Interview with Deorbit

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

I probably got into it from wanting to play along to bands I liked on Headbanger's Ball on MTV in the 90s and continued from there once I found my own melodic voice.  If I never got into music I would probably still be doing something creative, like maybe writing novels.  Storytelling is my passion and music is the medium.

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

I mainly hang out with my girlfriend and play with cats.  I don't think the creative part of my brain is engaged during that, but maybe it is in ways I'm not seeing immediately.

How long has your band been around?

We have existed as a full band for about 2 years now.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

We are based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and have been playing in the metal scene in various acts for maybe 20 years now.  We all have directly and indirectly influenced each other.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

I actually stole it from a Swedish goth/metal band we like called Novembre.  It reflected the themes I wanted to explore and presented the inverse of the name of a previous band two of the three of us were in called Concentric.

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

We had a recent show in Milwaukee with a great turnout for the closing band be very receptive to us, which is a huge victory given that we understand the music isn't immediately palatable.  We have also shared the stage with Something Is Waiting twice- they are a Chicago sleaze rock band that is incredible at what they do.

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

We like to play the X-Ray Arcade as well as Cactus Club in Milwaukee.  We have yet to play outside of the Milwaukee area and are definitely looking forward to that opportunity.

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

Maybe something really eclectic, like us, The Bad Plus, Mercury Tree and Mayhem

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

Try not to suffer from main-character syndrome.  Your story is one of endless ones trying to be told, and if the product is good, you will find an audience, but you have to take time to promote it.  I still struggle with that, myself.  My advice to my younger self would be, to try to be born a decade sooner- you might be able to shape a future sound.  I got into the game pretty late, and well after the heyday of the genres we love.

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

Network harder, as forced as it may feel.  Getting and maintaining an audience is key.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

I look at the record as a whole where none of the songs are replaceable and have equal value, but I especially like how "Deorbit" turned out in terms of melodic voicings and storytelling climaxes.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?So far, people seem really receptive to "Perihelion" and "Terrakinetic."

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?I write all the music for the band, and it always starts guitar-first.  I come up with a title and write the music to shape ideas the title conjures up for me.  Then we workshop the song together as a band and add the additional layers.  

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

The goal is to showcase the interconnectedness of the expanding universe with the small footprint of the human experience, as shown in the cover art.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

It hasn't happened yet.  We are all old friends and know each other really well so it would take a lot to cause disputes.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

We want to continue to play shows to support the full-length record Retrogradient, and I am already writing material for follow-up releases.

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