Interviews: Gone Cosmic

In this new occassion we have had the opportunity to interview the Rock band Gone Cosmic from Canada. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE. 

1.Where did you get the idea for the band name, you planned it or came out just like that? 

We wanted a band name that represents our sound and style, something that hints at our songwriting tendencies that often take the form of psychedelic journeys. We of course also wanted a band name that hasn't been taken by another group, which is tough these days, so we went through dozens of proposed names before we all agreed on 'Gone Cosmic'. We think it really suits the experience we try to provide in our live performance - the band and the audience venturing on an unknown, dynamic, experiential voyage together.

2.Why did you want to play this genre? 

We honestly love music in all genres, but we also have our own styles and influences that we gravitate towards. We like heavy riffs and groovy rhythms, and we love sweet melodies and soul. We never set out to play music in one specific genre and we hope to never be bound by a certain style. We like to play music that is challenging to write and perform, but also easy to listen to and easy to shake your hips and sing along to, so we try to blend those aspects into something cohesive that we all love.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed? 

Darty (guitar), Marcello (drums), and Brett (bass) have known each other for more than a decade and have jammed for years and played in a few one-off bands together. The three guys had been jamming and writing songs for about a year, which would form the basis of our new album Sideways In Time, when they started auditioning vocalists. Abbie was recommended by a friend of a friend and after the first jam, we all knew she was the perfect fit. Abbie took our weird jams and brought them up a whole new level with her amazing lyrics and melodies, adding new dimensions the guys never envisioned. 

4. Each band member favourite band?

Its pretty tough to nail down one favorite band, but Darty's love for Black Sabbath is well documented (in tattoo form!), Abbie is a mean Ween fan, Marcello loves the endless jams of Earthless, and Brett is a fiend for Queens of the Stone Age. Likely you'll pickup on some of these influences in our songwriting. 

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs? 

Our favorite bands and musicians that we listen to, our fellow bands and artists in the local scene here in Calgary and western Canada. We're also inspired by the cosmos, scientific exploration, and the pursuit of knowledge, as well as individuals from past and present that push the boundaries of possibilities in both the physical and cognitive realms. We've also been known to watch a conspiracy documentary or two to challenge our perceptions and be open to the unknown or that which is not fully understood.

6. Where was your last gig? 

Our last show was at the Palomino in Calgary, supporting the mighty Conan! They were completely heavy and crushing, destroying the crowd with their incredibly punishing riffs, while also extremely kind and nice guys all around. It was an absolutely pleasure to share the stage with them.

7. Where would you like to act? 

We are really keen to do lots of touring to support the release of our new album Sideways in Time. We'll be touring most of April in western Canada, but are setting our sights on broader touring across the country and especially Europe. We can't wait to share our music across the world, play with great artists from all over and meet truly ravenous fans who want to join us in a cosmic voyage. 

8. Whom would you like to feature with? 

We've already had the fortune of sharing the stage with some of our heroes, such as Brant Bjork, Sean Wheeler, and Earthless. We've been listening to lots of Once and Future Band, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, and Spidergawd recently, so it would be great to join forces with any of these folks. 

9. Whom not? 

We'll share the stage with anyone who is genuine, talented, and respectful - we don't care about genres as long as people love the music they're playing and love to perform live.

10. Any of you has ever suffered from stage fright? Any tip for beginners on how to beat that? 

The best way to beat stage fright is to practice and rehearse often! If you know your songs inside and out, then you've prepared yourself as best you can to perform and kick ass live. We all have our own pre-show traditions to make sure we're ready to put on our best performance every time we play, whether that's stretching or meditating or running to the bathroom to make sure the tanks are empty.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

Bands that have created something unique, who don't try to emulate others, and play what they love as opposed to what they think other people will love, are the ones that inspire us to do the same. We are inspired by bands from all different genres and time periods, past and present. Musicians that pursue and refine their own style and sound are the ones we look up to the most - we never want to be anyone but ourselves and so we create music that we not only love to play, but also love to listen to. 

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for? 

As much as we'd like to give you a great answer the truth is we are too new to have a great tale to tell!  So far it's been the standard set list, occasional autograph, but mostly high fives!

13. What do you think of your fans? 

We absolutely love them! We're still a relatively new band, but we've been fortunate to play a lot of really great shows already and have gained many new fans along the way. We're very excited to release our new album and share our music broadly. We're really proud of our new album and playing these songs live is our favorite thing to do, so we look forward to performing and meeting lots of new people as we tour in support of the album. 

14. What do you think of our site?

It's great! We love that you support and promote excellent artists and music, it can really help bands spread the word and gain recognition. Thanks for being an integral part of helping musicians share their work!

15. Something add?

Thanks for the opportunity to share a bit about ourselves and our music. We really appreciate anyone who takes the time to listen to our album, come to a live show, and support our merch - we don't take it for granted and we feel very fortunate to be able to write, record, and perform music that we love!