interview with Morbid Fascination
Have any of you played in other bands? Yes we all have. Although Morbid Fascination is our main focus.
How is it that you started playing music? I can only speak for myself. My dad and grandfather were both professional musicians.
What are your names? / Who plays what? / How old are you? Matt Miller Guitars and Vocs 34, Thomas Smith Bass 32, Zach Zimmerman Drums 33.
Have you had other previous members? Yes initially we had another guitarist and bassist who shared vocals. It was decided early on that Morbid Fascination was headed in a different musical direction and we parted ways with our second guitarist. Our first bassist had some serious personal issues and was asked to leave. We had a brief moment where Zach took a hiatus and I kept Morbid Fascination going with another bassist and programmed drums.
Did you make music even when you were young? Again I can only speak for myself. I have been recording music since i started playing the guitar. I grew up making noise since i was little. A benefit of growing up in a musical family.
Where are you from? We are from the Salem Oregon area. Zach lives in Dallas. Thomas lives in Perrydale, and I live in Salem.
What year did the band form? Spring of 2014
What's your style of genre? Morbid Fascination is an amalgamation of many different genres of metal. We are a technical death metal band with old school death metal and black metal influence.
What inspires you? For me personally it is the natural desire to be the best musician i can be. Not only technically but also as a songwriter.
How often and where do you rehearse? We try to rehearse 2 times a week all together. However, we play on our own time. It is the only way we can continue to make progress.
How have you developed since you started with the music? For me it has made me a much more confident person. It is also rewarding to work hard at something and see improvement. It's not about making money or being a rockstar. It's about music and being a musician.
Do you have other interests of work outside the band? Personally i like to play bluegrass with my dad and play sports and spending time with my kids.
Are you looking for a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that? It is always nice to have someone who can help you organize and book your gigs and tours. We are doing alright handling things ourselves however, we are entertaining the idea.
Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that? Yes we are looking for a label. It would make it much easier for our music to be heard and shared. I think if you want to have access to national tours and large distribution it is needed. Independent releases are just as good musically and artistically. However, there seems to be a disconnect.
What made you decide to make this music? It kept me out of trouble.
What are your songs about? They are about reality which is more frightening than fiction.
Who does the composing and writes the lyrics? I usually come up with riffs and we all kick it around and help with arrangement. I write the lyrics as I’m singing the songs. Which leads to a good idea of vocal patterns while the riffs are being composed.
Do you start with the music or the lyrics? The music. Lyrics are an afterthought. Sometimes the feel of a riff can inspire the subject matter. Which connects the dots to an emotion or story.
Do you compose in a certain environment? Sometimes it's on the couch with an acoustic or in the practice room.
Have you done any covers live? Yes we play Pull the Plug by Death and Dead Skin Mask by Slayer on occasion.
What language do you sing in? English. It’s all i know. I wish i knew other languages.
What are the least and most people to attend one of your gigs? We have played in front of just other bands on the bill too several hundred people in the audience. We try to do our best no matter if it’s one person or a thousand.
What ages are most of your concert attendants? It’s an even split between the old school guys and younger people.
Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary? It depends on how we feel or who we play with. Sometimes we just call them out but most of the time we have a set we play. Swapping out songs for new material or an old favorite.
Do you have a regular place you play live often? Usually twice a month.
What was your first gig like? In Morbid Fascination it was a local show that we were really excited for as this was the first time we had played this heavy of music as a band.
What was your latest gig? We played with Dark Tranquility, Warbringer, and Striker, on September 30th 2017.
Have you had to cancel a gig? Yes we have. We always hate to cancel but we have very rarely. Maybe 2 gigs total.
Where have you played live this year? Salem, Portland, Eugene, Bend, Oregon.
Where do you plan to gig the coming year? We want to spend a decent amount of time on the road in 2018. Hitting the west coast and surrounding states.
Where did you start to sell merchandise, and what do you have for sale? We started selling merch from the beginning. Hats, shirts, stickers, and patches.
Where can people buy your merchandise? Hit us up at facebook.com/morbidfascinationor
What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records now a days? It has hurt the music industry as a whole. However, it has forced bands to tour which is cool as a fan. Metal has always been about the live performance.
How do you think the music industry have changed because of this? Labels sign less bands and the financial support is not what it used to be. It is a shame.
What do you think of my work? We sincerely appreciate what you are doing. It helps everyone get their music to a larger audience and exposes people to your art. Keep up the good work!
How do you think and know that this interview will help you in the music business? People will get a chance to see how much their support means to us and that we are working hard to reach our goals.
Do you have any role models or idols? I admire people for different things which i hope to absorb by learning from them. Yngwie, Paul Gilbert, Tony MacAlpine, Jeff Loomis, Chuck Schuldiner, Muhammed Suicmez, Galder, the list goes on and on.
Why do you think that they exist? Musically because they worked hard for it and have substance. Music does the talking.
Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today? You can learn something from everybody and anybody. I find inspiration from many things old bands and new.
What have been your biggest obstacles? Being an island unto ourselves. Something we are trying to overcome. Getting our music to the masses.
What advice would you give other bands or artists? Believe in yourself and each other. Support other artists and promote goodwill amongst your peers.
How do you get psyched for a gig? Listen to music and think about doing my absolute best. Push myself to be on point all the time. That sort of thinking adds to the excitement for me.
Do you have any new material? Yes we do and we will be adding it to our set as we go. We are currently in preproduction to record.
What are your web sites?
How can people reach you? [email protected] or via facebook
What are your plans for the future? We hope to finish our new album and get ready for a tour. We have some opportunities that we need to take. We have had interest from different labels.
Do you have something to add? Thank you for the interview and thank you to everyone for their support. We sincerely appreciate it. Please take the time to visit our websites and give our music a listen. Keep going and never give up!
