SMOULDER- doom metal with Swords and Sorcery
Interview conducted on March 28, 2020
by Dan Locke
Epic power doom in the tradition of Gates of Slumber, Solitude Aeternus, Blind Guardian, and Reverend Bizarre
Line-up
Sarah Ann – Vocals
Shon Vincent – Guitars
Collin Wolf- Guitars
Adam Blake – Bass
Kevin Hester – Drums
What was your upbringing?
Adam: I’m just a typical dork from small-town Southern Ontario who moved to Toronto to study computers and writes software for a living. I’ve made my own code, if you know what I mean. Sold my soul to Manilla Road.
How did you discover music?
Kevin- Well My Dad got me hooked on classic rock and heavy metal at a young age. From there I branched out to discover the True Heavy Metal music I love today.
Adam: I never had an interest in music until I discovered punk rock. I was very opinionated as a teenager and very angry about the state of the world (and still am), so that became my outlet. Over the years since then, my taste in music has branched out a lot and I’ve become interested in most genres, but heavy metal has been my favorite style for at least a decade.
How did you get your band together?
Sarah – Vincent and I were at a house party about seven years ago, and there was a jam spot in the basement. After a bunch of our friends jammed, we decided to do the same because we both were specifically interested in traditional doom metal. After several jam sessions, we decided to make a band, and Smoulder was born.
How was it to make your demo compare to your latest EP?
Sarah – Making our EP was a far different experience than making our demo. When we made the demo, Vincent and I drove out to rural Illinois to record at a studio that was a converted church; it was close to our guitarist Collin’s house and required we drive about 14 hours to get there from our home in Canada. We had written the demo over the years as a two-piece, and had relocated from Calgary to Toronto, and wanted to make the band finally truly happen. After we spent some time with Collin at festivals, we knew we wanted him to join the band, and he recommended Kevin on drums. When we recorded, we had all jammed together exactly once. In comparison, we recorded both the full length and the EP remotely at studios in our respective cities, had since jammed numerous times, now had a full-time bassist in Adam, and the rest of it.
How did you get your name?
Sarah – It came to me one day while Vincent and I were driving in my truck. It is an evocative, one-word band name, and we were thrilled that when we looked it up online, no one had taken it. It was meant to evoke the smouldering ruins of a town after a barbarian horde put the torch to it.
Why did you record Dream Quest Ends in Chicago and Toronto?
Kevin- The band is split geographically, so we decided it would be easier to record separately rather than some of us having to travel. We are fortunate to live in the digital age where such a thing is possible.
What is Smoulderesque?
Sarah: It is an adjective: to sound like Smoulder.
How has the Coronavirus affected your music and live performance?
Adam: Well, we’re all in self-isolation, which makes it impossible to play shows. We’ll focus on writing new material until this is all over.
Hopefully, we can play all the tours and festivals we had planned next year instead!
Your show was canceled in Athens yesterday. How did you make a negative an positive?
Adam: Honestly, the negatives far outweigh the positives when it comes to COVID-19 and our experience in Greece. This virus sucks! That said, there were still some trip highlights: Watching Scald play their set to a small group in their rehearsal space, walking to the Acropolis, and shopping for records, for example.
And hey, at least we made it home in one piece!
Do you have playing cards?
Kevin- Yes
How is touring in the US compared to Europe?
Collin – Much like Europe we’ve only done a handful of shows in the US (two to be exact) both in Chicago. So, I’m not sure that I can really make much of a comparison. All I can say is that we’ve played to very enthusiastic audiences on both sides of the pond and are excited to do more once the current climate subsides!
How often do you do an acoustic show?
Kevin- We have never played an acoustic show, but we were scheduled to play one in Greece. I’m sure another opportunity will come up for us to do so.
Sarah- Do you enjoy the outdoors (Stanley Park)?
I think you’re referring to Stanley Park in Vancouver? I’ve been there a handful of times, it’s very beautiful. In Toronto, we tend to head to High Park and when we can, go to Algonquin Park. I’m an avid hiker, and have had the extreme privilege of hiking the Grand Canyon twice, as well as numerous mountain ranges. Outside is where I feel free.
Sarah- Are you still doing the video music review in which you review albums?
Yes. You can see those on youtube.com/bangertv
What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
Adam: I’m a software developer, and the potential of the Internet to make media and information more widely available was one of the reasons I went into that field. I love that I can listen to pretty much anything that was ever released any time I want to, and stream a bunch of stuff before I decide what to buy and what I love so much I need to have a physical copy.
Digital vs. vinyl?
Collin – If I were to choose, I’d say vinyl for sure. Having a hard copy of the music is always awesome. However, in this day and age digital is definitely very important. It puts music easily within the reach of everyone with internet access (not everyone has access to a record player, cd player, tape deck, etc.). So, in essence, they’re both great, and I appreciate that digital makes listening to music. I want everyone to be able to hear our stuff!
What do you think about Ozzy’s health condition?
Collin – Well I wish him the best; Parkinson’s is a very hard condition to deal with. Our sympathy goes to him and his family.
What is the future of metal music?
Dio: Metal will never die!
Any plans to tour?
Adam: Not until the coronavirus is gone! Let’s just focus on staying safe and healthy for now.
How do you see yourself in the next five years?
Sarah: I think that’s quite dependent on how the impact of this virus unfolds. I think everyone we know has been affected in no small way. We’re fearful for the health and safety of everyone, and until it has been contained, we want to focus on keeping ourselves and our loved ones safe. Of course, we are trapped inside like everyone else, so we’re all playing music as much as we can.
Anything you would like to say in closing?
As long as this virus is still around: Stay home as much as you can, don’t touch your face, and wash your hands often
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