Divot is a 3 piece band that was formed in early 2011 in Elmira, NY. Heavily influenced by bands like Chevelle, Deftones, Korn, Tool, and Linkin Park, Divot stays true to their musical roots combining heavy, straight forward guitar riffs with melodic vocal lines and hard hitting drum grooves. The band is known for their intense and energetic live performances that can only be described by those who have seen them perform. After only 2 years of playing together, Divot has performed many shows across New York and Pennsylvania and has shared the stage with national acts including Art of Dying, Nonpoints, Candlelight Red, Hawthorne Heights, Madina Lake, Psychostick, along with many other talented regional acts. The band took some time to discuss with us the new music they have been working on and will be releasing soon!
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Hey Natalie, thanks for having us! The band has been around for a little over 2 years. Historically speaking, Paul and I have been in the band since the beginning. We have tried out a few drummers and even experimented with having a second guitarist, but our current drummer Jeff joined the band at the beginning of 2013 and was the missing piece to our little 3 piece puzzle!
2. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
The band is based out of Elmira, NY. There is not much of a music scene around here to be quite honest and we typically have to travel to play good shows! Local bands to check out are Valhalla, Burden My Surrender, and Lila Ignite. Check them out!
3. Why did you want to go and call yourselves Divot?
I wish we had a cool reason, but we don’t, so I’m going to make one up. We are all avid golf freaks.
4. How would you describe your style? Which bands influenced your music?
I think it’s safe to say we are some style of hard rock but I like to leave the whole genre defining stuff to whoever listens to us, it’s not really for us to decide. We just write what feels right. Our biggest influences are Deftones, Chevelle, and Tool. There’s so many others, but I think those three bands are the most apparent.
5. What lyrical theme do you guys use in your music? What message do you want to send?
Every song has its own message. We tend to be a moody band musically, so it’s difficult to pinpoint one message to get across with so many different vibes. I just like to write about whatever the music makes me feel.
6. How has the band’s sound evolved from your debut EP onto this new EP?
I think our patience with this new EP has helped us really define what style of music we are going for. The first EP was rushed because we really wanted to get something out for people to hear. This new one we took a lot longer getting everything exactly how we wanted it. I think the new music is more straight forward in a sense and there is a lot more feeling put into the music.
9. Who is producing the EP? How has the producer aided the recording process?
We self-produced the new EP, actually! It was frustrating at times but I think it was for the best both financially and musically. It allowed us to really let the music evolve with patience instead of being on a deadline.
10. Where did you record the EP?
We recorded most of it in Jeff’s basement, but it’s a great sounding, finished basement. Not a typical basement! We recorded everything down there except for the drums which we recorded at Big Time Studios in Interlaken, NY.
11. What label will be releasing it?
As of now, we are releasing it independently, but that could always change if the single comes out strong.
12. What title did you decide to go with choose this release?
We haven’t decided on one yet quite honestly, but we have ideas.
13. Did the band have any definitive goals they were shooting for before the recording process began for this release?
We just wanted to put out an awesome collection of music that best represented where the band is at.
14. Are you using any new instrumentation you've never used in the recording process before?
We are playing around with a few things, but being 3 piece band, we have to be careful with what we include in the songs because we want to be able to replicate the music live.
15. When did you start writing for this release? How was the songwriting process different/similar to previous Divot releases?
The writing started immediately after the release of the first EP. We have gone through a bunch of different songs that didn't make it onto the EP. It was tough choosing our favorites out of about 30 different songs!
16. Your debut EP was a success. Do you feel any pressure to follow it up?
Not really. All three of us really believe in this EP and we know that the music is stronger than the first release.
17. When can we expect the new album to be released?
We are hoping to have it out by October of 2013!
18. What plans do you guys have lined up for the rest of this year?
We will be playing shows wherever possible, promoting the new music, and trying to find a label that believes in us as much as we do!
19. Any final words of wisdom?
Don’t talk shit to bears.
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