The “Strings” Interview with Pete’s Rock News & Views
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PD: What type of artist are you?
HS: Berchielli: Melodic alternative rock with a metal edge. Rhythmically interesting, yet accessible. We are passionate, and we like to think we are uncompromising. We write the music we want to make, period.
Bradshaw: Just people writing music in a basement. And it clicked.
Orem: Odd time hard rock.
Rupertus: Metal, rock, funk, prog rock. I love changing up the rhythms and throwing people off!
PD: Tell us the brief history of yourself.
HS: We have been fans and co-collaborators of each others in different ways for literally decades in some cases, but this band is the first time we’ve all worked together.
PD. Who are your musical and non-musical influences?
In no particular order:
Berchielli: St. Vincent, Dirty Projectors, Spoon, Phantogram, Hum, The National, The Antlers, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Tool, Radiohead, The National, Faith No More, Elbow, Queens of the Stone Age, Death Cab for Cutie…
Bradshaw: Led Zeppelin, Soundgarden, Ministry, Alice In Chains, Acid Bath. The Sword, Acacia, Botch, Comsat Angels…
Orem: Mae, The Juliana Theory, Pantera, Weezer…
Rupertus: Pink Floyd, Incubus, Baroness, 311, Sublime…
PD. What are your dreams and goals?
HS: Our goal is to make, record, and release music that we’re proud of; with the hope that it spreads like Coronavirus to as many willing listeners as humanly possible.
PD. Who writes your songs, what are they about?
HS: We for the most part write together as a group. Usually someone comes in with an idea or two, we jam on them for a while and expand until we have enough parts to make a song. Lyrics and vocals tend to come last, but are a crucial element of what we want to present to the world.
PD. How do you promote your band and shows?
HS: 99% of it is social media and streaming sites via SoundCloud, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Spotify, etc. We have also made an effort to up our game with merchandise for 2020, including a newly opened online store for fans to buy physical CD’s, stickers, and t-shirts.
PD. What do you think about downloading music online?
HS: We are all for downloading music online, as well as streaming. Primarily because it allows us to reach an audience we wouldn’t otherwise be able to reach. We prefer downloads to streaming of course, particularly through Bandcamp. We are not saying it’s perfect, and the way royalties work with Spotify tends to be a bit ridiculous. A band that we know from our area received over 100,000 streams last year, and made about $80 from that. Something’s off in that equation.
PD. What song do you wish you’d written and why?
HS: Berchielli: That’s tough. First thing that popped in my head was “Soma” by the Smashing Pumpkins. I just love the extreme dynamic shifts, the structure, and the incredible guitar solos both in terms of Corgan’s playing, and the production. I’m sure I could answer that 100 different ways, but…
Bradshaw: “Rusty Cage” by Soundgarden. Excellent dynamic, probably the first real breakdown that I ever heard that helped me understand how a song can tell a story and take you in very different directions emotionally by tempo.
Orem: “Angle with the Scabbed Wings” by Marilyn Manson. Probably my first major concert, and that was the song they opened with. Coming down that long staircase with the extra played out, soft palm-muted riff, seeing the whole stage theatrics come together, and then it lights up and you KNOW you’re at a rock concert! Fucking amazing.
Rupertus: “Deep Inside” by Incubus. This is probably one of my favorite songs. I feel I could listen to this song on repeat. The instrumentation is amazing. This song has such a cool smooth feel to it– I know if I wrote that song I would have been really proud of it.
PD. What are some of your pet peeves?
HS: Berchielli: Lack of adequate turn signal use.
Bradshaw: Alchemists that abuse pigeons.
Orem: People not showing each other respect. This world is shitty enough as it is. Thank you or please go a long way in my book.
Rupertus: People not letting people get off the elevator before they get on.
PD. What is your proudest moment in music?
HS: Berchielli: I’ve been at this music thing for a while, so it’s hard to pick just one! I was very proud when our previous album reached the “10,000 streams” milestone. It might not seem like a big deal, but at the end of the day we are extremely proud of the fact that thousands of other humans took time out of their days to check out our little creation.
Bradshaw: Proudest moments– Figuring out drums for Led Zeppelin’s “Fool in the Rain” after 20 years. And just “getting” that groove. ‘Ghost notes.’ Probably both times I picked up a CD that WE made, which made our stuff go from ethereal to real and finished. Something I had never had in any other band. To feel like we took our music from concept to closure was an incredibly rewarding experience for me personally, and I am so proud of that. Especially with our new EP “Strings.”
Orem: My proudest moment would have to be being able to play in a band with my brother before he passed. We played in separate bands our whole lives, then the stars just fell into place. It was everything to me.
Rupertus: I would say my proudest moment was our show with (hed)pe in April of 2019. It made me very proud that 45 of our friends drove an hour or more and took party buses to see us. Very awesome feeling!!
PD. So what are you working on at the moment?
HS: Right now we are promoting the new EP “Strings” around the clock. We plan to play some shows this year to support the album, and then it will be right back to the writing room.
PD. Tell us about your next shows and why we should be there.
HS: Our next show is March 21st opening for (hed)pe! We had the same opportunity last year, and we feel very lucky to have been asked again. Anytime we get to play for a big room full of people that are excited about music, we are happy! You should be there because we will be releasing our new EP in Compact Disc form, and because last year was a blast!