Ivan – The music business is a crazy thing.
I like the core idea of it though, as a musician. My ideal business is to release a record along with a few singles on it, a music video or two, and then go tour on it. Sell records, sell shirts, sell merch, meet fans @sothisband11
Live Interview
Episode #380
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/avaliveradio/2016/10/27/episode-380-ava-live-radio-behind-the-music-with-jacqueline-jax
GETTING TO KNOW SöTHIS
by Jacqueline Jax host of A.V.A Live Radio
Ivan [Vocals], Paul [Bass, main songwriter] – Söthis
Ivan – The music business is a crazy thing.
I like the core idea of it though, as a musician. My ideal business is to release a record along with a few singles on it, a music video or two, and then go tour on it. Sell records, sell shirts, sell merch, meet fans. I’d be content with a life like that. All the other stuff in-between, I can’t say that I really care for. All of us in the band are well-aware of how musicians can get screwed over by awful record deals and contracts. We’re a cautious bunch.
Paul – I feel like the music business is only a business
for top executives and EXTREMELY successful bands (Metallica, RHCP, Rolling Stones). There are very few death metal bands who make anywhere near enough to support themselves let alone a family. The music business is more about the business than the music these days.
Ivan – Starting out, it’s tough. Real tough.
Venues expect you to draw at least 15 to 20 people per show. It’s a bummer if you don’t have enough connections to bring people out. Then, just promoting your music and getting it out there isn’t a cakewalk either. There’s so much music out there, it’s hard to be appreciated or even noticed. Those would be the cons. The pros to this? You get to live your dream. Do what you love, be creative and let it flow. You get to go nuts on stage and share that feeling with others. You get to express yourself. And when you sell shirts and records that people are happy to pay for, that feels great. I remember reading the first couple anonymous reviews of ‘Lacerated’, and reading how people got into it, I don’t think i’ve ever felt that happy before.
Paul – I honestly don’t have too much experience on the music business
since my band mates handle most of our booking and communications, but so far the only bad things I’ve seen are the typical lazy sound guys, poor promoters, and cash grabbing booking companies who book way too many bands for one night. My feelings on the music business are based off of my understanding of the general mindset of corporations, and from hearing others opinions.
Paul – Whenever I’m having writers block or I’m just not feeling it one day
I just put down the guitar and either listen to some music or play some video games. If you spend too much time trying to write a good riff it will be too forced. It’s nice to grab the inspiration when it hits and work from that.
Ivan – Simply conquer the struggles.
Push through, believe in yourself, believe in what you have. If that flame is lit, it’s lit. And if you have writer’s block, do what Paul said.
Paul – I would love to have five minutes alone with Chuck Schuldiner,
songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist for the band Death. Death is the quintessential death metal band and when Chuck passed away in the early part of the 2000s, we lost legend and a genius. I feel like even five minutes with him would impart some sort of transcendental knowledge of metal and progressive music.
Ivan – 100% with Paul on this.
Chuck was an amazing artist and deeply influenced me. His introspective and brutally honest lyrics always hit me really hard. His songwriting was always pushing to the next level. He pioneered an obscure genre of music and showed how it can start from a primitive, brutal place, and he demonstrated how it could evolve into a respected and developed art form.
Ivan – I went to school for a lot of my life,
studying the general stuff, studying biology. I realized that I was completely disinterested in school and that it seemed like a distraction compared to the passion that I felt for music. I fell in love with Metallica in my mid-teens and later on got into heavier stuff like Gojira and Cannibal Corpse. Going to shows and catching these bands was—and still is one of my favorite things to do, and the fact that I get to make my own music now is pretty incredible to me.
Paul – I started playing guitar back when I was 7 years old,
but I never got that into it until I was about 12 and started playing bass. I started to listen to a lot of Red Hot Chili Peppers and rock music which got me started on bass and then I heard things like Metallica and Death and I was hooked. From there I’ve just been practicing and playing music I love.
Lacerated
Paul – Backstory – Lacerated was actually the second song I had ever written.
I remember coming up with the main riff in jazz band during high school and our guitarist Joey telling me to make sure I saved it. I had written one song previously that was pretty cool, but with a little help from band mates I was able to put together Lacerated, one of our groovier songs.
Ivan – “What’s it about?” This song is a reflection on society through a fairly extreme lens.
Some of it is direct, some of it is a metaphoric. The line “reverse this treaded path of remorse” sums it up. It has to do with the state of the world, how we treat each other, what we’re influenced by, and that there are things we need to change. If we’re consumed by the path of remorse that potentially lies ahead of us, it’s game over. We’re on the cusp of something special. It’s either one road or the other. Which path do we choose? Either way, i’m pretty fucking frustrated with a lot of what I see and that should come across in the music and the lyrics.
Links:
Purchase Lacerated + E.P.: https://sothis.bandcamp.com/
Paul – The point of our music is to make people want to get up and mosh,
so if you can expect anything from our music it’s that it’ll be heavy. I want people to vibe with it and be able to get down as fuck in the pit. Our music is meant to be fast, loud, and heavy with very little bullshit I like to think.
Ivan – Brutal metal tunes that you can lose your mind to.
I know that the music is a huge release for myself, emotionally and physically, and I hope it’ll be just as much a release for others who listen to it. Our first album is going to be a fun ride, for sure. The live shows that follow will be nuts.
Ivan – We live in the San Francisco Bay Area which is a fantastic place to live as a music fan.
All the great bands tour out here. We saw Gojira together the other night at the Warfield in SF. We even have great festivals such as Outside Lands and Treasure Island right in our backyard. The music scene is fairly solid. Lots of cool rock bands, lots of cool metal bands around. This place is obviously historic for birthing bands such as Metallica. Today, there’s tons of bands clawing their way up the ranks. It’s friendly for the most part, though. Most bands we’ve played with, we get along with. Everybody seems to understand the struggle.
Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sothisband/
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/sothisband
Reverbnation: https://www.reverbnation.com/sothis4
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sothisband11
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@Sothis11