Canyons of Static

PIN: Post Rock is more of a sub genre than a fully fledged genre, how did you get into this type of music?

We basically became an instrumental band because none of us can sing but we didn’t want that to stop us from forming a band. We just started hanging out and playing music together and let things come together very naturally.

PIN: Were any of you in similar projects before CoS?

Not really. We all had high school bands but they sounded nothing like what Canyons of Static is today.

PIN: How do you define your music?

We typically avoid describing our music to others. Especially to people who know very little about music. Your average music listener has a hard time grasping that we do not have a singer. If someone pushes the subject we would generally respond instrumental rock.

PIN: For inspiration, all I need is a walk through a natural environment with my headphones. What turns you guys on and inspires you?

Nature is very inspiring and we live in a rural area so it is easy to draw inspiration from the beautiful landscapes around us, but I think each member is different. I think everyone in the band is very inspired by film and other music in general.

PIN: We all have inner conflicts at some point. Some people make music, others write poetry. How do you handle such situations?

Canyons of Static has been the outlet for everyone in the bands frustrations for the last 6 years. Work and worry can all fall away when we get together and plug in our instruments.

PIN: Do you each collect ideas that are formed into tracks, or do you compose tracks as a group?

The tracks are written in a group setting which has its good sides and bad. It slows down the songwriting process because we don’t have a central songwriter but its good because everyone feels apart of the end product.

PIN: I loved the album from the start, a great piece full if atmospherics that goes down well with a glass of wine. How did you approach the recording process?

Thanks we are very happy with how it turned out. We approached the recording with many of our samples and atmospheres recorded at home. When we went into the studio we basically recorded live and added in our samples. We were trying to capture the raw live sound as much as possible while still getting a studio polish to the tracks.

PIN: Would you produce an acoustic album?

We would love to. Slowly we are working more acoustic instruments into our songwriting approach but I think we are a long ways away from making strictly an acoustic album.

PIN: Any touring planned for 2012?

Nothing yet. We still need to get all of our individual schedules in line before we can make the leap to tour.

PIN: How did you Get onto Oxide Tones, and how does the teamwork work?

Oxide Tones has been incredible from start to finish. Adam is a great guy who really believes in our band. We have been in constant contact via email for the last 4-5 months making this record happen. He has taken care of stuff like websites, promotion and manufacturing of the record allowing us to focus on the music which is what is most important to us. I hope it is the start of a long relationship between our band and his label.