FLESH & BONE In pursuit of art and music VOL. 11
F&B
Submissions: If you are intertested in being featured in F&B contact: fleshbonemagazine@gmail.com All images copyright the respective contributor.
FOUNDER: Brandynn L. Pope COPY EDITOR: Donald Kimber DESIGN & LAYOUT: Brandynn L. Pope COVER DESIGN: Morgan Fraser COVER PHOTO: Dustin Cohen PHOTOGRAPHERS: Sara Almlah Angela Butler
THE TEAM Courtney Cook Clare Kim Rickie Miller Brandynn L. Pope Brittney Tambeau WRITERS: Sara Almlah Angela Butler Ashley Houston Donald Kimber Brandynn L. Pope Cale Zebedee
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CONTENT
April, 2015 | VOL. 11
ALBUM REVIEWS COLOUR IN THE CLOUDS WHY, MARILYN
ALBUM: Burning // Drowning RELEASE: 03/31/15 STAND OUT: Through Oceans
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AUTHOR: Donald Kimber
If there is one thing Colour In The Clouds and Why, Marilyn always bring to the table, it’s power: powerful vocals, powerful music, and perhaps above all, powerful emotion. Listening to this new collaborative album, Burning// Drowning, I get a sense of the deep, even ecstatic feeling that these artists pour into their songs. However, to emphasis any one part of these two bands is to oversimplify them. This album is a manifesto for its collaborators, brilliantly displaying their diversity and creativity. The album kicks off with “January” by Why, Marilyn: a heartfelt exploration of two people’s suffering. The song’s speaker admits she is dealing with her own damage, but she also doesn’t believe that should keep her and her lover apart. Lamentations of the past, supporting another through one’s own trials, and hope that things can work swirl together in this complex track. Moving on, one of my favourite things about this album is the synergy between the songs. The second track, “Fear of Despair” by Colour In The Clouds features prominently the lines: “My winter, your cold hand, keeps me in decay.” Bearing in mind the title “January” of the former song, I am tempted to interpret these two jointly, and even to go so far as to propose that the “characters” sung about in 06 | Flesh & Bone
each song could be read as the same. Many of the topics explored are the same and I sense a similar narrative about two people at each other’s emotional mercy. Further, these two songs are connected to the next track, “Through Oceans,” which features a mixture of both bands, by their concern with the relationship between the internal and the external. First we see “head in the clouds” in “January,” then reference to dreams in “Fear of Despair,” and lastly “drowning in my own thoughts” in “Through Oceans.” A tragic dynamic emerges of the internal world breaking into the real world, usually with negative consequences. The true tragedy emerges when one considers that the realm of the internal, or “head,” is intimately linked to inspiration and imagination in this context, implying that the songs themselves, which spring from within, may be dangerous to the relationships they explore. This builds on themes of disappointment with the self that underlies the first two song’s plea for a lover to return. The lines “I didn’t mean to take you with me . . . we won’t let each other drown” clearly explore this. The next song “Darling (We Are Burning)” is the second split-band song and brings the power previously mentioned in spades. The song’s
roughness is especially welcome in the context of its surrounding songs, which are softer in tone. The next two songs are covers, with Why, Marilyn reimagining “…Like Broken Glass” and Colour In The Clouds doing the same to “John Doe.” “… Like Broken Glass” is profoundly changed by the switching of its lead vocalist. This version of the song manages to come across as smooth waves of hopefulness rather than as large and defiant like the original. Yet, the lyrical content is unchanged from the original, just going to show that anything Erin sings ends up sounding like an epic rock-ballad. Lastly, Colour In the Clouds’s treatment of “John Doe” is the triumphant ending this album deserves. Colour In The Clouds stays true to the feel of the original song, but certainly make it their own. If it’s even possible, Colour In The Clouds bring more power to Why, Marilyn’s already potent songs. Another important point to make is that the “secondary” vocals in this song are spectacular, as they are with the rest of the album. I was truly impressed and charmed by Burning//Drowning, and I cannot overstate how strongly I recommend this album. These two bands have capitalised perfectly on the talent and synergy they share to churn out a real jewel.
CANCER BATS ALBUM: Searching For Zero RELEASE: 03/10/15
When the Cancer Bats exploded onto the Canadian music scene back in 2006 with their début Birthing the Giant, their sound was perfect for the time. Now close to a decade later, they are infamous for hugely energetic live shows thanks to front-man Liam Cormie and their love for Black Sabbath, (doubling as a Sabbath tribute band dubbed “Bat Sabbath”). The band has pulled double-shifts on
STAND OUT: Cursed with a Conscience AUTHOR: Cale Zebedee
many dates over the years playing as both groups. It’s easy to see that this has influenced a change in their sound, but they still maintain their hardcore punk roots in tracks like “Devils’ Blood” and “All Hail.” The rest of their album sees them focusing more on, “the riff,” and a steady groove from the backbone. Liam has mentioned in previous press releases for this album that all those Bat Sabbath shows made
him pull up his socks and actually learn how to sing, although he still keeps up the classic “yells” from previous works, along with vocal harmonies.
DEAD TIRED ALBUM: Dead Tired RELEASE: 03/17/15
Fast, honest, and real: within the first few seconds of the album, feed back builds into the first track: “Court of Public Opinion.” Dead Tired spin-kicks you in the face with a wall of sound by going deep into classic hardcore roots that can easily compared to bands such as Sick of it All or Trapped Under Ice. The Ontario based band that is fronted by one of Canada’s most famous voices, George Petit, (of Alexisonfire,) has released a debut album that sounds like the work of
STAND OUT: Cold And Construction
AUTHOR: Cale Zebedee
a frustrated madman, but gives a fresh feel rather than revisiting old ideas. Although, for the amount of hype the band has received by playing festivals such as Riot Fest and many sold out shows elsewhere, this release seems to have slipped under the radar in lieu of the recently announced Alexisonfire reunion shows. As it was only announced six days previous via social media that it would be released digitally due to all the problems they’ve been
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having trying to get the album pressed. If this is the future of hardcore I’m ready to fully support this movement.
ADELTIA’S WAY Christina Kelley
Long Time Divided 10 | Flesh & Bone
INTERVIEW
FOR THOSE UNFAMILIAR WITH YOUR MUSIC, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE IT? A hard rock kick in the face. If you’re a fan of Stone Sour, Killswitch Engage, or Chevelle, you’ll love us.
HOW DID ALL OF YOU COME TOGETHER TO BECOME LONG TIME DIVIDED? Auditions. I, (DJ,) auditioned for the initial line-up of the band, which included Bob, then Paul auditioned. Slick joined us on drums later, and recently Dean came onboard on guitar. It’s been a truly organic merging of talent and collaboration.
WHAT IS THE MOST MEMORABLE SHOW THAT YOU HAVE PLAYED SO FAR? For me, it was opening for Fuel in Cleveland, OH. Brett Scallions is a helluva singer and guitarist, and I enjoyed being part of that show.
WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR GREATEST MUSICAL INFLUENCES? I tend to lean heavily on grunge and 90s rock, drawing from Nirvana and Soundgarden when I’m working through a song vocally.
HOW DO YOU LIKE TO APPROACH WRITING NEW MUSIC AS A BAND? We approach song writing collaboratively. It’s really great to work with Bob, Slick, Dean, and Paul because they’re willing to hear my ideas and give me an honest opinion on it; sometimes they like my ideas and other times they don’t pull punches and let me know that it’s a bad idea and viceversa. I know I can give my honest opinion about whatever they bring to the table, musically. It’s great and honest.
IS THERE ANY SONG IN PARTICULAR THAT YOU ARE PROUD OF OR THAT RESONATES WITH YOU OVER OTHERS? Probably our song “Lady Luck,” if we’re talking about a track off our album. That song was the first song I felt like we wrote a radio single on. As for our new songs, (which we’ll be recording this year,) I’d say “Breathe.” It’s a fun song and everyone seems to dig it.
WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO TOUR THE MOST & WHO WITH? I’d love to tour Europe. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Italy, (Rome, Florence, and Venice,) Germany, (pretty much all over,) and Paris, France. I have to say it was a blast and I’d love to experience that with my bandmates, just rocking out on stage with me. As for who I’d love to tour with, I’d love to open for/tour with Soundgarden or the Foo Fighters. I’d just prefer to be touring with other bands who are awesome people. You have to like the people you “work with,” right?
KNOWING WHAT YOU DO NOW, IS THERE ANY ADVICE YOU WOULD HAVE WANTED GIVEN TO YOU WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED THIS BAND? Play, play, play. Get on stage at open mic nights, open for whoever you can when you first start out. If you drag your feet, you’re left in the dust.
WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR THE BAND IN THE YEAR 2015? Well, we’re working on new music and hopefully we’ll be releasing our sophomore album to the world. We hope people check out our self-titled debut album available on iTunes, Amazon, and pretty much anywhere else you can buy an album digitally. Thanks!
The Colourist
FOR THOSE WHO ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH YOUR BAND, HOW WOULD YOU GUYS DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND?
COMPARED TO THE TIME WHEN YOU TOURED WITH ONLY YOUR FOUR-SONG EP?
Maya: I like that.
Maya: I think it’s awesome because people actually know our songs now. Were out traveling the country playing songs that we wrote together, and now people are singing it back to you in a city a thousand miles from home. It’s really surreal.
MAYA, YOU PLAY THE DRUMS AND ALSO SING. HOW HARD IS IT TO DO BOTH TASKS?
IS THERE A STORY BEHIND THE NAME OF YOUR BAND?
Maya: With practice it gets easier, but the key is I’m always practicing. While writing music it’s usually separate for both the vocals and drums. When learning it’s like, “I hit the snare on this beat, I say this word here.” It’s sort of like a little math equation.
Adam: The story behind the name is it kind of just fit us well. Maya used to work in radio production for a company who had a show on PBS. She was the master editor….
Adam: I would say, folky-majestic-pop. With a little bit of power anthem-rock mixed in.
WHAT DIFFERENCES DO YOU NOTICE TOURING AFTER HAVING A FULL-LENGTH ALBUM RELEASED FOR ALMOST A FULL YEAR NOW,
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Maya: I had a friend that was working on a student film and he said, “oh the colorist is coming in,” and we were like, “oh that’s cool!” Someone who is in charge of colour, and that’s their art, so it’s pretty cool.
KNOWING WHAT YOU KNOW NOW ABOUT TOURING, PLAYING SHOWS, AND EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THIS BUSINESS, IS THERE ANY ADVICE THAT YOU’D LIKE TO GIVE TO YOUR PAST SELF? Adam: I don’t know. I kind of like how everything is turning out so it is kind of hard to give advice. I would say . . . Maya: I agree. I like the path that we’ve been on, but I would say exercise more, because touring is hard. So you should be in shape and stay in shape. Eat healthier probably. Adam: Don’t wear t-shirts in negative weather. We were in Canada and I was like, “I don’t need a jacket,” and I went outside and I was so sick afterwards.
WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE TOURING WITH ECHOSMITH? Maya: Awesome! Adam: They’ve been extremely pleasant to work with, fun to be around, and it’s a positive atmosphere. They’re all extremely talented musicians. Maya: They’re all really nice. They’ve given us Starbucks and we gave them Sour Patch Kids.
DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY PLANS SO FAR AS WRITING OR PUTTING OUT MUSIC ANYTIME SOON? Adam: Yes, we just released a new song called “When I’m Awake.” We are set to release an EP this coming year.
DO YOU GUYS HAVE A FAVOURITE PLACE TO PLACE SHOWS, OR A FAVOURITE SONG TO PLAY LIVE?
Maya: I think I would have a shelter, for cats and dogs and lizards . . . Have to include all animals.
Maya: There are so many cool venues, it’s so hard to choose. However, favourites for me would probably be in Montreal, Canada, a venue called Metropolis. It’s really beautiful and they have these really cool drum statues. The shows there are great as well, for whatever reason the kids in Montreal are so excited, way more loud than any other city. Favourite song . . . That’s a tough one.
WHAT FUELS YOUR PASSION FOR MUSIC OR THE SPECIFIC INSTRUMENTS THAT YOU PLAY?
Adam: I mean they’re all our favourites because we wrote them but . . . Maya: For me it would be our latest single, which is a lot of fun to play live. I’m having a blast playing that on stage right now. Adam: It’s a pretty challenging song.
IF YOU GUYS COULD PUT TOGETHER A DREAM TOUR, REALISTIC OR NOT, TO BE A PART OF, WHAT BANDS/ARTISTS WOULD YOU PUT ON THE LINEUP? Adam: Grumpy Cat, Richard Kitty, which is Maya’s internet famous cat, maybe the Broadway Cats, that’d be fun. Maya: I think White Rabbits would be fun and Kollin likes Seal, so Seal. Adam: Prince, maybe and HIM. I’d like to see the band HIM. Maya: There’s a cool drummer, Meytal Cohen. She’d play in it too and it’d be awesome.
IF YOU WEREN’T PLAYING MUSIC, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING? Maya: Ooh, I know your answer . . . Adam: I would be a dolphin trainer.
Adam: It would be called Maya’s Arc.
Maya: I’ve felt it since I was a little kid. I was always really attracted to the drums, like when you were a little kid going through a music shop, it was always so immediate and fun to bang on the drums. I was always into that, and I saw a clip on TV of Karen Carpenter from the Carpenters drumming. It was like an old archive clip and it was the first time that I saw a woman drum, and it basically blew my mind. I bugged my mom really bad for a drum set after that.
HAS ANYONE EVER DISCRIMINATED AGAINST YOU, (OR THE BAND,) BECAUSE OF BEING A GIRL? Maya: Yes and no. I’m kind of lucky in that since sometimes we’ll all be going into the venues and most of them think you’re a girlfriend or something. I remember at one of the first shows we played I was bringing in the drums and the sound guy turned to Adam and goes, “nice roadie.” It makes you feel sad for a second, but if you don’t let any of that get to you it’ll be okay. You can’t ride the fact that you’re unique. You have to keep getting better. Adam: We have an all-female crew too. It’s the dream team.
A Love Like Pi
WHERE DID THE NAME A LOVE LIKE PI ORIGINATE FROM? Pi is a number that has occupied this unique space in mathematics as a never-ending, patternless, almost mystic number. Love is the same way. It occupies a similarly irrational, eternal, and powerful space in our lives.
HOW MUCH OF YOUR LIFE SO FAR HAS BEEN DEDICATED TO MUSIC & HOW DID YOU COME TO DECIDE THAT THIS WAS THE PASSION YOU WISHED TO PURSUE? Whether it’s squeaking out “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” on the violin as an outrageously bored 5-year-old kid, or smashing guitars at CBGB’s as an idealistic teenager, most of my lifestyle choices have been motivated by music. I never really questioned whether or not to pursue a life of music, I guess I just gradually found myself living one.
IS THERE ANYTHING EITHER WITHIN OR OUTSIDE OF MUSIC THAT YOU WANT TO EXPLORE IN YOUR CREATIVE CAREERS? I really like building interactive web/digital art pieces. The A Love Like Pi website was my first foray into combining my scripting with my music... I’m hoping to do more of that.
YOUR TRACKS SEEM TO BELONG TOGETHER, YET THEY ALL OFFER SOMETHING QUITE DIFFERENT FROM ONE ANOTHER. ON A RELATED NOTE, SOCIAL MEDIA DESCRIBES YOUR MUSIC AS “ROCK, ELECTRONICA,” BUT NEVERTHELESS, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE USE OF THE TERM “GENRE” IN MUSIC? Yeah, it’s especially tricky with A Love Like PI because we make a concerted effort to explore something different
I’m happy when listeners draw parallels between musical styles because I think that means they’re listening critically in each song. I’m happy when listeners draw parallels between musical styles because I think that means they’re listening critically, but I would hope that people maintain that genre is a characteristic of music and not the other way around.
ARE THERE ANY PARTICULAR THEMES THAT YOU LIKE TO PURSUE IN YOUR TRACKS?
mundane shit so my head can start doing its job. Once I’ve hummed out the right melody or muttered the right lyric, the rest of the time is spent in editing.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE BY THE END OF THE YEAR? Release a record and increase my Dota2 MMR.
I’m into the fantastic, the make-believe, and their relationship to the real world.
WHO ARE SOME ARTISTS, (OF ANY MEDIUM,) THAT YOU LIKE TO SHARE WITH OTHER PEOPLE? I’ve been listening to the Mr. Twin Sister record a lot lately.
WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF CREATING & WRITING NEW MUSIC LIKE FOR YOU? I (feel like I) think better when I walk, so it’s a lot of time spent away from the studio trying to occupy my body with
Check out A Love Like Pi’s “Jack & The Giant”
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Colony House WHAT ORIGINALLY MADE YOU WANT TO VENTURE A CAREER OF MUSIC? Will: Caleb and I are brothers and we started playing music together early on. Caleb has always been the main writer. He had always been doing music by himself, and I was the tag-along, saying, “Oh hey, I’ll play drums for ya.” We did the standard high school band thing and it faded away. There were a couple years after high school that we were playing and doing our own thing, and we decided, “Hey, let’s do this. Let’s do the band.” Scott joined about four years ago, and then Park came into the picture.
HOW EXACTLY DID YOU MEET SCOTT AND PARK TO FORM COLONY HOUSE? Scott: I met the guys when I moved from my hometown, also Park’s hometown, Knoxville, Tennessee, over to Nashville. I met my first best friend, a guy named Canin, and that’s Caleb and Will’s cousin. We went to their little sister’s birthday party together, and we met there. Through a shameless plug of my friend, it was the right place and the right time. They were talking about starting this band, and I was really involved in playing music and always wanted to be in a band. Canin was like, “Scott plays guitar, he writes songs and stuff,” and it all started from there.
Caleb: Scott and Park both grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee. They had a mutual best friend, but they had never met. Randomly after Scott had joined, we played a show early in our career in Knoxville, at this tiny little club called The Pilot Light. Scott had always heard about Park because Park had a solo deal going on at the time. He was like, “We should have Park open for us at that show.” Park: I did a few more shows with them after that, and we just became buds. When we first met I was like, “These guys are awesome.” They were so nice to me. Scott: Over the past couple months Park filled in for a guy on our fall tour. The other guy got married and Park came out for a couple weeks. When he did, it just kinda felt right, and it came full circle.
WAS IT HARD TO STAY COMMITTED WHEN YOU STARTED THE BAND, OR WERE YOU ALL DRIVEN RIGHT OFF THE BAT? Caleb: I think we were always driven. A year-and-a-half ago, when we were making this record, was when we were like, “Hey let’s really give this a shot.” We were ready to do a full-length record on our own with some buddies back in Nashville. Great producers . . .
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PERSONALLY, WHEN I LISTEN TO YOUR MUSIC I FEEL LIKE I’M RELAXED BY AN OCEAN, BUT EMPOWERED TO CLIMB A MOUNTAIN. IF YOU COULD DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC IN ONE WORD, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?
about the radio, it wasn’t about the melody or anything like that. They were just playing their hearts out every night, and it felt like there was purpose behind it. And then, you watch epic shows like Coldplay or Keane, and those are inspiring in a whole different way. You’ve also got the bands that you go on tour with that inspire you.
Caleb: One word? Hmm, hopeful?
Scott: There was this one guy who had a project called Terminal. I listened to the whole record every night before I’d fall asleep. It was one of those ones I had ordered online and waited by the mailbox for. That made me want to be in a band and play guitar because all of that stuff was really cool. Switchfoot too.
Scott: That’s what I was going to say! Caleb: How about, hopefully hopeful? Can we all agree?! Scott: There’s a lot of stylistic changes all throughout the record, but hope, that’s the part that’s woven throughout not just the intense songs, but the fun loving songs too.
Caleb: We’re actually going on tour with Switchfoot.
WHO ARE SOME ARTISTS THAT YOU GREW UP LISTENING TO THAT INSPIRE YOU NOW?
WOW! YOU’RE GOING ON TOUR WITH SWITCHFOOT? WHEN?
Caleb: We were talking about this question the other day. For a lot of us it was Coldplay, definitely Copeland, and a band called As Cities Burn who has more of a hardcore sound. We have to say As Cities Burn because they helped shape the energy we have. We don’t sound like As Cities Burn, but we all first started playing because these were shows that we would go to no matter what we were doing. They had this really cool energy because it wasn’t
Will: We are!
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Caleb: This summer! We’ll also be with Needtobreathe. It starts in April. Scott: We’re playing some iconic and really big places, so we’re really excited. Park: It’s gonna be awesome.
IF GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO TOUR WITH ANY BAND, REGARDLESS OF GENRE, WHO MIGHT YOU CHOOSE?
TO A SMALL AREA IN A VEHICLE WITH EACH OTHER THROUGHOUT A TOUR BEINGS YOU CLOSER TOGETHER?
Scott: It would be fun to tour with some wild bands from the ‘80s. Maybe the Talking Heads or someone crazy like that.
Caleb: We’ve all experienced bus life, not necessarily all four of us together . . . but we’ve all experienced it. We all say that there’s something that happens in a van that doesn’t happen in a bus, because you can do whatever you want. You can stop at the Grand Canyon even if it’s 4 hours out of the way.
Caleb: Tears For Fears! I watched a documentary on them and it seems like they wouldn’t be too out of control. They seem like smart people who would take it seriously and not Scott: He’s saying that because we’ve actually done that! just be ridiculous. Caleb: But, if someone was like, “Hey, here’s a bus, all Scott: Poison, maybe? expenses paid,” we’d say, “Thank you very much, give us the keys!” Caleb: Keane would be a cool modern-day band. That would be cool because they were such a big influence for Scott: Being on a bus is great, too. You play a show, then us. 20 minutes later, you’re back hanging out. Park: I’m thinking about how the kid version of me in high school would have answered this question. That kind of ties in with some of my earlier influences, which would have been May or Relient K. Those bands had a huge impact on me, so those are the bands I’m thinking about. I know the younger version of myself would have freaked at the opportunity.
WITH YOUR TOUR ADVENTURES, HAVE YOU GUYS PULLED ANY MEMORABLE PRANKS ON ONE ANOTHER?
Will: Eddie Van Halen . . .
Caleb: We took his passport out of his bag, just for a minute... He got pretty nervous!
Park: Bruce Springsteen . . . Will: The Beatles . . . Scott: All those bands!
SOUNDS LIKE YOU GUYS SHOULD JUST HAVE A HUGE COLONY HOUSE FESTIVAL, LIKE COACHELLA, AND BRING EVERYONE BACK!
Will: We scare Scott a lot. Scott: They stole my passport from me when we were getting ready to go to Canada.
Scott: We like to jump out of corners and scare people. We got our tour manager with that and he almost had a heart attack.
WHAT WAS THE LAST CONCERT YOU WENT TO AS A FAN THAT YOU REALLY ENJOYED?
Caleb: I would say this band called The Nashville. They played one of the best venues in the world in Nashville where we live called The Ryman. There were a lot of Will: AC/DC is playing Coachella this year and that’s gonna moments in that show for me where I was like, “This is why I do music.” be awesome . . . I would go on tour with AC/DC! Scott: If you’re talking about chronologically, the last one
WHAT IS THE BEST PLACE YOU HAVE EATEN I went to was around Christmas time: a tour that Caleb ON THE ROAD? was on with John Foreman from Switchfoot and some Caleb: Snooze in Denver is probably the best place we’ve eaten on the road. It’s like a brunch place that does specialty Eggs Benedict. It’s amazing. And sweet potato pancakes.
other guys. It was called, Behold the Lamb of God. It has Andrew Peterson and other great artists on it. They played The Ryman. Before that, probably my favourite one was at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. I went to go see The Killers. It was maybe a little over a year ago.
Park: There’s a guy from Birmingham, Alabama. His name is Duquette Johnston. He did a free CD release show at The Basement in Nashville, which is underneath Grimey’s, Caleb: On this tour so far, we hit an amazing seafood place a historic record store. It’s a tiny underground bar that could in Portland, Maine called Eventide. So good. probably fit in this room. Man, I didn’t know what to expect at the show, but that performance was incredible. They WOULD YOU SAY THAT BEING RESTRICTED had a ton of people on stage. The mix and dynamic was Scott: We’re gonna be spending two days in Denver soon too, because there’s two shows there on this tour.
just incredible. Literally after every song my roommate and I IF YOU COULD UNINVENT ANYTHING, WHAT would look at each other and go, “Oh my gosh.” WOULD IT BE?
ON A RAINY SUNDAY AFTERNOON, WHAT TV Caleb: Social media. SHOW WOULD YOU MOST LIKELY BE FOUND Scott: I think I’m gonna go with Spotify . . . Boo, the jaded WATCHING? musician speaks!
Scott: Shark Tank!
Caleb: Spotify is apart of social media, too.
Park: Futurama, 30 Rock . . . Those are my go-to’s. Will: I just finished a show called Sons of Anarchy which was pretty awesome and intense.
WOULD YOU REALLY SAY SOCIAL MEDIA EVEN THOUGH IT’S PRETTY POWERFUL PLATFORM FOR THE GROWTH AND Caleb: Boy Meets World! Always Boy Meets World. EXPANSION OF BANDS AND OTHER Scott: I’ve been known to linger on The Bachelor from time-to-time . . . If I flip through the channels and it’s on, I’m EXTERTAINERS? like, “Hmm what’s happening,” and then it goes to, “Dang I watched the whole thing!”
IF YOU COULD TELEPORT ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW, WHERE WOULD YOU GO AND WHY? Caleb: Somewhere hot! Park: Hawaii with my fiancé. We could just go hang out with friends there. Caleb: Probably New Zealand with my wife. Scott: I think I’d like to go to Alaska. Caleb: An Alaskan cruise, please!
Caleb: It’s a very important marketing tool, but see, if it was never invented, we would never know. There would be some other means . . . For lent, I gave up looking at Instagram and Twitter. For me, there’s this thing that happens when I get off stage; naturally, I go straight to Instagram and Twitter. I don’t want to be validated by everyone I just played for to see, “You did so good tonight.” I hate it, but I do it. Every time I get back here I’m like, “Oh good, good, they liked us!” It’s just exhausting. I was trying to not do that anymore, but what I’ve noticed is that whenever there’s down time, I go click on this stuff without even thinking about it. It was eye-opening for me to be like, “I don’t need this.” I mean, it’s cool though, it’s a very powerful tool . . .
Park: It becomes an alternate reality really fast, though. Scott: I was talking today about how I’m paranoid of falling Caleb: Yeah, so I don’t want to just dog it because I think through a frozen lake, so actually, I’m not going to do that. it’s really important to our careers . . . I feel that it continues to create this separation. For me and my little sisters, to get them to just talk to me when I’m driving them from place-toAPART FROM MUSIC, IF YOU COULD DEVOTE MORE TIME TO ANYTHING IN YOUR place . . . and we have a great relationship, but it’s still like, “Get off your phone!” It’s autopilot for them. I like face time, LIFE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? so if social media never existed, I wouldn’t be heartbroken. But, we will embrace it! Anything that is a powerful tool Scott: I’ve got a goal of building something with my needs to be handled the right way. You could say, “I wish hands this year. I haven’t done it yet. A table, a desk . . . the internet wasn’t invented,” because there’s so many something! terrible ways to use it, but I get to Skype my wife every Park: I’ve always wanted to get into photography and video, night, and getting to see her face is such an amazing gift. So, I don’t want that to go away. To quote John Foreman: granted I need the money to buy a lot of the equipment that I don’t currently have, but I’d love to have time for that. “Every blessing comes with a set of curses.” And this one sounds a little lazy, but reading. I love reading, but it’s hard for me to carve out time for it because I love music too much. I also love conversations with people. Caleb: I’d like to devote time to woodwork if I could. If I was going to do something completely unrelated to music, I would like to be a cabinet maker or something.
Erin Greenough I was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I graduated here from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Design. I’m a Gemini, and I feel like that is relevant because I’m always seeing two sides to everything and trying to do too many things at once. I work mainly in pen and ink, sometimes adding colour with watercolour paints or digital colour. I don’t particularly feel comfortable sticking to just one style or medium though, so I’m always experimenting with different mediums to work with, like screen printing, carving stamps, or, most recently, installation work. I just bought these really cool poster pens I have been having a lot of fun with as well (in bright neon colours!). For curiosity’s sake, I’m 23.
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ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC THEMES OR OBJECTS THAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE TO EXHIBIT IN YOUR WORK?
ON TOP OF YOUR ILLUSTRATIONS YOU ALSO TAKE PART IN THE ROYAL BISON ART & CRAFT FAIR. COULD YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THIS IS AND HOW YOU’RE INVOLVED?
I’ve always been drawn to images of children, whether in art or film, (think Village of the Damned or Children of the Corn-esque stuff). I tend to incorporate them into a lot of my personal work; I love how they look creepy yet innocent, and can be so expressive just with their eyes. I also like to incorporate science, anatomy, and nature, whether it be foliage, bugs, or animals. I tend to get the most excited about projects that involve that kind of imagery. Also, oddly enough, I love drawing hands. Anything that incorporates type, like album covers or gig posters, are also super fun to draw. I love experimenting with hand done type, and meeting word and image together.
The Royal Bison is a bi-annual Art and Craft fair that showcases local, (and recently some non-local,) artists and craftspeople. It is a somewhat small, exclusive event, which keeps the quality of work very high. It’s impressive to learn you have such talented shoemakers, woodworkers, leatherworkers, and other artists and illustrators right in your community. Though I don’t do every season, (there’s typically one during the holidays and one in spring,) I have a table of my artwork where I sell prints, stickers, and sometimes other stuff like patches or notebooks. It makes a nice chunk of change, but the best part is getting to meet the people in the community, whether it’s other artists or people that are fans of my work.
HOW DO YOU LIKE TO APPROACH YOUR WORK OR ANY PROJECT? I usually start off with making some small sketches to get ideas and compositions going, while collected resources if I need any. Then I’d go with a pencil sketch of the piece I am going to do, ink it, and then from there on it depends on whether or not I’d watercolour it, colour it digitally, or turn it into a screen for printing. That’s pretty much my general process, but sometimes it’s fun to take a project a whole different way too.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WISH YOU WERE BETTER AT OR WANT TO EXPLORE? I’ve always wished I was better at colour, but I feel like I’m developing alright with that lately. There are always things I am eager to explore, but like I said before, that just puts me into a place where I try to do too many things at once. I’ve been experimenting lately with more colourful styles, and I found an old skate deck of my brother and I’s that I’m currently brainstorming for I really want to paint soon. Other things I want to branch out into is pattern making (so I can have some clothing and accessories made) and tattoos. I’ve done one stick and poke so far. It didn’t turn out that great.
PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN DIFFERENT DRAWINGS OF YOURS TATTOOED ON THEM. HOW DOES IT FEEL WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT YOU CREATED PERMENENTLY ON SOMEONE’S BODY? Sometimes it can catch me a little off guard, when I’m not expecting someone to get something, but at the end of the day its very flattering. Some people who have asked me permission before hand I’ve actually created friendships out of, so it’s kinda cool to have friends with your work on them. The idea of permanence doesn’t bother me . . . really all I wish is that I would be able to be the one to tattoo them.
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IS THERE ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR, OR ANYONE, THAT INSPIRES YOU AS WELL AS YOUR WORK? The anyone: my mom and my family, the art community, (both local and global,) the local music community, (I don’t know why, but music always has, and probably always will, inspire me to create art and want to make contributions,) and my friends and “fans” that get excited when I make new work. The anything: horror movies, art history, (like renaissance paintings,) science and anatomy, and generally other artists that I browse their work.
WHICH ARTIST, ALIVE OR DEAD, WOULD YOU WANT TO MEET? Da Vinci - so I could debunk, or finally prove, all the speculations that are always circulating about him and his work.
WHAT WOULD PEOPLE BE SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT YOU? I’m only 5’3”. Most people expect me to be a lot taller for some reason.
IS THERE A PLACE WHERE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOUR WORK IN THE FUTURE? At more local events, in more Zines and other collaborative pieces, and on more people’s bodies.
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Erin Greenough4
provided portraiture .
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Zaria Forman I grew up in Piermont, NY, about 30 minutes north of NYC. I went to Green Meadow Waldorf school from 6th grade through high school: a very small school with an alternative approach to education, in which art is greatly infused. After my formal art training at Skidmore college I now exhibit extensively in galleries and venues throughout the United States and overseas.
YOUR WORK IS BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED, YET YOUR LANDSCAPES STILL FOCUS ON DOCUMENTING THE WORLD’S CLIMATE CHANGE. WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION IN CREATING WORKS OF THIS NATURE? The inspiration for my drawings began in my early childhood when I traveled with my family throughout several of the worlds most remote landscapes, which became the subject of my mother’s fine art photography. I developed an appreciation for the beauty and vastness of the everchanging sky and sea. I loved watching a far-off storm on the western desert plains, the monsoon rains of southern India, and the cold arctic light illuminating Greenland’s waters.
WHAT OTHER WORK DO YOU LIKE TO DO OUTSIDE OF YOUR LARGE SCALE PAINTINGS? I mostly stick to my large scale drawings, but I often make sketches of the landscapes when I am out photographing. There was also the Giselle series: A series of 10 drawings I created were used as the set design for Giselle, a classic ballet that premiered at the Grand Theater of Geneva, Switzerland, in October 2012. The Swedish choreographer Pontus Lidberg and I collaborated to choose each image and its details. Photographs of the drawings were then enlarged and printed to fit the stage.
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WHAT IS THE CREATIVE PROCESS FOR YOUR WORK WHEN IT COMES TO TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS?
TO SCROLL PAST YOUR OWN IMAGES, OR TO BE INFORMED OF A POST SOMEONE SAW ON WEBSITES SUCH AS THESE?
When I travel, I take thousands of photographs. I often make a few small sketches on-site to get a feel for the landscape. Once I return to the studio, I draw from my memory of the experience, as well as from the photographs, to create large-scale compositions. Occasionally I will re-invent the water or sky, alter the shape of the ice, or mix and match a few different images to create the composition I envision. I begin with a very simple pencil sketch so I have a few major lines to follow, and then I add layers of pigment onto the paper, smudging everything with my palms and fingers and breaking the pastel into sharp shards to render finer details. The process of drawing with pastels is simple and straightforward: cut the paper, make the marks. The material demands a minimalistic approach, as there isn’t much room for error or re-working since the paper’s tooth can hold only a few thin layers of pigment. I rarely use an eraser, I prefer to work with my “mistakes,” enjoying the challenge of resolving them with limited marks. I love the simplicity of the process, and it has taught me a great deal about letting go. I become easily lost in tiny details, and if the pastel and paper did not provide limitations, I fear I would never know when to stop, or when a composition were complete!
It makes me feel wonderful! I love it when my “fans” interact with me. Art can facilitate a deeper understanding of any crisis, helping us find meaning and optimism in shifting landscapes. My drawings invite viewers to share the urgency of climate change in a hopeful and significant way. To this end, I convey the beauty, (as opposed to the devastation,) of these threatened places. Perhaps if people can experience the sublimity of the landscapes, they will be inspired to protect and preserve them.
YOUR WORK HAS RECEIVED A LOT OF NOTICE ON DIFFERENT MEDIA SITES SUCH AS TUMBLR & REDDIT. HOW DOES IT FEEL
WHO ARE SOME OTHER ARTISTS THAT YOU ADMIRE THAT YOU WOULD SUGGEST TO OTHERS? My mother, Rena Bass Forman, who was a fine art landscape photographer. I also admire the work of Dozer Bell, Robert Longo, William Bradford, and the Hudson River School painters.
WHAT HAS BEEN ONE OF YOUR MOST EXCITING ACHIEVEMENTS SO FAR? I, as well as fellow artists Drew Denny and Lisa Lebofsky, started a project called Ice to Islands. I am very excited about it. The project is intended to bring awareness to polar ice melt, rising sea levels, and the cultural and socio-political implications of these phenomena through art. Artists play
a critical role in communicating climate change, which is arguably the most important challenge we face as a global community. I have dedicated my career to translating and illuminating scientists’ warnings and statistics into an accessible medium that people can connect with on a level that is perhaps deeper than scientific facts can penetrate. Neuroscience tells us that humans take action and make decisions based on emotion above all else. Studies have shown that art, (and in particular drawings, paintings, photographs, and film,) can impact viewers’ emotions more effectively than an essay or newspaper article. My drawings explore moments of transition, turbulence, and tranquility in the landscape, allowing viewers to emotionally connect with a place they may never have the chance to visit. I choose to convey the beauty, as opposed to the devastation of threatened places. If people can experience the sublimity of these landscapes, perhaps they will be inspired to protect and preserve them.
IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THAT YOU ARE EXCITED TO EXHIBIT IN THE FUTURE? I am currently very busy working on new Greenland and Maldives drawings which will be showcased in my upcoming solo show at Winston Wächter Fine Art in New York. This show will include some of the largest drawings I have ever created, some reaching 10.5 feet wide! The show will be opening in September 2015.
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In pursuit of art and music Do you want to join our team? You can contact us at fleshbonemagazine@gmail.com with your application.