Hi Cindy, it’s great to have you on Grande Rock webzine. “Voyage” is an excellent album on the whole. A step up from your debut. Well done!
C: Thanks so much! We are really proud of it.
What has happened these 4 years between your previous release and the new one?
C: The pandemic! Our 2020 spring tour was canceled, so we took our sweet time to work on demos for the new songs. It seemed like not a whole lot was happening for a while there, when all travel to the US was banned. Russ couldn’t make it over here to the states for quite a while and that really halted our progress. In retrospect, we had the time to hone each song and to sit with ideas for longer, to come up with new ones if needed. I spent a good deal of time working on technique, something that was necessary to even play a lot of the new material.
Which are the music similarities and differences between your new album and the debut?
C: Lots of similarities with overall style and themes for sure. It sounds like us. We also recorded this album analogue, as we did the first record, at the same studio with Hugh Pool and had it mastered by Scott Hull again. We even had the same artist, Luke Cantarella did the cover art again. We wanted a lot of continuity between this record and the last, especially after the long break.
As for differences, the songs are a bit more progressive, more musically ambitious. More bass moments which was fun for me. I think there’s also nice sense of cohesiveness to the whole – it just sits differently than the first record.
Have you had to make any changes to your recording or writing process due to the pandemic?
C: To some extent. We have always sent files back and forth, but without the periodic live check-ins when Russ came to town or I was able to travel to the UK, progress really slowed in respect to finalizing the songs, something best done in person.
What was the recordings process like for “Voyage” in general? How did you come to the decision to record on 24-track analog tape?
C: The process was fun! As is typical, you lay down your basic tracks first and then overdub the guitar solos, second parts, vocals etc. With analogue though, as you build up the song, the number of open tracks gets smaller which forces you to make decisions – we might only have two tracks left for vocals at the end of a song for example, and so we have to record both my and Russ’ main vocals together on the same track and the harmonies on a separate track. We’ve even recorded vocals onto a guitar solo track since the tape on the verses is empty. You have to get creative to fit it all in. You also have to cut tracks to make room to finish the song. We’ve had to decide which guitar solo of Andee’s to keep for example out of the three he put down – there’s no going back once it’s gone!
Another difference between analogue and digital is that Keith has to play his entire drum take in one go since you can’t punch in drums at all without hearing the cut. With the bass tracks it’s also hard to get away with punch-ins, so I really have to nail as much as possible the first time round. And if you mess up the overdub, you can’t go back because you’ve just erased over the take! There is no ‘undo’ function. You have to get it right and if you don’t think you can, well maybe you just leave that little flub in there – after all it adds character! I’ve been talked into leaving something I wanted to ‘fix’ many times (lol).
As far as making the decision to record this way, we actually tried putting a track down digitally beforehand just to see what we thought and weren’t really feeling it. It just sounded like another demo to me. The warmth of not only the tape but also the vintage equipment gives the music a sound that we really like and feels true to our vision. An easy decision
Why and under what reasons did guitarist Charles Newton leave the band before to the recording sessions?
C: I think the pandemic and the long break of us not getting together really brought out some things for him, but really who knows. He moved out to New Mexico to start a new life and I suppose he was ready to move on to other things.
And how did you come to the decision to ask guitarist Andee Blacksugar to play on the album?
C: Andee is friends with our drummer Keith, so when we realized Charlie wasn’t coming back to the studio, we asked Andy to come down as we knew he could play and more importantly, was in town! He was such a pleasure to work with. He got all the musical references right away, which enabled him to quickly come up with his solos.
So, have you decided to continue as a trio? Has Dino Destroyer (Natur) officially joined the band? Is that right, and how did it occur?
C: We are officially a trio as of now, but yes Dino has joined us on the stage and will be with us when we tour as well! We will see what happens… Dino is a friend of ours and we saw him frequently throughout the recording of “Voyage”. Russ and I go back a long ways with the guys from Natur.
How did you come up with the album’s artwork and what does it represent?
C: Well, we had the idea to give this album a central subject as opposed to a landscape this time but with the same feel as “In Another Time’. We are still on the fantasy planet of Galantia, since we have the third piece of the trilogy on “Voyage”. Tanith – the winged goddess – is the central figure. We had the same artist, Luke Cantarella, paint the cover again.
What does the album title “Voyage” declare?
C: Everything we do as a band pretty much starts with a “Voyage”, even just getting together to rehearse! The songs tell stories about many characters that are on some kind of voyage, whether internal or external, and the experience of listening to the album is a kind of voyage. And for us as a band, with Charlie leaving, the three of us have found ourselves in uncharted territory as well.
Please give us a hint about each track…
C: “Snow Tiger”: Perseverance through adversity. Also we really wanted to rock!
“Falling Wizard”: The legacy of one’s life’s work. Remembering and keeping the spirit alive of something great.
“Olympus by Dawn”: Our Rush meets BOC song! Based on a true story! Who needs sleep anyway…
“Architects of Time”: Time time time… a construct? A script? What is it man…
“Adrasteia”: This is a bit of sci-fi about a brilliant mind who gets stranded in space alone yet continues to create. Her work is found years later after she dies… never give up the quest!
“Mother of Exile”: Beware the call of the siren… you may find yourself in exile…
“Seven Moons (Galantia Pt. 2)”: This is the second part of the Galantia trilogy after “Citadel” and before “Wing of the Owl”.
“Flame”: Our call to unite in these turbulent times.
“Never Look Back”: This song is about a character who is searching for meaning all his life and doesn’t realize until later that he’s been living the life he was supposed to be living all along.
How do you feel your sound has evolved with “Voyage”, and where do you see your music heading in the future?
C: I wasn’t really sure how to answer this so I asked Russ. He says “We added a pinch of prog seasoning this time, and since going on tour the chemistry of the band has really come together, especially the twin voice dynamic which is cooking on gas now”. As for where our music is heading, we don’t really know, the universe will lead us as it did for “Voyage”.
You told us back in 2019 that you had decided to form a band and that you always knew it would incorporate your voices (Cindy & Russ) in harmony. Do you think this worked well and gave the band a unique musical identity?
C: Yes! It’s almost strange how little people are doing this nowadays, swapping lead vox and singing in harmony as we do.
Do you think “Voyage” will bring new fans to the band’s camp? Is this the album that will push you to the next level?
C: I hope so!
What are your expectations from the new album and what do you wish to achieve with Tanith over the next years?
C: We’d love to make more music and be able to tour all over…
What are your touring plans? What can fans expect from your live shows in support of the new album?
C: We have a European tour coming together for this fall. Hopefully we will do some touring in the states, as well as in Europe again next year. Working on that currently!
It’s time for our “Strange Questions”!!! What do you think about the “downloading & streaming issue” of our time? Do you prefer the streaming services more or not?
C: I guess it depends on how people listen. Obviously there’s no comparison with having the actual vinyl in hand – for example the vinyl master of “Voyage” is a completely separate master from the digital version. Downloading from a place like bandcamp is better for the bands as opposed to streaming. Some streaming services give a larger share to artists than Spotify or Apple music. Anyway people can support the actual bands they listen to is always the best option.
Are “social media” a “compulsory part” of music biz these days or bands, artists & labels can do without them as well?
C: Yes, and it’s a lot of work! But it really goes a long way towards generating and keeping interest. If you don’t do social media, you would need to have enough going on outside of that and enough mystique to keep people interested.
Which is the most underrated musician/band of all time?
C: Satan. They should have been way bigger. I say this as a fan.
Put together the best rock line-up of all time. Who plays what?
C: Hmm… John Paul Jones on bass, David Byron on vox, Brian Downey on drums, Buck Dharma on guitar?? I’d be interested anyway!
Which is that band that you’d like to be part of (any time & era)?
C: BOC. Easy!
Which do you consider to be the best male vocalist in rock history?
C: David Byron. Such a talent.
If you had the chance to travel in time… where would you choose to go? To the past or the future and why?
C: Well, if I was just visiting, I might go to the Renaissance. A completely analogue but productive lifestyle is a refreshing thought! Since the well-rounded person was the ideal, it would be interesting to see how that played out in practice, and we would be past the Black Death at that point, which is good.
What are your thoughts on A.I.? It appears to have taken over the world in every part of our life over the last few months, and this is just the beginning. What are your thoughts on the AI-created music?
C: Yuck. I haven’t really gotten too deep into it as I’m just not interested. It kind of strikes me as a digital nightmare waiting to happen.
That’s all for now Cindy; thank you for talking with Grande Rock. Say anything you feel like saying before we close. Take care!
C: Thankyou Grande Rock and thanks to all our fans for supporting us!
