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If you're not familiar with Crejuvent, you'll definitely be acquainted by the end of this interview. His music is straightforward extreme metal, entirely solo along with some occasional guest appearances from other musicians to help flesh out his ideas into something that is truly out of this world and off the reservation. Here is my chat with him:
Give us your names and roles in the band?
My name is Freddy and I do all sorts of cool shit in this project. I play all instruments, produce, engineer, manage, head chef, assistant vice executor of chief stapling, the usual.
Take us behind the formation of the project?
Normally this question warrants a deeply existential and smart-ass answer, but it’s way too early for that right now. So instead I will make a meager attempt to actually answer the question. Basically I wanted to do my own shit without having anybody tell me what to do, musically or otherwise. I wanted a completely selfish project that allowed me to fully explore the depths of my artistic endeavours. Because fuck other people.
Describe your musical influences that really made you want to get into music?
Well, like most young adults growing up in the late 00’s, I was a young lad when I first discovered bands such as Korn, Slipknot, Mudvayne, Godsmack, etc. And having all these emotions, feelings and hormones and not knowing what to do with them at that age, I resorted to music as a coping mechanism. It turns out I had a LOT of emotions, feelings, and hormones, so I just dived head first into the one thing that my gentle adolescent soul could find solace in: a bunch of 30+ year olds screaming about how their moms just don’t understand them. Those are the early influences that made me want to explore music when I first started out.
What were some influential British groups that really helped shape or hone your sound?
Oh boy, now that you mention it I don’t think I listen to too many British bands. Or at least I’m not aware of their origin. One band that was a big influence on me growing up was Iron Maiden, particularly as a bassist Steve Harris was one of my idols. I was a big fan of Alestorm, although I don’t know how much they influenced me per-say. Nowadays I’m listening to an awful lot of Steve Wilson, and he’s about as British as you can get!
What is the creative process like for you, does it remain constant or does it change and evolve each time?
It changes for each song a bit, but overall it’s rooted in the same process. I’ll start with an idea, most of the time a riff or a chord progression, and just develop it on the guitar and build the rest around it. When I get a finished demo I can fuck with it accordingly until it becomes the final song.
Let's go behind the recording of your new album Time and what the whole process was like?
Each song was came out differently and were spawned from different circumstances. Time was the first songs and I wrote it a while back whilst I was going through a rough patch with my girlfriend at the time, although the lyrics were written much later, and I remember the whole song just splurged out of me right away. Fuck This Shit was one I also wrote a long time ago just for shits and giggles really, that was back when I had actual spare time to devote to that kinda shit. Word vomit originally started out as a joke, but the more I played that intro riff, the more ideas came out and the whole song just developed itself. Code Orange was very similar in that sense, the only difference is that the vocal ideas came to me much more naturally. The chorus was initially supposed to be sung slightly operatic (like Devin Townsend-y sort of vocals) but I couldn’t pull it off, however when I heard the sound I was getting instead I thought it fit the song and the theme much better. Malicious clouds was basically a combination of things and riffs that I wanted to use but couldn’t find a place for them, so I just tried to blend them all into one song.
What are some of your favorite places to play in the UK area?
Any place with the most interactive crowd. I’ve played the midlands many times with my other band and that’s usually a fun place to go back to. Leeds has always been great as well. Liverpool CAN be good, but most of the times I just find myself playing to other bands who don’t enjoy the performances in the same way as non-musicians would.
Any new bands or new songs you've been listening to lately that you've been really digging?
Like I mentioned before, I’m really getting into Steven Wilson lately. I don’t know how I haven’t discovered him before to be honest. I’m also really digging Car Bomb’s last album Meta, it’s quite possibly the heaviest shit I’ve ever heard! There’s also this small pop-punk band called Junior that my other band played with a while back, and when I found their stuff on Spotify I was left legitimately impressed! I’m also re-discovering Pavarotti and listening to his most famous tracks on loop. Vesti la Giubba is EASILY my favourite and I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up stealing a line or two from it in future releases!
What's next on the agenda for you guys, and could we expect any U.S. shows in the not too distant future?
Well, I’m not telling you how to live your life but I wouldn’t recommend expecting a US show in the future. For now I’ll just see how this EP does and then I’ll probably start working on another release. There’s only so much you can do on your own as far as extreme mental bands go, you know?
Lastly, what would you like fans to know about you?
I’m amazing. Buy/listen to Crejuvent’s new Time EP. I hope none of you die, and that you have minimal bad experiences from here on out. Bye.
For more on Crejuvent, please 'Like' him on Facebook from this locale over here.