Mudface released their single and video for "Hellfoot" off their latest "The Bane Of Existence". This release is said to take listener's on a whole new world, if you will and frontman vocalist Chris Dinsmore and drummer/backing vocalist Tim Davis, discusses the said single, release, and plans on touring about.
CD=Chris Dinsmore
TD=Tim Davis
1. Introduce yourself and tell me what you do in Mudface?
CD: Hello. My name is Chris Dinsmore. Vocalist for the band.
TD: I’m Tim Davis, I play drums and do backing vocals in the band.
2. What type of band are you?
CD: We are a heavy metal band with a groove.
TD: Mudface’s sound is what I would define as Modern Melodic Groove Metal.
3. Tell us the brief history of your band.
CD: Mudface was originally formed in May of 2005 by Death Angel guitarist Ted Aguilar and myself. The intention at the time was to resurrect a former band we were in together but when we couldn't find all the original members, we decided to go in a different direction with different people. I am the only original member from that line up and the current line up consists of Robert Kolowitz: guitar, Grant Kolowitz guitar, Brett Crane Keyboards/vocals, Jim Pegram, Bass and Tim Davis on drums. We have two self-titled EPs and one album titled "Anti-" under our belt and are releasing our second full length titled "The Bane of Existence" on March 18th produced by Bob Marlette and Sahaj Ticotin.
4. Who are your musical and non-musical influences?
CD: For me personally bands like Sabbath, Kiss, Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Pantera, Neurosis, Ministry, Alice in Chains.
TD: Moon, Portenoy, Keltner, Coen Bros, King, and Kubrick.
5. What are your songs about? (What specific themes do they cover?)
CD: Our lyrics tend to be dark with a light at the end of the tunnel concept. On our soon to be released album, a lot of the songs are about making choices in life. Those choices tend to carve your lives path and if you don't choose wisely, the outcome can be an unfortunate one. In some cases, the choices are made for you and you must challenge yourself and persevere.
6. Do you write your own songs? (Discuss the songwriting process in detail.)
CD: Yes we write our own material. The songs usually start with riffs written by either Grant or Rob that are loosely arranged and then sent to me. I will then construct melodies, arrangements and lyrics. The ideas are then presented to the rest of the band and we work out all the details in the studio.
7. You shot a video for the single "Hellfoot". Is that a process you enjoy? Will you guys be releasing anymore videos off “The Bane Of Existence”?
CD: We love the process of making videos. Myself, Brett and Grant are really good at the other artistic visions that go with the process. If we had a budget, we would be dangerous. Yes we will be making at least one or two more videos for this album.
TD: The video process is something unique to itself, but we find truly breathes new life into the subject song, and fleshes out the concept more completely. There are definitely a couple more videos in the planning stages that will up the game even further.
8. Let's talk a little about your latest release, what are the listeners in store for with this release?
CD: For those who have followed us from the beginning, you will definitely hear more growth from all aspects of the band. The song writing is much stronger. More hooks and big choruses yet still capturing the Mudface sound. For those who have not heard us yet, we deliver dynamically energetic sound that matches our live show.
TD: Expect a journey that pulls you into the depths of madness, and propels you into a battle for your very sanity where the choices you make determine your ultimate survival.
9. Is there any story or concept behind the “The Bane Of Existence” title?
CD: It's really just about our daily fight for survival in this chaotic world we share. So many obstacles we must climb. Our existence depends on our survival instincts to survive more than ever. However we are human and it's not always easy.
10. Who produced “The Bane Of Existence” and what was it like working with them?
CD: Bob Marlette who has produced many an artist and Sahaj Ticotin who is in the band Ra and a great producer in his own right. We learned so much from both gentlemen about challenging ourselves to become better song writers and how important the recording process really is. It was an absolute pleasure!
11. Who did the cover art for “The Bane Of Existence” and how much input did you have on it?
CD: We worked with a French artist named Pierre Alain D. His work completely spoke to us for what we were to convey and compliments the songs for this record perfectly. The artwork depicts a man who has come out of the side of something. What that is, is up to interpretation. And the question is, did he come out for the better or for the worse.
TD: The art was more of something that found us as a band, rather than something we commissioned for the project. It was the product of a search for imagery which tied in with the themes presented in the lyrics of songs like HellFoot, Hollow, and Watchers.
12. Can you select two songs from “The Bane Of Existence” and explain what inspired the lyrics.
CD: "Down Below" is about trying to grip with addiction. The lyrics are pretty self-explanatory. "I'm On To You" is about seeing through the "fakeness" of people. Unfortunately something we see all too often in this business.
13. What are your current tour plans, if any?
CD/TD: We want to play smart without burning ourselves out. We are working on a couple of smaller spring time trips with some other regional bands that will take us up through the Northwest and back through the desert states. Beyond that, we are building up a buzz with the album release that should help get us on a couple of larger festival bills happening in the summer.
14. Describe your live performance for those who have never seen you live?
CD/TD: We thrive on stage. People say you can watch anyone of us on stage for the entire set and be entertained. We love the stage. A churning vortex of coordinated chaos
15. How has Social Networking (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) impacted your band?
CD: "Adapt or die". It is a necessary evil that if used correctly, can be a huge asset of your band.
TD: It has made it easier to reach out to more potential fans and has made our world a smaller place, but it is really easy to get lost in the huge ocean of talent that exists out in the interwebs.
16. Where can our readers find you on the web?
CD: Our album will be available on
iTunes, tunecore, CD baby, Amazon, etc.!
Official Band Website:
http://www.mudfacemetal.us/.
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/mudfaceus,
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/mudface_metal.
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/mudface_official/.
YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/c/MudfacemetalUs.
