CONTEST ALERT: To win an autographed Chron Goblin CD email us at contests (at) tmakworld (dot) com and put Goblin in the subject line. Winner selected December 1 2013.
November 18 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 Calgary named Chron Goblin. All bands we talked to are asked similar questions to each other so we can get to know them better. The description on Chron Goblin website reads:
From the smoke-filled rooms of university to beer-stained stages across western Canada and abroad, Chron Goblin spread the stoke wherever they go. Filling bars and venues alike since their 2009 inception, the party hardened four-piece have amassed a loyal fanbase with their addictive on-stage energy as well as three intoxicating rock concoctions: a self-titled EP in 2010, 2011’s acclaimed full-length One Million from the top, and their sophomore LP released September 13th 2013, Life for the Living. Since then, the band has proven their well-earned notoriety by landing gigs with some of the biggest names in heavy music, including Vista Chino (ex-Kyuss), Orange Goblin, 3 Inches of Blood, Bison BC, and The Devin Townsend Project.
In the spring of 2013, their talents won them the coveted contest spot at Desertfest UK, making them the first Canadians to grace the stage of the sought-after desert rock festival in Camden Town, London. This demand stems in no small part from Chron Goblin’s artful yet accessible blend of influences ranging from riff-rock to rockabilly, Black Sabbath to Stray Cats. With no style-boundaries to bind them, the group avoids self-imposed stagnancy and embrace musical evolution.
Here is what they had to say to us:
Hey Chron Goblin, 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?
Chron Goblin: Josh Sandulak – Vocals, Brett Whittingham – Drums, Richard Hepp – Bass, Devin “Darty” Purdy – Guitar
How about the history of the band, when did you get started and how did it happen?
Chron Goblin: The four of us met while living in residence at the University of Calgary in 2004. We had the opportunity to form solid friendships for the next five years, prior to starting the band in early 2009. At this time Brett and Darty were playing in a heavy metal band but wanted to start playing music that was geared towards their love of Black Sabbath and Kyuss. They then recruited Josh (who had previously never sang in a band before) and wrote a 5-song EP. Richard was then added 6 months later just prior to recording the EP. It’s been a serious bromance ever since.
Who are some of your musical influences?
Chron Goblin: We are absolutely inspired and influenced by the old school heavies, but our influences are not limited to these bands. We’re also inspired by many contemporary bands that are flying the stoner rock flag such as Red Fang, The Sword, Orange Goblin, Clutch, Queens of the Stone Age, Truckfighters, etc. And these bands wouldn’t have existed without the old school heavy metal, hard rock, and punk bands that existed before them.
When bands like Black Sabbath and Blue Cheer first started writing and recording music that defined heavy metal and the proto-stoner rock sound, they wanted to create something that was powerful, aggressive, and dark, all the while holding on to groove and melody. Their lyrics were reflective of the tumultuous events of the 60’s and 70’s, and so was their music. They were creating honest music and never tried to deceive anyone about what they were trying to accomplish. People accepted and celebrated this music because it was and still is unique and creative.
We think music lovers, both artists and fans, are inspired by the old school bands because they made quality and classic music which still maintains its power and influence today. Part of that quality came from the recording process which was more honest and direct because of some of the limitations of technology at the time. The recording process of the ‘60s and ‘70s relied on spectacular performances and creativity to bend the limitations of recording technology. Playing live and performing to an elite standard is something we place huge value in and we try our best to meet the standards that great artists of the past have set. We think emerging artists who have respect for the history of rock and roll will continue to reach into the past to get exposed to our great musical ancestors and continue to be inspired by the classics that still maintain their power today.
So based on the above how would you describe your music to someone that has never heard it?
Chron Goblin: We would describe our music as high energy stoner rock and roll filled with thundering drums and smokey riffs that establish a musical playground for snarling melodic vocals. There are elements of riff-rock, heavy metal, punk, and blues in our playing and we always try to build our musical ideas on a deep groove. We like to write music that’s heavy enough for our bros but sweet enough for the ladies to enjoy as well. Our live shows are always a party and we love a good mix of guys and gals to party with!
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?
Chron Goblin: We will undeniably give 100% of our passion and energy into every single show, whether we are playing to 50 or 1000 people. We have been known for our high levels of intensity and rowdy fans. We make sure that when people come check out our live show, they receive an exciting experience. When we go see one of our favorite bands, the best feeling is to walk away at the end of the night with a sense of release from experiencing a mesmerizing and energetic show, and that is something we try to emulate with our own performances. We also try our best to be down to earth individuals and we enjoy hanging out with fans before and after the show – its always great to meet like-minded people who enjoy getting down to some dirty rock and roll.
Josh Sandulak: “Anesthetize your mind so that we won’t lie there awake. Numb to life , these dumb ideas are all that’ll give us false faith.” This basically sums up the complacency and escapism that our generation is so deeply entrenched in. We’re all so disenfranchised with the current system that we escape the daily reality with different vices, all the while maintaining our hope through a sort of loosely knit fabric of ideas and dreams. The sort of things we all want to happen and love to imagine, yet are too based in ideology rather than practicality to ever come to fruition.
What does the rest of 2013 and 2014 hold for you?
Chron Goblin: We are just wrapping up our fall “Life for the Living” tour which included shows in Calgary, Lethbridge, Edmonton, Victoria, Vancouver, Saskatoon, Regina and Canmore. We also have a couple hometown gigs planned for late November and early December. As for 2014, we have ambitious plans which will start with the filming of our second music video in February. We will also be celebrating 5 years as a band with a special show planned for lsyr February in our hometown. We’re also planning a brief US tour through the Pacific Northwest for spring and are working on efforts to return to the UK for a 2 week tour in fall. We will also be writing our next full length album and continuing to pursue our rock n’ roll dream one day at a time!
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?
Chron Goblin: Prior to 2013 our answers would have included Kyuss and Orange Goblin, but those dreams became a reality for us as we played with Vista Chino (Kyuss Lives) in September and Orange Goblin in October! Our dream gig now would be to play or tour with Orange Goblin (again), Red Fang, The Sword and the mighty Clutch.
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?
Chron Goblin: We feel that individuals who are passionate about music will always want some sort of tangible/physical form to listen to. All of the members of Chron Goblin have extensive personal vinyl collections and we have been selling far more vinyl than we do CDs with our latest release. Obviously, vinyl is a great physical form as album art has a much greater presence and the act of putting on a record and flipping sides is an engaging process that draws the listener in. It’s a more focused listening experience, instead of just putting your ipod on shuffle for background music. Physical albums are also about cultivating a collection of music; its not very romantic to pass on a USB drive to your younger siblings or kids when you want to expose them to the music that affected you.
We feel that every median of music has a purpose. We still listen to CD’s in our cars, vinyl at home, and digital music while on the move. Today’s music industry makes it difficult to make profits off of album sales alone, which is why it is so crucial to tour and promote your music in non-traditional avenues, especially selling merchandise. That being said, even though the internet and file sharing has hurt record sales, it has also become a tool to expose our music internationally and to easily share it with people around the world which has been very beneficial.
Where can people purchase or listen to your music?
Chron Goblin: Our music can be purchased via iTunes (US/UK/CDN), Ozium Records (Sweden), Bandcamp, CD Baby, and through our own webstore at http://www.chrongoblin.com/p/store.html
You can also stream our album for free on Bandcamp, Soundcloud, and Grooveshark.
And of course, come to a live show and pick up our music from us in person!
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?
Chron Goblin:
- Graveyard – Lights Out
- Wo Fat – The Black Code
- Kadavar – Self titled
- Bison BC – Lovelessness
- Orange Goblin – Eulogy for the Damned
- Black Mastiff – Pyramids
- The Sword – Apocryphon
- 3 Inches of Blood – Long Live Heavy Metal
Any closing remarks for our readers?
Chron Goblin: We would like to thank all of our friends, fans and family who have supported our rock n’ roll journey – we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish what we have without them and we never forget that or take it for granted. We also want to let our fans know that we have ambitious plans for the future and you can expect more tours, videos, and albums from us! Come to a show and we’ll smoke some beers together!
We’d also like to thank publications such as you for giving emerging artists a platform for exposure and to support us in spreading our music.
Thanks so much to Chron Goblin. We hope that you can see them live. They are playing November 22nd in Calgary for the Cowpuncher album release and December 11th in Calgary for a Toys for Tots fundraiser and have tour dates planned for 2014.
The band’s website is here and as you would expect they are on Twitter and Facebook. In the meantime check out their video below from YouTube.
