Having had released two LP’s “Translucent Hymns” (2009), and “Let Now The Dead Come Alive” (2010) and now an EP “Moth In The Mirror”, California locals Still Phantoms guitarist James Greenwood says that this EP differs from their previous releases for several reason, one is due to them getting new members a drummer and a frontwomen and the other is because their sound has been solidified by their genre known as “cinematic rock” having a very dynamic but theatrical approach. Guitarist James Greenwood goes into detail about the band’s EP and what else they have lined up for the remainder of this year leading right into the next.
1. So tell me about the new EP, how does it differ from your previous releases?
James: Our EP is called “Moth In The Mirror”. It’s a 7 track CD that contains material that we wrote in late 2010. The EP differs from previous releases because there are new members in the band now and we have solidified our sound as a band. We call our genre “cinematic rock” because our music is very dynamic and theatrical, like a movie score.
2. Speaking of releases how many releases does Still Phantoms currently have?
James: We currently have three releases. “Translucent Hymns” (2009), “Let Now The Dead Come Alive” (2010) and “Moth In The Mirror” (2011). All of these releases are available for download on major online retailers such as iTunes and Amazon MP3.3. You mentioned you have some new members so who are the newbies and how are they adjusting to the group?
James: Tiffany Milling is our vocalist and Randy Howard is our drummer. They’ve adjusted to the band very well. We all love to create music together and our chemistry with them is fluid. The original members still in the group are James Greenwood on guitar, Matt Scully on keyboard and Frank Ruiz on bass guitar.
4. Do you think that with these new members that this is it or do you think something will pop up?
James: This is our lineup and we want it to remain the same.
5. How would you describe the overall sound of the new EP?
James: The sound of “Moth In The Mirror” is very theatric, dramatic, dark, edgy, big, powerful and epic. Tiffany’s vocals are reminiscent of Evanescence’s Amy Lee.
6. Did the band have any definitive goals they were shooting for before the recording process began for this EP?
James: Our goals were to put out the record online in 2011, which we have done.
7. Are you using any new instrumentation you've never used in the recording process before?
James: Our instrumentation is the same on this record as it has been on the last two. Vocals, guitar, bass, keyboard and drums are the instrumentation.
8. When did you start writing for this EP? How was the songwriting process different/similar to previous Still Phantoms releases?
James: We began writing for this EP in late 2010. Since getting 2 new members in late 2010, we were all very excited to record our new material. We meshed so well with Tiffany and Randy and the material just flowed so cohesively.
9. Can you go into one or two tracks on the new EP? If so, can you give us the track title and brief description of how the track sounds and how it came about?
James: One track on the EP is called “The Red”. This song is a hip hop beat for the verses then turns into a huge rock beat for the choruses. This song has powerful guitar, screaming strings from the keyboard and rumbling bass lines. The vocals soar over the music. Listen to the lyrics and make an interpretation. We don’t want to tell our fans what to think of a song, we want them to think for themselves and come up with their own definitions.
10. How was the vibe in the studio?
James: We made demos in our home studio in Garden Grove, California before entering the studio to track drums and vocals. After we finished at our home studio, we went in and recorded drums and vocals with Eugene Pererras (Home Grown, New Years Day, Sound Of Animals Fighting). Eugene also mixed the EP.
11. Have you been road testing any of the new material? If so, how have audiences reacted to the new material?
James: We’ve played these songs since we wrote them back in late 2010 and the response has been great so far. We’re proud of these songs and we hope that people will enjoy listening to them.
12. Are you worried about how the new tracks will translate live?
James: Our material has always translated very well live. When we play a live show, our songs sound very big and definitely capture what we’re trying to convey.
13. What about the upcoming holiday season do you all plan on celebrating? How about New Years, do you have any New Year's resolutions?James: For New Years, we plan to bring in the New Year by being productive. This isn’t really a “resolution”, but we want to keep going forward and make music.
14. What can we expect from Still Phantoms between now and the New Year?
James: We’re promoting our album that was just released, play shows and make some strong connections within the music industry.
15. Is there anything else you'd like to say?
James: We’d like to say thank you to all of the people who are reading this interview and support our band. We make music for you and we love to be connected to you. Please check out our new record “Moth In The Mirror” on iTunes, Amazon MP3 and many more online retailers. Please visit our Facebook at www.listn.to/stillphantoms
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