Tuesday 7 January 2014

RISING SON: An interview with Patrick from Red Crow!

 
Below is our interview with Patrick Currier, singer in Red Crow.
 
To stay up to date with future interviews like our facebook page at the following link - https://www.facebook.com/aldorabritainrecords
 

 
PART 1 - THE INTERVIEW
 
What is your earliest musical memory and what pushed you towards perusing a career in the music business?
 
"My first musical memory is hearing 'Here Comes The Sun' on cassette while sat in a light blue VW Beetle in my family's drive in California when I was a small child."
 
Had you been involved in any other bands or musical ventures before Red Crow?
 
"Yeah I've been in bands for years. My last band was called 'Lights Action' and it was a rock band. I was with them for about seven years or something...maybe longer. We released an EP and an album. Toured the country, etcetera. Before that I was in other rock bands of varying quality!"
 
How did Red Crow begin?
 
"I was doing solo shows with some of these songs, played a few of them just with our drummer Chris. But about a fortnight before one of these shows I decided I wanted to play the songs with a full band, so I called up a bunch of guys I barely knew and they all showed up and learnt the songs in a week! It was fortunate that we all got along so well really. Because it really is a gang of pirates to be honest."
 
Where did the name Red Crow come from?
 
"It's taken from a character in a graphic novel I like written by Jason Aaron. Red Crow is a Native American Chief who has essentially become the head of a crime family, he kind of exists in a sort of moral grey area and I find his character interesting. I have a bit of Abenaki blood in my ancestry, so I find Native American history and stories fascinating."
 
How would you describe the sound of Red Crow?
 
"It's like a mixture of traditional American folk styles (blues, country, mountain music, bluegrass) played with a lot of energy and passion. Because we play it kinda rocky it sounds a bit more contemporary than those styles do on their own. It's kinda a unique beast really. There's hints of jazz and Elvis in there too!"
 
Red Crow originally started a solo acoustic project. How has the increase in members affected your sound?
 
"It's given the songs a lot of dynamic scope really, which we try to exploit when we can. We like to be able to go from a whisper to an explosion and everywhere in between. The guys play loads of instruments too so we can add unique colours and voices to every track."
 
Your EP is called ‘Roots In The Soil’. Where did this name come from and why did you choose it as the title?
 
"If you look at the cover of the EP it's a drawing I did of a Native American. In the background is a prairie landscape but the ground is drawn to look like his thick hair. It's a visual metaphor about being connected to where you come from, to the soil and songs that raised you. Our sound is like that."
 
One of the tracks from this is ‘Rising Son’. What influenced this song and what is it about?
 
"That song is about not allowing knocks in the road, and the ending of things to stop you from creating new things. Just because one building collapses, doesn't mean you can't create something greater in it's place essentially. It's about change and creation."
 
Do you have any 'rituals' before you go on stage?
 
"Generally before I go onstage I'm pretty much unable to hold a conversation with anyone, almost the entire day before it. It's different when I'm on tour because you become desensitised...but certainly for a few hours beforehand I'm pretty much zoned out and thinking about the show. Usually the unintended ritual before the show is that I have to somehow find all the members of my band who will be scattered around the place enjoying themselves!"
 
Any live dates coming up?
 
"We'll be doing a bunch in 2014. Hopefully a few one or two week stints around the country as well. But in the front end we'll be doing spot shows around everywhere. I've already got shows coming in for Birmingham, Maidstone, Northampton, Oxford, Milton Keynes etcetera, etcetera. But can't announce when yet."
 
Any new songs in the pipeline?
 
"Honestly, we have thirteen songs we can already play live. Another two that are just about to reach that stage, and something like ten others that could be there in a matter of months. (Provided we buckle down). It's kinda crazy to be honest. In terms of recording. We are gonna record another track or two in the first part of the year"
 
When can fans expect the next official release?
 
"Spring I think would be a fair guess. A new single."
 
Who would be your dream collaboration?
 
"For us? I'd love to work with Rick Rubin."
 
Who would be in your dream super group?
 
"I dunno if super groups ever really work to be honest. I've yet to see one that lives up to the sum of it's parts."
 
 
PART 2 - THE QUICKFIRE ROUND
 
Favourite Beatle?
 
"Musically - Paul, vibe - George."
 
Favourite band?
 
"Either Fleetwood Mac or nineties era Smashing Pumpkins. Chris our drummer I know would say Pixies."
 
Favourite new band?
 
"Red Crow!"
 
Favourite song?
 
"Blackbird by The Beatles."
 
Favourite album?
 
"Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness - Smashing Pumpkins."
 
Vinyl, CD or download?
 
"Vinyl for love, CD for really like, download for just checking something out."
 
Style icon?
 
"Johnny Cash."
 
Favourite clothing brand?
 
"Don't really follow brands."
 
Favourite film?
 
"La Vita Bella."
 
Favourite TV show?
 
"Sopranos."
 
Who would play you in a film of your life?
 
"Joseph Gordon-Levitt."
 
Favourite food?
 
"Humus."
 
Football team?
 
"I don't follow football. Some of the other guys do, but not me."
 
 
Hope you enjoyed this feature on Red Crow! Check out our previous feature on Xylaroo!
 
Check out Red Crow here - http://redcrowtheband.tumblr.com/
 
You can also like our facebook page to keep up to date with all future interviews at the following link - https://www.facebook.com/aldorabritainrecords
 
AB RECORDS

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