Heavy metal rock n' rollers CORNERS OF SANCTUARY have recently had a line-up change, plus released new music in the form of a single turned video for the track "Dreamers". That track will be included on the upcoming yet to be released new album "The Galloping Hordes". Guitarist Mick Michael discusses the line-up change to the band, their new single and video, as well as the new album with plans on playing more shows and tours as well!
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Mick Michaels: Corners of Sanctuary formed in early 2011 after being involved in a reunion project with a band called Seeker. During the reunion we started talking about doing a new projected that reflected more of our musical roots. We wanted to do songs we felt we weren’t hearing at that time… a return to form for us so to speak. Originally, we were a three piece, James on bass and me on guitar with vocals being handled by our drummer at the time Sean. This worked great in the studio, just did not translate so well in a live setting. So in late 2013 we brought in Frankie for the lead singer position. In 2016 we replaced our original drummer with Mad T. T had already been working with the band behind the scenes for several years including co-writing a handful of songs and filling on drums for a number of shows dating back to 2014. This past August we brought in new lead vocalist Treese Logan.
2. What’s the story behind the band’s name?
MM: “Corners of Sanctuary” are places that each of us can go to be ourselves without fear of judgment or ridicule – we can just be who we are. Anything or place can be a “corner of sanctuary” – it can also be a state of mind, thus, a state of being. For us, music is a “corner of sanctuary” and we want to share that with others in the hope that they may find our music a “corner of sanctuary”.
3. How would you describe your style, to someone who has never heard your style before?
MM: We have been billing ourselves as New Wave of Traditional American Heavy Metal. In reality it is all just Heavy Metal…it’s like being on a roller coaster, you think you know what you are in for until you are on the tracks and heading for your first downhill run… there’s twists and turns and ups and downs. The music keeps your head rocking and your foot stomping!
4. Can you briefly tell me as to why you parted ways with singer Frankie Cross?
MM: Times change and so do people… after a while goals and priorities shift. These types of things can begin to have a dramatic effect on a band and the music. To reach new heights, sometimes you have to take a chance and make a change. We look at change as a positive thing… yeah it shakes things up a bit, but that’s the point… can’t knock down a wall without kicking up some dust.
5. Since departing you replaced him with a her named Treese Logan. So then how do you go about finding a new member that you know clicks with the band and meshes well with your music?
MM: There are a lot of factors involved in finding a new member… some weigh heavier than others and some you just won’t know until you put the time in. So as a band, we start with what works best for the music. We auditioned a handful of people… all different style styles, male and female. Again, it came down to what worked best for the music and Treese was the one.
6. What can be said about the new track titled "Dreams"?
MM: “Dreams” is not a typical Corners of Sanctuary song… and we knew that going into it. We wanted to try something different and are open to exploring and experimenting with various ways of creating music… doing a standalone single gives us that freedom to test the waters. I think the song is great and having Kayla on vocals was the icing on the cake. It’s a dark song with a lot of depth… and it creates additional opportunities for us down the line in terms of style and collaboration.
7. How about the accompanying video for the same track "Dreams", what is the concept behind it?
MM: The video gave us a chance to further develop the initial concept of the song which depicts a person’s journey into the dream world as a way to escape. The video relays that but also hints at the blurring of lines between one reality and another. There are points in the video that suggest that this person may not be able to make a distinction anymore between what is real and what is fantasy. However, internally, a spiritual guide was created to help lead the way and to reassure things would be alright. We wanted to do something low budget and campy. Girl watches old sci-fi movie on UHF… falls asleep and dreams. Over time the dream becomes a nightmare… girl wakes up… or does she?8. Besides this new song and video, what else do you have in terms of "new" music?
MM: In March we released an EP titled “Cut Your Losses” and we recently completed work on our next album “The Galloping Hordes”. We are hoping to have the album out in the coming months. We are also recording on a new single that will feature Treese on vocals… so look for that sometime soon.
9. When can we expect to hear more new music from this new album?
MM: We already include the title track “The Galloping Hordes” in our live set. So catching us live is always an option. At the moment, we are in the process of finalizing releasing opportunities for the new record and hope to have some release dates available soon.
10. What does next year hold for Corners of Sanctuary?
MM: More music… more shows… We have our sights set on performing a string of shows in Europe. Plus we are talking with some organizations about heading in to Canada in 2018. We will see.
11. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
MM: Head on over to www.cornersofsanctuary.com. Everything you need can be found there: music, merch, videos, show dates, and even sign up for our newsletter.
12. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
MM: That they enjoyed it and want some more!
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