We often try as humans to divide ourselves up – building categories and classifications that ultimately lead to stereotypes and segregation. Yet there are some things that cross every boundary we try to create and force us back into one unified species. Fear is one of those things; an element everyone can relate to on some level or another. If you find someone who tells you they are not afraid of anything, chances are they are lying or the concept of fear itself is the actual facilitator.
Walking hand-in-hand with fear, as it skips down the street, is the notion of nightmares: a simple element of life most individuals have experienced, which is why discussing and exploring them can be so mesmerizing. Nightmares tend to creep up and strike without warning, and then stick with you like a caustic form of molasses, clinging and eating away at your core. Brutal by nature and beautiful by design, nightmares hold a firm place within the tapestry of our society. This week’s Indie Band of the Week, the Brooklyn-based rock band, The Amatory Murder, knows this too well and places the majority of their inspiration for their latest EP release, Exploiting Our Dreams, right into the hands of the nightmare beast. Using their unique ability to combine industrial components with 80’s reminiscent synthesized rock, they are able to create a melodic atmosphere where lost souls are welcomed and where nightmares run free.
Since “Exploiting our Dreams” just came out, what is your overall attitude towards music right now? Does having a new EP create a rejuvenated sense of excitement?
Xian: Well, I for one am excited! The new record is a big step for us because it’s a more organic sound. The songs are accessible to a wider audience and seem to be resonating with people. That in itself has made our attitude towards the music scene a lot more positive. I think the response is good for rock music in general.
Joey: Absolutely. I think we successfully managed to translate a great deal of our energy and intensity into these songs. One of the things we all have in common is a love for live performance and connecting with people from the stage. Showing up to a gig with this record in our hands makes it all much more exciting.
Ernest: I am definitely psyched about our new EP. Before I joined the band I was a fan of the music but always felt the gritty qualities that are heard live were lost on the recordings. So as a sonicphile (sic) I am very excited for people to hear TAM as we were intended to be heard.
Your latest single, “A Haunting” references nightmares as a source of inspiration. How did that come about? Do any of you have a particular nightmare that plagues your subconscious?
Xian: I have my nightmares here and there. As people we all have worries and things we sometimes dwell on: past events, fears, lovers, etc. I think anyone who hears the song usually gets it. I’ve also dealt with panic attacks. For me, having a panic attack is one of the worst feelings both physically and emotionally because you feel like you’re dying and you don’t know what to do. You can’t run anywhere and hide from it because it’s happening in you. You can move to a new apartment, a new town, a different state…Your past will follow you no matter what until you deal with it and the neurosis that comes along with it.
Ernest: I don’t really have nightmares. I don’t really dream much. Too much herb.
Aside from nightmares and related dark side dynamics, where did you pull additional inspiration from? What really gets under your skin and causes you to create music?
Xian: As a vocalist and lyricist, I pull from life events or look at other people and their situations and write little stories about them. Sometimes I’m just influenced by the other musicians around me, especially in Brooklyn because there’s so much going on right now. Usually it’s anything that affects me emotionally or stirs up heavy feelings that cause me to write.
Joey: The big and little moments in life can affect us all in profound ways. After a couple unison bends and nasty chords, I’m right as rain…
Ernest: I am inspired by energy. In TAM I try to minimize my bass playing to just root notes and licks I feel serve the song and not my ego, leaving me free to exhibit more gusto physically. I love to dance. It’s kinda why I play music.
The Amatory Murder – “A Haunting” Official Lyric Video
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Do you feel you have evolved as a band from your first album? And if so, do you view the evolution as positive or negative?
Xian: I don’t know how the others feel, but I would definitely say so. The Amatory Murder started with just [rhythm guitarist] Drakos and myself and we went through a rotating cast of musicians. Now that we have a more solid lineup–specifically the inclusion of Joey and Ernest–I feel we have a more definitive sound and are able to do a lot more. There are more focused voices involved.
Ernest: What Xian said!
However did you come up with your band name?
Xian: Love. Love is a big word. It can make you feel euphoric and great but it can also push someone to want to kill. The Amatory Murder is a crime committed in passion.
Your music has been labeled as “ghostly” and “gothic”, cloaking layers of sound to create an experience that can be place listeners on the other side of midnight. How do you feel about this label? What would you add to it to help people understand the core of your message?
Xian: “The other side of midnight”? Well man, that’s awesome! I would say we’re a bunch of night owls, so those descriptions aren’t too far-fetched. At the same time, I think our compositions are very pop/rock oriented. I like to think that we’re writing the same way greats like The Beatles or Pink Floyd wrote; we’re just dressing our songs in a corset and showering them with rose petals. I think anyone can find things to relate to in our music.
Joey: We don’t get much sunlight either!
Do you approach elements of day-to-day life in the same way you approach your music? Are each of you able to control your own personal demons that dwell in the dark?
Xian: That’s a great question. I really try to make an effort to leave all my angst and emotional stuff to exclusively channel through our music. Or, at least I’m learning to do that. I’ve been making an effort to control my own demons; make them WORK for ME. There have been times when I’ve failed at that, but for the most part I can keep things in check. I’m always learning.
Ernest: I’m a happy guy for the most part but can be a mean guy without my meds.
As a band, you are clearly not afraid to experiment with sound. Are there areas of experimentation you have yet to try? Are there some musical elements you consider taboo – that is, things you would never want to touch on a compositional level?Xian: I’m pretty open to new things. I would never want to *change* our sound because I think we have a pretty solid thing going. The cool thing about ‘Exploiting Our Dreams’ is that we experimented more than we did on the last record. We put a lot of thought into crafting everyone’s voice and in some cases just messing around with a cool sound or texture. I wouldn’t say that there’s anything we wouldn’t try in order to create good art.
Joey: Some of my most positive and inspiring recording moments have taken place with this band. We sit down with the basic structure in mind, but almost everything I laid down has been written on the spot. Experimentation and open mindedness are very present in our process. If I had a take that was a little too Hendrix-y or Jeff Buckley-y, we just bend it until it works. I’ve walked away from every session feeling proud because we came up with something unique and true to ourselves.
Ernest: I would say our sound is currently where it belongs and probably shouldn’t change. However more instruments and effects are welcome for sure. Theremins, ebos, slides, power tools, etc. — expect all of these to make an appearance on our next release.
What type of connection do you feel you have with your fans? How does your music create an atmosphere for this connection to thrive?
Xian: Now more than ever I feel we have such a great connection with fans. Being a teenager is hard–even more so in today’s world. There’s a lot of things constantly put into people’s faces to try and make them feel insecure, not good enough, that they need to buy useless shit or compromise who they are in order to be accepted or “cool”. It’s bullshit, but it affects people of all ages. I think our fans appreciate that we’re talking about things very similar to how they feel. Even us big kids have issues sometimes. I would say the connection is constantly getting stronger at this point. We will always make music, but the fans are what keep us wanting to release it.
Joey: Our fans are the coolest. Hanging out after our shows is always a good time. If you’re at one of our gigs, come say hi. You might even get a sticker!
Besides musical world domination, what does the future hold for The Amatory Murder?
Xian: We have some great summer shows coming up, and we’re trying to get on tour so we can go more national. Also, we have some new tunes in the works, so eventually another full-length record will be released. I personally feel very good about our future.
Connect With The Amatory Murder:
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By: Dr. Scarlet, RockRevolt Magazine Contributor
