Darkstone Crows interview! AWESOME metal band from Toronto, Canada!

DARKSTONE

Who is answering the questions?

Russ, our bassist, handles all the online interviews, although he consults with the entire band on questions that are based upon the individual.

Can you tell us about the formation of Darkstone Crows?

Darkstone Crows formed initially as a band called “Pariah” in January of 2014. Jiv (Guitar) and Elle (Vocals) met each other in the Band Chops program at Merriam Institute of Music in Oakville, Ontario. That’s where it all started, although we changed the name for marketing reasons and lineup changes were heavy for a while with Russ replacing two previous bassists. We got our lineup solidified initially around February 2015 when Matt joined on drums, and then in January 2016 Nick replaced our original lead guitarist.

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How did you get to the band name Darkstone Crows, and what does it mean to you?

It was pretty much a happy accident, the original name was Dark Storm Crows, but Jiv messed up her words one day and said Darkstone Crows instead, and it stuck nicely. As for a meaning, that’s still kind of up in the air. We were dead set on “Crows”, they set an image of morbidity or darkness that we wanted to propagate, keep that eerie vibe going on. Russ has always related “Darkstone” to the far side of the moon, hence the crescent shaped, tribal moon that encircles the crow in our logo. The funny story about that logo is that it was first printed on one of Russ’ custom denim vests before we even considered the name change. Could it have been destiny?

To an unfamiliar reader, how would you describe your sound?

Female-fronted alternative metal. We work very hard to be both accessible and unique simultaneously, so a lot of our songs are catchy, but in non-traditional ways. Mixing elements of pop, prog, and thrash/groove into our rock/metal base, and then tossing Elle’s powerful voice into the mix has given us a lot of breathing room to work with. I’d recommend expecting the unexpected, but still being able to bang your head to it.

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What bands have influenced you over the years, and why?

Lamb of God, Periphery, Tool, Slipknot, Avenged Sevenfold are the big five. With the latter two (Slipknot/A7X) their live shows are off the chain. Big theatrical acts who don’t sacrifice musicianship to enlarge their performances, but meld the two aspects together so well. It’s almost impossible to not be entertained and satisfied when watching those bands perform. Lamb of God is straight groove and crushing thrash metal, the aggression is palpable and it’s impossible to not be carried away with that freight train of sound blasting you flat against a wall. Periphery have influenced tighter guitar work, lusher soundscapes and interplay between instruments, as well as a smoother approach to our writing and production techniques. Tool is just mind-boggling at times, and simply well put-together arrangements, touching on incredibly confusing time signatures and experimental lyrics.

What made you want to have your EP be self-titled?

Just the honesty of it. It was our first offering, it would come to define our sound for the better part of a year, it was the most stripped-down, basic concept of who we were as musicians at the dawn of our career. Of course, there was the issue of not being able to necessarily agree on a specific title as well, but that was definitely a secondary issue.

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Can you elaborate on some of the main themes and influences that run throughout your self-titled EP?

Just raw expression. The songs on that EP were written at the beginning of the awakening over police brutality in North America, with Michael Brown and Sammy Yatim’s murders in Toronto, and the subsequent aquittal of the officers involved; as well as the closing of Canada’s chapter in the middle east conflict that began with the 9/11 attacks. Our two opening tracks respectively address those topics (“Hell to Pay” and “Sidewinder”). “Deadhead” is simply a song about living on the streets as a young adult or teenager. “Fathoms” breaks the mold of social injustices, it is a song written for the people who come to our shows and go nuts, know all the words to our songs and sing them, and take time out of their evenings to wish us well or tell us they liked a particular song. It’s our way of acknowledging them, all our friends, family, and fans are so important to us. We’d be nowhere without them. So as the song says “Sing it to me/Scream loud…we feed off/the raging crowd”.

What can you tell us about the recording process for your self-titled EP?

Very bare bones kind of recording. All live amps, drums, bass, two guitars, one overdub, and then vocals. All of it was done at The Recording House in Scarborough, ON by Dr. Sean Gregory. It wasn’t a long process, we were in and out in a matter of three weeks, and had the hard copies of the album two weeks after that. There was a certain urgency with that first album, we needed something to show promoters and label reps that we weren’t messing around, and we also wanted our fans to have something to take away from our shows as well.

 

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What song means the most to you from your self-titled EP at the moment, and why?

For my part, “Fathoms” hits a real chord in my head. It’s catchy, it’s fun, it’s an honest homage to our wicked fans.

What songs are you really enjoying playing live from your self-titled EP at the moment, and why?

At the moment, “Hell to Pay” “Sidewinder” and “Fathoms” are all still integral parts of our set. As with any material you’ve been playing for a while, you must constantly find inspiration to keep them interesting. These are songs that were written about certain events, but they transcend that to have a deeper core meaning, I think that is the essence of why they are still cool parts of our live set.

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What was the hardest part about putting your self-titled EP together for you guys, and why?

Definitely getting the third party resources for physical CD production to keep up with our deadlines. The CDs and shirts were almost late arriving, we almost didn’t have them in time for the release party. Of course money is always a daunting thing to consider, but we were lucky in that respect to have managed our’s effectively and in a way that would cycle back to the band in time.

What can you tell us about your latest single?

Well, it hasn’t been released yet, but you can bet that when it is released it’s going to be a killer. The new material is on a higher level than the first EP’s in every way. We spent much more time and effort on each track, our pre- and post-production work was more diligent, we went for a more professional sound than the rawness of our debut.

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How did the artwork for your self-titled EP come together, and what does it mean to you?

Again, just a raw, back alley grit sort of feel. It’s very bland on purpose, the dull grey bricks reminiscent of dungeon walls. Our logo spray tagged on the wall just added a rebellious, urban feel, again just that gritty, almost punk element added to the mood of the album. It’s definitely cover art that masks the fury and passion of it’s content.

Touring wise, can you give us a couple of personal highlights from your time on the road?

Oshawa and Peterborough for sure. Two great, down-to-earth towns in southern Ontario that welcomed us with open arms, and open doors in some cases. The crowds there are insane and they really make a touring band feel at home. Our foray from Toronto to Pembrooke (9hr drive, one way) and back in less than 24hrs was nothing short of epic. We drove 18hrs to be interviewed on air for 4hrs, and the DJ Mega Mike was just such a cool, upstanding guy with a serious 1st edition vinyl collection.

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How would you say the sound of Darkstone Crows has grown/progressed over the years?

Progressed is a great word to use because we have all progressed as people, musicians, and friends through the last couple years. Our sound started very blues-rock based, and still has some of those elements, but now we’re incorporating a fair bit of progressive and heavier music stylizing.

What sets you apart from any other band out there right now?

We aren’t a metalcore or death metal band, no that there’s anything wrong with any style, but those two in particular literally inundate Toronto’s heavy music scene. We are just a heavy band, we don’t use those hardcore breakdowns every 20 seconds, our singer actually knows how to deliver powerful, full, non-nasally vocals. We strongly focus on melody, not just mindlessly chugging out riffs on the lowest string we can use, that’s kind of our thing.

What is the music scene like in Toronto?

You see a lot of Drake and the Weeknd, the scene is kind of blowing up right now, but definitely more so on the Top 40 front. But one thing leads to another of course, there’s simply a lot of activity going on, lots of buzz. There’s bands coming up with a lot of drive and people are getting noticed, it’s pretty exciting once you knid of get your foot in the door.

What else can we expect to see from Darkstone Crows in 2016?

Plenty of surprises, we’re hoping to get this album out and shoot either some music videos or maybe do some YouTube covers to dust off our chops. Definitely a good plan to follow our Facebook, Bandcamp, Twitter and Instagram ( @darkstonecrows ), we’re always dropping some fun stuff for your viewing pleasure.