Well Sludgelords,
my free time of late has been few and far between, however it’s Sunday evening,
my kids are asleep and I’m spinning Electric Wizard, Come My Fanatics. What could be better, oh yes, I have alcohol too. So, Come my fanatics and enjoy this stunning
interview with one of Canada’s emerging imports, Chron Goblin.
2013 seems
to have been one of the best in the history of Chron Goblin, stunning second
album released to widespread acclaim, tours with legends of desert/stoner/doom
and prog metal. To top it off, Chron
Goblin agreed to talk to us. Ending on a low note there guys. Haha
Anyway, this
interview is indeed one of the best I have done and that wouldn’t have been
possible without the enthusiasm of Chron Goblin. So sit back and get ready to go in
depth. Cheers to all for making 2013 the
best in the history of The Sludgelord. Merry
Christmas and Hail The Riff!!
SL) Chron Goblin
welcome to the Sludgelord, or should I rephrase that to The SlowLord, given the
time it has taken for me to hook up with you guys. Anyway, pleased to talk to you guys and
welcome.
DP: Devin “Darty”
Purdy JS: Josh Sandulak BW:
Brett Whittingham RH: Richard Hepp
DP: We are stoked to
finally have the chance to catch up!
SL) With the year end nearly upon us and dare I say Christmas only a few weeks away, what’s the status at Goblin HQ, lots to talk Aboot.? Sorry man, wicked English humour.
DP: December (and all
of 2013) has been a very busy time for us.
We are playing a food bank fundraiser in our hometown on December 11 and
then hosting our annual Christmas Sweater Party on December 13 with some great
bands. We are also continuing to create
and firm up some of our 2014 goals and constantly writing for our next
album. We will also be spending some
time with our families over the holidays.
SL). If you could summarise the year as a whole
from the standpoint of Chron Goblin, what have been some of your personal
highlights, travelling? Record Release? Touring ? Give us a makeshift diary of year 2013 Anno
Domini
DP: 2013 has been an
amazing year for us! It has been a
combination of hard work and some good luck.
Some of our key highlights have included being the first Canadian band
to play London’s Desertfest (and our first time overseas), opening for amazing
acts such as Weedeater, Orange Goblin, and Vista Chino, recording and releasing
our latest album “Life for the Living” (which was in the top 10 national radio
charts for 4 weeks straight and has won a few awards), playing a Western
Canadian tour with 10 dates, and playing approximately 50+ shows this
year.
SL) I read an article recently about you guys, (yes, we do research, sports
fans) which referred to you as the nicest and most genuine band in all
Calgary’s Indie Rock Scene and Canada is often the butt of jokes for being too
nice. So with that in mind, could you
expel your kindness upon our readers and perhaps give us an idea of the roots
behind Chron Goblin? Who are you, that kind of thing? It is your opportunity to
tell the world about your band. (I’m
sure you’re bad motherfuckers, really)
DP: I think we just
can’t help being nice and genuine as it’s part of who we are and how we were
raised. We all grew up in small towns in
Canada that were very community based.
With the harsh climates that we have in Canada you have to rely on your
neighbour. We all met during university
and formed solid friendships prior to starting the band which really has
established our solidarity. We are
brothers and still get along the same as when we started the band nearly five
years ago.
The expression “work hard and play harder” also really
applies to us. There is no doubt our
strong work ethic has gotten us to where we are today but we never forget to
have a good time. We all started playing
music to have fun and we feel it’s important to remember that. It sounds cliché, but the saying “it’s the
journey not the destination” really means a lot to us. Sure, driving 12 hours in a van can be a drag
but we always make the best of it. The
satisfaction of playing a great show makes all of the challenges worth it.
SL). What the hell is a Chron Goblin btw, ha-ha?
JS: A Chron Goblin is
a mythical beast. It lives in the bowels of the skate park, surviving off
the blood of fallen children and failed tricks. A gatekeeper for the God's of
rock, the Chron Goblin only comes out at night - seeking herbal offerings to
keep the rock spirits at bay. The Chron Goblin is everywhere and nowhere at all. Hahaha - but seriously. It's just something one of
our friends called Darty at the skate park and we always thought that would be
a great name for a band and a hilarious reference to one of our favourite past
times.
SL). You guys remain a DIY outfit I believe but with some help from PR. Tell us
a little about Chron Goblin Entertainment, is it a ‘thing’ a label and what are
your aims for future release, DIY till you die or sign to the right label if
any offer arises? DIY means retaining
creative freedom, which is essential?
DP: When we first
started this band I was just finishing up my commerce degree from the
University of Calgary and I was reading up a lot on the legalities of music
rights and ownership. We decided the
best move for us at the time was to register ourselves as a business called
“Chron Goblin Entertainment” in order to maintain all of our music rights,
creative freedom, and set up our business (bank account, PayPal, web store,
SOCAN etc). This has allowed us to
maintain our creative freedom and financial independence to make decisions that
are best for us.
That being said, if the right label were to make us an offer
that suits our needs and aspirations, we wouldn’t be opposed to working with
someone. We’ve never let the lack of a
record label hinder or slow us down from moving forward. We’ve managed to put out an EP, two LP’s and
a music video on our own. We have also
managed to get some distribution in Sweden via Ozium Records and in the United
States via Ripple Music which has been fantastic. We sell the majority of our records and merch
at our gigs as well as via our web store and we continue to ship orders
worldwide every week. It is a very
organic approach that has really worked for us as we have complete control of
our band.
SL) As a music fans yourselves and given that music seems to be so disposal at times, is it important to offer a great package to your fans, and yet not alienate them by producing something which is not affordable.
DP: We have always
offered our music (whether download card, CD or vinyl) at very affordable
rates. We’d rather get our music out
there at a reasonable price than not have the exposure at all. We even gave our download link for our first
full-length One Million from the Top to hundreds of fans for free (check out
our Instagram) to get our music heard.
We also released Life for the Living on vinyl which has been very
successful. We sell it at a very
affordable rate and sales have been great so far. We’d really like to see one of our songs on
a UK based compilation album via Metal Hammer, Decibel, or Iron Fist in the
future.
SL) Let’s talk,
Life for Living, Do you approach each record release with trepidation, were you
nervous or confident that you would
produce not only a great batch of songs but also a great product for your fans?
Was the record written as a band, what’s your vibe? How did it come together?
DP: We try our best
to maintain an organic approach to writing by taking our time with the creative
process and letting things formulate naturally.
Each member of the band brings their own creativity and ideas to the
band. Typically a song starts off with
Brett and Darty jamming out some riffs and along with Hepp adding the low end,
we work on arranging the various ideas.
We try to establish an initial concept that will allow Josh to bring in
his lyrics (as he is the sole lyricist in the band) and develop a vocal melody
that gels. Then the four of us rework
the ideas and structure until we are all satisfied.
We also had a great deal of inspiration for this record as
we literally had three weeks to finish writing after returning from London’s
Desertfest before we entered the studio for 13 days. Pun intended, we were on such a high from
Desertfest that it really hyped us up to record the next album. As stressful as recording can be we tried our
best to keep the spirits high and the mood light in the studio. We had the privilege of working with Casey
Lewis of Echo Base Studio again so we had a good idea of his approach to
recording since we worked with him for One Million from the Top.
SL) S/T 2010,
One million from the top 2011 and now Life for Living. Phil summed up your new record very well, I
think, with a great review. Is it your
best record upon reflection and what are your thoughts about it now that you
have toured it etc.
BW: Production-wise,
I think Life for the Living is definitely superior to One Million from the Top
and our self-titled EP. Overall, the
individual songs are very strong on LFTL and the flow of the album is
successful. I would also say LFTL is our
heaviest effort yet with songs like “Blood Flow”, “Anesthetize”, and the title
track all portraying aggressive tendencies that weren’t as present on our
earlier releases. That being said, we’ve
been playing tracks from LFTL and OMFT interspersed throughout our set lists on
tour this fall and its fun to play tracks from both albums back to back. The songs on LFTL are definitely a challenge
to play perfect and it keeps us motivated to play our best each night.
SL) How would
you compare the process of putting this record together, in comparison to your
previous releases? Was an easy process,
anything you would change looking back?
What are some of the difficulties of being DIY?
DP: With any record
there are always small details that you would like to change after the fact,
but that is the nature of the recording beast.
In a perfect world with unlimited time and money, we would love to
double or triple the amount of studio time we had in order to really give each
song the attention it deserves. We feel
this album had a much “heavier” sound than the last album. We were really happy with the bass tone
compared to the last album also. We all
have full-time jobs and don’t have a label or other financial support to fund
our endeavours, so I know we did the best we could given the situation. That being said, Casey Lewis at Echo Base was
key to capturing our performances and enacting his wizardry to portray them
powerfully in the limited time we had.
We are extremely proud with how the album turned out - everything from
the songs, production, lyrics, artwork etc.
SL) This is
always a divisive subject and labels seem to be going down the fan funded
route. Given that you’re DIY, did you
consider using websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo to fund your new album? Some
people and bands are for it. Some are not?
DP: This is a topic
that even within our band we have mixed feelings about. One thing we can all agree on is that in a
free market society, at the end of the day the market will decide if the
funding goal will be achieved. If your
band sets out to raise $10,000 and your fans are willing to fund that goal,
then it worked for you, although it’s tough to see bands not achieve success in
this process. We have always done our
funding by playing shows, selling music and merchandise - the necessary and
rewarding staples of being a band!
SL) As a DIY
band, how do you measure the success of each release?
DP + BW: For us there
are numerous ways to measure our success, both individually as musicians and as
a band. The objective measurements are
record sales, concert attendance, number of shows per year, offers to open for
great national and international artists, etc.
In particular, the opportunity to open for Vista Chino, Orange Goblin, 3
Inches of Blood, Bison BC, and The Devin Townsend Project has been extremely
rewarding. The same goes for the
invitation to play Desertfest alongside Pentagram, Unida, Truckfighters,
Kadavar, Lowrider - all bands that we respect and listen to daily.
We are in this for the opportunity to be creative and share
our music through records and live shows.
Success for us is knowing that we are doing the best we possibly can at
creating quality music and connecting with our fans. It doesn’t matter if we are playing to 50 or
1000 people; you still are going to get the exact same live show from us. The feeling of just killing it on stage is
second to none.
SL ) Steering
away from the serious stuff, sorry about that!
Tell us some of your influences/heroes both musically and artistically,
both metal and non-metal? Was there a specific band or artist turned you onto
music and specifically introduced you to Heavy Metal/Rock and wanting to form a
band?
BW: We are absolutely inspired and influenced by
the old school heavies, but our influences are not limited to these bands.
We’re also inspired by many contemporary bands that are flying the stoner rock
flag such as Red Fang, The Sword, Orange Goblin, Clutch, Queens of the Stone
Age, Truckfighters, etc. And these bands wouldn’t have existed without the old
school heavy metal, hard rock, and punk bands that existed before them.
When bands like Black
Sabbath and Blue Cheer first started writing and recording music that defined
heavy metal and the proto-stoner rock sound, they wanted to create something
that was powerful, aggressive, and dark, all the while holding on to groove and
melody. Their lyrics were reflective of the tumultuous events of the 60’s and
70’s, and so was their music. They were creating honest music and never tried
to deceive anyone about what they were trying to accomplish. People accepted
and celebrated this music because it was and still is unique and creative.
We think music lovers, both
artists and fans, are inspired by the old school bands because they made quality
and classic music which still maintains its power and influence today. Part of
that quality came from the recording process which was more honest and direct
because of some of the limitations of technology at the time. The
recording process of the ‘60s and ‘70s relied on spectacular performances and
creativity to bend the limitations of recording technology. Playing live and
performing to an elite standard is something we place huge value in and we try
our best to meet the standards that great artists of the past have set.
We think emerging artists who have respect for the history of rock and roll
will continue to reach into the past to get exposed to our great musical
ancestors and continue to be inspired by the classics that still maintain their
power today.
RH: My influences encompass
much of the musical spectrum, but are heavily weighted towards punk and
metal/hardcore. Bands like Comeback Kid, Belvedere and Misery Signals were the
biggest influences in my life growing up in rural Saskatchewan. I found the
scene in Regina through my cousin and it was not only welcoming, but
unbelievably talented and evolutionary. You could watch bands evolve literally
in 6 months. There’s something to be said for the Prairies and their artists;
when a band can tour the world and still want to live in Winnipeg, I think
that’s a sign there is something vital to writing sincere, unique music that exists
only in the prairies.
SL) Using those
influences as a reference point, did they form the basis of the direction where
you wanted to take the band and how approached writing your music?
DP: I don’t think we
really ever set out to make a record with specific direction. We play what comes naturally to
us....thunderous drums, badass riffs, intense bass lines, and soaring
vocals. Songs that have content and
complexities while still being accessible and groovy. I think the fact that we all have such
different influences really helps us to be a unique and creative band.
SL) If you could
have released or played on any record past or present, what would it be and
why?
DP: Kyuss – Blues for
the Red Sun or Orange Goblin – Eulogy for the Damned. Both of those records are absolutely amazing
from start to finish. If I could go back in time to somehow be involved that
would be my pick.
BW: I would say Clutch - Robot Hive/Exodus, Kadavar - S/T,
Them Crooked Vultures - S/T, QOTSA - Songs for the Deaf. There’s so much great drumming on all of
these albums that continue to inspire me.
RH: Protest the Hero - Scurrilous. Anything they do is
unreal. Especially the bass work.
SL) Let’s talk gear, I’m assuming you like to talk about the gear you use, so with that in mind what do you use in terms of guitars, amps and why? Also what tuning do you use?
DP: For guitar I use
an Orange Rockerverb 100 watt head with a 4x12 Orange Cab. I have a couple different Gibson SG’s I use
and they are my favourite guitars. They
are a perfect weight and pretty balanced.
I mostly use just a wah pedal, but a few effects here and there.
BW: I’ve got a 1973
Ludwig kit that I bought off eBay from a guy in Omaha, Nebraska. I love the idea of the unknown history of
these drums - who knows who’s played with them or what stages they’ve been
on. Same goes for the vintage Ludwig
Supraphonic 14”x6.5” snare I have - definitely my favorite snare I’ve
played. As for cymbals, I use a mix of
Paiste (15” 2002 hi-hats, 20” Giant Beat crash) and Sabian (18” Paragon, 22”
Hand Hammered ride)
RH: My rig is an Orange AD200B Bass head with an Ampeg Classic 6x10 cabinet. I use a Fender 60th Anniversary Precision Bass and a Dunlop Bass Wah pedal along with a Boss OD3 Overdrive pedal. I used a Bass Big Muff Pi for One Million From the Top, but I found that the overdrive pedal worked better with the tone of the p-bass (I used Brett’s Schecter for recording OMFtT).
RH: My rig is an Orange AD200B Bass head with an Ampeg Classic 6x10 cabinet. I use a Fender 60th Anniversary Precision Bass and a Dunlop Bass Wah pedal along with a Boss OD3 Overdrive pedal. I used a Bass Big Muff Pi for One Million From the Top, but I found that the overdrive pedal worked better with the tone of the p-bass (I used Brett’s Schecter for recording OMFtT).
We play in D Standard which means the relationship between
the relative strings is the same as E Standard but the overall pitch is lower.
As such, we have to use heavier gauge strings which makes for a more difficult
time setting up your guitar or bass - something I’ve had to learn to do myself.
The tones are well worth the trouble though. I would definitely recommend
taking the time to sit down and figure out the mechanics of your instrument
that goes for bassists or guitarists
SL) I am not in a band, therefore The Sludgelord is the next best thing for me, I have no journalist qualification, but I feel the blog is like friends to friends, talking shit with bands I dig. Kinda like the old tape trading phenonema of old. How valuable are blogs and social media?
DP: I feel social
media and blogs are crucial for any band, weather DIY or label supported. These medians really give the fans a chance
to connect with the artist and stay up to date with their progress. It is amazing to really connect with your
fans and share stories, pictures, music, etc.
Without the use of social media and blogs we wouldn’t be where we are
today. You can follow us on Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram, Bandcamp, our website . . . basically any form of social
media available.
SL) Quick fire
question, what’s your preference? Cassette, CD, Digital Download or Vinyl? And
why?
DP: Vinyl at home,
digital while out and about. We all have
a very extensive vinyl collection at home and love having something
tangible.
BW: I love the interactive experience of listening to vinyl.
It forces you to pay attention and stay engaged with the music, instead of just
hitting shuffle on your digital device for background music. And of course the artwork on vinyl is
superior - a larger physical format means a larger canvas for art.
RH: I am a big fan of digital downloads, purely because you
get to give someone your music for next to nothing in terms of marginal cost to
you. A CD is a couple bucks, a digital download is pennies.
SL) What are your thoughts about digital era (I
am referring to bandcamp) and the difference between buying a physical copy? Is
that helpful to you? Are you a fan of offering a DL code with your own
releases? Talking to band recently and
they felt pay what you like DL, kind of devalues music, you work hard, use your
own cash and there is no remuneration?
BW: Digital music is a reality of the technologically
dominated world we exist in and with that comes the free sharing of music. As we’ve mentioned, the exposure that social
media and file sharing has given us has been invaluable and we’d rather someone
hears our music for free, and potentially becomes a fan, than no one ever
hearing our music. Pay what you like
downloads may devalue the industry of digital music, but in a world where
anyone can get the digital version for free, having the option to pay is still
a good option for both fans and artists.
Digital exposure has often lead to physical sales for us as most music
lovers still want physical versions of the art they enjoy - it’s a great
promotional tool.
That being said, the most important part of music for us is
playing live. We compose our songs by
playing our instruments and jamming, not writing using computer software. Transitioning our music from our jam space to
venues and sharing that live energy with music lovers is the biggest reward and
our hope is to be able to capture the essence of that in our recordings as
well. Recorded music, either physical or
digital, is a way for us to share what we do, but it’s only a slice (albeit a
big one!) of the big picture for us.
SL) Before we wrap
things up, I have to mention what I think must be some of your career
highlights let alone highlights of the year.
First Canadian band to play desertfest, tours with V C, OG, 3IOB, Bison
B.C. and DTP. Tell me everything, pretty
fucking awesome? Are those dudes as cool as they seem all of them a big deal
within their own right, at least I think so?
DP: Desertfest was
fucking amazing! It was the highlight of
our career to date. All of the promoters
(especially Reece Tee and Griz) treated us amazing. We got to meet such amazing people and see
sights we never thought possible. We
played twice, once at The Underworld and once at the Vans store on Camden High
Street. The Vans store show was
hilarious as it was supposed to be acoustic but when we showed up there was a
full kit and amps...so we said fuck it and played our regular heavy set! We made so many fans in the UK as a result
and have shipped a ton of records there since then.
3 Inches of Blood have always been a huge influence for
us. We’ve been going to their shows for
over 10 years now and to play with them was a dream come true. They are super rad dudes and true bearers of
the metal flag.
Bison BC - Again, amazing dudes. Highlight of that night for me was when
drummer Matt Wood put a lit joint in my mouth while I was playing. It was hysterical as security ran over to put
it out.
Vista Chino – this was a “pinch me...is this real?” kind of
moment for us. Kyuss runs through our
veins so this was an unreal night for us.
We played a really tight set that night and had the other touring band
Black Pussy crash at our place. The
highlight of that night would definitely have to be John Garcia telling Josh
how much he enjoyed his vocals.
Orange Goblin.....where to even begin. Orange Goblin are the nicest guys in the
business. They invited us out for beers
on their day off in Calgary and we had the chance to listen to some amazing
stories of their career. It was
surreal. They gave us a shout out in
both Calgary and Edmonton during their set, and dedicated ZZ Top’s “Just Got
Paid” to us which they rarely play live.
It was a dream come true for us.
I’ve even seen footage since then of Joe wearing our shirt on stage.
SL). What are your plans for the rest of the year
and 2014? Any exciting releases to keep our eyes on, fans may be anxious to
know if you’ll be touring, recording? Can we expect you to follow in the
footsteps of KEN mode and bag some awards, ?
DP: As for 2014, we
have ambitious plans which will start with the filming of our second music
video in February. We will also be celebrating 5 years as a band with a
special show planned for February 22 in our hometown with Vancouver’s We Hunt
Buffalo and Edmonton’s Black Mastiff.
It’s basically a Canadian Stoner Rock power bill. We’re also
planning a two week US tour through the Pacific Northwest in the spring and are
working on efforts to return to the UK for a 2 week tour in the fall. We are also working to get on with a variety
of Canadian Music festivals and are planning our own outdoor summer festival
called “Metal of Nowhere”. We will also be writing our next full length
album and continuing to pursue our rock n’ roll dream one day at a time!
Note – If any readers have any contacts for booking
agents/tour managers for Europe and UK please shoot us an email (chrongoblin@gmail.com).
SL) Thanks for
answering my questions and to wish you a very hazy Christmas, but one final
question, you got anything you like to say to your fans, shout out
BW: We would like to thank all of our friends,
fans and family who have supported our rock n’ roll journey – we wouldn’t have
been able to accomplish what we have without them and we never forget that or
take it for granted. We also want to let our fans know that we have
ambitious plans for the future and you can expect more tours, videos, and
albums from us! Come to a show and we’ll smoke some beers together!
We’d also like to thank
publications, such as yours, you for
giving emerging artists a platform for exposure and to support us in spreading
our music.
A
Massive Sludgeord amount of gratitude to Devin “Darty” Purdy, Josh Sandulak,
Brett Whittingham and Richard Hepp, also known as the collective Chron
Goblin. Nice to know this blog is
educational on all things medicinal/recreational, Hail The Chron
Gobin's worldwide. Photos were used
courtesy of Trevor Hatter and Shane Langan (C). Thanks to you guys who read our ramblings and making Sludgelord what it is, fucking badass!!
Thanks to Cat @ Southern Cross PR for being such a support and her enthusiasm for what we do, means a lot.
Cheers and beers, Aaron
Words and Interview by : Aaron Pickford and Chron Goblin
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