E: The Snake The Cross The Crown, only so recently signed to Equal Vision records, has been experiencing a good amount of recognition since the release of its debut EP Like a Moth Before a Flame. How important was the success of this EP to the band's career?
Kevin: Well, first off, the success of the EP has been the reviews that it's received thus far. But as far as sales are concerned, the EP has earned only moderate success. The EP served its purpose by displaying our ability to write and record songs as well as putting the name out among the public. Luckily, people enjoyed the EP, and it did help us find a label to put out the full-length. I guess you could say the EP's success is the fact that we have a career.
E: What sort of reaction have you seen to the band's songs when performing them live?
Kevin: The normal stand-and-stare for the most part, though people have started complimenting the set more often as of late. We've played relatively few shows since the EP was released.
E: Should fans expect the album to be the band's defining sound for the rest of your career, or will there be any notable changes over the next few releases?
Kevin: I think we're at an early stage in whatever career we may have, and I hope that we can improve both technically and creatively enough that each album is unique.
E: Where do you think the band's unique style and sound come from?
Kevin: Well, we have diverse musical tastes, as most bands do, and we do our best to be creative. Personally I think the fact that uniqueness is so "unique" is more a reflection of the music industry turning music into a business rather than an art. Bands are plucked up before they have time to develop their own personal style or sound in hope of cashing in on whatever is hot at the time. I think every band has a unique style and sound that can grow more noticeable over time.
E: In what ways could music be referred to as an art form? Is music harder or easier to make sincere?
Kevin: I've always approached music as something that is inherently an art form. I think it takes insincere motives to render it otherwise. Basically, I think it's very easy to make music sincere, but at the same time, equally as easy to make insincere... especially with musicians having reached celebrity status. It's all a matter of self-awareness.
E: How did things with the band change when you transitioned from being exclusively on Waste of Time Records to becoming a member of Equal Vision?
Kevin: Well, we were afforded the opportunity to make a record without putting the money up front, which was nice. We have deadlines and that sort of thing, but otherwise it's not so different-- just different faces and things are on a slightly larger scale than before.
E: Have your greatest loves for being in a band changed in any way since you started?
Kevin: Yes, definitely. When we started we just wanted to have fun and make records for the sake of making records. We wanted them to be well-received and we wanted people to come to shows. We basically wanted to be moderately successful and have fun and make music of a certain type that was ideal to us when we were in high school. But as we grew up, we became aware of more and more music and continued to find new things that inspired us to write new music. Now, I think we like nothing better than just being together and playing music that we feel is moving.
E: If someone is hoping to be in a band full-time one day, what should their aspirations be?
Kevin: I think that's a personal thing. What a band should aspire to be is difficult to answer. I think I'm trying to figure that one out myself.
E: Well, thanks for taking the time to talk. Anything else to you can think of to say?
Kevin: Listen to Miles Davis while eating s'mores if you get the chance. |
