- Arcane Saints
October 1 2013 – Very few things are as exciting as finding something new you love. Much like archeologists that dig to find hidden treasures, we here at T-Mak World really enjoy trying to find new bands that we love. Once we find such bands, we approach our favorites to request interviews for our Emerging Artist Spotlight series. Today we set our focus on a band from Australia named Arcane Saints. All bands we talked to are asked similar questions to each other so we can get to know them better. The description on Arcane Saint’s website reads:
As a relative of Iron Maiden founding member Steve Harris, music was always in singer/guitarist Michael John’s blood. Although born in the UK, he grew up in New Zealand. After winning The Pacific International Song Writing Competition, Michael spent the prize money on a one way ticket to Melbourne, Australia. Shortly afterwards, he formed ARCANE SAINTS.
Following a few early line up changes, Michael “Sheep” Gooding joined the band as lead guitarist after impressing them with his guitar skills and rock n’ roll hair. Originally from a small town in the outback of Australia, Sheep conquered his boredom in the desert town by honing his guitar skills. Several different drummers came and went before the band finally found their ideal, hard hitting drummer in Sam Sablinskis. With a professional percussionist as a father, Sam was always going to be an accomplished musician.
After a serious injury forced their long term bassist to leave the band, Steve Malone took over bass duties. He had met the others when his previous band was on the same bill at a festival in China. With his simplistic, solid bass playing he was a perfect fit for ARCANE SAINTS.
The band released a single which made its way onto various radio stations in the USA. Multi-Grammy Award winning producer Toby Wright (Metallica, Kiss, Korn, Alice in Chains) heard it and invited them to his hometown of Nashville, USA to record their debut album TURNING THE TIDE. Toby was a close friend of Layne Stayley, singer of Alice in Chains and delighted ARCANE SAINTS by allowing them to use a microphone once owned by the late grunge legend during the recording. A chance late night meeting in a Nashville bar also lead to Peter Keys (pianist from the legendary Lynyrd Skynyrd) making a guest appearance on the album.
TURNING THE TIDE is a rich blend of grunge, blues and metal combined with a pop rock sensibility. Upon release the album spent 10 days at number one on the sales charts at Waterfront Records, one of Australia’s largest online music retailers. Shortly afterwards, the band became the first Australian band to grace the cover of USA’s Music Insider Magazine.
In a rock scene that is contrived, fake and lacking in “danger,” perhaps the tide is finally turning.
Here is what they had to say to us:
Hey ARCANE SAINTS, thanks for taking the time out to talk to us. Let’s start off with the obligatory introductions. Who’s in the band and what instrument does everyone rock?
Arcane Saints: Mike- Vocals/Guitar, Sheep- Guitar, Sammy- Drums, Steve- Bass
How about the history of the band, when did you get started and how did it happen?
Arcane Saints: I (Mike) moved to Melbourne, Australia from New Zealand in search of a bigger rock music scene because NZ is such a small country. One sunny day I was walking across the road and Sheep hit me with his pick up truck. Sammy was first on the scene and called an ambulance. Steve was the paramedic who arrived shortly after and whilst I was lying on the road with a broken leg we started talking about rocknroll and decided to form a band.
Who are some of your musical influences?
Arcane Saints: Soundgarden, Nirvana, Foo’s, Velvet Revolver, STP, Radiohead, Muse, RHCP, QOTSA.
So based on the above how would you describe your music to someone that has never heard it?
Arcane Saints: Blissful
Why do you believe that a music fan should come and see your show instead of all the other choices available to them on any given night?
Arcane Saints: To see Sheeps beautiful long, luscious locks of hair.
- Arcane Saints
What is your favorite single line of lyrics the band has written and why?
Arcane Saints: “I’m waiting for your ocean to take me far away, I’m stepping off the sand and into the waves” because it relates to us a band giving everything we have to music and giving in to uncertainty.
What does the rest of 2013 and 2014 hold for you?
Arcane Saints: This year we have released our debut album (recorded by Toby Wright in Nashville,) secured a distribution deal and USA management so after our Canada shows we are gonna sit back with a glass of fine Aussie wine and reflect on a very productive year. In 2014 we are looking forward to our first ever USA tour and probably another China tour later in the year. Oh and we intend on getting filthy rich too, I’m gonna have a swimming pool full of money and swim in it like Scrooge McDuck.
Imagine that you were asked to be the opener for any band’s world tour (both current and historical). Which band and tour would be your dream opening gig.
Arcane Saints: Guns n Roses in the 90’s would be cool to witness the rocknroll debauchery first hand before the musical landscape changed forever.
What is the future of the music industry? With the concept of the album and physical CD’s facing extinction, how will we be consuming music in 10 years? Are the economics feasible for emerging artists?
Arcane Saints: One day musicians won’t be able to afford instruments so no one will know what they are anymore. Guitars will sit in the corner of rooms as a curiosity because people will forget what they were built for. Pianos will be more popular because they can also be used as tables. Drums will be used as foot rests and cymbals will become shiny plates. Unfortunately the keyboard will die out altogether (but this isn’t really important.)
Where can people purchase or listen to your music?
Arcane Saints: Physical copies via our website and digital via ITUNES. Personally I prefer physical copies because its a medically proven fact they sound better.
At the end of 2012 we published our picks for top 10 albums of 2012. Lists like those are always a reflection of personal tastes so if you were making the list what are some albums you would you have had on it?
Arcane Saints: Alice in Chains, QOTSA, Black Sabbath, Soundgarden, Artic Monkeys all released killer albums and a young girl from New Zealand who goes to my old high school called Lorde who is amazing. Oh and Arcane Saints of course!
Any closing remarks for our readers?
Arcane Saints:Support rocknroll !! or if not rock, then reggae is pretty good too. Either of the 2 really.
Thanks so much to Arcane Saints. In the meantime check out their video below from YouTube.
