Interview with Chasing Apparitions Guitarist Josey Stines
The Cosmick View: Hello, Josey
and welcome to The Cosmick View/MBM Ten
Pounder! Thanks for taking some time to chat with us!
Josey: Thank you so much for having us.
CV: Describe your definition of the band’s sound and style and how does that definition uniquely describe the music?
Josey Stines: I would say that Chasing Apparitions is heavy & dark. We’re not a band that’s going to write about our most recent breakup or how much we miss being home. We’re going to talk about life & death, religion, the dark parts of the world.
CV: Today, everyone talks about artist and audience connection. Is such a level of connection actually achievable for an artist and if so, how have you made the connection to your fans?
JS: I think a level of connection is achievable if you stay consistent on your social media account. Fans want engagement & when you fail to give them that engagement they will just move on to the next. Talk to your fans in comments or on Twitter. This is where it’s important for each band member to be active…everyone should be doing their part making a connection.
CV: Describe your definition of the band’s sound and style and how does that definition uniquely describe the music?
Josey Stines: I would say that Chasing Apparitions is heavy & dark. We’re not a band that’s going to write about our most recent breakup or how much we miss being home. We’re going to talk about life & death, religion, the dark parts of the world.
CV: Today, everyone talks about artist and audience connection. Is such a level of connection actually achievable for an artist and if so, how have you made the connection to your fans?
JS: I think a level of connection is achievable if you stay consistent on your social media account. Fans want engagement & when you fail to give them that engagement they will just move on to the next. Talk to your fans in comments or on Twitter. This is where it’s important for each band member to be active…everyone should be doing their part making a connection.
CV: Is fan interaction an important part
of the band’s inner culture?JS: Fan interaction should be of the utmost importance to every band. They’re your life-line. They decide if you survive or if you break up.
CV: Can a band truly interact with its
fans and still maintain a level of personal privacy without crossing the line
and giving up their “personal space” in your opinion?
JS: It’s all about finding a balance. I should never be expected to do something that I would consider outside of my comfort zone…same as a band should never ask a fan to do something they don’t want to do. It’s just about finding that balance.
CV: Is music, and its value, viewed differently around the world in your opinion? If so, what do you see as the biggest difference in such multiple views among various cultures?
JS: Seeing as how I’m from the USA, & I’ve never really traveled outside of the USA, my knowledge on how music is perceived worldwide is extremely limited. However, a big thing I read or see is that most bands try to get big in the USA before getting big elsewhere. It seems if you get big outside of the US you have to fight to get big in the US…but if you get big in the US, then you’re big everywhere. Take Asking Alexandria as an example.
CV: Do you feel that a band that has an international appeal, will tend to connect more so to American audiences? Would they be more enticed or intrigued to see the band over indigenous acts because of the foreign flavor?
JS: I think Americans are somewhat of sticklers about music. The general public wants their music in English, so if the band knows English & performs in English, I think that would help them a lot. Look at “Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!” as an example.
CV: Has modern-day digital technology made everyone an artist on some level in your opinion? Have the actual lines of what really is an artist been blurred?
JS: I think with the current level of technology you are correct. Myself as an example, I have everything I need to record my guitar parts & bass parts at home. I can program drums & synth with midi. Rewind 50 years, & having an at-home studio is something most people would’ve never dreamed of.
JS: It’s all about finding a balance. I should never be expected to do something that I would consider outside of my comfort zone…same as a band should never ask a fan to do something they don’t want to do. It’s just about finding that balance.
CV: Is music, and its value, viewed differently around the world in your opinion? If so, what do you see as the biggest difference in such multiple views among various cultures?
JS: Seeing as how I’m from the USA, & I’ve never really traveled outside of the USA, my knowledge on how music is perceived worldwide is extremely limited. However, a big thing I read or see is that most bands try to get big in the USA before getting big elsewhere. It seems if you get big outside of the US you have to fight to get big in the US…but if you get big in the US, then you’re big everywhere. Take Asking Alexandria as an example.
CV: Do you feel that a band that has an international appeal, will tend to connect more so to American audiences? Would they be more enticed or intrigued to see the band over indigenous acts because of the foreign flavor?
JS: I think Americans are somewhat of sticklers about music. The general public wants their music in English, so if the band knows English & performs in English, I think that would help them a lot. Look at “Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!” as an example.
CV: Has modern-day digital technology made everyone an artist on some level in your opinion? Have the actual lines of what really is an artist been blurred?
JS: I think with the current level of technology you are correct. Myself as an example, I have everything I need to record my guitar parts & bass parts at home. I can program drums & synth with midi. Rewind 50 years, & having an at-home studio is something most people would’ve never dreamed of.
CV: How would you describe the difference between an artist who follows trends and one who sets them?
JS: An artist who follows is somebody who is already too late. You’re not going to be the only artist following the trend. There will be 100 other bands doing the exact same thing as you. An artist who sets the trend is almost always ridiculed in the beginning for being too different. It’s about taking a gamble. Do you want to play it safe or do you want to push boundaries.
CV: Has music overall been splintered
into too many sub-genres in an effort to appease fan tastes in your opinion?
And has such fan appeasements, in actuality, weakened music’s impact as a whole
by dividing audiences?
JS: Sub-genres are weird to me.
You’ll see people arguing over whether a band is playing Symphonic Death Metal
or Melodic Death Metal. Genres don’t matter…listen to whatever sounds good.
You’re not better than something just because the band you enjoy like to play
in a different key.
CV: What can fans expect to see coming next from you?
JS: We just released our 2nd
single “L’appel Du Vide” last week, but we do have a few more things up our
sleeves. We will announce the release date of our sophomore EP, “Am I Worth
Saving?” soon, so keep an eye out for that.
CV: Thanks again Josey for taking
some time and talking. It is greatly appreciated.
JS: Thank you so much for
having us.
Check out Chasing Apparitions at:
Official: https://www.ChasingApparitions.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChasingApparitions
Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/WeAreCASquad
Twitter: https://www.Twitter.com/WeAreCASquad
Youtube: https://www.YouTube.com/ChasingApparitions
Want to see your logo here? Contact The Cosmick View for details and rates.
Official: https://www.ChasingApparitions.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChasingApparitions
Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/WeAreCASquad
Twitter: https://www.Twitter.com/WeAreCASquad
Youtube: https://www.YouTube.com/ChasingApparitions
Like The Cosmick View on Facebook at:
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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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