As you know, lately I'm very interested in the genre of sludge / doom / metal or whatever you name it. My ears towards boredom with the genre of music that's all. Rif guitar that always turned into the same vein for some time. ah, what's wrong with my ears? Finally, I had to choose. This genre is stomping my brain. seemed to push it out. My passion prompted me to find bands that joined in this genre. And I found them! I'm so curious...
And I agree with them! "Music is about expressing and experimenting." So allow me to acquainted with CRAWL. Southern Sludge Metal / Doom / Amplified Drone from Atlanta, Georgia. With my poor English but great answer!
TB = Tommy Butler
EC = Eric Crowe
TA = Tyler Akers
EC: We know pretty well what sound and mood we
want to achieve for a show, and have been able to pull it
off consistently, so far. We really just try to stay honest with our sound
and what we put into it, whether it at practice or in a live setting. I know i
just try to keep chill and not get tense before a show.
EC = Eric Crowe
TA = Tyler Akers
1. Introduce who you
are and what instrument you play.
EC: Eric, and I play guitar, vocals,
create samples & noise.
TB: My name is Tommy and I play
the drums.
TA: I'm Tyler, and play bass.
2. I’m curious about your music. Can you explain what music you play,
and why you formed this band.
2. I’m curious about your music. Can you explain what music you play,
and why you formed this band.
TB: We play what
most consider a combination of sludge and doom metal. Eric and I met when we
worked for the same company in 2007. He came to hear a cover band I was playing
in asked if I would be interested in doing a couple of projects with him and I
said yep. After those projects stopped, I didn't play for a couple of years.
One day in May, I was at a friends house working on my motorcycle, Eric sent me
text asking if I knew any drummers not playing and I was like "me". I
called him and talked about what he was thinking as far as musical direction
and here we are.
TA: I just
recently joined up with Crawl to fulfill their need of a bass player. I've been
in several bands as a guitarist but I've been wanting to get into playing bass
for a Stoner / Doom project for a while both as a means to learn the instrument
and to expand on some musical ideas I've had floating around. Al Cisneros from
Sleep/Om is a big influence on me and most the riffs or concepts that I've kept
bottled up inside my head couldn't be constructed on a guitar, which prompted
me to go splurge on some bass equipment. I was lucky enough to come across
Crawl via a friend of mine, and after a few tryouts (of which, they were my
first time actually playing bass, but I must not have made too big a fool of
myself since things picked up well enough) I was asked to join.
EC: For me, it's all over the place, but in short we describe
it as Southern Sludge / Doom. We have slow heavy sludged out riffs, but then at
times there is a thick southern / bluesy vibe going on. We also cross to the
other end of the spectrum and experiment with heavy drones and extended pieces,
like in our most resent CD split release with BLACK TAR PROPHET. We formed this
band out of a need to play music, period. I felt a need for something dirty and
crusty, mixed with mammoth riffs that matched a jaded human spirit.
3. As we know, the sludge / doom booming lately, and I was the one that
interested in this music genre. I would like to know how you set the
sound when you at the show. Does it need a special time to set what
sound you like, or you do just stay around with the sound obtained at
the time before the show?
3. As we know, the sludge / doom booming lately, and I was the one that
interested in this music genre. I would like to know how you set the
sound when you at the show. Does it need a special time to set what
sound you like, or you do just stay around with the sound obtained at
the time before the show?
TB: I try to tune
my drums to have a low resonant sound. I try to tune the day before a show.
4. Give me a reason why
people should listen to Crawl?
TB: We try not to
limit ourselves in a specific sound. You can hear our influences in our
writing. We throw in a hint of southern, punk, drone. we love it all.
TA: There's a
uniqueness to Crawls sound that immediately drew me to them. Its best
described as a creative mix-up of some of the South's dirtiest stoner rock bands
and doom giants. Its easy for most bands to pigeon hole themselves to a
particular sound and visual aspect, but I've never felt that way with Crawl.
From the set we're working with now every song has a unique placement and feel
to it as to keep things fresh, and things can move from a fast-paced southern
boogie to a heartbeat-a-note slow movement of droning mass. I've always been
attracted to band's that create an 'atmosphere' about their music. Even the
catchiest riffs fall on their face if there's no emotion or message to convey,
and no atmosphere created in which to convey it in. Crawl is still a very young
band, but the future is definitely pointing towards something more than just
your average run of the mill garage projects.
EC: I think if people listened, they could relate lyrically.
People we hang out with, or know or have listened to us can relate to loss,
they can relate fighting an addition of some sort, fighting against those
who don't believe in us, who bring us down. People can relate to the hurt and
anger and the need for release of it.
5. Which releases you really like from your album?
5. Which releases you really like from your album?
TB: Freedom at
Dawn, it drives from the beginning with a nice doom part in the middle.
6. Any other activities
other than the band?
TB: Riding my
Harley and reading.
TA: I'm a
Mechanical Engineering graduate from Georgia Tech. I figure not many
stoner/doom bands can say they've got one of those in the lineup. Maybe it'd be
hilarious to play a show in a button-up white collar, pocket protector, slacks,
thick-rimmed glasses, the whole nine-yards, but then again I doubt my band
mates would live through the shame of it. I also play guitar for Blasted
Goat.
EC: I spend a lot of my time with my
wife and daughter. I also do a noise / dark ambient project MARAX, which I have
done for almost 15 years.
7. Last word..
7. Last word..
TB: When a person listens to us or any other band,
try having an open mind. Music is about expressing and experimenting.
EC: Well first, thank
you for this opportunity and your interest in Crawl! We have quite a few things
that we are working on at the moment. We have been hashing out ideas for the
next EP, currently titled, "Old Wood and Broken Dreams" along with 2
separate concept albums and a straight forward Doom album, so the ideas and
writing have been crazy lately.
We are also currently
working out details with a label to re-release our split with BLACK TAR PROPHET
on vinyl, most likely closer to the summer.
Check us out:
