Robex Lundgren virkblogg.

Have any of you played in other bands? GS: Jared was part of an act called the "Abandand Gypsies" that would (play regionally? What kind of music again?). Sherrod was part of Melodic/Progressive Deathcore band Hydra Guillotine which went on hiatus shortly before he joined Anergy. Before Anergy got started, I was one of two drummers for Mickey Blinger, a local Charleston punk rock and oi band.

How is it that you started playing music? 

GS: The first instrument I ever played was the violin when I was four. I've played a lot of different instruments throughout my life since then, but drums are my favorite so far.

JR: I started practicing with my dad's Gibson Les Paul at age 10, after being mesmerized by the guitar tones of Jimi Hendrix.

SRB: I had a flute and an acoustic guitar when I was about 10 years old. 

Who plays what?  

GS: I play the drums. I also do vocals.

JR: I play guitar.

SRB: I play the bass and do vocals.

Have you had other previous members? 

JR: No, we're the original members.

GS: Yep, at the moment we still have our original lineup. We wanted a dedicated vocalist, but that didn't quite work out so we decided to do the vocals ourselves.

Did you make music even when you were young?

GS: Yes, most of my life. I used to play violin believe it or not, and have tried my hands at several instruments throughout my life. Drums are my favorite though!

JR: At age ten, I started to take playing and learning guitar more seriously.

SRB: I used to mess around on an out-of-tune piano at my house when I was younger, experimenting with the sounds. I got more serious when I was about 17 and I got my first bass guitar for my birthday. 

Where are you from? 

GS: Lorain, Ohio originally, near Cleveland where the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame is. Moved around a lot growing up though!

JR: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

SRB: I was born in D.C. but I've been in Charleston for most of my life.

What year did the band form? GS: 2016 

What's your style of genre? 

JR: Whatever comes out during writing sessions.

GS: We have many influences and we don't feel that we want to necessarily tie ourselves down to a genre, but at the moment our sound ranges from old-school Punk Rock to 90s Grunge and even has Psychobilly, Jazz, Psychedelic Hard Rock and Ska elements. So there's something for everybody!

What inspires you?

GS: Communicating things that I feel in life or notice about the world through music is a big part of what drives me to create. If it means something to me, there's a good chance I'll write a song about it.

JR: The composition of melodies.

SRB: I had an avatar in Rock Band 2 and when I would watch him rock out with the other band members it made me want to be in a band. Meeting new people and seeing new aspects of music and life in general gave me greater respect for live musicians.

How often and where do you rehearse? GS: We rehearse once a week at a practice space that we rent out, and we occasionally have other practices at friends' houses.

How have you developed since you started with the music? 

GS: As a band we've gotten tighter and our song composition has gotten more interesting as we've worked together and learned everybody's strengths and weaknesses. The songs we write now definitely play more toward what we're good at pulling off live.

JR: A variety of sounds, tones and styles from song to song, not limiting ourselves to one genre.

SRB: When we first started, we were feeling each other out and we learned how to communicate with each other musically. We have gotten to a point where we can combine our experiences and develop something really unique.

Do you have other interests or work outside the band? 

GS: We all have day jobs and other future aspirations. But the band is a lot of fun for us.

JR: I enjoy studying history, philosophy, ancient religions, politics, and ideologies in general. I also work for a custom shading technology company in Charleston SC.

SRB: I'm actually an aspiring game designer and I also enjoy writing poetry and short stories.

Are you looking for a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that? 

JR: Gabe handles most of our PR. I'm happy to just show up and rock out at the gig.

GS: We do all of our own booking and most of our own promotion. We aren't opposed to having some help with that in the future if things get crazy enough, though we like to handle most of our business ourselves.

Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that? 

GS: We probably have some differing thoughts about that. Personally, I'm not actively looking because I don't see signing to a label as the be-all and end-all of being in a band. Having the support of a label would definitely help if we ever went on a tour though. If we did sign to a label, I think we'd really want to feel that that label has our best interests in mind and/or is based on a history of independence and going it alone, like Blackheart Records for example.

JR: As long as we'd have full creative control, I'd consider it.

SRB: If joining a label helps us create more music and get it out there, then I'd be open to considering it.

What made you decide to make this music? 

GS: Usually it's things we are feeling at the time, experiences we've had or things we'd like to express that don't have another outlet. Playing music is cheaper than therapy!

JR: I wanted to pick up where Nirvana left off.

SRB: I wanted a chance to finally make use of a lot of the lyrics I've written in my spare time. I write a lot of lyrics when I'm sad or angry and listening to our music while I write helps me express my feelings.

What are your songs about? 

GS: Pretty much anything we want. The songs definitely have meaning for us, but we also enjoy it when our audience tries to decipher our lyrics or gives a song personal meaning. 

JR: Whatever these guys wanna put out there, within reason.  

SRB: Our music is about a lot of things, but most of all it's about rebellion. We don't stick to one genre and each song represents multiple styles. We don't think that a band should only play one type of music. The first song I wrote lyrics for was Dark Story. The guys were having trouble coming up with good lyrics. I thought it sounded angry, and one of the sections made me think of empty waters, so I made it about a mentally disturbed kid whose father tortured him and murdered his mother. He finds his mother dead under a bridge and decides to kill his father and drags his father's body to a lake to get rid of it.

Who does the composing and writes the lyrics? 

GS: We do most of our writing as a group. In terms of experimental riff ideas, that is definitely Jared's territory; many of our current songs have evolved from his initial ideas. In terms of organization, flow and feel for those ideas, that's more of what I do. And Sherrod makes some great bass lines --he even suggests new parts to songs when Jared and I aren't sure what to add next. Sherrod and I also collaborate on the lyrics; some songs are all him, others are all me, but most of them use ideas from both of us and those are usually the best. I'd like for each of us to take an active role in bringing new ideas to the table.

JR: We approach each other with ideas and collectively form the song. No one person is the sole songwriter.

SRB: When one of us has an idea, we try to hash it out on a guitar and show the guys to see if we can do something with that idea. Gabe did that with Not My President. When he showed us the basic riff, we improved on it as a group and created something we really liked.

Do you start with the music or the lyrics?

GS: So far, almost always the music. I think the only exception might have been Not My President as I put those lyrics together before I knew how I wanted the song to go. Sometimes I end up changing lyrics to better fit the music that we come up with later on.

JR: The music is usually first for me.

SRB: Sometimes one of us writes the music and the others write the lyrics. I prefer to write lyrics after the music is made so I can choose words that fit the mood of the song. 

Do you compose in a certain environment? 

JR: Usually as a group, hashing out riffs at our jam space.

GS: We usually set aside practice time to work on new material, so a lot of our group writing happens in our practice space. Sometimes we write on our own and bring ideas to the group, though.

SRB: I'll do it anywhere that people won't complain about us playing too loud!

Have you done any covers live? GS: We've covered "In Bloom" by Nirvana and "Beat Me Senseless" by the Circle Jerks a few times at our live shows, but that was mainly because we were still developing our own material. These days we've stuck to our original material, though we're open to possibly covering other songs that we feel like doing or for unique situations like a tribute concert.

What language do you sing in? GS: All our lyrics are in English.

What are the least and most people to attend one of your gigs? GS: We've played shows with five people in the audience (a local bar) and shows with over 50 (a local skate park) so at this point we've seen quite a range in what can happen with an audience.

What ages are most of your fans? GS: I'd say most of our fans seem to be between 18 and 30, though we don't discriminate and there are a lot of older rockers in the community who come out to events! 

Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary? 

GS: At the moment we play mostly the same things live, though as we write more material there's likely to be more variation in our set from show to show.

SRB: It depends on the crowd. Sometimes we'll tweak our set to be faster and more moshable but if it's a more laid-back crowd we sometimes bring down the tempo a bit. Either way we aim to entertain and we want everyone to have fun!

JR: We sometimes hit pause on live gigs so we can write more songs and record our previous inventory of songs.

Do you have a regular place you play live often? 

JR: We’ve made a few rounds across town at local venues that support original music.

SRB: We love playing local house shows whenever we can.

GS: I think the place we've played the most times locally is the Tin Roof. Lots of great out-of-town artists come through there so it's a great place to meet new bands.

What was your first gig like? 

JR: Lots of friends came out to support us --I think we did well and rocked out with minimal errors.

GS: Our first gig was at a downtown bar called Burns Alley, an old college hangout spot of mine. A few close friends showed up so it was a small but engaged audience. We booked the show with two great bands: a local psychedelic rock band called Orange Doors and an amazing out-of-towner called Caustic Casanova. I have been a huge fan of CC for about two years now ever since I saw them play at a friend's house when they were passing through town, so when they mentioned wanting a Charleston gig on their tour I was really excited to play a show with them. And as if that wasn't cool enough, we got paid for the show! It was really great, all things considered. 

SRB: Our first show was my first live performance with a full band. We ended up playing last and I wasn't really used to being up that late so I got myself a 5-hour energy drink at the corner store. I was really hyped up for the entire show but the next day I totally crashed and woke up at 5:00pm the next day. Don't abuse energy drinks kids!

What was your latest gig?

GS: We just played a local Punk Rock Fest that was a tribute to the Ramones at Deja Vu II, a local bar/dance hall. A ton of other great bands were there, it had a great turnout and it was a really good time! 

Have you had to cancel a gig? 

JR: We don’t take gigs that we cannot commit to playing.

GS: We do our best to play every show that we say we're going to play no matter what, though things happen. I think so far the only shows we've had to cancel are ones which were cancelled by a venue, not by us. We've had some difficult circumstances once or twice but we've managed to stay professional about it so far.

SRB: One time I felt like cancelling a show because my dog died, but I thought about it and I knew that my dog would want me to rock out, so I played it anyway. Rest in Peace, Maya.

Where have you played live this year? GS: Lots of places. So far, the Tin Roof and a local house show venue called the Skum Bucket have been our favorites, and we have our eyes set on more!

Where do you plan to gig the coming year? 

GS: We're thinking of branching out to more local venues that haven't heard us yet, and possibly playing a few out-of-town shows if we can manage it. The sky's the limit, really.

SRB: We'd love to play the Royal American downtown and maybe even somewhere bigger if we can build up our fan base enough!

When did you start to sell merchandise, what do you have for sale and where can people buy it? 

GS: When we first started all we had were waterproof stickers for $2.00. Now we've got t-shirts, posters, and possibly more in the works. Right now, the only way to  get merch other than at our live shows is as part of our GoFundMe campaign for our album. Once our GoFundMe is finished these items will all be available on our Bandcamp at anergy.bandcamp.com.

SRB: All the funds from the GoFundMe will go toward helping us record our new album and we appreciate any contribution! 

What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records now a days? 

GS: I think it's pretty inevitable that the digital availability of music is going to take over eventually. It's true that many people prefer other formats and collect vinyl and things like that, and for lots of reasons. In terms of reach and cost, going the digital seems to be the most effective way for an up-and-coming band to release material.

JR: I think our digital music should be free, always. It will reach a wider audience if it's free. No need to push for selling CDs or vinyl because they are becoming outdated.

SRB: Digital downloading is revolutionary, but you can't hold an mp3 file, so people that want something physical to hold onto might still want a record. So they each serve their purpose: one is for convenience and the other is more personal.

How do you think the music industry has changed because of this? SRB: Digital downloading is revolutionary, but you can't hold an mp3 file, so people that want something physical to hold might still want a record. So they each serve their purpose: one is for convenience and the other is more personal.

How do you think the music industry has changed because of this? 

GS: I think there's a growing emphasis on artists doing and releasing things themselves instead of relying on record companies. The reach and influence of record labels is undeniable though. In terms of promotion, labels and companies definitely have an advantage. In terms of money, it seems like artists have to rely on concert income from touring rather than music sales, and this will probably be the main direction things take in the future.

JR: Its bringing it back to the creative processes of the artist and not the label. Free music, what's not great about that?

How do you think this interview will help you in the music business? 

GS: First and foremost, I think it's really important to be honest with our audience. And it's also important to show that we're human beings. Interviews help with that and generate discussion about the work we've done and give it some context. This is a big part of finding our audience.

JR: It could help us reach a larger audience besides our current local scene.

SRB: Any kind of exposure is good for us at this point.

Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today? 

GS: Definitely both, though personally I am more inspired by bands from the past because they had to go through a lot more to get their music out there in a world without the internet. Also, a lot of past ideas have become more mainstream and commercialized now so it's cool to go back to the roots of a genre and really get a feeling for where those songs came from and what they represent. Usually there are elements of that which are kind of universal and can inspire us today.

JR: The classics, the blues. Older bands by far.

SRB: Both, because when you're a kid sitting there watching music videos you tend to think those bands have it made in the shade. But when you actually get to work, you see that it's not all sunshine and rainbows --lots of work and dedication. It surprised me personally when I looked into how long it took bands before they were successful, but they kept going because their love of music is what helped them continue.

What have been your biggest obstacles? 

JR: Finding a place to play loud and proud.

GS: Yeah, I would say our first big obstacle as a band was finding a place to practice. We definitely had to rely on the patience of good friends for a while until we could make enough connections to get a more dedicated space. Right now, our biggest obstacle is probably figuring out the next steps for us as a group.

SRB: Sometimes I gain or lose motivation, but whenever I'm back in our practice space with my bass guitar I want to keep going. Sometimes I hate and love it at the same time --I hate being unproductive because it makes me feel like we're being too lazy, but other times I'm reminded why I do what I do.

What advice would you give other bands or artists? 

GS: Don't be afraid to put yourself out there. It can be scary, but it also has an honesty and a bravery to it that people will appreciate. Don't try to be anything that you're not really feeling inside. People know the difference.

JR: Play what you wanna play, not what you think others want to hear.

SRB: Bond with your bandmates. Don't give up. One day, if you go into the studio and release material you can share it with everyone. You can be proud of it and say "yeah, I made that." Know that your craft is not a waste of time if it's important to you.

How do you get psyched for a gig? 

GS: I like to blast older rock bands while I'm getting ready or driving to the gig, it adds to the adrenaline! And it reminds me that we're continuing a great musical tradition.

JR: I have a smoke.  

SRB: Before I go to a gig, I sometimes turn my Xbox on and look at my character to remind myself how far I've come.

Do you have any new material?

JR: Yes, we are writing new songs currently.

GS: We're recording new songs as we speak and we haven't decided on a release date yet so stay tuned!  SRB: You'll see!

What are your web sites? 

Facebook: facebook.com/notenoughanergy

Instagram: @anergyband

Bandcamp: anergy.bandcamp.com

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCfhZvCIR8TGQaDSOUNKvIqA

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-355675965

How can people reach you? GS: The best way is usually to email us or message us on our Facebook or Instagram pages.

What are your plans for the future? 

GS: We'd like to see how far we can take the band. Anything is possible, I guess.

JR: Keep writing and playing new material.

SRB: No limits? I'd love to see some of the music we made in a video game one day. Playing in a stadium or something would be cool.

Do you have something to add? 

JR: I appreciate the interview, hope to travel and play for you someday! 

GS: We'd just like to say thank you for taking the time to interview us!