It sure does! It’s been 4 years since we recorded our last record “Isolator”, and to get back into the comfortable confines of the studio is a wonderful place to be at last. We have returned to Dirt Floor where we recorded “Isolator”. It is such an awesome facility with great people who are masters at their craft.
Talk to us about the song-writing process for you. What comes first, the idea? A riff? The lyrics? How does it all fall into place?
Riffs always come first. I have a HUGE back catalog of riffs that I draw from and I’m always coming up with new ones in jam sessions or just hanging out on my own. From there it’s a matter of arranging the riffs with the band until we have something we like. Melody comes next as the song begins to take shape and then the lyrics are the last piece to the puzzle.
With this one we have taken a different approach than usual. The overall approach has been affected on this one due to the unusual couple years we have endured. We consciously decided to make a different album compared to the previous ones and really use the studio to it’s fullest.
The last album was essentially a “live in the studio” record. This time we wanted to go much farther than that. We are pushing ourselves hard and trying different things. Brendan will be handling lead vocals in a few spots as well as playing some guitar on the record. We decided to have no limits, no boundaries and take chances.
I’ve never wanted this band to make the same record twice. Our track record shows that each record has had it’s own personality and vibe, making each one distinct. This is just the next logical step.
You had some deep inspiration for this new album, would you care to discuss what the band's been through?
To say it’s been a rough few years would be a drastic understatement. It started with the loss of drummer Mike Petrucci who had to leave the band due to a very severe case of tinnitus in 2017. It was a heavy blow to us being that Mike is such a killer drummer and great dude that had been with CtS since 2011.
We were fortunate to quickly find a replacement drummer who came in and toured with us Spring – Fall 2017. As fate would have it, he left the band after our touring ended in support of “Isolator”. He was an awesome drummer and good guy but we didn’t see eye to eye when it came to making new music.
Drummer auditions lasted from December ’17 – April ’18. We just couldn’t find the right guy! Eventually we found Robert Ives from Massachusetts,who also fronts his own band “Problem With Dragons”. We quickly got him ready and played New England Stoner/Doom Fest, Maryland Doomfest and Descendants of Crom as well as some other sporadic dates throughout 2018.
The BIG one came on November 2, 2018 when I received a message that Brendan had been in a very serious motorcycle accident the night before. He shattered his legs and feet and broke his elbow. Brendan was in the hospital for 2-½ month after having multiple surgeries and rehabbing the best he could.
We had our first practice basically the day after he left the rehab facility!
Obviously it has been a mental and physical struggle for him. I fell into a pretty heavy depression myself that has only begun to lift recently.
These experiences have shaped the upcoming record in overall vibe as well as the subject matter. It is a very heavy record emotionally and musically.
We are based out of Hamden, Ct, which is a suburb of New Haven. New Haven is a pretty dangerous place, lots of shootings and plenty of crime. Hamden is quickly becoming worse as well. I suppose when you come from an area like we do it tends to shine through in the music, whether it is on purpose or subconsciously. People in Connecticut are usually not the happiest either. It’s expensive to live here, and you get nothing for it. We are perpetually lost in between NY and Mass. Lots of bands will still skip over playing in Ct even though we have plenty of great venues here. It is also pretty cold, gray and miserable here from November – April and that can get old really fast.
Where'd the band name come from?
I get asked this question more than any other! I prefer to let the individual interpret it any way they see fit. I prefer to keep some mystery as I feel that is sorely lacking in today’s music scene. We have access to everything now and I feel that some of the fun and magic has been removed due to the Internet and instant access to information. The name Curse the Son DOES have an actual meaning, but I’m not telling!
Tell us about playing live and the live experience for you and for your fans?
Playing live is certainly a great experience as you finally get to share your music in person with people who are there to take it in. It feels so wonderful when you look out at the crowd and they are singing the words right back to me, the connection is so strong at that moment. It’s funny, after almost 35 years of playing live shows; I still get the jitters a bit! You would think that would have disappeared long ago, but it has not.
We have been floating some new ideas to take our live show to the next level once we are out supporting the new record. Musically we are pushing the envelope and I feel that the live show should represent that growth as well. It’s a very exciting time right now!
The short answer is VIBE. It is important to me that people feel something when they hear our music. I want them to be absorbed by the sonic illustration that we are creating. I want the listener to take the journey with us, wherever it is that we may be taking them.
I feel it is important to have hooks and melodies that people can remember and maybe continue to hum after they are done listening. Mixing extreme heavy music and vibes with memorable vocal melodies and choruses is a good mix I believe.
What are you trying to impart to your audience with the new album?
That growth is not a bad thing. Of course there are bands like AC/DC and Slayer that generally stuck to their basic formula and continued to crank out great albums for decades. With that said, I have always wanted this band to continue to grow and expand upon the “stoner/doom” style that we are known for. There is only one Electric Wizard. There is only one Sleep. They are as popular as they are because of their originality and the identity that comes with that. I don’t want to continue to tread on the same musical turf over and over again. I like the challenge of pushing the limits and setting out to create our own style and our own sound.
Every record we have done has been a “glimpse” into our lives at the time we are writing and developing these songs. Each one is a snapshot in time depicting where we are as human beings. This time it happened to be a very dark and emotionally trying time for all of us. Creating this music became our catharsis.
We are starting to mix the new record in a few weeks, so that is pretty exciting. A Spring release on Ripple Music, followed by as many shows as we can play, to as many people as we can. This is an exciting time for the band and we are so looking forward to sharing this new music with everyone!!
Any final comments or thoughts you'd like to share with our readers, the waveriders?
As always thanks to our fans that are so loyal and incredibly patient with us.In today’s “fast food” world, it is easy for people to quickly forget you.Out of sight out of mind does not apply to our fans.They have been ultra supportive of us through these trying times and we appreciate and love each and every one of them.
I would also like to thank you, Todd Severin for your continued support and giving us a tremendous opportunity that I could only dream of.
We are back folks….get ready for the HEAVY!