1. Hello! I am very happy to have the opportunity to ask you a few questions! How hot is it now where you are at?
What's good, today (Saturday, Sept. 30) it's currently 90 degrees. Definitely hot for the end of Septmber.
2. What prompted you to explore “doom/sludge” musical direction, and how do you feel it enhances the overall listening experience?
I've wanted to play doom type stuff since I was 13, when I first discovered the genre it completely captured my ears. I feel like it sends the listener into a completely different kind of headspace than say death metal, I feel like doom is more reflective than that.
3. As a band from Denver, Colorado, how has your local music scene influenced your development and growth as musicians?
I moved here from Arkansas to be a part of this scene, specifically. A lot of bands from here have very talented people, and we just aspire to be like them but also put our own specific brand out into the ether.
4. Can you name some of the bands who you first really admired and helped shape your future in music?
Let's see. Rush, Eyehategod, Crowbar, Cannibal Corpse, Primus, Acid Bath, then as I got older, OM, Bismuth, Fister, Primitive Man, Full of Hell, Gadget, Cattle Decapitation. Plenty of other ones though.
5. Can you give us a glimpse into the creative process behind the 7 tracks on your debut EP “Oubliette”? How do you typically approach songwriting and arranging?
I asked my drummer to just meet me in a practice space. It was then that we discovered that neither one of us had really ever written songs before as far as the entire song from top to bottom. We just took it from there.
6. Are there any kind of particular points of inspiration for these tracks that you would like to discuss?
A love hate relationship with your talent. I took a trip down to Arkansas for the first time in a year to see an old friend and let's just say his house reminded me of a backrooms type area. It was very saddening, and it's not the type of place you'd ever want to go, let alone live. On another occasion during the main writing process, I had a sleep paralysis dream that was extremely terrifying. As well as just all of the other negative things that I felt.
7. Can you tell us more about the recording process? Did you do anything unusual?
When we went to record, it was very in/out. It's just bass and drums and vocals, so to fill out the sound I use a guitar amp as well as a bass amp and I run them in stereo. Some delay here and there also.
8. As a band, what do you hope listeners take away from your music? What emotions or connections do you aim to evoke through your songs?
I just hope that anybody that's ever had bad days or been depressed or just has a negative outlook about the world can vibe with our music. In the music, I want everyone to vibe with how angry and manic that I feel on a daily basis. You'll either love it or hate it.
9. What makes the perfect Burn Unit song? Is there one on the EP in particular that encapsulates this?
I wouldn't say we have a 'perfect' song quite yet. We have begun writing new songs and they are extremely different than the ones on our demo. We even perform those songs differently now than we recorded them, they've evolved, you could say. I'd say that 'Insects' from the demo is what I would consider our 'best' song currently.
10. Have you read any reviews regarding the EP? Do you care about what critics have to say about your work?
Currently there are no reviews that I'm aware of, and I'd be curious to know what anybody thinks really. Like I said, I'm sure some will love it and some will just relegate it as just two people that don't know what they are doing.
11. In doom metal, there are often dark and brooding vocal styles. How did you develop your own unique vocal style, and how does it contribute to the overall atmosphere and narrative of the album?
Before this, I had never done vocals on anything. I play and do the vocals at the same time, so in the beginning I was very unsure as to the approach. I'm very angry a lot of the time, so in the music I just tried to sound as unhinged and hostile as I possibly could.
12. What is the spiritual ideology or philosophy that drives you both as individuals and as a band? Do you think it can become a limit to your creativity?
I meditate twice a day, that helps me to be creative. As a group, we just aim to make the nastiest, most negative things as we possibly can. There are no limits, we will continue to break every rule and create audio chaos.
13. Well that was all for now, thanks for taking the time making the interview. Stay healthy and safe.
Comments