| Skeletonwitch |
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| WWAD:
So far you have three albums out, the
last one being Breathing the Fire, on Prosthetic Records
(http://prostheticrecords.com/).
When can we expect the next Skeletonwitch gem? SW:
The next record will probably be out
in October. We're currently writing and are tentatively planning
to record in June. WWAD:
While recording Breathing the Fire,
you enlisted the legendary producer Jack Endino (Nirvana,
Soundgarden, High on Fire). What was it like working with him?
And will he be producing your next record? SW:
Working with Jack is amazing.
He's a mad scientist behind the board. He put in 12-hour days
with us and did everything himself. Jack produces, engineers,
and will order the pizza. A lot of producers with a track
record like his are"hands-off" to put it mildly, and they
have lackeys come in and track/engineer for them. The entire
sessions for "Breathing the Fire" were just Skeletonwitch
and Jack. We haven't decided for certain who will be recording the
next record, but it will not be Jack, only because we like to avoid
complacency and work with someone new for each record. |
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WWAD:
You also hired Scott Hull (Pig Destroyer)
to address the mastering duties. How did this come about? And
what do you think he added to the final product? SW:
It came about because the label forgot
to book the other mastering company we were thinking about using!
(laughs) Scott has mastered several records that sound killer, and
was available and willing. It was a no-brainer. WWAD:
Who does your booking? And how was
Ozzfest? What was the most memorable tour story from it?
Did you get to meet Ozzy? SW:
We are booked in the U.S. by The Kenmore
Agency and in Europe by Avocado. Ozzfest was amazing! Playing
on the same bill as Ozzy, Motley Crue, and The Metal God, Rob Halford
was a huge honor. We also got to share the experience with
our good friends in Goatwhore and Saviours. I didn't get to meet
Ozzy but I briefly met Sharon. I also met Rob Halford, which made
my fucking year! WWAD:
You guys have been touring Europe quite
a bit lately. How does your reception there differ from here in
the States? SW:
We've put in a lot more time on the
road here in the states, so touring in Europe feels sort of like
it did when we first toured in the U.S. We haven't had the
touring opportunities over there like we've had here (i.e. Danzig,
Amon Amarth, Children of Bodom, Ozzfest, New England Metal Fest,
Black Dahlia Murder, etc...). We've mostly done headlining tours
in Europe. Press and having distribution over there helps,
but it definitely feels like getting back in the trenches again.
I love that feeling. |
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WWAD:
You guys have become adept at combining
elements of both black and death metal, while also including elements
of thrash. Who influenced your style? SW:
90s death metal, 80s thrash, black
metal, beer, weed, rock n' roll, cool shit, etc... WWAD:
How did such an extreme metal band
hail from the likes of Athens, Ohio? Is there a strong scene there?
Or were you guys the outcasts with similar tastes in music that
just somehow magically banded together? SW:
There wasn't a huge metal scene at
all. Nate's old band, Serkesoron, was really the only metal
band in Athens but they broke up after the untimely passing of their
singer. There was a strong music scene but it was mostly punk,
indie, bluegrass, and rock and roll, but little to no metal to speak
of. WWAD:
How did you guys hook up with Savannah,
GA-based artist John Baizley (http://www.myspace.com/johndyerbaizley) and has he done all of your album covers? SW:
John did the covers for "Beyond
the Permafrost" and the "Worship the Witch" EP.
We used to play shows with John's band, Baroness, quite often.
John is a great guy and an amazing artist so naturally he was the
first person we asked. Fortunately he said yes! (laughs)
WWAD:
Vocalist Chance Garnette and guitarist
Nate Garnette are brothers. Does sibling rivalry come into play
very often? Or do they have a symbiotic relationship from playing
together for so long? SW:
There's no sibling rivalry. They
probably average one good "brother fight" a year but it's
no big deal at all. In fact I probably average 30 good "brother
fights" with my own brother every year and we're good friends.
(laughs) WWAD:
The SW song Soul Thrashing
Black Sorcery is on the soundtrack of the video game
Brütal Legend and Bringers of Death was featured on
an Adult Swim video. Have you noticed an increase in sales
or audience attendance as a result of the additional exposure? SW: We hear from a lot of people who had never heard of us until Adult Swim or Brutal Legend which is cool. Whether or not they've bought something from us I couldn't really tell you. It's not like we saw a huge spike in sales or anything. That's not really the point of what we do anyway. |
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WWAD:
What festivals do you have lined up
to play in 2011? Will you be gracing Austin with your presence for
either SXSW or FunFunFun Fest? SW:
We're booked for Summer Breeze and
Brutal Assault in Europe. Nothing in the U.S.......yet. WWAD:
Who is the giver of the nicknames in
the band? And what do they stand for? I know that Scott Hedrick
(guitar) is “Scunty D.”, Evan Linger (bass) is “Loosh” and Derrick
Nau (drums) is known as “Mullet Chad”. And what are Chance (vox)
and Nate (guitar) Garnette's nicknames? SW:
The nicknames didn't all come from
one person. They stem from ridiculous bullshit we say to each
other to entertain ourselves. It's honestly not worth explaining
because it doesn't make sense. Chance doesn't have any nicknames,
but Nate is known as "N8 Feet Under". Derrick definitely
clocks in with the most nicknames of any of us.....Mullet Chad,
Mungee, MC, Don Greedo, Little Bear, Mullet, etc... We use so many
names for him that people often wonder who the fuck we're talking
about. (laughs) WWAD:
What songs were re-recorded for the
Worship the Witch EP (released in 2010) and is it still available?
If so, where? SW:
There are still a few copies of the
"Worship the Witch" 10" at www.prostheticrecords.com The songs were recorded before "Beyond the Permafrost".
We self-released "Worship the Witch" on CD before we signed
with Prosthetic but it was limited to 1,000 copies. WWAD:
SW’s lyrics can only be described as brutal,
often crying for blood, death, torture, and destruction. Who are
you guys so pissed at? Haha. Or do you fancy yourselves medieval
warriors of old? SW:
Chance writes all of the lyrics and
comes up with the song titles. I'm not sure what twisted place
he pulls them from but I'm sure he's going back there soon, as we're
working on the next record right now. |
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WWAD:
Another prevalent theme in your lyrics
seems to be the coming of darkness and the extinguishing of light.
Do you have an apocalyptic vision of the future? Or is this more
of a reference to dark forces taking over? SW:
Again, Chance would be the one to talk
about that, but it's pretty easy to have an apocalyptic vision these
days. WWAD:
If you were stranded on a deserted
island, what 5 albums would you take with you? SW:
Fuck! This is impossible to answer! -Something
by Nick Cave -Something by Judas
Priest WWAD:
Final words of wisdom to your ever-growing
legions of fans? SW:
I would never recommend coming to Skeletonwitch
for advice! (laughs). If you're looking for riffs, then we've
got you covered. I would like to say "thank you"
though, to everyone who has supported us in anyway and allows us
to continue doing what we love most! |
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