What do you consider to be the darkest piece of music you’ve ever heard?
I’ve heard a lot of dark music in my time, so it's hard to pinpoint, since that is the world I live in. But, the first song that came to mind was Barber’s Adagio for Strings. It has been etched in my brain ever since I saw Platoon decades ago. The subtlety and tension kills me.
How would you characterize your own music?
Emotional, dynamic, and heavy at times. We say post-noise-rock because it can be chaotic but also sparse, beautiful and driving. But mostly, we like to give the audience an opportunity to characterize our music.
What are your musical aspirations?
To keep playing music until I physically can’t anymore. It literally keeps me alive and going. It occupies my brain, moves my body and makes me feel like I am still living.
What are your main goals in life?
To carve out some joy with passion and laughter along the way. OMG. Did I just say live, laugh, love? I think I did. Ugh. What I mean to say is to work on music with friends and build community around it.
What motivates you to create?
My music is rooted in some pretty serious topics: climate emergencies, war, school shootings, etc. I do not have a lack of content these days, unfortunately.
Are you more of an early bird or a night owl?
Night owl. Definitely.
Besides music, what other art forms would you like to explore?
I’ve dabbled in a lot of art forms over the years: photography, filmmaking, graphic design. Actually, I’m activated in all of that now. Being a musician these days means having an online presence with social media and having to be good at all of those, as well as being a musician. We can’t just focus on our primary art form anymore. It has to be supported by many other mediums that it dilutes the time spent actually creating music.
Which is the very first record that had a big impact on you?
Led Zeppelin IV. As a teenager, I’d ride around in my friend’s beat-up Volkswagen, blaring it. Zeppelin really introduced me to what emotive, experimental rock can be and what an amazing drummer can do for a band. I listen to the drummer first in a band, always have. I think that it might be because of John Bonham. Nothing elevates a band like an excellent drummer with feel.
What is the best decade for music?
I think it’s all just a matter of perspective. There really isn’t a “best” overall decade, but I do think that we tend to think of the music we listened to in our formative years to be the best because it’s steeped in nostalgia. For me, that would be the 90s, for sure. I was learning about grunge and metal, and had (have) a deep love for new wave. That basically formed who I am today, as a person and a musician.
What do your future plans include?
Writing new music and playing more shows! We have some festival dates booked, but we really want to focus on writing a new album this year. Plus, we have a concert film coming out on March 5th - This Is What It Feels Like.
-
This Is What It Feels Like releases March 5th!
-
Down The Lees
Band photography by Ryan Walter Wagner
All questions answered by Laura Lee Schultz
-
