If I had to highlight a band and/or an album each month, no doubt I would have choosen BITTER RESOLVE for the month of February... Their debut album "Bows and Arrows Against the Lightning" has really had a strong impact on me over the past weeks, with this heady kind of Cosmic and Progressive Stoner/Doom.
This trio from Chapel Hill (North Carolina) like to describe their music as "free" and indeed, even if the influences of classics as Sabbath or St Vitus are predominant, it can be the exact word to underline their affection for progressive melodies and cosmic epicness ! This is truely creative stuff that deserves a wider echo immediately, so listen this awesome fuzziness and support them !
I've asked a few questions to Rob (bass) and Lauren (drums), thanx to them for this pretty interesting result...
* First, let's speak about the sound/production of the album which seems to get mixed reception... Would you change something on it or do you just think (like me) that people who don't enjoy it simply don't understand how should sound some DIY fuzzy and crushing doom stuff ?
Rob: Well, we recorded that record with our buddy, Matt Park, for free. we come from a DIY background. I like it. We like it. I think it's a good freshmen effort.
Lauren: i think it sounds good as well. i definitely want to perfect my snare sound on the next record. but other than that, i think it sounds pretty right, especially considering i had only been playing with rob and corey for a little over a month when we recorded it. also considering it was recorded in a tiny little room at matt's house, i was pleased to get what we did.
* What does the band's name represent... your state of mind towards the world you live in or anything more precise and easier to resolve ?!
R: Good question, Corey came up with the name.
Lauren: i would imagine it's pretty obvious. i think it's kind of funny though, for two reasons. one, corey is one of the happier guys i know....not jaded, very enthusiastic and optimistic. the other thing is i think i've become more bitter since i joined the band.. haha!
* What kind of deal did you get with Strengelet/Ozium rds ? This is a rather small and unknown label, are you satisfied with their work (promotion...) ? How did you come to work with ProgSphere for the promotion ?
R: We send them records, they buy them and sell them in Europe. We hooked up with Prog-Shpere online...we both liked the same sort of music. We appreciate anybody willing to lend us a hand.
* While you seem to be very much interested in astronomical sciences, the titles of your songs are rather intriguing... do they reflect this centre of interest ?
R: I have always been a bit of a nerd. I love the stars. The songs, lyrically are kind of an observation of the utter darkness that is human nature. The need to control. Lies. Violence. The need for the strong to dominate the weak, but at the same time, the search for hope. I believe there has to be some kind of light in the dark. We really could use some hope these days.
Lauren: the one regret i have in life is not becoming an astronaut.
* Is North Carolina enough in the North to be subject to aurora borealis, magnetic storm or any other particular astronomical phenomenons and/or did you ever attend any of those phenomenons in other parts of the globe (Canada...) ? I've attented an aurora borealis in Quebec in 1997 ,a magnetic storm above the sea in Nova Scotia in 99 and a solar eclipse in Normandy the same year, some of the best moments I have ever lived in harmony with nature along with watching whales or icebergs... how do you enjoy this passion and lived moments ? Did you study and/or are yo working in that branch ?
R: Man, I don't think we are far enough north to see the Northern Lights. I never have seen them...one of these days...
Lauren: i wish to witness such spectacular events one day as well. perhaps this winter.
* About the cover and the title of the album... what do they reflect and imply ?
R : The album title,"Bows and arrows against the Lightning" is a quote from H.G. Wells', The War of the Worlds. the Artilleryman is telling The Journalist about the heat ray and how nothing on Earth can stand up to it. with the image of the Earth cracking apart on the record, I imagine the inhabitants have tried to stop the inevitable, but alas, to no avail. Bows and arrows against the lightning.
* To what looks like "a day without fairies" ? Do you think that some kind of fairies or superior spiritual forces have an eye on humans to not let them destroy the earth too quickly ?!
R: Well, you know what they say.."A day without fairies, is like a day without sunshine."
Lauren: i believe that it is true that fairies are overseeing the humans. they may be disguised as good guys helping the bad guys be good.
* If in just 10 seconds you had to make the following 2 choices :
a song from the album for a compilation that would have a major diffusion, which one would it be ?
a song to remove from the album ?
R: I think our favorite song on the Record is "A day without Fairies"
Lauren: my favorite is a day without fairies too. least favorite, large hadron collider.
* What does represent the image/avatar of BITTER RESOLVE ? Pretty singularly it includes your three surnames and in bigger caracters than the band's name... why that ?
R: The logo is a riff on the NASA mission patch from ... The first manned Gemini mission launched on March 23, 1965. Though the official documentation called it Gemini-Titan 3, Gus Grissom had named the spacecraft the Molly Brown. NASA Public Relations hated it but the name was all over the newspapers after the Houston Capcom gave them the send-off, "You're on your way, Molly Brown!" The mission was a success. After Grissom and Young splashed down, Kraft went to Slayton and cut a deal. The astronauts would be in charge of the spacecraft and Mission Control would be in charge of the mission. Hunter was transferred to the Goddard Space Flight Center and became the Madrid tracking station manager during Apollo. During the post-mission debriefing, Kranz got up on the stage and gave a speech about discipline and control. Thinking back on it years later, Kranz conceded that it was a wonder that more fistfights didn't break out during the race to the moon.....we just changed the names on the patch...Also, the three of us are bigger than the band (to answer your question as to why our names are bigger than the band name). We are friends.
Lauren: i never really thought about that before, the size of our names, but i guess i would agree. band names are sort of silly. it's really about the people in the band.
* Lauren, You're a woman playing in a Doom/Stoner/psychedelic band, how do people react about that ? How do you feel behind your drums when being on stage, certainly more free from the look of others compared to a position as vocalist that could focus a lot more attention ... ? Music in general and extreme music in particular can often be considered as a kind of outlet, do you think it could be even more true for you towards your position behind the drums, you know, the need and relief to hammer... ?!
Lauren: for the most part people are pretty cool. i hope people don't think too much about the girl drummer thing. last month in athens, georgia, i had to endure an unfortunate conversation about how this guy never really accepted women playing sports or music or doing other male dominated activities. and then finally one day he had an experience that made him see that it was okay for woman to play loud music. i believe he said something like "then finally i saw this one chick playing the bass and i was shocked. i was really turned on. from then on, women playing loud music is pretty hot to me." there's nothing you can really say to fix that guy. i mean, he rejected strong women his whole life until one day he decided they were hot...come on, dude.
* Are you the kind of girl that has always been considered as a tomboy ? Do you assume a part of femininity brought to BITTER RESOLVE ?
Lauren: yes, i have always been a tomboy. i think that the amount of femininity shown when i play drums with bitter resolve is probably equal to the amount shown when i'm walking down the street. no more, no less.
* There's some nice pyschedelic/Spacey overtones in your music, are they introduced naturally or do you need a reflection to find the most particular and appropriated moments to reveal their full caracter in an overall that remains dark and crushing ?
R: The world is dark and crushing. Why not get a little spaced out?
* How has been the response to the album so far ? Outside the States, where do you get the most interest from ?
R: So far, so good. the record came out last July. we have only been together for a year. We've done a good amount of shows. we really would like to come over to Europe, I feel there is a great fan-base for what we do there.
* I've got the feeling that you don't play live that often, what about live performances ... ? Any other bands you're good friends with which you could organized a tour or something together ?
R: Actually, we play a good bit..we've done a few small tours, and a whole bunch of one-off shows. There is a great community of heavy bands here in our region. we all play shows together.
* Could you tell something about new songs ? What are the next plans for the band ?
R: Right now we are working on our second record. we have three out of six songs ready to go. we are talking about where to record, who is going to do it. I feel like now, after being together for a year, we are moving forward. I really like the new songs and I really like the new ideas for the remaining three songs. we are looking forward to getting to work on it.
* Ok, thanx a lot for your time and all the best to BITTER RESOLVE... add something you feel imporant that I may have forgotten, cheers
R: Hey man, Thank You!! We really appreciate it! Take care, and who knows...maybe we'll see you soon.
Lauren: yes, thanks so much!
