Cactus Black - Sound In The Signals Interview
Your album, Las Cruces, came out not too long ago. It has a really neat concept behind it. When did you come up with the concept for the album?
-Yeah, it was released last fall. We’re all very excited about it. For lack of better terms we’ve been referring to it as a concept album, but I see it more of a narrative, or maybe a chronicling of my journey since being forced to leave Las Cruces and go into hiding. Obviously the life of a fugitive played a lot into the imagery on the album, especially the couple months I spent in hiding, traveling through the Chihuahuan Desert. There are a lot of references to desert imagery and the lonesomeness with being in such a desolate and harsh place. Naturally my time there led to a lot of introspection and loneliness. Needless to say, it was a dark time in my life influenced by a pretty stark place.
How long did it take to complete the album both musically and lyrically? What came first for most of the songs the music or the lyrics?
I’m not really sure; I guess they started emerging over the span of a couple of years. A lot of them just kind of spring up around a campfire with a bottle of whiskey, under the stars. After about a month or so on the road, I felt a need to take stock of what had happened to me and what was happening to me currently. Also, I guess to just help process Billy’s death and my role in it. Anyway, so I had a guitar with me and would just kind of strum out my experiences as a way to remember. Kind of like how stories had been passed down through the centuries before there was written word. A lot of times the music and words would just come together naturally. I always saw them as partners in a sense.
I hear a bunch of different influences musically on the album. What types of things do you think influenced you writing for the album both in music and also in life?
Well as I mentioned, my life as a fugitive played a huge roll in influencing the record. Also, I’ve always been attracted to the idea of the drifter and I’m sure that comes to the surface here and there. God and the Devil are in there a lot too, and they’ve both had a strong influence on who I am.
As for musically, my mother was a bar maiden at a tavern in Las Cruces when I was kid growing up. It was an old country honky-tonk frequented by a lot of rail car guys that worked on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe line. It was kind of a rough place, some fighting, some girls offering services, so to speak, not the place for a kid for sure. Occasionally my mom would have no choice and have to bring me in. My pop wasn’t around at that time. Anyway, there was always a house band and I remember hearing Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson standards, and those tunes ended up sticking out to me. I always liked the storytelling and the imagery those guys were able to capture and I think that translates into some of the Las Cruces songs. As I got older, I fell into Tom Waits and Nick Cave and feel like those guys are probably kindred spirits in a way.
If you had to pick one song off the album that maybe you are most proud of. What track would you pick and why?
The Day the Rio Grande Ran Red is one that sticks out. I feel like that’s a pretty decent chronicling of the day that everything in my life changed. Also, that song took a lot more shape dynamically when Randy Heck (bass) and Sunday the Drifter (drums) came on board. It used to just come at you like a dust storm, but now it grows, maybe more like a slow, distant thunder head coming over the plain. Sunday also is fairly adept at other instruments and he put a nice accordion melody over that one that adds a little something special.
You had the album pressed on vinyl and I've seen a picture of it looks like it turned out really nice. What was the process like pressing the album on vinyl? How important was it to make sure it came out on the format?
Yeah, I’m a huge fan of vinyl releases. I see it as almost like a tribute to my influences. I feel like vinyl is the medium that probably serves Las Cruces best since it requires more attention from the listener than would a digital single or something. You have to take the record out of the sleeve, place it on the plate, turn it over once side A is done - it’s more of a journey and it requires more attention than just pushing play at your computer then going to do the dishes. Folks that really seem to connect with the record are those that sit down with it and listen to it in its entirety, lyric sheet and all.
As for the process, it was pressed to 150 black and 150 coyote blood/clear, all hand numbered. Getting the vile of coyote blood wasn’t easy, but our pal Gato, that you may have seen in our press photos, was able to part with a bit to contribute to the whole experience.
Since the album came out towards the end of 2013 what type of plans do you have for 2014. Do you plan to tour or play shows or will we hear new music at some point this year?
We’d like to play out an about a bit more. We’ve been in hiding in the foothills of NC for a little while, and have been playing around there quite frequently, but some new territory would be nice. As far as recording, we’ll be putting out a 7” sometime this summer, so stay tuned. Let’s just say we have some irons in the fire.
Where can people go to check out the album and buy the vinyl pressing?
Las Cruces is available for purchase on our bandcamp page cactusblack.bandcamp.com in the vinyl, CD and digital formats. You can also listen to the tunes there. The digital release is also available on iTunes, Amazon and Spotify. The record is available at Underdog Records, Earshot and Reanimator in Winston-Salem, NC; Hippo Records in Greensboro, NC and Lunchbox Records in Charlotte, NC.
I guess that about wraps it up. Thanks for taking the time to answer the questions. Do you have anything else you would like to say?
Thanks for the interview. Check out our online pages and hopefully we’ll be in a town near you very soon. Support your local music venues and watering holes. Don’t try to befriend snakes that have rattles.
You can purchase Cactus Black's new album: HERE.
No comments: