“Music is Life” is the motto on the official Facebook page of Artifas, and the Memphis, Tennessee-based rock band is here to prove it right!
Scottie Somerville (Lead Vocals), Cody Criswell (Lead Guitar/Vocals), Mikey Miller (Rhythm Guitar), Anthony Mattox (Bass) and Jared Wainscott (Drums/Percussion) have a long history in music; all of them come from numerous backgrounds from metal to classic rock. This interesting mix is the key to success, something that was clear enough for anyone to see when their first full album, Inhuman, released last July.
Here we speak with Cody Criswell, the lead guitar player and vocalist of Artifas, who explains to us why they chose to name their debut album Inhuman, how working all together on studio went for them, and why “the stage is our favorite place to be”…
How the band was formed; who brought you all together back in 2011?
We actually came together from other bands around the area. Scottie and I (Cody) were friends that played in different bands. After the groups we were in had disbanded, we started working on music together and recording demos. It seemed to me like the formation of this band just came by way of dedication and a refusal to stop making music. We all recognized each other as people that shared the same dream and were willing to work hard towards it.
What does your name stand for?
Artifas has a few meanings. It’s Sanskrit and means “duality” in some respects, as well as “surviving through your art”. A large portion of our lyrical content revolves around the struggles that people deal with every day. No matter how big or small, everyone has demons they fight, or an evil trying to overtake the good within them. We like to try and capture that idea in our music, hence the name…
What are your musical influences?
Everyone in the band has a wide variety of musical influences. It’s pretty insane how all across the board the five of us are. It’d be impossible to name all of the artists that have influenced us, but if I had to name a handful, I’d say Red, Sevendust, Karnivool, Periphery, 80’s Hair Metal bands, Papa Roach, and so many others.
Not long ago you released your first full length album with the title, Inhuman. How was the experience working on it?
We had such an amazing time making the record. It was produced by our close friend, Justin Rimer at CrossTrax Studios in Memphis. We basically just locked ourselves in the building for three months and had a musical party. We made a lot of awesome memories, and we can’t wait to go in for the next one.
It sounds amazing. Maybe we could join that musical party next time! Tell us a few words about this album and the songs…
Inhuman is a loosely themed album that just centers around how it feels to be in the world today. It’s about feeling, heartbreak, happiness, inspiration, unity, and anger. It’s really just a collection of our thoughts and stories that we feel our listeners can relate to.
Why did you choose to name it Inhuman?
I think that kinda goes back to the last question, but I could add that the title Inhuman is somewhat of a nod to how people can forget to be, well, HUMAN. It’s so easy to get lost in all the craziness that is life, and that is kinda what the album is about, getting lost in your good, bad, happy, sad, etc.
You are currently on the road with The Veer Union. What do you enjoy the most about live shows?
The stage is our favorite place to be. It’s a chance to really let out the negativity and give everything we have as performers to the people watching. There’s nothing that really captures that same intensity.
Are you working on any new songs you can share a few details with us?
We haven’t necessarily started working on new music. We’re always writing and coming up with song ideas, but when it comes time to focus on new music, we usually set time aside strictly to make new music together. We could possibly be looking at writing for a new album in the not-so-distant future, but as for now our focus is mainly on getting Inhuman into the ears of as many people as we can.
If you had the opportunity to “steal” a famous song and be the first to sing it, which song would it be?
Oh man… There are so many great songs I wish I had written, so that’s not really a fair question, but… off the top of my head I’d say anything by Michael Jackson or Hall and Oates.
What else each of you do in your everyday life?
Being on the road as much as we are doesn’t really leave much time to do other things outside of music, but we each try to involve ourselves in other things. Our other hobbies include skateboarding, video games, movies, drinking beer, and getting to know our close friend, Mary Jane. Hahaha…
What are your future plans?
At the moment we’re focusing on filling out our tour schedule for the rest of the year and making rounds to see all of our wonderful friends and fans around the country. We want to expand our fan base and really get the word out to people
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Interview by Demetrios Ioannou, RockRevolt Journalist
Concert photos by Steve Porter, RockRevolt Photographer
