Coming from Tucson, Arizona, how is The Crown Syndicate developing a unique rock sound setting them apart from other rock bands? How do you incorporate different subgenres?
Rey Vasquez (guitars, vocals): What sets us apart from past rock bands is that we are a democratic band. Although there is a de facto leader, every member of the group brings their voice to each song. We all come from different backgrounds and genres and we bring those to our writing. I, the guitarist, bring a vocabulary stemming from listening to my heroes such as Eddie Van Halen, Ace Frehley, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Steve Vai and Prince. Toni, the drummer, brings his jazz background and his love of Metal to the mix. Jeff brings his vast experience playing with New Wave groups in the 80’s and his Blues expertise to create compelling parts to each song. Toby was a theater kid and his vast knowledge of great frontmen in history, is a natural entertainer but it is his thoughtful lyrics reminiscent of Sting and Jeff Buckley, and drawing from personal life experiences that brings the audience into the show. The sum of the parts is greater than the individual in The Crown Syndicate. Subtract any member, and it won’t be the same. I believe that strongly and it is what sets us apart from everyone else.
Do your different backgrounds include different levels of music education and different bands you played in before forming The Crown Syndicate?
Jeff Masterson (bass, vocals): Though we don't have drastically different levels of music education, no degrees in music or anything, we do range from playing completely by ear to years of private lessons and training. But we write and play more from the heart than the brain. Previous bands can't help but have an influence but what's unique with us is age/experience range we have, from eighteen year old drummer Antonio with limited previous band experience to bassist Jeff who is, um, older with decades of playing in bands. That combination gives us a solid foundation but with some really fresh ideas and attitude.
Are you looking for a common denominator in all of the music you listen to when composing, or do you arrange the music so your influences fit in specific places? How does the band go about completing the process?
Toby Plowden (vocals): We have a pretty simple work flow. Having said that, it may not work for everyone. I’ll flesh out ideas first. Riffs first, then if a particular one seems interesting then I’ll start building, identifying verses, pre-choruses, choruses, bridges, middle 8’s and so on. Toni and I will jam out the idea and tweak the arrangement if needed. We'll then record a blueprint and save it on a shared drive with Jeff and Toby. Toby will then write lyrics and record a base vocal while Jeff writes his parts. At rehearsal we’ll run through the song several times then track the basic live. It’s usually one or two takes. The questions we strive to answer are: Does the riff serve for the purpose of the song? Do the lyrics match the music? Does the solo? What do they say? Is there a “Swing” in the song?
Is it easy for people to recognize your songwriting and musicianship idiosyncrasies when they hear your material? Considering your influences, is the band appealing to a broad audience?
Toby: I really think that it is. From a vocal perspective, I use a lot of three to four part harmonies, I change phrasing and timing throughout a single song, and the lyrics all have very clear narratives addressing relationship or societal issues. Not very typical for a band that plays motherfucking rock and roll! From an instrumentation perspective, you're never going to find a better rhythm section than Jeff and Tono. Tono is always in the pocket and just kinda swings every tune, but then you take Jeff's blues and new wave influences and apply them to hard rock?! That's why every song has this unique groove! Unmistakable. And, of course, there's Rey. His sound is singular. There is no other guitarist that sounds like Rey. He takes all these diverse influences and all of his musical theory knowledge and creates melodic tapestries. You know a song is by The Crown Syndicate because it doesn't sound like anyone else, it's unique.
Our varied influences and creative arrangements are exactly why we have broad appeal. Our music just “feels” familiar, without sounding like a reproduction of any other band. Within one song you're going to have strong harmonies and a chorus with three overlapping lines and three different phrasing structures, which appeals to a pop crowd, you have a solid groove that's both funky and drives the song to appeals to blues, jazz, rock, and then you have these heavy guitar riffs, barn-burning solos, and mind blowing drum fills that just scream hard rock and metal. Within one song, everyone can find something they connect with.
Generally, how long does it take the band to construct a song, from figuring out vocal harmonies to combining rock, new wave, blues, and groove, arranging everything so they fit together?
Toni Vasquez (drums, percussion): It doesn’t take long at all really. It starts out with me and my dad in our living room just messing around see what works and not. Then there’s always one groove that works and we just expand on that idea further. We record it on our phone then send it off to the guys. Toby records a simple vocal track of his ideas and if we like them we start recording. We start out with just drums and scratch guitar. Later we over dub the guitar and record our bass and Toby records his vocals at home. I then get all the tracks and mix and master them. One song may take three or four months to finish but we’re all just working off our own clocks no set deadlines which makes it stress free. Nevertheless, we work on two or three songs at a time.
From progressive rock to thrash and death metal to black n roll, bands have fused rock and metal in one form or another since the mid 1990s. Before the band began, in what places did you see rock and metal harmonizing?
Rey: Rock and metal have always been synonymous, one cannot exist without the other. Although there are the gatekeepers who only listen to one or the other, there are bands who proudly listen to everything. Antonio and I are and have always been huge fans of metal from thrash to death and black and have used aspects of the genres in our music from movements to aesthetic to production. And just like we are fans of all things metal, we also look towards Pop and Latin to influence our music, especially in the songwriting and arrangements. The fusion of all of these elements and genres is in the DNA of The Crown Syndicate. We’re not a one trick pony, haha.
Bands like Sepultura incorporated Latin music into their material when thrash and death metal expanded their boundaries. What was their role in bridging those styles in the following years?
Rey: Sepultura were born in Brazil and their incorporation of Brazilian themes, musically and thematically, automatically made them different. From their socially conscious lyrics to the swing and percussion that are not typically found in metal. They were intriguing.
Considering there are as many preachers as there are gatekeepers, how do you tell when bands genuinely fuse metal and rock by writing what they feel? Would you consider expanding into other genres, for example techno, synthpop, or Celtic music?
Rey: I enjoy when bands take risks in music. There is a sort of punk ethos to it in that it is a thumbing of the nose to the gatekeepers. Having said that, there has to be an authenticity to the risk and when there isn’t, the failure of the product is apparent. As fans of many genres, there is a chance that we may delve into any of them. We have written a death metal album based on a short story as well as a blues album because we started as a blues band.
Can you provide readers with any information about the death metal and blues albums you wrote?
Rey: The death metal album we have on deck is based on a dream that one of my sons would have as he was battling cancer. Thankfully he’s pulled through but the story was compelling and we had to put it to music.
It is the age old tale of good vs. evil and how a person can be pushed to the extreme by everyone in their lives. We’ll be working on it this summer and ready for release in the fall. As for the Blues album, we started out as a blues band and played in bars for two decades honing our craft and playing the standards as well as writing our own. Once in a while we pull out one of those old tunes to great effect.
When you practice in your living room, how do you usually find an inkling that a riff you play would work?
Rey: Sometimes the best and most memorable riffs are the catalysts for great songs. They lend themselves to become vehicles for Toby to write to. If the riff sounds and feels good, it is good.
How are people responding to the effort you put into your songwriting and song structure? Do you see your listeners becoming receptive to other genres as a result of your music?
Toby: I've been really surprised at the overwhelmingly positive response we've received for our songs! I think the big reason behind this is our approach to writing each individual song, from first recorded note to final master. We don't write our music to fit a specific genre or sound, we're writing songs that we'd want to hear, music that we would be fans of, and every decision made is what is best for this specific song. I know how arrogant it sounds, but I listen to our music all the time! It's the dynamics of the song, the harmonies that are fun to pick out and sing along with, the signature guitar solos that make you want to play air-guitar at 75 mph driving down the freeway (not that I would suggest doing that), and banging along to the drums on your steering wheel! Personally, I'm always laying down some air-bass when I'm listening, trying to keep up with Jeff but despite my intimidating air-bass skills there is no keeping up with Jeff... only listen and learn from the master.
We also write with each other in mind. When we were rehearsing “Love Wrong”, one day Rey starts doing a different chord progression on the last chorus, so we go over it a few times to tighten it up. Once we're there, I turn to Rey and ask “Is that new chorus progression for me?” Rey laughed and said “Yeah man, figure out something cool to do.” When we listen to the rough recording in control room, Rey and I were humming these different melody lines over the last chorus, and I ended up using both! I think this type of effort really shows in the final product, and is a main driving force in the positive responses we've seen.
Not only are our listeners receptive to other genres, but we'll direct them to some of our influences. You like Never Enough? I was listening to a lot of Chris Stapleton when I wrote that, you should check him out! Cloud Nine is your favorite? You better add some Prince to your playlist! You're blown away by our self-titled Black album?! Listen to some Extreme, Motley Crue, Scorpions, David Bowie, Jack White, and probably a dozen others! Good music is good music, doesn't matter the genre. Our audience gets that.
Among the songs on your self-titled EP, which go over the most among fans when you perform live? Can you tell me about the subject matter of those songs? Are the lyrics written in a manner that people can relate to?
Toby: “Machine” goes over very well every time we play it. The unmistakable groove and the sing along lyrics provide a great opportunity for the audience to sing along. It’s such a high to hear the crowd sing along to it. “Machine” describes the reliance on cell phones in our lives. We, as a society, commit seem to do anything without this little “machine” dictating everything we do.
Another song that goes over really well is “Aesteracae”. Its subject matter of good vs. evil and hook laden chorus really grabs the attention of the audience. When writing that song, we had been listening to early Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Dio and tasked ourselves to write in that vein. People hear the familiarity and love the song along chorus.
As “Scratch” sounds like a live setting, it leads into “Love Wrong”, which has a theatrical feel. The songs have a raw quality, with a grunge theme in “Asteraceae” and a Led Zeppelin vibe in “Machine”.
Antonio: When tracking this album. I had been listening to a lot of pop albums such as Maroon 5 and Dua Lipa as well as Slipknot and Ghost. The thing that these artists have in common is their production qualities, very live and in your face. There is a certain clarity to recordings that I felt fit well in the direction these songs were headed.
This collection of songs were recorded live in the studio for the basic tracks. Everything in one giant room, playing together. Most tracks were 1 or 2 takes with overdubs tracked later. Overall, it was a fun experience and we’re really happy with the end result.
When it comes to publicity and distribution, how has Self Made Records been able to assist the band since you signed with them?
Rey: Self Made has been really helpful in providing us an opportunity to get our music to a larger audience through introduction to playlists as well as various publications. Eric has also been a valuable resource in navigating the ins and outs of this industry. With Self Made Records’ affiliation with Earache Records has allowed our music to be digitally distributed to various outlets. We believe that’s been advantageous to our music. Under the prestigious Earache Records label, there is a certain legitimacy to the music that we probably wouldn’t have without the support.
If you have had the opportunity to write any new material or new riffs, how would you imagine your next recording will sound like? Are you playing it by ear at this point? What kind of impact do you hope to have on music in general?
Antonio: The sound of new recordings are usually dictated by the sound of the first few rehearsals. What is the vibe we are setting? What music are we listening to at the time? What is inspiring the writing of these songs? It all depends on those very important factors that go into the DNA of the new batch of songs. For example, our new single, “Honest”, that’s coming out in a few weeks, is very much inspired by conversations held with people who know what type of person they are but put on a charade for everyone. Rey and I were listening to a lot of music from the band, Extreme, when the music was written. There is a certain swing to the song that is appealing to a lot of crowds at shows and the interplay between the guitar and the drums is very reminiscent of Extreme and Van Halen.
-Dave Wolff
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