Larissa Vale and Kyle Hawken – also known as Black Satellite to music fans – are two of the most down-to-earth and genuine people you can find in the industry. After more than six years together writing music, including their smash debut album that you want in your earbuds right this minute, Endless, they landed an opening slot for Starset in NYC’s Gramercy Theatre.
Black Satellite – EndlessThat performance put them front and center for fans of both bands and has served as a catalyst for their exposure to explode. If you like haunting, ethereal vocals and earth-shaking, powerful instrumentals, Black Satellite is the band you need to turn to. We had a chance to talk to Larissa about everything from their dream tour to playing with Starset and what is next for the NYC-based duo. Get your eyes and ears on these two – big things are coming for Black Satellite, and you’ll want to say you knew them first!
First of all, thank you for taking the time to talk with me. I know some of my friends were lucky enough to see you in concert when you played with Starset earlier this year. How did that come about?
Kyle saw a flyer for the show on Instagram and then had this overwhelming feeling that we would somehow end up playing with them. We had just played a show at the same venue (The Gramercy Theatre) a couple weeks prior and decided to reach out to the talent buyer about it. Sure enough, they ended up booking us for the show!
Everyone I talked to loved your live sound and said you were a good fit with that band, so I was wondering how that works on your end in terms of touring. Are you hoping to find bands that have a similar feel for touring? Or do you want to break out and reach out to a unique fanbase?
We feel like our fanbase is there; it’s just a matter of getting on the right tour. We have a clear picture of what we need to do in order to realize our vision for this band.
What’s your dream tour? Who do you see Black Satellite heading out with? Where would you be going?
Our dream tour would be an international tour with Korn, Alice in Chains, or any of our inspirations really.
Speaking of fanbase, when on stage, how do you keep your own fans engaged while also attracting and holding the attention of those who may not know who you are?
This may sound kind of funny, but I literally crouch in front of someone who may look spaced-out in the front row and just sing in their face. For some reason it works; those same girls met us after the show and asked for pictures! In terms of keeping our fans engaged, I make sure to perform with the same integrity as on the record and just do me. It keeps people entertained if I can shed a little bit more about me as a person and not overthink things.
I know you’re not on tour now, so what are your plans for that in the future? Anything upcoming?
We have big plans for the future—as I mentioned earlier, its all about getting on the right tour. Even so, we somehow tend to pull things off when least expected.
Love the album, and I love your sound. It is just so good. How has it been received by the fans?
We have been receiving such overwhelming support and positive response. It’s one thing to believe in yourself, but another when you have fans that believe in you. For the first time we’re like: “Oh wow, I wasn’t completely delusional—we truly have something going for us.”
When it comes to making music, what’s the process like for you? How do you pick what stays and what goes? Is there a moment when you’re like, “Yes! THIS IS IT!”
When we are on a roll, it just comes out. We pretty much know within 5 seconds if something is going to work or not. By working this way we are able to try a lot of different things in a relatively short amount of time. Surprisingly, the majority of the record was written in just 8 days.
The order of the songs on Endless seems pretty deliberate, and it flows from front to back really well. Was that on purpose? What was the method behind that madness?
When we went in for mastering, we actually had an entirely different sequence. That morning, Ted Jensen just loaded up the session and was like “So, I tried this new sequence. You don’t have to go with it, but give it a listen. I can’t tell you how many arguments I’ve heard in this room over sequence alone!” After we listened to it front-to-back it just made a lot more sense, and we never had another discussion about it.
What’s next from you in terms of music making? Are you working on a new release?
What we can say right now is that we are working on some additional content that, hopefully, people will be freaking out about.
When listening to the album, I get a little sense of hope that all is not lost, even when humanity seems to want to turn on itself. What message do you hope the listeners come away with?
A main motif of the album is overcoming self-conflict as well as conflict with those around you. You need to be able to live with yourself because at the end of the day that might be all that’s left—at least within my specific experiences.
That is so, so true!! If you could describe Black Satellite in five words, what would they be?
I’m so bad at these kinds of questions! My best try would be: Dark, ominous, haunting, aggressive, and foreboding.
Oh, those are good words. I like that! Do you use social media as a useful tool for reaching out to fans of Black Satellite, or is it more of a hindrance? I know a lot of artists see it as a little bit of both, so I’d like to get your take.
Social media is definitely a useful tool, especially because it gives our fans an easy way to reach out to us. We really make an effort to engage with our fans personally, whether it’s for advice or if they just need someone to talk to. It does get very time consuming, but I think that comes along with the job.
Understandable. I think we all have those times with social media in our own lives. Any last words for our readers?
We have a lot planned for the future and fans will definitely not be disappointed! We tend to be workaholics and are currently coming up with another diabolical scheme to keep things interesting.
Ooh! I cannot wait! Talk to you soon. Thanks again for your time!
