Band Interview: Sweet Cyanide

There is a time where boundaries are broken and instincts are the only thing that remains. Pushing the limits, undermining contemporary traditions, chaos at its best, and being something more than original, is what one band is all about. I found it hard to believe at first, but thus I was mistaken. Preconceived notions are thrown out the window. A new breed of band is born. Creativity is such a simple word when describing this band. It’s seems so small of a word, I don’t even know what to replace it with. I do know, a new era has been formed. One name, one completely different sound, is one called Sweet Cyanide. While talking to Sal, lead singer, I find that there really is more depth to what we feel when we listen to music. He’s a perfect example of what I mean. Beside, the New York accent tops it off just a little bit more.


STILLCODA: Being together for what’s considered a “short” time as a band, but looking at what you’ve accomplished so far, what has been people’s reaction?

SAL: We’re really not that new to the game. The four of us have been in bands before this. We’ve been hearing a lot of reviews that people love it, which is cool, because the initial idea for the record was to make it an interesting record; opposed to making a record where every song sounds the same as some stuff that comes out today. I always felt that would get repetitive and boring. The best thing about this band, was that we weren’t going to be pigeon-holed to a particular style of music. I mean, I love all types of Rock but I also into Pop, R&B, so this first record is a mix of things of everything that we like; take a little bit of influence from everything from what we really do love and put it all into one great record. And a lot of the reviews and the fans have been digging the schizophrenic feel that the record does have.

STILLCODA: Along with people getting to know the music, what are some headlining shows that you’ve played or are going to be playing?

SAL: We’ll be playing in Cincinnati at Midpoint Music Festival. As far as confirmed touring dates, we’re still in the works for those. We’re playing it easy right now, getting around New York, Maryland, Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia, all the way up to Delaware. So we’re kind of staying in the Northeast for right now. We’ve been be playing with bands that have a bigger following than we do in their hometowns right now, but everyone’s taking to us really well.

STILLCODA: Being able to bring in all those elements and do it successfully, definitely makes this band stand out on it’s own.

STILLCODA: The writing process in which you have, writing the first song on the album to the very last in order, is really different and very unheard of. What made you decide to do it that way vs doing it another way?

SAL: Honestly, I’m kind of obsessive when it comes to that. Like envisioning it as a whole project, I know it sounds weird that you write the first track then you write track two,and so on but I feel differently about it. It’s like having a bunch of different songs on a record and the only way for it to really sit together is if you just kind of write them one after the other or just try to write as if you're envisioning a live set. Gotta open with a rocker. It’s weird, the way I write it just really odd. I’ll just write a song and just start planning the rest of an album with that one song.

STILLCODA: When you write songs that way, how do you find yourself recording them? Writing them done, typing them…?

SAL: I have a couple of tape recorders, so when I find myself having some time to write, I sit down and just run tape. I’ve even used my cell phone to record melodies or lines that I like. I like to free-flow I guess so I’ll sit down and start playing a riff on a guitar and sing. Another thing is that, I can’t start a song and not finish it. So I guess that’s where that weird obsessive thing comes in again (both laugh).

STILLCODA: I think that way of writing isn’t such a bad thing. You’re in that moment, so why not take advantage of it and finish the song?

SAL: Definitely! I could be doing worse things (both laugh). Like robbing people (both laugh again).

STILLCODA: What is something the band is planning or wanting to do in the next 6 months to a year from now?

SAL: We’re trying to get on a major tour, sell some records, that sort of thing. The pressure is kind of off right now unlike when we were with our previous band; we had record labels putting a lot of pressure on the band/artist to follow these weird guidelines that they have. Quite frankly, looking at the past couple of years,the record business is dead. So we’re just trying to do it our way and maybe look back in 6 months and say “Hey, we’ve made some mistakes along the way but at least we’re doing it the way we want to be doing it.” and if we're successful, it's even better.

STILLCODA: I think with being able to have that attitude and do things that work best for the band as a whole, means more and makes a difference to the sound you can create. It definitely makes this band stand out within the music as you took control and it’s the way you want it and not the way the industry wants it.

SAL: Exactly!

STILLCODA: Speaking of doing it your way, when does the new album come out and where can people get it?

SAL: It comes out on July 7th and you can get it on I-tunes, amazon.com, FYE and various other places. In time, it should be everywhere even as we don’t have major label distribution right now, but the cd will get there through different independent avenues.

STILLCODA: I’ll make sure to keep an eye out for it!

STILLCODA: What made the band go with the name “Sweet Cyanide?”

SAL: There’s actually a good story behind that (both laugh). When I was in high school, my very first band that I started when I was a freshman, was called Sweet Cyanide. After high school, I was never really happy with what went on around me musically, so i ended up going through band names and changes, different styles of pop-rock, all this crap, things just sort of came full circle. ironically, my bass player , Angelo, wound up getting a tattoo while he was drunk and put the name Sweet Cyanide on his arm before we even settled on it.(both laugh!). So when you do that, you kind of can’t go back and say “Hey, we’ll just change the name!” (both laugh again). Kind of the default name I guess. But i feel it fits the bands style and sound very well.

STILLCODA: With that being said, it seems like every member of the band is completely different than the next but as a whole, you’re “complete.” How do you guys make it work and make it work well?

SAL: Angelo and I were in a band called “Crashbox” while Joe and Mike were in a band called “Moment Theory.” We were all friends bouncing from scene to scene, and we got along really well, similar musical tastes, etc. We did a couple of regional tours with them, going all the way down to Florida and back, we just hit it off. We joked about it saying “Let’s start some band one day and do whatever the fuck we want.” And ironically, we started doing it! It’s been a great ride ever since! We never looked back! This is probably the first band line-up i've had that feels like a real band. Ya know?

STILLCODA: When you guys lay down a track and it’s completely done, what’s one of the first things that has come to your mind?

SAL: I’m really finicky, so I’m listening to the little things, but I do pull myself away from it once we finally get done with it.And it’s just really amazing once the song is done, it’s just a great feeling. It's like giving birth to a baby, ya know? Not that I would know first hand, but I’m assuming that’s what it’s like (both laugh).

STILLCODA: Having the finished product is something that you can always be proud of, because you know what went into it to make it what it is now. When you guys are playing, what’s something that you “feed” off of when watching the crowd?

SAL: I know what you mean! When I’m singing, I notice people in front of the crowd that sing along with particular lines of songs, lines that mean something to them i suppose. And when I see them mouthing those words with us, you always feel awesome. It always puts us in the zone. I feel like I’ve made that connection with them and that’s the best thing. It’s just amazing to be in this band. Seeing us live and being in that moment. The first thing we said when we put this band together was, the live show has gotta be badass! People are going to leave remembering Sweet Cyanide, whether they liked the show or not. The shows that we put on are definitely high energy! I have to do cardio now just to keep my stamina up! In the past couple of years, I didn’t realize that playing in a pop-rock band was going to be so much easier than what we're doing now, but it's so worth the extra blood, sweat, and tears. There's shows now where i feel like i'm just gonna vomit (both laugh). You know you’re really working it when you feel like that.

STILLCODA: I can not wait until you’re in the area so we can see this amazing show! There’s something about this band that almost guarantees pure excellence all the way around!

SAL: Well thank you! I can’t wait to get out there and give you exactly that!

STILLCODA: We’ll be waiting that’s for sure! Thank you so much for talking with me today and I’m really excited for the record to be out!

SAL: Not a problem at all! Thank you for listening! See you soon!



Make sure to check out Sweet Cyanide’s new music and get their 10 song CD that comes out in July!



Check out the links for Sweet Cyanide as well:

MYSPACE:
www.myspace.com/sweetcyanidenyc

WEBSITE:
www.sweetcyanide.com

Band Interview: ARKAEA

In every music scene, there are a few remaining bands that are able to evolve and become something more than what they started out to be. Bringing pioneers from Fear Factory and Threat Signal creates a new element in the heavy metal scene. Adding harmonies, hardcore-heavy beats, shrilling guitar rifts, a new dimension draws our attention. All you need to know is one name: Arkaea. On his way to “the office,” drummer Raymond Herrera calls to explain a little bit about this unbelievable band.

STILLCODA: Just around the corner on July 14^th, Arkaea releases the album “Years in the Darkness.” Are we a little excited yet for it to be already?

RAYMOND: Oh yeah! We’ve been working on this record for the better part of a year now so yeah! It’ll be good to have some closer on it finally being out and then being able to switch gears over to touring in August; getting more of the promotional aspect of the album, the nuts and bolts so to speak, out and going. It’s good to finally get this thing out there and see what the response is gonna be, cause that’s always the interesting part about it right? (laughs).

STILLCODA: Once this record is released, do you guys have any plans to celebrate?

RAYMOND: We actually just got doing one listening party last week! We did it at my recording studio, which is where we recorded most of the record. So we thought it’d be kind of a cool atmosphere seeing it’s at the place where the record was made. So it was really cool. A lot of people got to ask questions as we had a few things set up, like what types of amps and mics that we used. It was a lot of shop talk but it was interesting especially for the journalists that were there. They usually don’t get to hear the end results at the place where it was made, so it was awesome.

STILLCODA: Speaking of finding out how things were made and what not, how did you guys decide on the album name?

RAYMOND: Jon actually came up with it for a song title originally, but it wasn’t so much on what the album was going to be called. We had thought of a couple of different names of different songs. “Years in the Darkness” had a cool kind of ring to it, not to mention the song itself is a really strong track so it kind of blends itself even more to being an appropriate album title. Then when the album artwork started to come in, we started putting ideas together, it just fits. It’s like the view of the world where the ocean or world climate in a sense coming down all around us. So it was semantic idea and it just all came together and fit like “Tetris.”

STILLCODA: Within the album title, look and songs themselves, it’s being said the band is “…a metal revolution…”

RAYMOND: I wouldn’t go as far as saying it’s revolutionary, but I can definitely see people’s interest in it. There are obviously styles that fit with Fear Factor from back in the early 90’s. But when we introduced people to Metal who generally wouldn’t like Metal, we added elements that were not so boxed in that it was just Death Metal. We actually added a lot of things in there. A lot of times we said that Fear Factory was pure Metal like Faith No More where they could do anything, even a pop song and could do no wrong. We wanted to take after that ideal and be predominately a Heavy Metal band but still bring elements that would make it a totally different thing. And obviously with Arkaea, there’s a lot of that sound. A lot of the things you hear were meant to be the next Fear Factory record but turned into Arkaea. With a little manipulation and a little change here and there, it turned out to be its own kind of thing. I mean, when I mention that to people saying “It’s a lot like the old Fear Factory,” but say that it’s also different, people are like “That’s great!”

STILLCODA: In speaking of the new sound, name, CD, the entire works, what’s in the works for touring? Any headlining dates possibly?

RAYMOND: We’re actually hoping not to headline, I would like to do some support. I mean, at the end of the day, this is a baby band. It’s a brand new thing. We obviously have a lot that each of us has accomplished under out belts, but we don’t want to have a preconceived notion that Arkaea is gonna go straight to the top you know? We know how the business works, how the world works but we’ll use as much leverage as we can from the contacts of the people that we know and such. We’ll do our best to nurture this as it needs to be nurtured, so we’re hoping not to headline and do some support. I mean really, the best way for people to learn about a band is by listening to the supporting bands that are already playing and are successful. So right now we’re working on a bunch of dates in the US but also international options, we kind of weighing the options in making the best decisions for the band.

STILLCODA: When everything was said and done for a song for the record even, what was the very first thought that came to your mind? I know a lot of bands just walk away from it for awhile then come back and really listen to their product.

RAYMOND: It actually took a few spins for me to sit down and not critique it, and to listen to it as for pleasure, rather than a business sort of thing. I think I really didn’t fall into that until maybe a few weeks afterwards, like in April. I really got to step away from it and be really, really proud of it and enjoy the sampling. It’s really difficult to step out of something that you’re so into it. It’s like that for everything for me. I have a lot of other businesses and you sometimes just want to step away from it and look at it from a customer’s/fan’s stand point. But I’m really proud of it! Even if I wasn’t, I’d still say I was because it’s like demonizing one of your own kids or something (both laugh). But at the same time, I do enjoy it and I’m a fan of Metal and music foremost. So I think I can step back and be inspired by it too. I’m already inspired to write the next album (laughs).

STILLCODA: With this band, I feel more of the family connection than the “business connection” and that everyone works extremely well with one another. I think being able to work as hard and as much as you guys do within the band but also outside of it, shows that admiration everyone has for one another.

RAYMOND: Yeah, everyone’s hard work is definitely breathes more heard work, you know what I mean? I’ve been working with Christian for the better part of 14 years now. Jon and pat, I’ve known for maybe a little over a year so I don’t “know” them as well but I know each and everyone of them are extremely hard working. Not only are they hard working, they’re really, really into it. So there’s a lot of passion behind wanting to make something really killer. Making something better than you are, making something better than what you’re able to do at the moment. So it’s definitely inspiring. I like the fact that I don’t just have Christian to rely on anymore for inspiration and hard work, like I know they’re all going to work hard and bust their ass. In doing this record, it was a duo effort on everyone’s part. They’re all really professional, very hard working, all the things that you look forward to working with in the future. It’s good to have that type of work ethic from the get-go here, it’s almost like we’re starting off on the right foot. There’s a lot more from where this came from and that’s always a good thing. Being in other bands myself, along with everyone else in the band, it’s really not as common as you’d think for everyone to be on the same page when it comes to working and the driving force. Everyone’s proactive in this band and it’s exactly where we want to be.

STILLCODA: Being able to have everyone work as a whole and be able to be proactive is definitely shows in the way everything on the album is put together. Being in a group that allows you to all work as one unit is amazing in all its varieties. Now, with everyone being from different bands and such and having toured all over, what are some of the things that you find only in certain areas? Like Metal Heads being in one area vs another. Being from LA and knowing the area to traveling all over, there’s probably something you like more than the other?

RAYMOND: For me, it’s more out of a lack of laziness to go anywhere (both laugh). I’m the only one of the band that was born and raised in LA so the scene kinda came to me so to speak (laughs). Other than being on tour and having lived everywhere for a little bit, I have only ever really lived in Los Angeles. So luckily, I was born and raised in a spot where most people go to if they want to be successful in one of the many industries that people come to LA for. For me, it was like “Hey! I already live here so why move?!” (both laugh). Why try to move somewhere else when people are trying to move in? It’s kind of like I’m already at the party and everyone else just showed up (both laugh). I’ve done records at different locations but LA is my home and it’s where I always want to be. We did a record in New York and in Vancouver but I found that I didn’t enjoy making them as much cause I wasn’t home. I’m very much a home-body which is really funny considering the industry I’m in but I love to be home. I have everything here, I have a schedule, an agenda you know what I mean? It’s like when you go on tour, it’s a shuffle and kind of hectic. To go to different places is amazing, I have no problem doing it, but I’ll still always be a home-body.

STILLCODA: Well I can’t begrudge you that as I’m already missing LA myself now even more just by hearing you (both laugh). Is there anything else that you wanted to say to the fans? Anything we should be looking out for other than the new CD that’s out on July 14^th?

RAYMOND: Yes! We actually have 2 new music videos that we shot a few weeks ago. One of the songs is called, “Locust” which is the first song on the record. The other song is called “Gone Tomorrow,” which is the forth song on the record. The world wide premier that’ll showcase on MTV will premier on July 19^th! There’s stuff happening everyday so people can go to our Myspace (www.myspace.com/arkaeamusic) or you can just go to www.arkaea.com! It’s always up to date information. I’m also on Twitter, which is www.twitter.com/raymondherrera, so I usually put blurbs up there as well!

STILLCODA: Awesome! I can’t wait for everything to finally come out! Thank you so much for talking with us today and we’ll see you on the road!!!

RAYMOND: Not a problem at all! We’ll see you soon!

Make sure to stop by and listen to Arkaeas new music and keep an eye out for their videos coming out next month! Links to Arkaea:

MYSPACE:

www.myspace.com/arakaeamusic

WEBSITE:

www.arkaea.com

TWITTER:

www.twitter.com/raymondherrera

(Photos are from Myspace.com/arkaeamusic)