Interview with the Band Slowpoke
By Mick Michaels
COSMICK VIEW: Hello! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thank you for
taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it's greatly appreciated.
CV: Do you feel that it's still possible for an unknown band today to be
plucked out of obscurity and make it to stardom? Can a dedicated core of
fans sharing their music make that possible or has the internet and social
media changed the game?
Ben: Yes and no…bands like Vulfpeck have done it and they sold out MSG without a manager. The industry can support an artist finding this level but I don’t think labels and such really drive that as a thing anymore.
Cam:
I think it’s possible. However, I feel that the internet and social media has
made much of music disposable. I think artists who are really successful today
make it by pushing themselves through various outlets on the internet…i.e.
Justin Bieber, Post Malone, etc.
Adam:
I agree with those answers.
CV: Do you feel that given the accessibility and social awareness of modern
times that a music underground still even exists today as it once did?
Ben: Yes. Music functions as a unifier and live music will always be worth attending and that's what a real underground music scene is. Is it a band if it doesn’t gig?
Cam: Yes of course a music underground exists…there will always be an audience for more extreme forms of music, such as certain sub genres of metal. There will always be people who want to go see small local bands rip it up.
Adam:
Yes by definition the underground still exists and always will.
CV: What do you see as the biggest difference in music and how it is perceived from back say 35 years ago compared to music today? Has both the music and the artist evolved from your point of view?
Ben: Because recording technologies are so much more affordable now than they were in 1985, the ratio of bands that make music as a hobby to bands that are driven by an industry has changed. While there is still commercial music overall, it is not as fundamentally industry driven or commercially oriented, though that’s never going away. Buy our record today! www.slowpokeband.com
Cam:
I think music in the 70s and 80s was driven much more by radio. The artists
themselves were able to maintain a certain mystique with the absence of social
media. Now, I feel like access to much more interesting and progressive musical
ideas is a lot easier through the internet and streaming.
Adam:
Musicians have much more access to digital technologies that allow them to
express themselves more creatively now.
CV: Do you believe bands and artists who have the biggest impact on fans and other artists are aware that they are or is there more of a tunnel vision sort of process for them keeping them somewhat in the dark? Can influential artists see past their own work to be aware of the ripples they make?
Slowpoke: Though it’s no guarantee of greatness, the tunnel-visioned artists have a potential to be greater artists. Their commitment to their own art in spite of how it will be received leads to the more genuine curation, creation, and honing of their artistic vision and standard. This is often, in a roundabout way, what the audience actually wants. Surely there are great artists and musicians who factor in the audience’s preferences and still manage to make great music, but we’d argue that the absolute greatest are lifted above through the merit of their own commitment to their vision.
CV: Does music need to be influential to be considered worth listening to in your opinion? Or can music simply be just an enjoyable auditory experience devoid of substance?
Slowpoke: Art versus entertainment is a tough one, they both serve their purpose. It’s great that they both exist. It would be exhausting to listen to only one. Sometimes using mindless music to curate an experience can be its own kind of craft. Art can also be about how people respond to things rather than the artist’s intent. There’s something poetic about making people want to dance.
CV: The world has been rocked by the COVID pandemic. The economy has been sent into a tailspin in its wake, unfortunately. Bands worldwide have been restricted from performing live and some it even seems, restricted from earning a living. How has the pandemic affected your band? Are you hopeful that 2021 will see many of the restrictions lifted?
Slowpoke: Yeah, it really sucked not being able to play live. It did help us build up steam for our album release though. Things are starting to open up here and we just played our album release show which really felt like things were getting normal…so things are already lifting off which is great.
CV: What do you feel artists and bands can do right now to stay relevant, especially in an environment, such as the present, where performing in front of a live audience is being restricted? What immediate options do you see available?
Slowpoke: Write the best music you can, get cool art, and perform virtually where possible. Think out of the box…maybe design video content and music videos? Be creative.
CV: As an artist, what have you learned from the events of 2020? Are those lessons learned different for you as a person than as an artist or are they one in the same in your opinion?
Slowpoke: What we’ve learned is that the world as we know it can change at any moment and we should stay adaptable.
CV: What's next? What can fans expect to see coming in 2021?
Slowpoke: The rest of 2021 and 2022 we’ll be playing some more gigs and getting back at writing. We’ve already got a ton of ideas.
CV: Thank you again for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers. It was such a pleasure. I wish you all the best.
Slowpoke: Thanks for having us and taking the time to come up with such great questions!
Check out Slowpoke at:
Official: www.slowpokeband.com
Bandcamp: www.slowbokebandnl.bandcamp.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/slowpoketheband
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slowpokenl/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4rTzZYhVbVE03MUgsgyLKg
Hear Now: https://hearnow.com/settings/noalb02496946#nt_account
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0vxMgVXrrP0KCVwNDlK6n
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/ca/album/slowpoke/1575822427?ls&fbclid=IwAR0leTwPd9sx7qarIKM5LXNqUFK5JoRB0itY6pOY1YZHahc5ODrhZEiTGGw
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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.
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