Interview with Indie Foster and Matt Hall of Scarsun (UK)
By Mick Michaels
COSMICK VIEW: Hello Indie and Matt! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it's greatly appreciated.
CV: Define what is meant by the "fury and passion of the five"? What does that look like and how does it affect the band's music and performance? What does it mean for the group's fans?
Matt Hall (guitar): It means that we pour all of our emotion and energy into our songs, whether that is rage, sadness, love or any emotion really…we pour it all into our music. Some of it is ugly, heavy and full of anger but sometimes it's beautiful and soft…sometimes melancholy, basically, if we feel it, we channel it. There's a lot to be angry in the world but also, a lot to celebrate and marvel at. We just try to make music based on how we feel, with many dimensions and without limits and we want our fans to take the journey with us, through these feelings. Although for the live show, we like to make it a celebration, a good time for us and the audience.
CV: Dynamics within a band are often as complicated as new math, delicate as antique china and as volatile as nuclear fusion power. How would you describe the dynamic working relationship of Scarsun?
Indie Foster (vocals): The dynamic working relationship of Scarsun has proven very natural and fun, despite me joining a pre-existing band. I feel that I can write freely and bring whatever to the group for honest feedback. Everyone seems to work sometimes individually, sometimes in pairs and then of course, as a group. I am always impressed by the quality and quantity of stuff that comes flying at me constantly.
Matt: There is zero drama in this band, we're all close friends…we care about each other and everyone being happy is important to all of us. We've all been in other bands where there has been friction and it's not fun at all, we don't need that sort of negative vibe to create. We all have the same goals with our music…we don't have to force anything. We get on so well that it's always very easy and that's why we enjoy it so much. The songs are what’s important, so we all play for the tune and not the individual. I wish I could say some cool blah blah stuff, but no, we're a family on a mission to rock!!!
CV: "Obeying the urge" can mean many things to many people...of course depending on the urge. What urge is Scarsun obeying? Is there a difference between the urge of the band to obey and that of the fan? Or are they essentially one in the same?
Matt: ''The Urge'' we obey is to give our music everything we got, our absolute best, that is our urge. As for the fans, we like our music to be subjective and open to their own interpretation and feelings while listening to it. What it means to us can be totally different to someone else and that's cool…we want the experience to be unique to each listener as much as possible. The only urge we want our fans to obey is to have a good time at our shows and to use our music to suit any mood or situation where they may use it.
CV: The band's latest single, "Reasons," packs a punch of haunting vocals and gritty guitars. Tell us a bit about the track and the video that accompanies the song’s release.
Indie: I wrote the lyrics for Reasons about a year back, before I was with Scarsun. We broke them up a bit and slotted them into the instrumental. The lyrics were triggered when I was coming home one day after having to work alongside someone who kept throwing verbal punches at me all day…it got me thinking about her insecurities and the short length of life and I guess the lyrics were a sarcastic comeback to her and the day that I'd had.
Matt: Musically the song has been around a while and has gone through loads of changes to become what it is today. Like all our music, it started with a riff or idea and basically blossomed from there. Lyrically, I think we'd prefer for the listener to interpret their own meaning. Indie writes the lyrics and they're personal to her, she may explain them or may not…we only suggest phrasing or some alterations here and there, for the good of the song, as we do with everyone’s parts. As for the video, it's very simple, we had no budget for a high end production so basically I used clips of a movie I love called ''City of the dead'' as it’s license free and I thought the vibe of the movie would work well with the track. It was essentially born out of a lack of money, hahaha, plus, Christopher Lee is in it, and I'm a huge fan.
CV: Does a female presence in a band offer a more mainstream appeal factor which broadens the possibility of a larger fan base in your opinion? Matt: We'd like to think that it makes no difference. I've heard opinions from people that think it helps and also others who think it's detrimental. We don't care, Indie was the right PERSON for the band, gender isn't important, at least not to us. It's a shame that anyone considers gender etc. important, we know that prejudice is still a big problem on many levels and it's ridiculous. Art is for everyone. It doesn't matter if you're a bright purple elephant from Mars or whatever, as long as you rock and you're nice…you're good to go.
Indie: Yeah I agree with Matt, gender makes no difference really but it’s cool to have different ages and genders to mix things up and bring different experience and inspirations.
CV: Are regularly released track singles more profitable all around for a band these days than the old "let's head into the studio and record a full album" scenario? Are people still interested in albums in your opinion?
Matt: I think both options are valid. Singles keep people interested and are far less costly to produce and I think if you're gonna do an album, then it probably needs to be packaged very well, with little extras etc. There's still a market for albums but for a band at our level, the costs are a too high and singles are just a lot easier and affordable to get our music out there. Hopefully, one day, we will release a full album with extensive artwork etc. but for now, online singles are what we're concentrating on.
CV: How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the band and what has Scarsun been doing to counter the inability to perform live and physically interact with fans?
Matt: Obviously we've had to cancel/postpone gigs and the lack of rehearsal/gigging is driving us nuts, hahaha, We've been writing and having online meetings, using Zoom, with each other and our management, Pure Power Darkside Management…we're in contact every day. Also, we've now got a Facebook group where our fans can join and be a part of our community and keep up to date with everything we're doing. We're also working on little performance vids that we plan on posting, in that group. Fans can check it out at https://www.facebook.com/groups/scarsunsupporters/.
CV: Would you consider the current downtime that much the world is experiencing - the "stay at home" and social distancing order, as a way for bands to possibly regroup and maybe reassess future endeavors or plans? Is there any way this downtime could be a positive for the music industry? Matt: Financially, I think it's a nightmare for bands/venues/events etc. and I just hope everyone can recover and thrive once this is over. Speaking for us personally, we're just trying to use the time as productively as we possibly can. It is a huge worry what effect this lockdown will have on venues etc. going forward though.... time will tell, I suppose.
CV: Do you feel this experience will change the way bands look at and how they approach performing live and fan interaction when this is all over? Will how music is done be different in a post COVID-19 world? What are your thoughts?
Matt: Maybe bands will become better at online interactions with their fanbase…which is awesome, but, music belongs in the live arena, so I hope everyone gets back on stage where they belong ASAP and that the live scene can hopefully get back to full strength as soon as it's safe for everyone.
CV: What's next for Scarsun? What can fans expect to see coming?
Matt: More new music, more single releases, more vids and, as soon as it's possible, we'll be back out on the live scene doing what we love!!!!
CV: Thank you again Indie and Matt for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers. I wish you all the best and continued success.
Matt: My pleasure, Cheers.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scarsunband/
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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.
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