Interview with Vocalist Mark Russell of Citizen Rage
.jpg)
By Mick Michaels
COSMICK VIEW: Hello, Mark! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it's greatly appreciated.
CV: What
do you feel is a real game changer for an artist or band when it comes to their
career in the modern music industry? Is it something they do, or say, or
achieve…?
Mark Russell: Touring…I notice if you
want to just be a band these days, staying at home and playing the same shows
over and over will get you nowhere. You have to get the hell out and tour…even
if it's hammering on those surrounding towns and cities near you. Your band is
your brand, yes we have social media to help but if you're not touring to any
degree, you might find yourself beating a dead horse.
CV:
Years ago it was said that video killed the radio star. Has social media killed
what was left in your opinion?
MR: I don't think it killed it, and
it may have taken more from the common musician than it did in the past, but we
can now share all types of music with all different types of people with a
click of a share button. Shit like celebrity lip syncing competitions is gonna
kill everything if we don't stop that shit right now. Enough is enough!
CV: With
the world now being post-COVID, how have things changed for you as an artist?
Has a new music industry really emerged in its wake as many are saying? What
are your thoughts?
MR: I wanna say yes, but it seems
like we have to work twice as hard now, local shows have taken a hit pretty bad
and it seems like people really pick and choose who they want to see now versus
before. All of these people would just go out on any random night, stumble into
a show and stick around. Now people have a million things to think about before
attending any type of gig concert or show…”Am I sick,” “Will I get sick,” “Will
I get anyone sick from going out,” there are a lot more factors now, not to
mention money doesn't go nearly as far as it did Pre-COVID. The cost of living
is through the roof. Can people even afford to go out? I'm sure big concerts
will do fine but underground shows will definitely have a long road ahead of
themsleves.
CV: If
you knew the pandemic was coming, what would you have done differently as an
artist to prepare?
MR: Not bought so much merch for a
tour that got canceled. We put a lot of eggs into one basket right before it
all went down. But lucky for us we have great friends, fans, and family.
CV: Do
you believe bands and artists who make the biggest impact on fans, as well as
other artists, are really ever aware that they are? Or do you think it’s more
like a tunnel vision sort of existence for them, where they’re somewhat in the
dark? Do you think such artists can actually see past their own work to even
know the ripples they make on others?
MR: I want to believe they are. I
mean so many musicians pull inspiration from bands before them and in most
cases you can hear it when you listen hard enough. A good song can inspire a
greater song.
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?
MR: Not always, when I was younger I
wanted fast, heavy music and as long as it was that I didn't search outside
that box. The older I get the more I need to search for more connection, more
storyline, more depth from the writer. It's really up to the person.
CV: What
do you consider “being relevant” is when discussing how artists and bands should
present themselves to the public? Does relevance translate into success in your
opinion? In addition, what do you feel an artist can do right now to stay
relevant?
MR: The music industry is a cold
hearted beast, if you're not releasing music on the regular or touring to stay
on everyone's radar or coming up with unique ways to keep people engaged then
it will be really hard to stay relevant. Today's age is fast and disposable.
CV: As
an artist, what do you see as being your biggest lesson learned? And what type
of impact has that lesson had on you as a person and your career?
MR: Staying humble. I’ve met a lot of
my heroes and great bands, I can also say that some of my so called heroes are
fucking assholes who think something is owed to them cause of their social
status. And others have been unbelievably nice and caring. So I personally like
to keep my interactions as positive as possible…I don't ever want people to
think of me as some dick head who made everyone's experience horrible when
dealing with me.
CV:
What's next? What can fans expect to see coming from you?
MR: We have a lot of stuff on the
horizon at camp CR. We are set to tour right away here with Canadian hardcore
punk legends Dayglo Abortions. The tour starts June 13th in Victoria and we end
our trip in New Brunswick July 2nd. We also have a new full length album “Harsh
Reality” coming out on Cursed Blessings records this fall. Oh and we just
released the first single off the album, “For Worse or Better,” you can check
out the new lyric video right now on our Youtube or Facebook or whatever you
kids are using these days.
CV:
Thank you again Mark for spending
some time talking and sharing with our readers. It was such a pleasure. I wish
you all the best.
MR: Right back at ya homie, Thanks so
much.
Check out Citizen Rage at:
https://www.facebook.com/CitizenRagecalgary
https://www.instagram.com/citizenrageyyc/
https://citizenragehardcore.bandcamp.com/
https://linktr.ee/citizenrageyyc
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXEyFdvgPWiYiEGmyrBFUww
The Cosmick Voice
Music, Talk & Nothing But Business
www.thecosmickvoice.com
www.anchor.fm/the-cosmick-voice
Spiritual Counseling and Sessions Available
www.pamelaaloia.com
 |
| The Cosmick Voice Music, Talk & Nothing But Business www.facebook.com/TheCosmickVoice |
Comments
Post a Comment