interview with CREEPING BEAUTY
What’s the name of your band? CREEPING BEAUTY
How was the band formed? I (Darren Michael Boyd) have envisioned creating a band with a dark, horror-type image and sound for many years. I started compiling my appropriate songs and went on a hunt for the right musicians, and just as importantly, the right “people”.
Can you tell about your band? Creeping Beauty is a 5-member, female-fronted theatrical horror-based hard rock band located in Ontario, Canada. We have supported such acts as Stryper, Wednesday 13, and LA Guns. We have also been featured in the Horror film "Homicycle".
Who does what in the band?
V - Lead Vocals
Darren Michael Boyd - Guitar
Stuart A. Ellis - Guitar
William Jessup - Bass
Cpt. Killdrums - Drums
What were the ambitions of the band when you started? My ambitions have always been the same – To write great songs and create a band with a cohesive look and sound that puts on an energetic, visual show. I always love to play good music with good people, for fans that we connect with. Getting paid doesn’t hurt!
Could you explain your music to someone that hasn’t heard you? That’s probably one of the most difficult questions to answer. Music is very personal. You like it, or you don’t. I personally don’t follow all the sub-genre goofiness. It seems to take the heart out of music. Why restrict something that should have NO restrictions?
Where was your first gig? A bar show in our hometown of Ottawa.
Where was the latest gig? A bigger bar show in our hometown of Ottawa!
Who writes your songs?/Who writes the music who writes lyrics? I (Darren) am the principle songwriter. I bring the finished demos to the band, and each member helps to shape the final sound that is Creeping Beauty.
Who has the best sense of humor in the band? There is no humor allowed. This is rock and roll … serious damn business!
Why did you pick that particular style? /What are your songs about? I don’t know that I picked any specific style. I just write and play the way I do. I always strive to become better as a writer and continue to improve and to find inspiration. Music is a lifelong journey, with no finish line (other than death). And speaking of death… a lot of our songs tackle that subject!
When it comes to the lyrical subject matter, some of the songs are very personal to me, and have been inspired by something meaningful (Blue-Eyed Suicide), and other ones are kind of campy, and it’s just a blast to write that way at times (Under a blood red moon).
Do you write your own material or mainly covers? We are primarily an all-original band, but occasionally throw one cover song into the live set just for fun. We have played “Stay Hungry” by Twisted Sister, “I stole your love” by Kiss, and “Summertime Suicide” by Murderdolls.
Have you made any albums? /If yes what are they?
We have 2 EPs coming out in 2015. They are both already recorded. We have the follow-up full length CD written and recorded in demo form, and hope to release that by the end of 2015 as well.
Right now, to buy our music visit CDBaby.com for single downloads. We also have single download cards available at live shows.
Fun fact: Our bass player, William Jessup did the amazing cover artwork!
Do you have any clips on YouTube? Of course! This is our YouTube Channel link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeLIExRaIBCxAuITa_9wnXw
At what age did you start playing? I started into music when I was about 7 years old. I got my first albums, Alice Cooper – Love it to death, and Kiss- Alive. My life was set on a musical path from that day.
How old were you guys when you first stood on stage? I personally played my first gig at the age of 11. I was playing drums in a band and we performed at a house party. We actually did the show in a barn… does that count as a stage?
What year was the band started? 2012.
Best/worst gig you've played?
They are all great! What could be better than performing your own metal songs live?!
I also think anytime a band member has a wardrobe malfunction is both the best AND worst gig (depending on which member you talk to). The first show Stuart (guitar) played with the band, he split the entire ass out of his stage pants right before we were about to go onstage! Fortunately, he had another suitable pair of pants for the show. Good lesson- always pack extra stage clothes.
What places will you be playing in the immediate future? We have a show opening for Wednesday 13 on February 1st/2015 in Ottawa, Canada.
Which band is the best you’ve seen? I’ve never been disappointed with an Alice Cooper show. The band is always tight, the songs are great, and the theatrics and energy are phenomenal.
Is it always the same songs live? We add or subtract songs, depending on the allotted time we are given for a particular show. We have some that are always in the set, and others that come and go.
How big crowds do you usually play for? We enjoy getting opening slots for bigger bands that come through town, since it’s good for exposure. We can’t always bring the same level of stage production, or play as long, but we are playing for 250 people, whereas our own show might be only 75. It’s a tough market and difficult to get people out of their houses these days. You have to make the most out of each opportunity.
What are the plans for the rest of the year? The 2 EP releases, followed by a full length CD and more merch, and more shows. We will be working hard to let people know of a weird little band from Canada called Creeping Beauty.
How do you get psyched up for a gig? We’ve all been doing this for a while, and play in various other bands. What makes the Creeping Beauty pre-show ritual special is that we are covering ourselves with stage blood. That kind of puts you into the frame of mind to get on stage and kill!
What are your goals with your music? I want people to love it. I guess every band would want to the same thing. I don’t care about being a rock star… I care about connecting with other music lovers who will appreciate what we do.
When did you decide to go all in for the music? My entire life has been fueled by music. Things aren’t the same as they were many years ago, however. Your favorite artist may look like a rock star – touring, recording, even on the radio. But you can find him on his downtime waiting tables or something to make ends meet. That’s the sad reality… Musicians are passionate, dedicated, and hard working, but pathetically undervalued. We all do it because we HAVE to, not because we choose to… if that makes any sense?
Is it easier to get your inspiration from older bands or from bands more modern? I love music from as far back as I can find it, right up to the minute. I’m inspired by anything that comes from the heart.
What are your sources of inspiration? Inspiration comes in many forms. Sometimes it’s a song or a melody… a cool drum beat or guitar riff. It can be a performance. It might not be musical at all. Conversations, books, and things that happen on a daily basis inspire me. Inspiration always finds me, if I get out of the way and allow it to happen!
What's the first step when making a new song? It goes back to inspiration. I’ve written songs around a bass line, a drum beat, a guitar riff, or a melody. Sometimes it’s a lyric that pops into my head, or an arrangement idea. No two are alike that way, and that’s what makes me love creating and crafting songs so much. Once I get the basics, I can hear the whole thing in my head, so I need to get it recorded as fast as possible.
How do you feel about the downloading of music instead of buying albums?
I think legal downloading is fine, but my preference is having a physical CD in my hands.
It’s the illegal downloading is bizarre to me. I have songs in my collection I’ve gotten 20+ years of enjoyment out of… What’s not worth .99¢ to some people?! If you like an artist, support them.
What would be your dreams for the band? I want to continue to write and release music, and grow the band into a disgusting, drooling monster that parents hate and kids love. I think it’s a realistic goal.
Besides your own music, what genres and bands do you listen to? I am a fan of all kinds of music, any genre, as long as it’s sincere. I love the GoGo’s and the B52’s. I love Meatloaf, Jack Off Jill, Wednesday 13, Paul Gilbert, Marilyn Manson, Twisted Sister, and Cheap Trick. There’s room for all kinds of great artists!
What do you hold most dear? My family, the people in my life, my pets.
What would be your greatest fears for the future?
I fear losing loved ones, as everyone probably does.
Whenever I think about that, I remind myself that the bad parts of the future are none of my business right now. I just need to do my best to make today kick ass.
When you are on stage, what do you fear most then? I fear gear malfunction. Everything else is going to be awesome. Unless someone takes a bad photo.
What songs and what years were they released? Right now we have 2 newly released songs on CD Baby - Blue-Eyed Suicide and PMS
Have you been in any other bands? I am also the lead guitarist in Famous Underground, from Toronto Canada.
What do you work with outside of the band and the music? I have my own business called Reptile Rainforest, and I write articles for magazines. I also teach guitar. I do what I love every day, no matter what.
How important are your fans? I would write and create this music even if I was the only one who liked it. But with that said, the fans are everything since they are the ones that validate what you believe so deeply in. We are grateful for every single fan and their support!
What's the funniest/most memorable thing a fan has done for you? Sometimes we get some interesting photos… One of my favorites is of a fan’s Senegal parrot holding my guitar pick!
How often do you rehearse? It depends on what we have going on. If there is a show coming up, we tend to pack more rehearsals in. We all have busy schedules to work around, so when we get together we try to be prepared and make it count!
Name 2 of your own songs you like at the moment?
I’m really into the newer stuff, but nobody has even heard those yet! I like a new song we’ll be debuting at our show next week called Bad for business, which is a song about human inequality.
I also seem to be enjoying Blue-Eyed Suicide, since we just released it and I haven’t listened to that version in a while, so it’s cool to revisit it!
What do you feel is the best live band you've seen? I love Stryper live… great players, and they make me want to go home and practice. Alice Cooper, of course… and Rob Zombie has a killer band and stage show. The “best” is probably impossible to answer.
What drives a band that isn't all that famous and renowned to try to make a living on their music and to keep playing? We do it because we love the music, and we love performing. Every time someone purchases a song download or a ticket to a show, it makes us feel like we are on the right track. That support truly matters to struggling artists.
Do you have any webpages?
www.cdbaby.com/Artist/CreepingBeauty
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeLIExRaIBCxAuITa_9wnXw
Describe your show, visually and musically.
I always say our show is kind of like shaving and sneezing at the same time - High-risk and highly entertaining. Our drummer and singer are each a visual entity unto themselves, and I’m proud to say I’ve never seen another band quite like Creeping Beauty live.
There is a definite rage that has to be seen, and the songs are catchy and heavy. We are a composite of all the heavy metal monsters we grew up with. It’s a privilege to entertain the hell out of an audience, so we make sure to give 100% every time.
How do you view the music industry of today? Unsettled. The industry is in the middle of a transitional state, I think. It’s a difficult time for musicians, but also exciting since there are other avenues to reach our fans almost instantly. As a business model, it’s an insane venture, and somewhat troubling to put everything you have into a product that the consumers expect for free. More proof that musicians are simply crazy.
What advice would you like to give other bands? I won’t bother giving clichéd advice on the music itself. That’s the easy part. The advice is this: Be cool, and be professional. Be a band that people want to support and work with. Genuinely appreciate every fan that comes to see you play.
What are the biggest obstacles for a band? Paying the bills! And in Canada, there are a lot of miles between major cities, so touring is expensive and time consuming. Not to mention dangerous in the winter!
What is best/worst with playing the clubs? The best part is the intimate feeling; the band and fans sharing that closeness. The worst part is cramped spaces for gear and performance. We are all pretty used to changing in public washroom stalls and putting makeup on in cars. All for the love of rock and roll!
Tell us about upcoming gigs and why we should be at them?
Mavericks Bar in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada with a lineup of absolutely killer bands a week from today (Feb 1/2015)! Creeping Beauty, Patron Saint of Plagues, Die So Fluid, Eyes set to kill, and Wednesday 13. If you’re anywhere near Ottawa and you miss this, there’s a chance you need professional help.
What is your favorite crappy instrument? My brain! It’s problematic, but it still keeps spitting out songs people seem to like!
What’s your Pre-show ritual? Tuning our guitars. Not an exciting ritual, but it makes for a better sounding show…
Do you have anything to add? Thanks for your interest in Creeping Beauty. Please “Like” us on Facebook and get involved! And thank YOU Robex, for supporting music with such passion \m/