Countdown to Shiprocked 2017: GET ON BOARD WITH ... Sevendust

Written by Robin Ervolina
The first time I walked on board a Shiprocked event was 2014. Honestly, I just wanted a girls' weekend, with all the silliness and bonding that comes with that particular territory. What I got was (in this order):

1. Scared when 5FdP sailed us off into the sunset
2. A headache from standing too close to the speakers
3. A hangover
4. An awakening
5. A changed life

But prior to all that, I walked on board Shiprocked. I went to the bar and grabbed a beer, and my cabinmate said, "That's Lajon, from Sevendust." My friend's three-year old daughter had a lullaby relationship with Sevendust, so I decided to say hi in the hopes I could send her a photo of him. LJ did me one better and let me video him saying hi to her.

It's not just me, of course. LJ is the nicest, most down to earth guy ever. Here he is, not even shaken by the fact that Shiprocked legend Jennifer Olivarez is standing RIGHT NEXT TO HIM!

That's what I always come back to when I think about the Shiprocked experience. The same can be said of Sevendust. The only thing I love better than catching their light is experiencing their music live.

Okay, my point: Sevendust is a friendly group of guys who are wicked talented (Grammy said so). This American metal band has been tearing it up since 1994, and have 11 albums to their credit, though I'm pretty partial to Time Travelers & Bonfires because Sevendust is amazing, but 7D acoustic is *cue brain exploding sound. I'm super excited not only that they're back on board this year, but that they're playing a pre-show on 1/15/17 at The Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale (the night before Shiprocked sets sail). While there are exclusive pre-parties, this one is open to the general public and sure to be full of fans. I'm pretty sure tickets are just about sold out, so if you're interested in seeing one of the best metal bands out there, you should grab yours now.

Countdown to Shiprocked 2017 Bonus Feature: Get On Board With ... the Fans! Meet Aaron Clements and Listen to His New Song "Purple Cow"

Photo Credit: Robin Ervolina
Written by Robin Ervolina
Shiprocked is a cruise. There are bands. If you've never cruised with us before, that's a fair assumption of what you get when you book the most rockin' vacation at sea. Talk to a veteran of the experience and they will tell you it's so much more than just who is headlining and where the boat docks. Shiprockers are bonded for the life of this party, and we stay in contact year round. We meet up at festivals, matching t-shirts like date mates, posing for group pics and organizing high jinx. We support each other when we're down, and we promote each other when we succeed. I met Aaron Clements in 2014, my first Shiprocked cruise. I met him again in 2015, my second Shiprocked cruise. In 2016 when we were introduced by a mutual friend, Aaron threw down and said, "This is the third time I've met you. I know you. I have pics of us hanging out!" It's never been said that I can't forget a face, even as pleasant as his is, but it's also never been said that I don't right my wrongs. I made at point of heading to the live band karaoke night to catch Aaron perform 'Killin in The Name," and let me tell you from that point, there was no forgetting Aaron.

Like all ship rockers do, we stayed in touch (maybe if we'd done that in the first or second place, I wouldn't have had egg on my face, but I digress). When I found out Aaron had snuck a recording in behind my back, I had to give it a place to shine, and I absolutely had to know more about his musical background and how exactly this song came about.
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Shockwave Magazine: Tell me how you got started in music. Were you always a singer?

Aaron: I have always had an affinity for music. In elementary school I took lessons on the violin and the piano, and I enjoyed classical composers like Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and my personal favorite Chopin. My mom always liked the "bubble gum" music growing up, like the Monkees and the Beach Boys. I strayed away from that in my teenage years and leaned more toward loud, sometimes unintelligible, high energy music. Around the age of 14, shortly after moving to Indiana from Virginia where I grew up, I started playing bass guitar and drums. I bought used instruments from kids I had met at my new school. I admittedly wasn't very good at either one of them, but I wanted to learn. I came across a 6 string classical acoustic guitar with nylon strings at a garage sale and picked it up for probably $10-20?

We didn't have the luxury of Internet video tutorials and elaborate search engine machines back then, so I proceeded to go to my local big box retailer and bought a chord poster. I hung it on my wall in my bedroom and started tinkering around with the chords pictured on it. I started what I thought was singing around that time as well. Watching some old home videos I don't know that I would exactly call what I did back then "singing"...ha. More like belting out lyrics in a loud, often tone deaf fashion over whatever new chords I was working on that week. I wrote countless songs about girls I liked, and teenage-angst-filled ballad style pieces about moving away from where I grew up.

You were in a band when we met, again. Would you like to talk about that musical endeavor?

Unfortunately my aspirations to become a British rock phenom are on hold at the moment as Sash [bandmate and another of this writer's personal favorite Shiprockers] is going to law school and the rest of us are focusing on our respective careers in the meantime. That's not to say that the transatlantic team won't rise again, but for now we'll have to wait and see.

Let's talk about the single "Purple Cow." What was the inspiration at that time? It's a fun, funky tune. Is there a hidden meaning or are you just having fun?

In high school, my brother Derick and I joined up with a few local guys  to form a garage band in my mom's basement called "Sitting Litmus." We wrote and played silly songs about Chinese food and comic books. The members changed a few times over the years and the style evolved (and devolved) as well. One day, on a half day of school, we were playing some songs for some friends. My mom was always very welcoming to whatever kids we would have follow us home from school. She had a "snack drawer" in the kitchen always stocked full of goodies for us all. We'd grab snacks and head down to "the pit" which is what we called my mom's basement at the time.  Well on this particular day one of my friends, I can't remember who at this point, but I want to say it was either Karla or Erica? Anyway, one of them kept saying some nursery rhyme about a purple cow over and over again.  I asked her what it would take to get her to stop repeating it and she said we should make up a song about purple cows, so that's exactly what we did.  Someone in the room fortunately was writing it down as we went along and so the song was born...

Talk about your studio time with Scott and Leanor. How did you meet, come to record with them, and how did the three of you decide to lay down this track?

I met Scott and Leanor a long long time ago in a mystical Era known as "the 90's." It was a beautiful time full of fast, fun music that you couldn't help but move to. One such band was their 3rd wave ska band called Five Iron Frenzy which was still in its infancy back then.

At that time my brother and I would moonlight with some friends, Steve and Larry (a.k.a. Wenis & Skillet) on a tiny, tiny radio show called Reel to Real.  It aired on an AM station that broadcast out of the back of a pizza shop in Hampton, VA. On Saturday nights they would let us take over what was normally a contemporary Christian radio station during the week and let us play our fast, heavy, unorthodox music that none of their traditional listeners would ever dream of listening to. 

The first time I met the members of Five Iron was through that tiny radio show. We booked a pre-show interview with them at a show in the Hampton Roads area. I went to several more of their shows during that era and on occasion would hang out with Leanor and her cousin Micah Ortega who is one of the guitarists for Five Iron and an all around great guy. Sometimes he would teach me how to play random FIF riffs on guitar, which as a young fan of the band and budding musician I always greatly appreciated. Fast forward a decade or so and thanks to the evolution of technology, Leanor and I reconnected a few years back on social media. Through that same channel I learned that Leanor, Scott and Andy of Five Iron were starting a new band called The Fast Feeling with Matt from Eleventyseven. I reached out to Leanor about being a special guest contributor toward the new album and they were gracious enough to accept my offer.  

I flew out to Denver to meet up with them in the studio and record some supporting guitar and vocal tracks for their upcoming debut Fast Feeling album. In preparation talks with them I asked about the possibility of recording the "Purple Cow" track if there was time in the studio. This seemed fitting seeing how the band name, Sitting Litmus, was inspired by a Five Iron song and one of the lyrics in Purple Cow is a nod to a FIF lyric. They agreed and we started laying some tracks.  Leanor jumped in on background vocals and Scott threw in some of his special stylistic flair on the bass and lead guitar. He also was the mastermind behind the drums on the track. They really helped flesh out some great ideas and helped the track evolve into something even better than I could've imagined.

Any other musical endeavors in the works? What's next for you?

As to what's next for me and my musical endeavors that remains to be seen. I am looking at a few different possibilities and projects.  There is even the slight possibility that "Purple Cow" may make an appearance on stage for Shiprocked this year, but that is still unconfirmed at this point so we'll see.

Guys, if it does, how much Shiprocked love can we give one of our own than to know all the words before we set sail? Check out "Purple Cow" at Spotify now. If you want to show mad SR love, download it for 99 pennies at CDbaby. 

Art of Dying: Jonny Hetherington Interview

Written by Robin Ervolina
Normally this is where the intro goes, but if you've read any of my past interviews with Art of Dying frontman Jonny Hetherington, you already know there's no room for extra words. Grab a beer and make sure you've walked the dogs, because when Jonny and I talk about their PledgeMusic campaign, the new "Torn Down" video, and Shiprocked, we lose track of time.
Shockwave Magazine: I feel like at this point we're almost friends, Jonny, because I talk to you all the time. 
Jonny Hetherington: I know, it's great, right?
Anytime you guys have something going on, we're on board, and you always have something going on. You and I talked at the end of August/beginning of September, just before you released Nevermore, your very successful six-song EP that led into a very successful tour, which I believe is done now. Am I right?
Yeah, it was quite the little whirlwind releasing new music and touring new music all in a few months. It was great.
You didn't come near me, but I understand it was amazing.
Yeah, we had a blast. We want to go everywhere, of course, but this was 40 shows in seven weeks. So, it was a pretty mad pace and we tried to cover as much ground as we could.
Art of Dying headlined and you were with Children 18:3 and Letters from the Fire?
Yeah, we took those two bands and then we had local openers pretty much wherever we went. It was great. Cool blend of music, nice good people, good bands.
I have worn out Nevermore, so let's jump into this new project. You are crowd sourcing for the new project coming next year.
Yeah, we just launched -- well, actually it's halfway through right now -- our PledgeMusic Campaign, which is brand new to us. It's a crazy little progression from how the music business has changed and kind of evolved over the last decade. We've been on labels, and major labels, and we've been independent, obviously in the beginning, and we're back to being independent now. I think it's just an amazing time to have the fans that love the music and want to hear more music have the opportunity to help us make the music, but also be involved in new ways. So, through the PledgeMusic campaign we started a fantasy label, so there's a couple of label positions like A&R, and President, and things like that, where you can be really super involved in what we're doing, if you wanna be. And then, there's some gear and some memorabilia that we've never released before. If you've never done this PledgeMusic or crowd funding thing before, it's really simply just preordering the actual album, so that instead of waiting until it's done and buying it, you're buying it ahead of time so you can help us make it through the preorders. So we're doing some exciting stuff, like, we're actually releasing it on vinyl for the first time. We've had tons of fans wanting vinyl over the years, and this is one of the real advantages of being independent and making your own decisions, we're able to do that now.
 A lot of bands have turned to PledgeMusic and crowd sourcing, but what you're doing, I think, is a little bit more unique in terms of the fantasy label positions. You’re not just offering your memorabilia or the CD ahead of time. You're actually bringing your fan base in to be a part of the process.
Yeah, and there's multiple levels that you can get in on. One of them is really simple; it's just getting your name in the actual liner notes of the record, just to say that you were a contributor and you helped make this. That's one way you can do it. There's a Junior Label position, where basically you would become a fly on the wall with a major conversation between us and our managers, or us and our producer. It would be a conference call, and you'd be on it, and you'd kind of get to see how all that goes down. And then of course, you'd be on the record as a contributor, and we're going to make up some really cool commemorative gold records for the fantasy label staff. So, it's just kind of that whole thing where you can hang a gold record in your office and really get involved in helping us make a record. The President of the label will be actually flown out to the studio, and this is where you really will discover what it's like. You would be involved in the recording session. You would see the blood and tears session with us, and our producer, and the whole thing. We've thought of our fans, really thought of them. They've always been really supportive, and now that we're independent we almost really think of our fans as our label now because their support is what contributes to our ability to fund a record and fund a marketing of a record. It's kind of exciting. In many ways, it's the way it should be. The users, the listeners are the people that actually are contributing to the creation.
Have you ever run into a situation with songs where the song you thought everyone would like is overlooked, while the "one-off" or song you didn't expect to hit is the one people gravitate to? Is that kind of your thought process in going about this fantasy label and record position that you're offering to your fans?
It's funny when you look back on how you selected songs for records. It always seems obvious to the public, and that's one of the things you would learn if you got involved at this level. I'll go back to my notes for our Warner Brother's record Vices and Virtues, and "Die Trying" almost didn't make the record [laughs].
What?
Yeah.
Wow.
I go back into our notes and actually -- you know, we were a five-piece at that point -- and I have pages of notes where it's like everyone voted for their top 20 songs when we were about to go into the studio. And I remember seeing "Die Trying" on numerous peoples' lists in the band that were above the 12 songs. So it was kind of like, "Oh yeah, 'Die Trying' is my sixteenth favorite, but I really want these 14 ahead of that." And then, to go and make the record we recorded 14 songs in LA, so the 15th would have not made it on. So it's just really interesting.
I think "Paradise" off the new record is that song, where it was kind of never a front runner, and never a song that any of us were putting as our number one. Now that it's on the record our fans have been able to hear it and we've gotten a lot of feedback from some friends in the industry, and friends in other bands even, "Paradise" is poking its head out as a song that people think is really different than the others. It's kind of unique how these things come up over the years and it's actually really fun to look back. When you're involved in it, give it some time you know four or five years down the road, and think, "Wow, I can't believe we made that choice because that would have never happened," you know?
That song is synonymous with Art of Dying. If I asked your fans for their top five, you know that one would be in there. That's really interesting to think what that project would have been like without that tune. 
Absolutely.
You guys just released the video for "Torn Down."
Yeah, that song is the first single from Nevermore and that's the one that we actually closed our shows with on the 40-date tour. It's such an inspirational song. It captures that "Die Trying" energy or that "Get Through This" energy that we've always loved. It's another song for getting through and fighting through adversity. It's a really crazy emotional story that got that one started.
There's a girl in my neighborhood in Vancouver, her name was Amanda Todd. Unfortunately, she's no longer with us. She ended up committing suicide after being targeted online by a predator. She was just a 15-year old girl. The story hit my community really hard. So many people were just upset about the situation and, obviously, so many people felt this loss when the community lost Amanda. For us as a band with a message, you know, we see every day on our social networks, we just see the struggles out there that people are going through. It's hard, you know, it's difficult to be alive, at any age. If your 15, I get it how some things are just more difficult, but there's people struggling at every age and we see that. So for us as a band, it feels so amazing to be able to wave a flag and say, "Hey, you're not alone, and hopefully you can be stronger than you think you are and get through what you're going through." "Torn Down" is that song.It's so fun for us to play that live and to just see the faces and the fists come up, and people really letting loose for that one.
It is really important, and I think you guys have always remembered this, that you have that platform and you do use your voice. People forget that what happens online has real world consequences and it's really special when people like you, who are so fan-based, and so fan-friendly, and so genuine, take the time to put a message out that could save someone's life. I locked onto it because it did have that "Get Through This" vibe, right down to the video that was filmed on stage, back stage, behind the scenes, like "Get Through This."
Totally, yeah, it definitely has some of that energy and that's who we are. We never set out to write a song like that exactly, we just trust in our feelings and let songs come out in that way. A lot of the other songs even on Nevermore -- you know, I had a guy I've worked with in radio for years call me up and say, "Wow, this is a dark record." And I thought, "Wow, I never thought of it as a dark record." But then, it's nice to be reminded that the dark and the light, it's all part of it. We never set out to be a band that's just saying "There's a light at the end of the tunnel." I think what's almost more important to say sometimes is that we're in the darkness with you. Some days are hard and that's okay. It's not going to be easy all the time. That lyric in "Torn Down" is just so cool. "I'm sick of being torn down. I'm sick of getting back up" and you don't know if you can get back up anymore, but you hope that you can.
I'm glad that video is out there. Personally, I'm loving it. For those who didn't get to see you on this tour, it's great to get to see you interacting on stage, and having fun, great energy, it's just a treat. Any other videos coming from Nevermore, or are we moving forward into the new project?
We are just planning that out right now. I believe we're going to go with a new single from Nevermore in the New Year. Most likely, there will be a video along with that. It just really depends on how we roll in the New Year. We're also thinking about the new record through the campaign, so it's fun, but it's busy. It's interesting to be working our current record and then also writing the next one and looking forward to that. Again, the whole being independent and being at the helm of our own career, we can bounce around and be able to do things at a pace that we're comfortable with. We've always felt like we've been waiting for labels, and managers, and we've always felt like we finally get out on the road again, and then people after the show are like, "What took you three years to get this record out." It's like, man, you wouldn't believe how long it takes to sign a record deal and have this group of lawyers go back with this group of lawyers for nine months. It always takes two or three years to get back on your feet.
It's like holding your child hostage. 
It's crazy, right? And the time just goes by. You don't even notice it because you're making the record, writing the record, and it's just held up all the time. We're no longer in that position. We just went from releasing Rise Up to releasing Nevermore very quickly, independently, to now writing and starting to think about recording this brand new record that's funded through the PledgeMusic campaign. It's all within a 12-month period. So without all that industry-dragging-around-the-ankles kind of thing, we can really sprint around a lot more.
Going back to the Pledge campaign, I want people to know that anyone can be a part of this, from 10.00 dollars to advance pay for the download, all the way up to having you come and barbeque in their backyard and give an acoustic show for them. There's every level of fan interaction, but I think the label thing is an opportunity for someone interested in getting into the industry to see what happens behind the scenes. I also want to make sure people know there are only eight more opportunities to get your name in the liner notes. Any more of Cody's drumsticks? There are two sets left. One of my favorite things that you're doing is the Skype serenade, and there are only nine of them left, by the way. Tell them about the Skype.
One is a phone call from any band member. So if you want to talk to Cale, me, or Tavis or Cody, you can just request a phone call conversation. I think a lot of people are buying those as gifts. "Hey, this Christmas I got you a 20-minute chat with Jonny in your stocking, " [laughs] or whatever. We're also doing a serenade where we'll jump on Skype and sing to you, or you and your friends over Skype. It's just so fun, you know? It's really about a great experience for the people that want to be involved, but also knowing that the 100.00 bucks, or the 75.00, or whatever it is, is going into the recording of the records. It's a really fun way to be involved and say, "You know what? I did that. I helped make that."
This time next year when we talk, there's going to be this awesome list of names on the back of our vinyl record and our CD, and it's going to be all the people that contributed and helped make this happen. It's very grassroots and very cool. The bigger levels on there, the private acoustic show and backyard barbeque, we're really excited about that, obviously, because that's where we have the most fun in our lives. If the four of us were just to get together this summer, that's exactly what we would do, just throw a big barbecue and grab the acoustics and play until the sun came up. That's our vibe. We've already had a couple people that were talking about important weddings and celebrations coming up in their lives this year that they're thinking about getting the acoustic performance for. So obviously, there's no real blueprint set out for how that's going to work yet. It's just going to be a celebration of music and a private performance by us. And you know I love cooking, so I'm going to be definitely bringing a culinary aspect to it. So, if it's you and your friends and your family, then let's barbeque at the place. If it's a wedding and the catering is already taken care of then we'll just figure something out that makes sense for the event. It's could be a bucket list kind of thing, where if some of these songs that we've been playing for the last year have affected you, and if we were able to come and sing that at your wedding, or at your graduation, or whatever it is, that would be insane.
For people who don't know, these guys don't know a stranger. I know wherever you go you'll be the life of the party. I've been on a boat with you before, so I know this to be fact. 
[Laughs] We've got another round of Shiprocked coming up here in less than a month. That's crazy.
Oh, we know.
Yeah, Shiprocked is becoming our annual thing now. This is my fourth year in a row, and we're back as a band on the boat again this year, so it's going to be a crazy event that we can't wait to do. It's a super, super great community. We were really pleasantly surprised that -- you know, we have our group of fans that we call the Diehards, and we just know them quite well because of their interaction with us online. We weren't terribly surprised to see that many Diehards out on this tour; we were kind of expecting it. What we were surprised by was how many Shiprockers came out on this land-locked tour. It was absolutely amazing to see the gang at each show. We were just like, "Wow, a group of Shiprockers coming everywhere we go." It's such a great family.
And that's the thing too, and I think you already live by this, but you get back what you give, and you guys give so much in just personal interaction and just the friendliness, and the way that you interact with people, and then you're stuck on a boat with us. That's loyalty. You get back what you've given us. We're happy. We're all very excited to see you. Are you going to try out any new songs at either the Shiprocked pre-party or on the boat?
That's a great question. We live all over the place; there's a couple of us in Toronto, I'm over here in Vancouver, and Tavis bounces around between Vegas and the mountains, so we're all over the place. So, people always ask us when we rehearse and the answer is: we don't [laughs]. That's why it's so exciting for us when we get together. I think that's part of what makes an Art of Dying show bring a little extra fire. We haven't seen each other in a while so we're really excited to be there. So for Shiprocked, we will figure it out in the weeks coming up. We'll probably figure most of what we’re going to do in the cabin the day of the show.
You have a tendency to video tape that and share it on social media, so I hope that we get to be a part of that.
We'll put a camera up for sure.
What are you most looking forward to about being back on the boat this year?
Seeing the people is really the main thing for us. Those late night conversations, those crazy bump intos. It's really special for us because we get to see a lot of the other bands that we don't see during the year as well. So, I looking forward to connecting with a bunch of the musicians that I haven't seen in a while. I actually wrote a little bit on the boat last year and I want to continue that trend. Do some writing and collaborating with some other people. It's always a blast. And the shows, I think we're playing like four or five shows in like three days or something. We're doing the acoustic launch party in Miami the day before we sail, and then we're doing two Art of Dying shows. I'm not sure if there's going to be a beach stage again this year.
No, no there's not. 
There's no beach stage? Okay. Last time we were one of the first bands on the beach stage ever, and that was a thrill.
We miss the beach stage. I'm just saying, Alan [Shiprocked promoter], we miss the beach stage.
It was a lot of fun, right?
It really is. You did that acoustic of "Broken Wings," which is still in my top five favorite acoustic performances live, ever. 
Oh wow, cool.
If you get around to doing that again, I'm certainly not going to cry. Again. If I jump in, just put your hand up and security will take me to the brig. You guys are also judging the door decorating contest, you and Tavis. 
I believe I heard something about that.
It was announced that you and Tavis will be cruising the hallways and picking the winning door. So the Shiprockers that knew I was talking to you today want to know what you and Tavis will be looking for.
We are going to be looking for pizzazz, I think is the main thing. Originality. Most importantly, probably be looking for a lot of very nice Art of Dying pictures [laughs].
That's exactly what I was thinking.
No, no, you cannot kiss the asses of the judges, so no, we will actually frown upon any hearts around Tavis or myself. It will not get you any points.
Alright, okay guys, you heard it. There's nothing I can do about it. You can kiss the judge's ass, but it's not going to get you any favor. Just do it to be nice. 
That's right. Just think outside of the rectangle on this one.
Think outside the rectangle of the door. Alright. I can't wait to see you guys again. I'm so glad you guys are coming on board. I'm so glad you have a new project coming out because that gave me an excuse to set up an interview and talk with one of my favorite frontmen. It's always a pleasure. Let's push again this PledgeCampaign. His hat sold out. Jonny's scarf sold out. His pants are sold. He's literally almost naked. 
I don't even know what I'm going to wear.
You have one pair of shoes and one shirt left. I don't know what you're going to wear either. All he has left are a black shirt and some amazing white boots, that if I could stretch my feet into I would have already bought because, you know, the scarf and the hat sold before I could get them. But hey, somebody is going to wear them with lots of love, and joy, and pride. 
Or someone is making a voodoo doll of me and we're in big trouble.
That's -- no. You can track who is actually buying these, right? You know, just in case.
Maybe it's a Halloween costume.
Naw, that scarf was pretty sweet.
Actually, Alexa from Letters from the Fire has a pretty good Jonny Halloween costume going already. Check out somewhere on their Facebook, or our Facebook, she dressed up like me and she actually nailed it, and then she wore that for her show.
I just realized you and Alexa do have a similar hairstyle, don't you?
Totally.
You've let the mohawk lay to the side.
Yeah, the mohawk is down. The mohawk is growing. Alexa, she's a great girl. I absolutely loved hanging out with those guys, and if you haven't seen Letters, they're on the boat as well, on Shiprocked. They're just amazing. She's got such a great voice. We ended up doing a few acoustic songs together on the tour and one of them was your favorite cover.
No. And I missed it because you didn't come close enough. I'm going to have to cash in some frequent flyer miles if this keeps happening.
Totally. Well maybe we'll bring her up on the boat.
When you talk to her, tell her that if she wants to wear that outfit for one of the costume nights, we would not mind. 
I'll let her know.
I think that maybe we need to have a secret theme night. I'll talk to the rest of the Shockwavers and see if we can get a Jonny Hetherington costume night.
That would be the worst costume night ever.
Well, we're going to have to hunt down some red pants, honey, and I don't know if we have enough time for red jean-finding. You know we love you. Again, thank you so much for taking so much time with me today. Anything we missed?
You covered it, I think you got it. It's a great opportunity to be a part of our new record and we're excited about it. We've got a lot of good stuff at artofdyingmusic.com as well, where we have our own merch store and we're able to bring in whatever we want, so keep your eye on what's going on there.
Definitely. Alright my love, it has been wonderful talking to you, as always, and I will see you in just a few short weeks.
Yep, always a pleasure. See you, Hon.

Conspire: Parker Armstrong Interview Part III

Written by Robin Ervolina
A few weeks ago I was introduced to Conspire, an incredible band from Tampa, FL via their freshman LP The Scenic Route. Lead vocalist Parker Armstrong agreed to answer some questions for me via email, and invited me to his CD Release show. After the show we sat outside and chatted. You can check out that conversation here and here. I could have left well enough alone, but Parker surprised me today with the answers to those first questions emailed prior to his show. After reading them, there was no doubt in my mind they had to be read by as many people as possible. 

Shockwave Magazine: What musical experiences did you have prior to forming Conspire?
Parker Armstrong: Outside of learning some guitar at a young age and playing the clarinet, worse than Squidward, in middle school band, I don’t have too much experience musically. I had the pleasure of touring with This or the Apocalypse for a brief period, mainly just selling merchandise and a small guest spot each show. At that time, I already knew I wanted to start Conspire, just needed to learn more about my vocals and grow comfortable on stage. The opportunity allowed me to pick their vocalist’s brain as I received informal lessons along the way.
The songs on your upcoming release The Scenic Route are thought-provoking and humbling. I have, no kidding, had it on rotation for the last three hours. Where do you go for the inspiration for your lyrics? In that same vein, do you write lyrics first, music first, or work together to pound out a tune?
I don’t consider myself much of a writer, but when you’ve got a story to tell things flow pretty naturally. So, the theme itself was already in place from the start. A lot of credit goes to our producer, Ricky Armellino. He helped tremendously in the lyrical realm and was a key contributor to helping articulate many of my thoughts and ideals. I had a generous amount of material written going into the studio, but the structure of some of the tracks changed quite a bit while recording. I’d say I prefer writing lyrics after being given at least a skeleton of the song. Inspiration comes from challenging times in my life, more specifically the emotions I felt in the midst of turmoil.
At times, the metal-core message can get lost in the mosh-pit. But, spoken word is a powerful medium that pulls the audience in an entirely different way. How have audiences received you so far? Feel free to tell a story. I like stories.
I completely agree. Once the record was done I remember thinking, “How the hell is an audience going to react to this live?” There’s just so much diversity between tracks. I wasn’t exactly worried about how well we’d be received, but more so, just curious as to the how. Currently, we don’t have too many shows under our belt. But, I’m pleasantly surprised by the reaction thus far. Being a brand spankin’ new band; I don’t expect an audience to get too into songs that they aren’t familiar with. I also don’t see a need to put an expectation on an audience. Each listener is free to respond however the music resonates with them. My only hope is that we create an atmosphere that welcomes thought and encourages community. I suppose intimacy is key, and I really feel like we’ve been cultivating that vision more and more with each show as we grow comfortable in our environment. Some of these songs strike a chord with me emotionally when we perform them and I can’t help but let that take over, seeing a face or two in the audience that responds similarly is powerful.
Every song has a different mood or tone, but one unique sound that unites each song to the other, and a message that is unmistakably pro-enlightenment. First, what were your musical influences, since I hear so many styles (pop punk, metal-core, space rock, etc) in the mix. 
That’s a great question. Our guitarists, Kaleb and Ryan played the biggest role in writing the music. They feed off of each other so well. Kaleb seems to enjoy interweaving some heavy breakdowns with beautiful chords. And Ryan has a background in worship music that is evident in a lot of the ambient parts. It’s a cool combination for sure, and their personal influences range from Ascend The Hill, to Underoath. Personally, Hundredth, and La Dispute were heavy on my playlist heading into the studio.
Second: It’s clear you have a message to deliver. While you touch on many thematic expressions, is there one overlying philosophy you hope people who listen to The Scenic Route walk away with?
It’s simple. Love, is the answer. And with love comes listening. I believe many issues in our world can be resolved peacefully if we put forth the effort to better understand the perspective of those we differ with. Often times, that allows us to find faults in our own practices and for common ground to be discovered.
“Row” is one of the standouts for me on The Scenic Route. “I need you to row” is a powerful plea for us to get our collective acts together. It may in fact become my mantra. In regards to these lyrics:
And it's wrong to broadly classify others as enemies. No rationalization solves this and clinging to hatred only clouds it further. These are commonplace ideas and I thought you were too exceptional for them. 
Can you clarify whether that last line is a form of sarcasm, or if there is a reference point for it that I’m missing? Who is “you” in this line, and what do you mean by “too exceptional?”
You definitely caught on. I speak with far too much sarcasm in my everyday life; I had to sneak one line in at least. In this particular line “you” is referring to whoever does what’s easiest in life, at the expense of others. Exploitation for political/economic gain, having enemies, and breeding hatred seems instinctive to human nature. Anyone who acknowledges their conscience knows that this negativity will take a toll on you in some way. But, choosing to pursue righteousness and admitting our faults will ultimately lead us on a path of reconciliation.
Sticking with “Row,” you stated on Facebook that it was written during the election cycle as a response to the division you were seeing. Now that cycle is over and a president-elect has been named, anger appears to be heightened. What message from “Row” do you think is most important for people to hear?
The song finishes with the line: “Your defenses are ruining who you are.” If I had to choose one line to slap on a bumper sticker, that’s it right there. It’s clear the president-elect needs this realization in his life. But, so do we who oppose him. It’s too easy to compromise what we stand for due to a perceived threat. 
Okay, still sticking with “Row,” it was recorded with and produced by Ricky Armellino of This or the Apocalypse. What’s your relationship with Ricky? How did you meet and how did he come to produce and contribute to your project?
In 2013, I was living in California. At that time I had started to express interest in forming a band. I then began an online search for vocal coaches. That’s how I discovered Ricky. We set up our first lesson to be in person at a TOTA show. But, en route to Southern California their van broke down and they had to miss a number of shows. Bummed out about our lesson being cancelled, I sent him a message pitching the idea of some sort of an internship for production/audio engineering. Surprisingly, he was down. Soon after, I packed my bags and drove out to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I’m not quite sure how seriously he took me as he seemed to almost have forgotten about the arrangement. We got along great and I was quickly learning a ton about music. But over time, we both realized my main interest was vocals. Being on the road with his band I gained a bit of knowledge about warming up, vocal technique, and delivery. Near the end of the “internship” I asked Ricky if he’d do the honors of producing the debut Conspire album. Six months down the road, we drove up north and recorded The Scenic Route. Three of the dudes came down with the flu while we were in the studio. I don’t think the record could have been completed without the healing companionship of Ricky’s corgi, Starks.
There are a few veiled evangelical terms that I picked up in a couple songs. From “Captive Son:” “I was called to love your worst enemies,” and from “1971:” “I was made brand new but that image wasn't you. Would you really put someone down, if you had the choice? Would you really put, really put someone down there?” Is this a call to question our beliefs or is the content stemming from your own upbringing?
Definitely a call to question our beliefs. For a while, I blindly followed an institution who in my opinion abuses the name of God as they focus more on furthering a political agenda rather than putting into practice the faith they proclaim. The track “1971” stems from this. 43 years prior to recording would have been 1971, the year in which Liberty University was founded. As mentioned before, I met Ryan while attending the school, and thoroughly enjoyed my time there. But, when the administration defended Donald Trump and the words he preached at convocation to “get even with others,” I’d had enough. This year he spoke there again, on MLK Day. Disgusted by how disrespectful that invitation was, I’ll leave on a positive note:
“The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, 
begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. 
Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it.
Through violence you may murder the liar, 
but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. 
Through violence you may murder the hater, 
but you do not murder hate. 
In fact, violence merely increases hate. 
So it goes. 
Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, 
adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. 
Darkness cannot drive out darkness: 
only light can do that. 
Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

If you missed Parts I or II of our coverage, click the links to read more about Conspire. 

Countdown to Shiprocked 2017: GET ON BOARD WITH ... The Official Pre-Party with Art of Dying and Stitched Up Heart

Written by Robin Ervolina
Shiprocked Alumni Art of Dying and Stitched Up Heart are as ready to get on the boat as we are. Join them on January 15th at The Wynwood Yard in Miami for the Official Pre-Party. Tickets available to cruisers only, and info can be found at Shiprocked.com. Miss it, and you'll miss the surprise performance ... which in Shiprocked world is a pretty big deal.

Sparrow Sleeps: Sparrow and Friends Start A Band!

Written by Robin Ervolina
‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring … because mom and dad were smart enough to play Sparrow and Friends Start a Band! at bedtime. Now ma in her kerchief and pa in his cap can sit down with some eggnog and breathe a sigh of relief, all thanks to Sparrow Sleeps, the brainchild of Casey Cole and Peter Lockhart.
Sparrow Sleeps made bedtime fun for tired parents and wound up kids by producing lullaby covers of punk/emo/pop punk songs. Their latest offering, Sparrow and Friends Start a Band! is geared towards kids ages 3-5 (aka the "I don't want to" age) and focuses on topics ranging from eating your veggies, counting to ten, and the most important work of a child, play.
But it's not just for kids, not even a little. I am grinning from ear to ear as Will Pugh from Cartel asks if he can sing a song about sports and playgrounds, and then launches into "I Want To Play." I'm, no kidding, a kid right now. When Nick Diener of The Swellers talks about "that funny space between" in "Shoe-Tying Machine" I'm dying. I wish Ace Ender's alphabet song could replace the one stuck in my brain. It's way cooler. God as my witness, "Sharing Is Cool" featuring Dan Lambton (Real Friends) and Joe Taylor (Knuckle Puck) is probably my current favorite song on my iTunes right now. Zech Pluister (Sleep On It) makes holding mom's hand cool for kids, while Matt Pryor (The Get Up Kids) makes farting cool for everyone. "You Can't Just Eat Sugar" has Kailynn West (Tiny Stills) and Tony Thaxston (Motion City Soundtrack) trying valiantly to convince kids to eat their veggies.
Play "Air Guitar' with Yellowcard's Ryan Key and learn to count to "10" with Mike Herrera (MXPX): "You probably already know how to count to four because a ton of punk bands do that at the beginning of their songs." Brush your teeth before bed with Nick Thompson, and then tuck yourself into your pillow and "rest your weary head" with Copeland's Aaron Marsh. You can do all this RIGHT NOW if your get your copy of Sparrow and Friends Start a Band! This recommendation is my gift to you ... erm to your kids. Yeah, your kids. That's what I meant. Totally.

Beasto Blanco: Beasto Blanco

Written by Robin Ervolina
The first guitar strains ring out like an anthem singing, “Rock’s not dead. Rock’s not dead.” Not that the faithful ever doubted, but for the fallen, Beasto Blanco returns to lead you out of the wilderness. 
Beast Blanco is fronted by Alice Cooper bassist Chuck Garric and features some pretty wicked vocals by Alice's daughter, Calico. This rock and royalty outfit released their first CD Live Fast, Die Loud in 2013, to wide-spread critical acclaim and earned the endorsement of some Hollywood heavy-hitters like Johnny Depp and Nicko McBrain. The eagerly anticipated self-titled Beasto Blanco was produced by Ryan Greene (Alice Cooper/Lita Ford/Mr. Big), and features 11 seductive tracks that have been burning my earbuds up since it dropped on 11/26/16.
Remember when drums pulled in a hook before the heavy riffs threw down? Remember guitar solos that ripped the roof off the stadium? This is that rock and roll. It’s not your mother’s rock, and it’s not your daughter’s rock. This is your rock, the roots of the horns we throw, the neck that dives the head into a full-on bang. It smells of fingertips singed by lighters held high in the air and it sounds very much like your bible camp counselor pleading with you to burn your Black Sabbath album. It’s beautiful, dirty, and alive. Garric's gritty vocals rumble the soul like a low-rider and push the music deep into your gut. Late for an appointment? Blast “Blind Drive” and you’ll make it in no time. Hungry? Crank up “Feed My Frankenstein” and feast on the brilliant cover by none other than the god-daughter of shock rock herself. For dessert, slip into something sexy and try a little “Honey.” You can spin this CD anyway you want: shuffle it, rip it apart song by song, or listen to it from cover to cover. What you can't do is listen to it quietly, or just once. Resurrection or manifestation, Beasto Blanco is proof that rock and roll is alive and kicking.