Interviews: Deastro and The Silent Years - album release show - June 5 - Crofoot

Deastro - Moondagger (interview)

For dream-pop/electro-rock quartet Deastro, they bring their first proper full length, (and it inevitably must be mentioned, long-anticipated) Moondagger LP, on Ghostly International. "I am excited and nervous to see what everyone thinks about it," said singer Randolph Chabot. "But, I’ve grown so much as a person throughout this record that I don’t really care if people like it or not, I had a rough stretch when I was writing this album and a lot of the songs I wrote just to kind of get stuff off my chest."

A blend of 60’s baroque-pop harmony, video game valiant melodies and mythic/melodrama prog-rock soaks through the 14-song feature. Chabot said he felt as though the writing process "erased my mind. I feel like I don’t remember writing any of these songs. I felt like a new person or rather a much older version of myself mixed with the moments of seeing light coming through the trees in the woods."

The yearning, untapped energy born from anger, confusion, heartbreak and tremulous inspiration, hits its pique during a song like "Day of Wonder." Said Chabot, "I remember beating my fist on the steering wheel of my car after writing "Vermillion Plaza" thinking about the soldiers who have died because fat cats have always existed and have always wanted luxury sedans, or golden chariots, or flights to Dubai that cost what it would take to pay a teacher for a year. I remember screaming in the studio on "Day of Wonder" hoping to shake off those very thoughts. I questioned the value of what I was doing constantly and I feel like writing it gave me a sort of resolve always say it the best that I can and to learn what there is in life or isn't that is worth saying."

Deastro's future plans include: "Hmmm... Fall in love, plant a garden, learn to fix stuff, learn to cook, get to know my friends better, blow up my car, go to the beach, throw a block party, jump across a river, stand completely still for one whole day, see without murky eyes."

myspace.com/deastro

`

The Silent Years - Let Go EP (interview)

Stalwart avant-pop quintet The Silent Years released The Globe LP last year to warm reception. That album’s wide arc of neo-folk, space-rock and cathartic pedal-pushed murk has been forged into "the most summery songs that we’ve ever done," said singer/guitarist Josh Epstein of the quintet's most recent, Let Go EP (SideCho). "[The songs are] pretty happy, for the most part." Epstein said the experience of making the Let Go EP helped him see how many talented, selfless artists there were in Detroit, as numerous humbling contributions helped bring it together, from collaborating with (Deastro’s) Chabot, to the album artwork of the Silent Giants, to engineer Andrew Davis’ assistance at the White Room studio.

"...for what we got it done for was incredible and it could only be done with caring people in Detroit who are really really talented and i'm sure will never be that cheap to work with again cuz they knocked it out of the park."

Epstein said the band focused more on melody, mood and that the songs are all "generally a little more upbeat, a little happier, except for the last song," (something the band had been working on since before The Globe). "It'll be a good bridge between Globe and this next record"-(which is in the works and set for a Winter '10 release...

Meanwhile, the band will tour Europe to celebrate The Globe's release there (along with the EP). And Epstein will continue to develop a project with Daniel Zott (Dale Earnhart Jr-Jr). Commenting on early label interest, Epstein said, "Hopefully we can get (Zott) on a label and get them into everything else he has; he needs to be recognized, he's one of the most fucking talented people in the world."

myspace.com/thesilentyears