came about pretty organically. It was suggested that we contact Gary Guthrie about playing drums with us. After the first rehearsal, we knew he was a great fit. Before we knew it we had half an album's worth of material, moved into together and were playing one of many house shows we threw at the infamous Jackson Avenue. Our sound could be best described anxious, post-punky garage rock. It was trashy and sexy, and we could always get a crowd moving. Within a year of being together we signed on with MoRisen Records, which allowed us the opportunity to record with the amazing John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr., Kurt Vile) for two albums (It's Just Addiction & Society,Secret), tour up and down the east coast, share the stage with many incredible bands and play several showcases at CMJ and SXSW, etc. But eventually it all came to a head and we went our separate ways. In early 2007 Eric and I decided to move to Brooklyn and briefly kept EA going by finding a few replacement drummers, until we finally decided to lay it to rest. Within the first 2 months of living in NY, Eric and I met Lauren Andino. She was brilliant, sick and twisted, so I immediately took a liking to her...and she played the fucking drums! After a few months of toying with the idea of starting a gothy shoegaze-esque band, the three of us decided to form Telltale in early 2008. We had played a few shows as a trio, then later on added our good friend Stephan Cherkashin to help fill out the wall of fuzzed-out sound. During this time we got to play with some incredible bands ranging from Ringo Deathstarr, Soundpool, Adam Franklin, The Vandelles, Foreign Resort, The Skydrops, to name a few. The only album by Telltale is the 2010 release, Altahmam. It was shortly after it's release, and our final tour together, that we called it quits.

  

3. You and Eric Gilstrap are long time partners/collaborators. After Telltale split up back in 2010, there was or appears to have been a musical hiatus that lasted until late 2012/early 2013. What had you been doing musically during this period? 

It was actually a very quiet time for me musically. During this period I was debating on the idea of leaving Brooklyn, since I wasn't motivated to play music after Telltale and was just struggling to make ends meet in a city I adore. It was heartbreaking to even think about leaving my friends, who were like family to me...and even harder to think about saying goodbye to Eric. In January 2012 I moved back to North Carolina, Winston Salem to be exact. I hadn't lived in this city since high school and there were a lot of changes made to the downtown, so everything was shrouded with a haunting familiarity. After a while I found steady work, a cute little cottage to live in and Eric eventually moved down from Brooklyn (after being apart for nearly 7 months) to start our next creative endeavor together. 

4. You and Eric spent quite a few years back and forth between North Carolina and Brooklyn (NY) and back again to North Carolina, where you are actually based now. Apart from the inherent stress of relocating, how would you describe both music scenes and how that influenced your music? 

There's no shortage of great bands that hail from North Carolina, so we have been lucky enough to play with a mixture of diverse talent over the last few years, as well as some incredible touring bands such as A Sunny Day in Glasgow, Wildhoney and Lightfoils. Besides that, North Carolina has some fantastic venues in the region in which we are well recieved, namely Snug Harbor, The Garage, Reanimator Records, Krankies,The Luna Lounge and The Milestone. Not to mention the annual festivals like Phuzz Phest, Hopscotch, Moog Fest and Cringe-Con, which hold a broad spectrum of talent and concert-goers. The innovative vitality in Winston Salem and Charlotte alone is absolutely inspiring. There is something reassuring about being a part of a collective where you know nearly everyone, and you are able to experience how hard the artists around here work to create such a lively and driven scene. To compare NC to New York would be absurd, and to match it's energy would be even more silly. But it did open Eric and I up to a lot of opportunities and lifelong relationships with many bands and brilliant individuals. Whenever Eric and I go back to Brooklyn it feels like we never left, which makes it hard for us to leave. 

 

5. Is there any particular meaning for the band’s name or is it merely a name with non-metaphysical significance? 

Not really. We jotted down some notes and started piecing together words we thought sounded cool. All we needed was a bottle of red wine (or 3) and 2 frivolous minds...and voila. 

6. As far as we know you are not a full-time musician. In which way does this interfere with your creative processes, rehearsal/recording logistics and touring? 

I put in nearly as much time with rehearsals and the behind-the-scenes business aspect of the band as I do my bread winning job of bartending. I have been very lucky to work for people who have an understanding and appreciation for the arts, and I feel I do a good enough job that when I need any time off it is usually given to me. So there really isn't too much interference other than the lack of sleep at times. THAT I could always use more of. 

7. Objectively which bands and/or musicians did particularly influence you and how do they relate to the music you make? 

Slowdive, Pixies, and Lush certainly come to mind, for the layered vocals, guitar/bass techniques. Obviously, some of the influence of eighties darkwwave bands like jamc, the cure, chameleons, is there too. In recent years, i've been more influenced by bands like the vandelles, dead leaf echo, ringo deathstarr etc...let's get fuzzy! 

8. Considering that each band member individually has specific music influences, how would you define Spirit System’s sound and what is the band’s musical genre comfort zone, if you think that there is one, and why? 

I've been describing it to people as psych wave. It feels like we are landing somewhere between the darker reverb drenched hallways of "disintegration" and "directions to see a ghost" featuring hazy male/female vocal delivery of 90s gaze. so yeah, psychwave, gothgaze, hahaha, i guess thats our comfort zone. 

9. Spirit System’s started as a duo and reshaped to a trio just like in Elevator Action and with the very same drummer (Gary Guthrie). How do you explain it in terms of empathy, sound redefinition, working process and band stability? 

Well, we've always had a great musical rapport with each other. However, it took working with others before settling on being a trio. As far as redefining sound, it wasn't painstaking as Eric has always been a gazer at heart and constantly experimenting with electctronics and guitar efx. I think we wanted to do something that wasn't based on a party atmosphere, like when we were younger. It was a natural, although, slow progression that led us all to this particular sound.

 
10. Spirit System did a cover version of New Order’s seminal song “Dreams Never End” from their post-Joy Division trauma period. The final product is pretty good. The “nostalgic poppiness” of the original was diluted and exchanged for a thick foggy wall of sound allowing the song to expand. Tell us about this process and if there are any future covers on the making? 

We wanted to basically deconstruct the original and put our on twist on the song. Eric felt like the lyrics deserved a lonely nightmarish treatment juxtaposed with droney, swirling background guitars. Carlos Bocanegra, the producer on that track, suggested i should layer a chorus of 4ad- esque vocals in the background. We are very pleased with the experiment in general and very grateful to work with Carlos and TBTCI (the blog that celebrates itself). 

11. How would you describe Spirit System songwriting and the creative process as well as what is the lyrics main substrate? Do they come to mind naturally, they are revised over a period of time before going to the studio or finished during the recording process itself? 

Eric is the wizard behind all of the songs. He will spend several hours in our rehearsal space (which is now in our basement) either working on one song or coming up with ideas for several. He has enough songs in his memory vault to make a multitude of albums! Whenever we have free time together, I will join him in the basement to add my basslines over what he has written. Sometimes it takes a little bit, but usually by the end of the day we have a mainframe for a new song. He also tends to keep his lyric writing process secretive. I see him constantly scribbling and editing in journals, so something must be happeing in there. haha 

12. “Together in the Merciful Dark” EP (2013) was the first release you and Eric made almost 3 years after Telltale’s breakup/indefinite hiatus and it seems to have worked out as a draft or a map for future creative days. Was this so? 

Oh absolutely. Almost immediately after Eric moved down to Winston Salem, we started writing. We hadn't written anything together in over two years! This spark was created by a number of things, namely the death of a close friend and the rekindling of our relationship. There's definitely a haunting beauty behind those 3 tracks and it helped give us a platform for what is to be our first full length album, "Nightfalling". 

13. Nightfalling due release is March 1st, 2016. This debut full length was initially announced in mid-2015, but instead the band released a second EP, Afterblume, in early summer of 2015, which consisted of the extras from the Nightfalling recording sessions. What went wrong or what contributed to such a delay? 

We moved into a new house in the middle of the summer of 2015, which delayed our plans to release the album in the fall. We had also planned to release it on vinyl and were holding out a bit on some financial backing. So we decided to self release. 

14. Elevator Action’s two albums were released through MoRisen and Telltale was not signed to any record label. How will it be with Nightfalling? What is your understanding of the music industry and in which way it affects independent/alternative bands from becoming fully professional? 

Spirit System is self releasing, which is sort of common place for a lot of independent artists. As far as the music industry goes, I would love the support of a decent indie label, but the lack of being signed to one does not discourage me from continuing to write and release music, on top of playing shows and touring every chance we get. As long as I am alive, I will be creating and finding ways to get heard. To me, that is part of being professional. 

15. Are there any plans concerning playing in Europe in a near future and touring the upcoming album or you’ll be touring it only in the US?

There are no plans as of yet, but we would LOVE the opportunity to tour in Europe. It's definitely in our sights and we will do everything we can to actualize this goal. 

16. If you had to describe the past 16 years of your musical life experience, how would they be like? 

Fortunate. I get to create with my best friend, and partner in nearly everything, on a regular basis. I also get to travel and share the stage with bands I love and respect. I have had some very exciting adventures over the last decade and a half, and that's just the beginning...