Darkstone Crows formed, not that long ago, going through line-up changes, writing material then recording said material, for a few releases, including their most recent self-titled EP release. They have already been hard at work, writing material towards their debut full-length album, with plans on releasing more new stuff soon enough. See what the band had to say about themselves and this EP release and the future ahead.
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Band history: The band was formed in January 2014 by Jiv and Elle, through a program at a music school they were both attending. They ran through a rigorous process of lineup switches over the next year, with our bassist Russ joining in July, our first guitarist Adam joining in January 2015, and drummer Matt joining in February 2015. We recorded a four track EP between April and June 2015 and toured that album heavily over the summer and fall. Nick replaced Adam in January 2016 and we began work on our second album, while still maintaining a presence on the live circuit and online.
Some random facts about our members: Jiv and Russ were both born outside of Canada, in South Africa and Switzerland, respectively. Elle has been singing classical music since the age of 4, as well as progressing into other forms of singing including jazz, before she discovered heavier rock and metal. Nick used to bully Matt in high school, but was unsuccessful because "he was just to happy and pleasant". They formed a band together prior to being involved with Darkstone Crows.
2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?
Darkstone Crows was originally Dark Storm Crows, but Jiv (our guitarist) stumbled over her words one day, and said "Darkstone" and it stuck.
3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
Toronto/Mississauga/Oakville, Ontario. The Canadian music scene has been exploding as of late, with huge stars like Drake and The Weekend taking over and drawing all sorts of attention toward the city. It's definitely a strong scene, in terms of the metal community, there's a lot on offer. We always give shout outs to our friends in Odd Ones (they're dropping an album soon!)!
4. How would you describe your style?Alternative metal, we are definitely not the norm for the kind of bands we play with. Elle's powerful, clean vocals dominate the heavy guitar sounds, the drums are not always straightforward machine gun double kicks, and we don't have breakdowns every 20 seconds. Especially with Nick now in the band, our sound is gaining shape and depth. He and Jiv are great guitarists, and their ideas are drastically different as they're from totally opposite backgrounds. Russ is very much the kind of bassist to lay a foundation and allow the guitars to interplay between each other, so his sound is massive, filling out the low end thunderously. Matt has an excellent sense of genre fluidity, fusing pop and rock elements into his solid metal drumming.
5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?
One self-titled 4 track EP in June 2015, which can be streamed on our YouTube and bandcamp.com. This is a raw, hard-hitting album, the production was great (Dr. Sean Gregory, TRH Studios), and they are four honest tracks that perfectly illustrate our sound at that point. Hard rock, blues-based sound, blistering solos and crushing rhythm.
6. Do you have any new music in the works?
We are currently writing and recording our new, self-produced full-length album, though we are aiming to release something this Fall.
7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?
We have done all our own booking and touring independently up to this point, but we will be upgrading that particular planning aspect in the very near future as we try to branch outwards. So far we haven't had much trouble with any of our travels and booking, it's very straightforward stuff that every band should at least learn about and understand, it is invaluable knowledge.
8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
Touring and writing. We want to break into America and Europe sooner rather than later, those scenes are massive and as a band you have to grow constantly or wither away.
9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?At any of our live shows, of course. But for those of you who are more tech savvy, you can listen to our music on YouTube, iTunes, Spotify, and Bandcamp. Additionally you can purchase our music from https://darkstonecrows.bandcamp.com/.
10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
Remember that art is up for interpretation. It is created to express emotion, feeling, events, trauma, anything capable of being express. It can be critiqued, it can be loved, hated, reviled, condemned, or exalted. But it is up to you as a listener to decide how you will absorb it. On that note, please enjoy!
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