Interviews - Live 4 Metal

Interview with Neil James of Cwn Annwn
May 2008 by Steve Green

I may not be able to spell or pronounce their name, but Cwn Annwn are one of the best new bands I've heard in a long time. Their Blood On The Djinn cd is a must have for those that love the traditional values of Iron Maiden and Progressive rock, that has been created this side of the millennium. I recently spoke to guitarist Neil James about the new cd and about the band in general.

I have to start with an obvious one. Why has a band from the US chosen a Welsh name for their band that’s impossible to spell, never mind being able to pronounce it correctly?
Our band name was suggested by a high school English teacher who always thought it would be a good idea for a band name. At one point in our career, we were told by someone that although they didn’t understand it, it made them want to learn more about it. As we’ve grown as a band, I’ve come to appreciate it as somewhat of a symbol of our independence and willingness to stick to our own core beliefs, right or wrong. It’s definitely outside the norm, and it’s something we’ve caught some flak for, but doing things our own way artistically regardless of whether it aligns itself with marketability is extremely important to us. If the only people our artistic decisions pleased were ourselves, that’s all that matters.

Where do you main influences come from? I hear the twin lead guitars of Iron Maiden and Megadeth, but with Julies voice, there’s much more of a Progressive edge to everything. Kind of like a fresher version of modern day Maiden.
Obviously there’s a heavy Iron Maiden influence, as well as traditional thrash a la Megadeth, Metallica, and Anthrax. But we’ve derived influence from all sorts of bands, many of which are outside the scope of traditional metal. Bad Religion, Nirvana, Primus, Dream Theater, Rush, Tori Amos, Dillinger Escape Plan, At the Gates, In Flames, and others have influenced us and have contributed elements to our songs.

Why did you decide to step down from your vocal duties for the new cd?
When we first met Julie, she sang for a band called Vile Red (www.myspace.com/vilered) and they were absolutely one of our favorite bands to play with. She was one of the best singers we had ever heard, regardless of gender or genre. When her band broke up, we did their farewell show. We all encouraged her to keep singing and never stop, as she was somewhat sad about the demise of her band.
I had thought over the course of the next month that while I never wanted to give up vocals, it would probably add a lot to the band to add someone of her calibre, but I just kind of let it go. Then one day, our bass player brought it up spontaneously at rehearsal that maybe we should ask her what she thought about singing for us. When approached, she said it was something she had been daydreaming about since leaving Vile Red. After a few practices, it was as natural a fit as could be, and the decision was made.

Apart from the start of Calypso, I have no indication of how big the change has been in your sound, but it’s obvious straight away that recruiting Julie Schultz was a very smart move. The lady sure can sing. How difficult a decision was it to change the bands sound in such a radical manner?
It was the easiest decision we’ve ever made from an artistic standpoint. Fact is, most singers in the heavy metal genre can’t sing, or if they do, they’re doing a poor character impersonation of an already famous singer. God bless screamers, but I never really understood why bands would spend immense amounts of time composing intricate, technical melodic passages, not to mention the vast amounts of practice hours required even to play it, and have a singer to whom melody was of no consequence whatsoever.
Our only reservations were how would our current fans handle the change, and would it pigeonhole us into what’s quickly becoming an overdone female fronted vocalist cliché. Most of our fans have been overwhelmingly supportive, and most promoters have recognized that we’re a metal band whose singer happens to be a chick, not a female fronted band and thankfully have booked us accordingly, even when it’s easy to do so otherwise.

I know it’s too early to say what sort of impact your new cd, Blood Of The Djinn, will make, but what do you hope to achieve off the back of it in the next 12 months?
I would hope that it simply makes an imprint in the minds of those who have some decision making power in the industry that perhaps some of that precious investment capital might be used to help bring our music to a larger audience, whether that’s through touring, management, recording contract, or what have you.

Looking at the list of gigs you’ve done, it seems Station 4 in your hometown St Paul is like a 2nd home to you. On one hand you’ve managed to support some big name bands, but do you feel that playing so many gigs around your own area has stopped you playing to potential new fans in other areas? How hard is to get meaningful gigs away from St Paul?
Being in a band is such an immense financial commitment. When you factor in in equipment, gas, promotions, recording, all of which is financed one hundred percent by the band, you have to make every expenditure you make count to the fullest potential.
As someone whose been around bands for a long period of time, I’ve watched endless number of bands blindly strike out on the road because “that’s what you do.” 90% of them come back with ruined credit ratings, not much more for fan support, and a band that breaks up shortly thereafter. For us to be able to commit the resources that it takes not only to bring this music to a wider audience, as well as meet the basic financial obligations that comes with eating and breathing on planet Earth, we have to know that there’s some sort of return or plan.
Right now, we’ve been focused primarily on show trading which has worked well for us. It has allowed us to play to regional crowds in four neighboring states which we would have no access to otherwise. While this still doesn’t bring us close to where we want to be, it allows us to build a name for ourselves in the Midwest and hopefully raises our profile in the eyes of those who have the ability to help take us to the next level.

What has been your best gig at the venue so far, and which band has treated you the best?
Opening for Trivium and Gojira was fantastic, as the crowd was perfect and plentiful. Most nationals that we’ve played with have been courteous and welcoming to us bothersome local openers, with special mention going to Exodus and 3 Inches of Blood for treating us with special regard.

I’m guessing St Paul isn’t the most Metal city in the US. I noted at twincities.com that the main story was about keeping the pigeon population under control. What’s the scene like? And what other bands should we watch out for?
Like any scene, it’s gone through its ups and downs. The scene is relatively supportive of each other. As we’ve spent more time in the Midwest lately, some of our favourites have been Destrophy out of Iowa (www.myspace.com/destrophy) The Ottoman Empire of Madison (www.myspace.com/theottomanempire) and The Pimps of Rockford (www.myspace.com/thosegoddamndirtpimps) - Locally from St. Paul, while this is by no means a comprehensive list, Cold Colours (www.myspace.com/coldcolours) Dying Euforia (www.myspace.com/dyingeuforia) and Less Than Nothing (www.myspace.com/lessthannothing) are excellent musicians and some of our closest friends.

What would you say is the hardest part of being an unsigned band and which part of the music industry really pisses you off the most?
I understand that this is a business, and that when people invest large amounts of money they expect a maximum return on that investment. To me though, I just hate that the music industry is treated the same way buying property or stocks are. It’s a little like when a miserly owner runs a sports team, and won’t bring in that one extra free agent to push his team over the top. I understand you don’t want to lose money, but why even own a sports team to begin with? Don’t you own that for the glory? I feel somewhat similarly about the music industry. Nobody wants to just take their money and toss it down a toilet and I respect that, but that desire for maximum profit I feel has diluted the integrity and vision that has made the past forty years of music such a cultural revolution. If you’re plunging money into the music industry, when you expect maximum return on investment like it’s the stock market, you devalue the artistic components of it that make it great. I wish there was a better balance for that.

What would you do if a label like Nuclear Blast or Century Media offered to sign you, but only if you changed the band name?
I’d love to look you in the eye and say I’m never backing down, but everything’s negotiable for a price. Let’s get the lawyers involved.

Back to reality, what’s next for Cwn Annwn?
Hopefully, over the course of the year we expand ourselves into drawing capability throughout the Midwest. We would ideally like to work into professional management, touring, national and international distribution, and of course the copious amounts of drugs, glory, money, and legacy that comes with being a legendary rock star! However, we just have to get to work, plugging away slowly but surely, and hopefully hard work continues to lead towards positive results and better music.

Good luck with the new cd. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Thanks for the interview, and we appreciate any and all of those who enjoy our music, and with your love and appreciation, we hope to get to the next level sooner than later.