Creatures of the Sun Give A Taste of Their Upcoming LP with
"Hell If I Know"
A new single released from Creatures of the Sun delivers a thriving, upbeat, colorful, and super energetic blend of surf and psychedelic rock, along with elements of indie and garage rock, all rolled into one righteous single that feels awesome to listen to, especially at a good volume level.
"Hell If I Know" is all about guitar work, and believe me, the guitar work is pretty outstanding.
Some of the guitars have this sort of echo effect on them, giving a little bit of depth and attitude to the already very twangy tonality that they give off, along with a bass guitar that just rumbles beneath it.
This is a band that pays a lot of attention to the tones of their instrument. They're going for a specific aesthetic in which they absolutely nailed it.
That bass guitar sounds amazing, and it adds a lot of flavor to the already lush single.
You're definitely getting a lot of vintage tone from this song as well. The drums are super driving, but they don't just sit in the pocket. While they do give you deep pocketed grooves, they also add an electric energy to the song that otherwise wouldn't be there.
The vocals come in, and this is really where you get that old-school vibe.
The vocal approach is a blend between something like the Beach Boys and the Ramones. You get this classic, old-school feel, which works amazingly with the instrumentation because that's part of the soundscape they're aiming at.
One of my favorite aspects about this track is the background vocals. There's never any space in the background, unless it's meant to be there.
For example, during some of the verses there is a little bit of space, but that's because you're meant to pay attention to the lyrics and those instruments.
These sections focus a lot more on that bass guitar tone.
When the pre-courses and choruses come in, there are loads of vocals sort of floating through the ether of the track, giving it way more layers of texture that shine through.
The main vocals are double-tracked, which gives a little thickness, but sometimes the second track runs into a harmony instead of the same melody. I really like this because it's a little unexpected and it again makes me think of something like old-school Beach Boys.
The whole vibe of this track is sort of freeing. It's definitely breezy and fun, but it's also high energy to the point where it feels almost like they recorded this whole thing live on the floor.
What I mean is that it sounds as if these guys recorded the track all at once, and everyone involved was feeding off of each other's energies the entire time.
This gives you a really excitable and infectious sort of raw energy that you really grab onto.
Now, I wasn't there, so of course I'm not sure exactly how they recorded it, but listening to this track makes you want to go see them perform it live.
If these guys can capture this kind of aesthetic and energy on record so well, then seeing them live must be pretty awesome.
Some cool bridges and breakdown sections that give you more melodic drive with some great guitar work coming in and out once again, and the bass guitar sort of following along in terms of the notes and rhythm.
This is not a track that reinvents the wheel by any means, but it does give you a lot of juice. It's so addictive and fun, danceable, packed with character, and those are the attributes that really make it special.
The single has some depth to it. But on its surface, it is a vivacious surf-rock single, blending the old and the new seamlessly, so that you have a great atmosphere to get down with.
The song gives you a lot to chew on, and you will absolutely find yourself either singing along or dancing around the living room to this track.
It's hard not to move your body to something that has this kind of rhythm and drive.
Upon listening to this track, it took a little bit of a deep dive into their back catalog on Bandcamp and found a handful of other singles that were outstanding.
I would certainly start with this single and go back through their stuff from there.
Recently signed with Charlotte Court Records, Creatures of the Sun are basically giving us a glimpse of something bigger upcoming.
A full, self-titled LP is set to release this winter, and I, for one, certainly can't wait for more like this.
I hope it's an album just packed with songs like this one.
After digging into this track a few times, I realized I wanted to have a chat with the band about it.
So, while you check this track and more out, have a read through of our interview with Creatures of the Sun below.
Do not miss this one.
Where did this song come from and what was it about?
As far as where this song came from, I think it came from the universe. To me, songwriting is this almost magical experience where openness and preparation collide with opportunity and will. You have to set yourself aside to become a conduit for creativity.
As for what the song is about, it’s about those moments when we ask ourselves, “How the hell did I end up here?” and meeting them with resilience.
I think everyone has been in a situation like this. Maybe it’s a relationship that went south, maybe you’re looking on at the state of the world and feeling it’s all gone mad. For me, a big impetus for writing these lyrics was a combination of both. I was wrestling with a new reality after making a move. I had expectations of what I thought things would be like, and when my expectations were unmet, I was caught off guard…But I met that moment and turned it around. Sometimes we don’t know how we ended up where we are, but we can change course to control where we go next.
I am hearing several approaches here! Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
I have a wide range of influences, but lately some of my biggest are bands like Dead Ghosts, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Allah Las, Jacuzzi Boys, and Tijuana Panthers. We’re garage rockers at heart, but we borrow elements from surf, psyche, and grunge as well.
How did this all start for you guys as a band?
Creatures of the Sun started as my (Garrett Ballard) bedroom project. Once I wrote enough songs for a set, I started recruiting some friends. Soon after, we were booking gigs. The lineup now consists of me playing guitar and singing, James Mozina on drums, and Benjamin Fortenberry playing bass and singing backup vocals.
Do you write songs together, or is there one of you that brings ideas to the rest of the band?
I (Garrett Ballard) have, up to this point, written all of our songs, although the process is becoming more collaborative with the other members. How that process unfolds is that I’ll write a song at home and make a demo of it, which I send to the other guys. Since they also can record at home, I’ll send the drummer a demo sans drums, and the bass player a demo sans bass, so that they can each record their respective parts. Then we’ll get together to jam on it and collaborate on the finer details.
Are you performing live right now?
We are! Throughout the fall, we’ve got gigs booked across central and western NC. We’re trying to stay as busy as possible.
Did you guys record this at a studio, or home DAW?
We recorded this song and our entire first full-length album at Fallen Trees Studio in Mount Airy, NC.
Is this track self-produced?
It is not; that credit goes to the amazing Chad Barnard at Fallen Trees Studio.
What would you say people can expect from this release?
People can expect three minutes of energetic garage rock with a dark edge, tight riffs, growling bass, slamming drums, and plenty of attitude.
What kind of advice would you have for other up-and-coming artists out there?
This is going to sound cheesy and possibly cliché, but keep honing your craft and keep pushing forward in a way that feels authentic to you. I’ve been playing music for most of my life, and now, in my mid-thirties, I feel like I’ve just now really figured out who I am as an artist. Spend time in your room with your instrument and your effects and your voice or whatever you use, and experiment. Explore new sonic territory. Push yourself in interesting ways. Don’t be afraid to get weird with it sometimes. Don’t worry so much about what other people think. Creating art is largely about the journey and the self-expression, and the fun you have while doing it.
Aside from that, learn to define what “success” looks like for you early on. Having clearly defined goals and a good idea of what success looks like for you (whether that’s playing a few shows a month, making a record, or hitting a million streams, etc) can really help keep you focused and prevent you from chasing shifting goalposts. Success looks different for everyone, and some people get caught up thinking they aren’t successful unless they go viral or become superstars, which isn’t going to be most of us.
When we started, I set goals to play a small local festival at my favorite local venue, to play with a certain local band that I looked up to, and to put out a record. If we did those things, in my mind, we were a success. We, in fact, did all of those things. We’ve got other (and bigger) goals now, but we keep moving forward in small steps, and we keep it realistic. I already think of us as successful, and everything that happens to us moving forward is just a bonus that builds on those early, smaller successes. Not everyone gets the opportunity to pursue their artistic dreams, and we feel lucky we get to do so in the first place.
Before we go, what would you like to express to fans of the music?
Ultimately, I’d like to express gratitude. For every person who comes to a show, dances to our songs, buys a shirt, gives us a high-five after our set, yells “hell yeah” after we play a song… You all mean so much to us! Making music is something I will always do, no matter what, but having people care about it at all means the world to me. We can’t wait to keep releasing music for you to enjoy, and playing shows where we get to entertain you.
Hell If I Know | Creatures of the Sun
http://www.charlottecourtrecords.com
Creatures of the Sun | Spotify