Interview with A Permanent Shadow



By Mick Michaels




The Cosmick View: Hello, 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?
A Permanent Shadow: We play New Wave and Synthpop indebted popmusic with electronic tinges. We draw heavily from the likes of David Bowie, Lou Reed and Iggy Pop among others but try to maintain our own personality and sound. We don’t shy away from weirdness and quirkiness, but we also love big choruses. I guess that makes us unique in a way.

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?
APS: I’ve had people write to me to discuss the meaning of individual songs, and that’s the biggest achievement in my mind. If your songs ignite something in the listener to the extent that they want to talk to you about it, that’s really great. That’s the true connection. I’m not talking about social media though. To my mind it’s a huge mistake to think that people connect with your music just because they give you a like on a picture or video post. The number of clicks, likes etc. can be a very misleading indicator of how much your music means to someone.

CV: Is fan interaction an important part of the band’s inner culture?
APS: In our case it’s a bit difficult to say. We are not a true band; it’s just me and two producers, so there is no real inner culture as you call it. That said, interaction is always wonderful, feedback both good and bad is always appreciated.

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?
APS: There is a tendency though these days to give away a lot of yourself in order to feed the algorithm and keep your so-called audience interested. The constant need to interact in order not to drop off people’s feed can be a bit stressful and drive the attention away from the actual songs. You cannot talk about your new single twenty days in a row, so you need to start sharing more personal information, though I’d rather we focus on the music. I love John Grant but I know very little about him as a person. Whatever he’s up to on a personal level has little influence on how much I adore his music.

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?
APS: With the advent of streaming and digital platforms I think music is viewed as a commodity these days. For a fixed amount per month you have all the music in the world at one click. It’s like running water or electricity. I don’t think that the average Japanese music consumer has a different attitude to an American music fan. It’s not so much a question of where you’re from but what music does for you, hence the resurgence of vinyl and even the cassette. Putting on an LP is more of a celebration and an effort than just listening to the same album on Spotify.

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?
APS: To my mind, it’s a question of right time, right place, lots of promotion and a bit of luck. If you look at bands like Rammstein, for instance, who would have thought that a German industrial act could fill stadiums in the US? They’re doing something that’s different but familiar at the same time. If your music is too out-there, I think it will not stand a chance; audiences need the feeling of familiarity to be able to connect with even the most exotic musical proposal.

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?
APS: Quality music requires a certain level of craft as a songwriter and musician or performer. If that talent is not there, you may have fun doing your own music, but if that has anything to do with artistry, I don’t know. Everyone can pick up a brush and fill a canvas with paint, but does that mean that everyone’s a painter? I wouldn’t say so. That said, history is full of dilletantes that changed the course of art. 
 

CV: How would you describe the difference between an artist who follows trends and one who sets them?
APS: Those who set trends don’t care much about chart positions, they care about artistic satisfaction. Success is just a by-product for them if it happens. Some of the most influential artists have had very little chart impact. Look at Scott Walker, Joy Division, The Velvet Underground – rock music would definitely not be the same without them, but they were not big sellers. For me, the ultimate trendsetter was David Bowie. Except for a brief period of commercialism in the Eighties he never cared much about the commercial impact of his music, he just did what he wanted to do. He was not afraid of defying expectations.

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?
APS: I find it hard to think in terms of musical labels, but I can see that if you don’t belong to a certain genre hook line and sinker, it’s really difficult to get a lot of coverage from the press or to find an audience. So from a marketing point of view it makes total sense to create genres and sub-genres, although the distinction is sometimes quite artificial. I’ve still not even worked out the difference between Indie and Alternative, let alone the different sub-genres of Indie. Sometimes it’s even hard to tell what is Pop and what is Rock.

CV: What can fans expect to see coming next from you?
APS: We will release our second album in March, and later this year are planning to release a covers EP which we are really excited about. It will feature songs by The Cult, John Cale and John Mellencamp among others.

CV: Thanks again for taking some time and talking. It is greatly appreciated.

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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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