By: Chris Stead
Stormdrain
Art without Apology
Stormdrain, a group out of San Francisco, are no newcomers to the industrial music scene. Having started work in the mid-90’s, Scott Reyns was out to make original, genuine art without compromising because of pressure or the vision of others. Through perseverance Stormdrain has found a solid lineup and released their CD The Immovable Objection. They are currently playing out and about in San Francisco.
With a four-man band and a fresh sound, they are out to make noise in the music industry while holding to their philosophy of making music without resorting to petty makeup and sideshow tricks. They are currently touring to get more exposure and work up their next release. This is music without excuses and without apology.
Gothic Angst Webzine (GAW): How did the members of the group meet?
Scott Reyns (SR): Online, scouring and posting many Craigslist and MySpace ads over two years and through details and coincidences. Oliver (guitar) and I got in touch when I was wrapping the first record. He’d been in a Canadian industrial band called Claymouth and was moving into San Francisco, a couple blocks from me. Jason (bass) joined us out of downtown San Jose where Stormdrain began. Projects he was coming from included an originally European coldwave band named Enclave. His studio, quite close to where I lived in the 90s, is where we now practice and can record loud stuff when needed. Chris (drums) joined the team coming out of a south bay punk act called Shafter, looking to try new things technically and artistically. Much has meshed well.
GAW: Why did you choose the name Stormdrain for the band?
SR: A few reasons:
First, early experiments with found object percussion (e.g. oil drums, pony kegs, paint buckets and bike frames). Pretty quickly the drum circles I was in, cops began breaking us up every time so we moved our playing to a nearby storm drain to hide it under street noise.
Second, aesthetically it works for the industrial theme. I was long big on that, once holding naĂŻvely idealistic philosophies on it.
Last, the idea of music being a way to vent one’s internal storms, cleanse away negative shit like rain to dirt. Storms work as a metaphor also in that they’re natural, beautiful, powerful and much bigger than any one of us little germs. I figured that would help keep it real, minimizing traps and distractions that can kill careers before they even start.
GAW: What have your best and worst experiences been together?
Chris Garber (CG): Best, translating the music from CD to live performance. Worst, way too many jalapeños on otherwise delicious Vietnamese sandwiches.
Oliver Marsh (OM): Tell me about it. When I pay 35 cents for a sandwich, I expect it to be perfect.
Jason Silva (JS): The best thing must have been when that bus load of aspiring models crammed themselves five deep in front of the stage and began strippi… Oh wait … That didn’t actually happen … Uh, yeah the sandwich thing.
SR: Sandwiching, models… maybe was the same party?
For me the best has been seeing how people in the U.S. and beyond seem to enjoy our sound; the breadth and depth of the support. The worst so far I think was a non-experience, proper: August 2006. Got offered 3-4 cool gigs but couldn’t do any of them due to schedule conflicts. Great chances to perform only pop up so often so hopefully they’ll keep coming, for 2007 especially.
GAW: How did your sound develop?
CG: Scott’s concept for the band over the years shaped the initial sound and defined “The Immovable Objection”. Once Ollie, Jason and I joined, our own influences became part of the live sound. I come from a strong rock background so I wanted to capture the electronic nuances in the drums on the record while adding a big, open rock drum sound to the live show. On stage, we definitely layer the two.
JS: As far as the live sound goes initially the focus seemed to be the clearest representation of the album itself. Over time though, it has evolved a bit into a best representation of the material for a live setting, emphasizing energy and clarity.
SR: Live, the team leads the direction. I take a backseat to the band and any DJs/promoters presenting us. Usually I’ve way less experience gigging or producing events than everyone else, despite whatever visions I might think I have.
In the studio it’s a mix of intuition, experiments and accidents. There’s no songwriting method, more non-linear molding over time. Early cornerstones came from my synthpop leanings meshing with the sound of another songwriter, Ninos Oshaana. He plays guitar and Assyrian instruments.
GAW: What groups were most influential?
SR: In no particular order - The Smiths, Front 242, The Cure, Skinny Puppy, Ministry, Meat Beat Manifesto, NIN, Portishead, Tool/APC … Songs I absorbed as a wee pup I’m sure also affects things at some level i.e. early hip hop and disco essentials (U.T.F.O., Newcleus, Bee Gees, Kool and the Gang etc.)… Now what I most notice are specific songs. Occasionally I note artists’ portfolios overall but almost never whole genres or subgenres. Not anymore.
GAW: Dancefloor industrial is fairly popular right now. How do you feel about the current movement in dancefloor industrial with groups like Combichrist or Velvet Acid Christ?
OM: Personally I’ve always really liked the dancey stuff. And having been really into metal as a teenager I can’t get enough of bands that do a good job of combing the two. Razed in Black is another of my current favorites. But it’s tricky to pull off music like that in a live show. You’ve either got to just run it off a tape or computer, which is a little boring, or do it with a live band and risk losing a bit of the dance-vibe.
GAW: How many releases does Stormdrain have to date?
SR: Officially just “The Immovable Objection” LP… At 45+ minutes technically it’s an LP despite having just half the material originally intended on it. Otherwise, there are old school demos still floating around. The good ones are on our site. Since the first record, others have popped up on Ebay including some unfortunate unlistenables.
GAW: I don’t see any current tour dates. Do you have a tour planned in the near future?
CG: In the near term, we are focusing on regional shows and having strong presence in the local scene.
SR: Fans often ask when we’ll come through their area. We would love to tour someday, supporting acts we admire, our own releases and/or festivals and the like. When “Objection” came out we were just Ollie and I brainstorming next steps so there was no tour for that one. I was just happy to finally have a first finished release, frankly. For future releases I really hope we’ll tour. Though it’ll always be about creating (in the studio) first and recreating (onstage) second, touring is huge so probably the next big experience goal. I like performing and would love to try touring even if just lightly, absolutely. Please spread the word to other bands and their labels if you can.
GAW: Where do you see the group headed, musically as well as career-wise over the next few years?
JS: Even in an ever evolving music environment there will always be a premium placed on strong songwriting, which I believe has remained a staple for Stormdrain. Rather than taking a popular EM route of laying out a feel, and then relying on theme and variation, Stormdrain emphasizes song structure, where Stormdrain is headed is where those songs take it.
SR: Musically, time will tell but I’m hoping the fact that everybody has a range of skills will play a part. We each have our main tools while also using electronics and/or dabbling in other instruments. I’m hoping we’ll get more simplified and sophisticated, showing more of an old soul, humor and worldly qualities. Nowadays I’m often satisfied we’ve put our take on industrial rock/pop into the pot and feel kind of over that angle now. It’ll still play a role going forward but we’ve ballads, songs with swing and shuffle, and interests in nuances of older styles both eastern and western. So I’d like more of all that to get heard and explored or at least spiced in. Lastly, I should make lyrics clearer again and with more varied subjects. I got a bit vague on the first record plus am looking more outside than inward now. My answers tonight are pretentiously detailed but trust me: Ten years of this business gets one over oneself. I aim for more relevant commentary and less therapy from here.
As for business we should perhaps try talking with labels again now, to at least know where their heads might be at if nothing else. Fundamentally we’ve no plans to stop. Plus, things are at a fascinating place where now more than ever artists are partially or fully bankrolling production of great masters themselves, while retaining more rights and ownerships. It reduces risk for both them and labels, letting the latter focus on traditional strengths like promotion (touring included), distribution and merchandising. Those are what we most need, in exchange for honest, polished, fresh-sounding, moveable product and a stable, low-cost model for making more of it… Generally I hope digital media will continue revitalizing the industry, and that we’ll be part of a time where it’ll finally be about selling actual music instead of its storage media.
GAW: If there was one thing that you would like people to know about your group and your music what would it be?
SR: We’re sitting on a wad of songs just waiting to get mixed down and are always making more, so if you like our work please spread the word and hit us up online so we can get to know you back. Any haters are also welcome.
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