“When it comes to the music trends…
we just create and don’t pay attention to trends. I feel that if your chasing trends your always going to be 1 step behind them. ” @Cemeterysuncrew

GETTING TO KNOW CEMETERY SUN
by Jacqueline Jax host of A.V.A Live Radio

The Beginning…
Elliot and I had just joined the band. At the time they where more of a pop band with a little bit of a punk sound (check out Headlines to hear their old sound). Elliot and I definitely come from a darker, more ambient background (check out The Even Tide to hear our old band). When we started writing songs together, we had the luxury of being able to go any direction we wanted. “(Hard Drugs) Fake Love” was written as an instrumental jam first. Josh couldn’t be there for the session so he had no idea what we had done. I think the first time he ever heard it was when we where recording it. He kinda struggled at first with knowing what to do. We all had ideas of how the vocals should sound and almost all of them were really dark and dissonant sounding. Josh really didn’t want to do that. He eventually just said he was gonna make the vocals really bright and bring some of that old Headlines style vocals into it. It worked, we loved it and it became the template for our band to follow.

I continue to challenge myself by…
Always listening to music outside of my own genre, I almost never listen to similar bands. Right now Hip Hop has been a huge influence to me and how I craft my guitar parts. There’s something so beautiful in repeating a simple melody over and over.

Success…
Being able to support myself off of what I love. Simple as that

I am most afraid of…
Not trying and never knowing what could have been. It’s always been my biggest fear, It’s not easy having life goals that have very little chance for success nowadays but I can’t die forever wondering “what if?”

When it comes to the music trends…
we just create and don’t pay attention to trends. I feel that if your chasing trends your always going to be 1 step behind them. Trends are fickle and they change even faster now that so much music is available instantly via Spotify or Tidal. We do watch how other bands share their music though. You have to learn and learn quickly nowadays if you ever have a chance.

Making Music…
Elliot is our resident recording genius. He has recorded all our songs in his home studio and they sound amazing. We had this EP mixed by Colby Wedgeworth but he was very happy with the mixes Elliot sent him and didn’t change much. We couldn’t survive without Elliot. Our video is done with Raul Gonzo, it’s amazing to watch him work and see how he uses his community and friends to craft his videos. He makes so much out of thin air its crazy.

https://soundcloud.com/cemeterysun/hard-drugs
Hard Drugs- Fake Love…
Theme-wise the song takes a casual observer role at a really good party, in my head it’s a house party. It’s almost like a brand new relationship, there’s no ugliness or darkness yet. The feelings are fresh and the love is at a chemical peak. To me, it may be fake but in those few moments of chemical bliss it is just as real to everyone there. It’s not a song about condemning the scene, I almost want to say it’s saying what everyone is thinking. It wouldn’t be a thing if it wasn’t good.

We wrote well over 30 songs for this EP. We chose the songs that really meant the most to us and that we felt identified who we are. Josh and I have a similar childhood and the way he phrases and crafts his lyrics and melodies still gives me chills when I hear them.
We are releasing some of the songs to radio and are planning a full year of touring behind it. We honestly can’t wait to be out there full time.

Sacramento California…
3/4 of us come from Sacramento, CA. It’s such an interesting scene. A lot of heavy bands but to me its like Sacramento culture isn’t afraid of being weird or different. If you look at the list of bands that have had a success its like a big group of outsiders in their genres that don’t give a shit about not being like everyone else. The musicianship is just so insane around here. We are privileged to have grown up here.

Social Media..
I like that I can instantly talk to a kid in the UK or share an image we love with thousands of people. I hate that social media has become the new bar for success for bands though; I find it hard to balance the role of social media manager and musician. I feel like it has taken a lot of musicians focus away from their instruments and planted them in front of a twitter feed or they are stressing about Instagram followers. I try to maintain that being an artist and losing yourself in the music will result in your social media taking on your personality as opposed to letting social media decide who you are.

I would love to have 5 minutes alone with..
Dave Grohl. The man is just so passionate about music and being the most honest and dedicated musician you can be. I learned to play the color and the shape from front to back and that man helped create who I am. I have watched his SXSW speech multiple times, it fires me up to keep going.

Live Interview August 12 8pm ET: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/avaliveradio/2015/08/13/episode-248-ava-live-radio-behind-the-music-with-jacqueline-jax

BIO:
Josh Doty – lead vocals Jesse Mancillas – lead guitar
Austen Butler – drums Elliot Polokoff – guitar, producer

Cemetery Sun finds its center around the idea of overcoming life’s self-imposed obstacles, learning to love what surrounds them and ultimately discovering who they are and how to pave the way for others.

Things you should know…..
Their sound is a mash up of Alt-rock, pop and a good dose of hip-hop beats. Many of their guitar leads are influenced by Dr. Dre with the vocal melodies inspired by Ellie Goulding and Chester Bennington (Linkin Park).

Experiencing the band live is a must. They’re based in Sacramento,CA
They have an album’s worth of material that they wrote recorded and produced themselves in Elliot’s parent’s garage. Plans are to release an EP this fall.

When not performing, rehearsing or working out new material, Austen and Josh play beer pong tournaments together for extra money. Josh likes to cook Asian and Italian dishes. Austen writes short stories “about God knows what”, he says. Jesse defines himself as a vegan-animal rights atheist. Elliot prefers breakfast over any other meal and he can be found many late nights hanging out “getting weird” at Karaoke bars (don’t ask).

Their debut single, “(Hard Drugs) Fake Love” is already getting serious attention online and as well with traditional media. The song defines the façades you witness going out—jaded people, lost in feelings of lust, selfishness, or vice-related highs. It’s a constant reminder of how easy it is to find yourself alone in that scene; where you can quickly forget who your real friends are and what truly makes you happy.” – Josh