Interview with Singer/Guitarist Ernie Hill of Bison Face (UK)

November 13, 2020

Interview with Singer/Guitarist Ernie Hill of Bison Face (UK)

By Mick Michaels

The Cosmick View: Hello, Ernie and welcome to The Cosmick View/MBM Ten Pounder! Thanks for taking some time to chat with us!

CV: Describe your definition of the band’s sound and style and how does that definition uniquely describe the music?
Ernie Hill: It’s a huge melting point of sonic influence and noises. As a band, we’ve got a massively vast spectrum of music taste and personal traits. My musical upbringing was Nirvana, The Stooges, Sonic Youth and Frank Zappa, so there’s a guitar heavy but experimental flavor to my songwriting. Bison Face sounds like a Grunge band in Star Wars…it’s got the 90s Grunge/College Rock influences, with a sleazy desert Rock undercurrent and cinematic textures.

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?
EH: I think it is definitely achievable, bands can do intimate shows, q and a’s, livestreams and things like that. Meeting people after a show is a huge one. When a band is charging for meet and greets, they’re already putting themselves above their audience and I don’t agree with that. Growing up, a band that sound checked their own gear and sold their own merch were the real inspiration. That whole “rockstar” vibe is bullshit. We try to steer way clear of that shtick.

CV: Is fan interaction an important part of the band’s inner culture?
EH: Not especially, I think the inner culture of any band is the relationship between the members and the music. I say more than I can ever hope to say in person in my lyrics, and for me, the best interaction is playing shows to people every night. The inner culture of the band is the love of creativity and our dedication to our art. First and foremost, writing music is a very private and personal thing. The end product is the part you share.

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?
EH: I’m pretty introverted, and I try and avoid social media for personal uses. The band accounts are different, a band is almost public domain, and it’s expected to be scrutinized. I don’t think one can exist without the other to an extent, especially in a day and age where your online presence is most of your promotion. I don’t think any personal space needs to be sacrificed in order to connect with fans, your life story doesn’t need to be all over the internet…no one really cares about it anyway right?

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?
EH: In some cultures and parts of the world, music is a higher force. Families pass down instruments and skills, play music together, have music for every occasion and every emotion. It’s beautiful to witness, I was lucky enough to experience traditional South African music in Cape Town and it’s a totally different beast to popular music in the western culture. Delving into world music can vastly grow your appreciation for the art of composition.

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?
EH: To an extent, but I guess that is a subjective view of “international appeal”. A band like Arctic Monkeys are the full package in whatever country, but I guess any artist can thrive with its particular audience. I’ve never gone out of my way to love a band because of their nationality, you normally can’t even tell. Tell a lie, if Biffy Clyro weren’t Scottish it wouldn’t be the same. They should be way bigger in America than they are…maybe the accent is a barrier over there? Who knows? I think some people find a certain intrigue with a foreign band, particularly if they sing in a different language.

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?
EH: It has meant that people can get somewhere with a lot less work, but you can usually spot it a mile away. Someone who puts their life into honing their craft can be snubbed for someone with a loop machine and a tsunami of Autotune, but I would hope that that market has kind of seen its peak by now. I think people are waking up to art with feeling and skill again, there’s been a huge resurgence recently of very complex music being taken on by the masses and that’s wonderful.

CV: How would you describe the difference between an artist who follows trends and one who sets them?
EH: A trendsetter probably isn’t looking to set trends. They’re doing exactly what they want, and by not copying someone else they are a breath of fresh air. I don’t think there’s a particular formula to being original other than staying true to yourself. It’s painfully obviously when an artist is using other things as their outline. Everyone has individuality inside them…a lot of people just don’t use it.

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?
EH: Some communities for sure, they get so hung up on something not adhering to the specific troupes of whatever ridiculous term has been plastered on a band. I noticed it at Download Festival, a bunch of people not seeing Parkway Drive because they weren’t quite “Neon Lego Metalcore” enough or something. If you dig something because it’s good, dig it. Art isn’t a checklist…it’s expression. Every genre has good and bad, no one style of music is inherently either…

CV: What can fans except to see coming next from you?
EH: We’re waiting to finish our debut EP, so hopefully that’ll be released in the autumn. As soon as it is safe to do so we’re going to hit the road and play a load of shows. I’ve spent the whole of lockdown holed up experimenting and writing new material so there’s a plethora of brand new material for us to jam out.

CV: Thanks again Ernie for taking some time and talking. It is greatly appreciated.
EH: Thanks very much!

Check out Bison Face at:
Official: https://www.bisonface.co.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bisonface/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bisonface/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bisonfaceband
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3pixDiNj47jOH76s7RT32B?si=bMcRaJZXQ6GaqAEYjMSp-Q
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/bisonfaceband
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBeQR_etfY-Z5df4juRIxDw

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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, 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.