Square Eyes- An Interview with Future Rock Kings
Square Eyes is a rock band from the North of Scotland comprised of three band members: Craig (vocals and lead guitar), Brian (rhythm guitar/bass), and Nathan (drums). They have two singles out so far, Odyssey and Elemental, and are currently working on crafting their next projects such as two demos that I’ve recently listened to by them. They preform live, but say that they make songs “so we can listen to them in the car, sad but true.”
Below, the band has answered thirteen of my tailored questions, sharing the stories behind their songs, advice for musicians, and how to compose creatively. Keep reading to pick the minds of the rising artists, Square Eyes.
Q1. “So, I’ve just got to ask, where did your band name come from?”
A1. “Square Eyes was a name that had been kicking around in my head for a while. When we formed the band, it was the first thing that came up, and it just stuck. It comes from the way people consume and absorb media, because it’s often the visuals that catch people’s attention. If you see something you like, you’re more inclined to seek out more of it, be it a music video, a certain art piece, anything. That’s how we like to interpret the name.”
— CRAIG
Q2. “I’ve seen a lot of fellow musicians featured in your Instagram feed. As an artist, how do you balance personal relationships? Do you think that you need to build relationships that only pertain to music and making music?”
A2. “Yeah, I think it’s a big deal when you’re starting out. No one has a clue who you are and what you’re about, so naturally you want to talk to anyone and everyone. It’s also important to build relationships with people out of your area. We’ve played some fantastic gigs away from home and met some great people along the way. Part of that is connecting with people who love what you love, I think that’s awesome. On the other side of the coin, we’re not going to be friends with a band, or follow them, for mutual gain. It’s not about that. We’ll perform with bands who we like, musically and personally.”
— NATHAN
Q3. “Who designs all of your logos and merchandise?”
A3. “Well initially, I’d have a rough concept drawing which, if we all liked the idea, would be sent to a friend of ours, Kim. She’s taken the sketches and created some really cool stuff from them. Some of the designs reflect themes of certain songs, but others just look great on a t-shirt, and that’s thanks to Kim.”
— CRAIG
For anyone who wants awesome Square Eyes merch, click here to browse and order.
Q4. “How does the writing process for lyrics differ from that of poetry? Do you feel like the two art forms are one and the same?”
A4. “I don’t think a lot of people realize the similarities between the two. They are essentially the same. Poetry tends to be cryptic though, and that’s where a lot of songs, lyrically, start to diverge. For our lyrics, it’s all about the statement, what we want to come across to people, and if something rhymes, great! I do love cryptic lyrics though!”
— CRAIG
Q5. “What sound equipment do you use to blend your music together? Is there special software that you would recommend for beginning musicians as far as cost and complexity?”
A5. “When it comes to recording our sound, we aren’t fussy. Craig and Brian will record their guitars, and I record bass. I don’t have the facility to record my drums, so I use programmed drums to round it off. As for a particular software, just find something relatively simple that you like, and you’re sorted. You don’t need to spend a fortune. I did a bit of drum tutoring for a year, and I’d always tell people to record themselves with their phone. If you have an idea, get the phone out so you don’t forget it. The other great thing about doing that is you give yourself a much better idea of your ability. It forces you to listen to and critique yourself to see how you’re progressing. And that can be a great help.”
— NATHAN
“We’ve always been about being able to perform with the most basic equipment possible. We don’t have a live bass player, so I use a hybrid guitar that runs through a bass amp as well as the main guitar amp to give us a good amount of low end.”
— BRIAN
Q6. “What are your aspirations for your band?”
A6. “Starting out, the only aspiration we had was to write music we love. We’re making songs so we can listen to them in the car! If other people decide to like it and connect to it then that’s a bonus! It doesn’t matter if one person or a hundred thousand love our music; if we love what we’re doing, that’s our only consideration right now.”
— BRIAN
Q7. “In your mind, do you separate talent from perspiration? Is consistency an important aspect of music?”
A7. “That’s a good question. I would be hesitant to separate talent and hard work. I think you could be the most talented musician, songwriter, whatever on the planet and you might not get anywhere. You have to put in the work. Some people can get lucky, but in my experience, you can get by on talent, but it’s the hard work that really pays off in the end.”
— NATHAN
Q8. “Who are your influences? What bands, musicians, artists, etcetera inspire you?”
A8. “Myself and Brian are into our metal and the heavier side of rock music, definitely. We love System of a Down. We actually cover a few songs written by Daron Malakian for his other band, Scars on Broadway. He’s a huge inspiration for us. I’ve been trying to get Nathan to learn a few System songs on drums! He’s really into post-punk and darker stuff, which comes across when he sends us an idea! He’s the one that reels us back in when we go heavier than he likes! The biggest inspiration for his drumming and bass playing is the band Interpol.”
— CRAIG
Q9. “I played your two demos while running. They’re completely awesome! When do you plan to release them? Are they part of a larger album? If so, when will this album be finished?”
A9. “Thanks a lot, that’s really kind! We will definitely release those songs at some point. We haven’t decided on a plan for that yet, but we’re constantly writing and making demos. And we’re determined to have enough material for an album at some point. For an album, we’d need a group of songs that contextually fit together and transcribe well live. The focus right now is to have a broad range of songs, we don’t necessarily want to restrict ourselves to writing in the same style because we are still finding our feet. Our direction has changed a lot since we wrote and recorded our first song.”
— BRIAN
Q9. “Can you talk about “Elemental” for a bit? I feel like the message is fairly straightforward, but it’s said in such a poetic way?”
A9. “Absolutely! Essentially, Elemental is about falling out with a friend. Someone you’ve been friends with all your life, can suddenly, kind of without explanation, start to drift away from you. Sometimes it can be like life is becoming this competition, and some people don’t always have the best intentions. It’s also about, you know, would you rather have someone hate you to your face or pretend to like you. That’s the idea of the snake image in the song- the snake and the lion going up against each other [on the album cover]. Those two friends who fell out coming back together and having to dance around each other, or fight it out. That’s the essence of the song.”
— CRAIG
Q10. “Do you have any upcoming gigs that your fans should know about?”
A10. “We have no plans for gigs yet. None of us are comfortable planning anything with the virus, but that might change with the vaccine. We’ll just have to see. We would love to get back to gigging though! But it gives us some time to write, so we should have a lot of songs to show people when gigs are back full time.”
— NATHAN
Q12. “What does your Elemental album cover symbolize?”
A12. “The cover for Elemental represents the theme of the song, like I was saying, those two tyrants, the lion and the snake, two friends pitched against each other. And it looks really cool!”
— CRAIG
Q13. “Is there anything that you want to tell your fans? Any parting words?”
A13. “Just that we plan to have a number of songs recorded and released in the near future and that we’re putting a massive amount of work into it. We all just really want to get some more music out there!”
— BRIAN
Thanks again, Square Eyes, for taking the time to talk about your current journey on your rise to fame. For anyone looking to listen to their work, click here to listen to them on Spotify, here to follow them on Facebook, and here to follow them on Instagram, where you’ll receive updates on their progress and latest originals and gigs. Also, click here to see my interview with Lewis, a drummer, bassist, and guitarist that preformed and worked with Square Eyes.
Come back next time to explore the life of musicians from underrated to overrated from obscure to famous!
