Exposed Vocals just sat down with ‘Stormcellar’ to talk about their 9th album ‘Defiance’
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
We’re a Sydney band, though we come from a few different places.
I don’t know if anyone decides to be an artist, it might start unintentionally and maybe after a while you go, oh, yeah, right. First time I had to write ‘musician’ on a Customs form it dawned on me.
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
The on demand digital age is here. Awareness is the new airplay.
You’re all explorers now, it’s up to you where to explore not what you find.
Don’t get took by fads. Why are you doing this? What are you about? What are you doing? What do you mean?
As for finding gigs, the world hasn’t changed. Ask a lot and ye shall be told no a lot. Ask again, get lucky, do a good show, rinse, repeat.
Also: I’d rather be lucky than smart.
Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?
Look for the Cheesy Grin. That usually indicates that I have faceplanted. After 10 years and nearly 500 shows, I have touched on most of the major error groups and still have yet more to experience.
I have forgotten or transposed lyrics, I have clogged my harmonica with part of my moustache, I have forgotten Important Names. I have had a microphone cut out at an inappropriate moment whilst saying the word Country. I have had the wrong key of harmonica in my hand. I have called the wrong song. Looked at the wrong page. Forgotten where we are. WHO AM I? Did I remember to hang out the laundry before I left home?
Smile, nod, breathe. There is a great beauty in smiling at disaster. Mr Wizard (Slide Player Paul Read) says ‘when hit in face by pie, eat the pie’. Mmm. Lemon Meringue!
Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?
After 10 years of touring Aus and these last 4 of touring the US, we have plenty of road stories up on our blog.
Our 5th US tour has been rescheduled to 2018 after one of our guys had a health scare.
Touring the US for these last 4 years has been a real eye opener – we toured the Trump voting states, around the Midwest, rather than the coasts where a lot of Aussies go.
We were touring right in Election season, and it’s been part of the work we’ve been writing, the feel of the times.
Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?
On multimedia I’m working with Da Vinci Resolve. Sonically we’re agnostic, we tend to pick the studio to suit the sound we’re after.
On ‘Curious Assembly, our 6th album, we recorded each track at a different studio, using everything from 2 inch tape to Protools lite and SONAR, recorded on anything from a stereo pair to an iPad with an external mic.
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
Doing shows.
Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?
I took a quick poll from the band – 30% of us want to be on stage with Bonnie Raitt ‘cos she’s foxy, 15% of us want to play with The Outliers, the rest with Brian Eno, Robert Fripp, the Allman Brothers and Rory Gallagher. All at the same time.
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
Our 9th album ‘Defiance’ has just been released, our 10th Project, a multimedia / album piece with a working title of 5D is in post production and we’ve started recording our 11th album. There’s never been a better time to be a self propelled artist.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
Explaining how to connect your Printer to your Mobile.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in the next year or so?
On the blog we’re making an effort at positivity. There’s plenty of stuff going on right now that makes people anxious. When we started our blog it was for friends of the band who were Deployed overseas. 15 years on those wars are still going and here we are in this crazy time.
For our friends, fam and Cellar Dwellers, we keep a focus on the work we do. We try to provide a mental break and somewhere to just chill for a bit. That’s what a stormcellar is for – safety in uncertain weather.
While we work, we share the process, and there’s always something going on underground.
Exposed Vocals: Any Shout-outs?
We send our positive vibes out to anyone who could do with a little cheer.
