Derby’s own THE CARTOGRAPHER have been grafting their way up the ladder for the last decade and what began as a group of budding musicians has evolved into a strongly bonded unit that transcends their collective output.
“Me, Dan [guitars] and Jay [vocals] started the band back in about 2013, we met Tom [bass] around 2015 and Josh [drums] a bit further down the line,” explains guitarist James Millington. “The way it has all worked out is really something special because when we first started out we always had Josh in our sights to be our drummer as he’s very skilled. We all stick together really well, we’re pretty much family at this point and there is nothing we’d change about that. We wouldn’t be able to continue the band anymore without each other.”
Their most recent release entitled The Cold Black is a significant progression and milestone in the history of the band, venturing into fresh and exciting realms of creativity. The quintet are confident that this is their most honest and genuine material to date. “I guess the best way to describe our sound is deathcore/modern metal,” informs James. “We’ve gone through a rapid change from when we first started out where we were leaning more towards a djent style. We wanted to open up as many avenues as possible going forward and we’re constantly changing as musicians so it’s only natural that our style follows that. We like to experiment as much as possible and don’t want to stay in the same place for too long.”
“Ideas can come from any direction, we collect all of these elements and then get together and start piecing things together. We may circle around them a few times to make sure they’re the best they can be and we’ll all pitch in lyrically too. The new material has been received really well we think. We’ve got a lot of positive feedback and have sold quite a lot of CDs. We’ve also had people coming up to us at shows to talk to us and tell us what it means to them. Whether someone likes it or doesn’t that’s absolutely fine, we’re quite open to criticism and we don’t expect everyone in the world to love it but we do hope that there is a little something for everyone who listens to it and they can relate to it in some form. We’re always looking to improve and take people’s comments on board.”
THE CARTOGRAPHER possess a very open-minded approach to music in general, a mindset which is sorely needed in a world full of gatekeeping, internet trolls and elitism. “We tend to draw on personal experiences that we’ve shared together as well as things we’ve experienced separately and we just want to open up and have conversations about them, particularly on the subject of mental health,” discusses James. “We want to reach out to people and let them know they’re not alone in their struggles and there are a lot of people in those situations. We want everyone to come together and support each other. It’s important to seek professional help but music can also be a source of therapy, put on a set of headphones and listen to your favourite artists, whether its metal, pop, rock, rap. Music is also a great outlet for us too when we can write about the emotions we’ve experienced in our lives.”
Their hard work has paid dividends, allowing for opportunities to share the stage with some pretty illustrious outfits. “We’ve been fortunate enough to support LOATHE and KING 810 as well as being invited to play the final instalment of UK Tech-Metal Fest after playing a few years previous. It’s nerve-wracking and pure excitement all at the same time having these kind of experiences,” admits James. “When you start a band you have this vision in your head of playing on big stages in front of big crowds and when you finally manage it, it’s such a big achievement. We pride ourselves on aiming big and who knows what may happen next.”
The Cold Black is still in its infancy as a release but THE CARTOGRAPHER are full of determination and eager to continue pushing themselves to the next level. “The EP is done and out there and we’re looking forward to the next project, writing new material and we just want to keep the train moving and the music flowing. It’s important to stay in people’s minds and remind them that we’re here. Whether you’ve been in a band for ten months or ten years, never give up. The music industry has been particularly tough for everyone in recent years but it won’t stay that way forever. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches and have an open mind about what the future may hold.”
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário