¤ S o u l C a s k e t ¤
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Interview with Soul Casket Dark, emotional and very moving! After listening to their songs online I had to ask them a few questions. V.M.U catches up with Ohio's based Soul Casket!
VMU: Hey guys how are you?
SC: Not bad. Playin shows.. trying to get our CD out.
VMU: Could you tell us where your from and who is the current lineup?
SC: We're from the Cincinnati, OH area. Currently in the line-up, we have:
Sean Quinn on the bass
Brian Davis on the keys
Big Bill Kays on the drums
J-9 on the mic
and me, Skratte, on the guitar.
VMU: How did "Soul Casket" get started?
SC: The band actually started about 2 years ago, or so, as a 4-piece nu-metal act called Left Of Centre. There were quite a few member changes, the likes of which I will spare you, haha. Let's just say that I was brought in, then Brian, then J-9 over the course of 8 months and alot of drama. Through it all, the sound changed, the songs became more deep and complex, and an original sound was forged. Bill and Sean have seen it since the beginning, and they're still sticking around, so we must be doing something right.
VMU: How many releases have you put out and who produced them?
SC: We're actually busy finalizing our first release. It will be 6 or 7 original songs with cover art by myself, released on Peace Or Die Records. We have also appeared on a few compilations, including CincyMetal Vol. 1, and Peace Or Die's Sonic Warfare Vol. 1, which is 16 tracks of great punk, thrash and metal acts. You can get more info at www.peaceordierecords.com if you're interested. The CD was recorded by Mark Croatan at the Kitty Ranch. Mark can be found drumming for the national touring act Croatan (www.croatan.com), or here in Cincinnati with one of MY favorite bands, Katana (www.katanametal.com).
VMU: Could you tell us what gear you use live and in the studio? (in detail)
SC: When we play live, we have a pretty simple set-up. Sean uses an Ibanez bass with a nice little combo amp, the name of which is escaping me. Brian uses Yamaha and Korg keyboards. Bill plays on a Pearl Export kit with a whole array of different cymbals.. though I believe he likes Zildjian the best. I play on a Crate Stealth head (the only tube head without a standby switch.. err), a Fender 4x12 Cab, and 2 Boss pedals for effects: The MT-2 Metal Zone and a Digital Reverb/Delay. J-9 needs a new mic, haha. In the studio, Sean ran through a Bass V-Amp and I ran through a V-Amp 2 with my distortion pedal. The drums and the keys were the same.
VMU: You guys have a real cool vibe! Who are your influences musically?
SC: We have a huge influence resevoir. Bill likes everything from 80's glam to modern day death metal and nu-metal. Sean is the 80's classic metal guy.. you know, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. Brian is all about the old Genesis with Peter Gabriel and things of that nature. He's also way into 80's pop, as well as old jazz and classical. I share the love of jazz with Brian, but also draw influence, not so much from genres, but from individual songs, no matter where they fit in the musical scale. Punk, industrial, jazz, metal, it doesn't matter. J-9 loves her Tori Amos, amongst other prominent female vocalists. She's big into modern rock and punk. As a band, we've been compared to bands like Mushroomhead, Faith No More, and Lacuna Coil. Initially, we get asked if we sound like Evanescence because we have a female vocalist with a very edgy look to her. After people hear us, though.. Evanescence is the farthest thing from their minds.
VMU: How do you feel about the maintreem music scene?
SC: Hmm.. some of it is tough to listen to. It seems like so many artists are getting lazy. Turn on any modern rock station and listen to it for about an hour. You'll probably hear about 8 bands that sound almost exaclty alike, playing some poppy, bubblegum crap that's getting called "punk" for some reason. If not that, then you'll hear some whiney, emo singer who can't hold a note to save his life. But, I guess that's what's cool, now. Maybe I'm just getting old. In defense of the mainstream, though.. there is alot of great stuff being played out there, now. System Of A Down, Rob Zombie, Bad Religion, A Perfect Circle.. some great artists, new and old. It's good to still hear stuff like Alice In Chains on mainstream radio. It's just alot of this new wave whiney crap that grates my nerves.
VMU: Do you enjoy any artists from out of the U.S and over seas?
SC: Oh, yes.. Lacuna Coil (Italy) is a big favorite of Soul Casket. Personally, I am a fan of alot of Swedish music like the Refused, the [International] Noise Conspiracy, and Sahara Hotnights.
VMU: I've listened to Drown, Destroy and Stray! Love them! What can we expect musically in the future?
SC: In the future, you may be able to expect more of a harder edge to the songs. I think that Destroy is probably the direction we're headed in, musically. See, the metal scene here in Cincinnati is intense. I was afraid we'd never be able to hold our own with them, but we are. We have a lot of great friends here and are keeping up with alot of great talent. At the same time.. we are also finding that we can easily crossover into other genres, here. In essence, we draw alot of influence not only from what we listen to, but from the scene around us. I guess it's hard to say what you can expect in the future, outside of the expectation for us to keep pushing ourselves, hard, no matter what direction we go in.
VMU: What do you express in your lyrics?
SC: The lyrics that J-9 writes come from a very personal, and dare I say, dark place within her. Heart break, back-stabbing, suicide.. she runs the gambit. In all fairness, not all of the songs we are presently performing were written by J-9. We are still playing some older stuff written by our friend Kaine, who sang prior to J-9. Kaine was a terrific lyricist and always seemed to know just how to poke your brain and make you think.
VMU: Do any of you own a home studio? If so what gear?
SC: Unfortunately, we don't have any home studios. It would sure be nice. We tend to get so many great ideas that we eventually forget.
VMU: Are you currently shopping for a home label?
SC: Not really. We just like playing live shows. We aren't in it for a record deal or anything. If one or two came along, we certainly wouldn't scoff at them. We're just happy where we are, and we're happy going where we're going on our own merit. We're having fun with it.. we aren't ready to grow up yet.
VMU: What was the worst experiance playing live?
SC: I can't say we've had any hideous mishaps onstage, that I can remember, which is surprising since we play so much. A few little annoyances that stick out are the few times when someone just goes horribly out of tune during a song. J-9 has a very vibrant stage presence.. and one time, she crashed, hard, into the headstock of Sean's bass, which sent him way far out of tune. I just heard this dissonant low end rumble and became immediately embarassed. The spontaneous, agonizing out-of-tune mishaps have happened quite a bit.
VMU: Any tours to look out for? (like CALI)
SC: Right now, we're sticking to Midwestern show swaps, but anything is possible. We are happy to host any cool bands that come through Cincinnati. IN fact, any good, touring Cali bands that happen to be in our area, feel free to contact us. Perhaps we can hook something up.
VMU: What would you say to the young musicians that are trying to break into the scene?
SC: I think that one very important thing to remember is your place. No matter how good you are, there is always someone better. There are alot of politics and backstabbing in music scenes. Guys will come to your shows under the impression that you will return the favor and go to theirs. There is shit-talking and drama. The important thing, here, is to remember your place, as I said. Have fun doing it. Don't allow your ego to bruise easily.. grow a thick skin. If you can't take criticism on a local level, you'll kill yourself on a national one. Get out there and be yourself.. play for yourself.. or you'll be left by yourself. Ask not what your music can do for you... ask what YOU can do for your music.
VMU: Thanks for your time! Any last words?
SC: 1) Thanks for the interview. 2) Don't forget to visit www.soulcasket.com. 3) Can I borrow $40?
VMU: mmmm... We'll talk about it when you tour CALI!!
VM Underground
September 9, 2004
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