Interview: Offset Vision

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What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

• We all got into music at a very young age, as we came from musical families. It’s hard to imagine an alternate timeline where we aren’t doing this honestly. Our lives certainly would be a lot less exciting without this outlet.

What do you like to do when you’re not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

• We all play video games together a lot. It’s a fun way to unwind after a big day or just to relax. Soundtracks in those games (and movies) have helped us with our writing quite a bit, like how different arrangements can set a certain mood. It can definitely be used as a learning tool in some ways.

How long has your band been around?

• Myself (James) and Mark started out in mid 2018, just writing songs for fun, but it wasn’t until mid 2020 when we started to actually release music and play live shows.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

• We are from Launceston, Australia. Our hometown doesn’t have much of a music scene, especially for our genre. Our music hasn’t really been influenced by where we are from as much as it has been from outside sources.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

• It means to look at things in a different way, and not just accept things at face value all the time.

Tell me about the best and worst shows you have played.

• Due to COVID, we haven’t actually had a chance to play a whole lot of shows, but with the few we have; there hasn’t been any real standouts yet. Hopefully as restrictions lift, and we get more experience, the shows will get better and better!

Tell me about your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you haven't already?

• A lot of the live music venues have closed up in the last couple of years, but there are still a few great small venues to play. Our favourite was Club 54, but that got sold and now got turned into a religious bar.

If you could play any show with any lineup who would be on the ticket?

• Is there a limit? There are dozens of bands that it would be an absolute dream to open for: anything from Neck Deep & The Story So Far, to Sum 41 & blink-182, or even Avenged Sevenfold & Slipknot. I think we could learn a lot from those types of bands.

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band?

• Don’t make it something that isn’t fun. Playing music shouldn’t feel like a chore. Play whatever you want and play it with your best friends.

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

• Don’t wait around for something to happen. Go out and play as many shows as you can (while you can).

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

• It’s hard to pick just one: they all represent a different time in our lives and we don’t think any of them really mean more, or are better than others.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

• Everything’s Ok would probably be the stand out for a live setting. It’s quite easy to play so we can focus more on having a visual input on the show.

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

• Usually, either Mark or I will write pretty much a completed song on our own and then we’ll work on finishing it/ adding new things to it to improve it together. We are influenced quite a bit from things we listen to on our playlists, but also sounds we hear outside of traditional stuff. I recently wrote a riff inspired by a video game soundtrack.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

• We don’t like to force any message upon anyone. Our music can be interpreted however people want to, and as long as people are having fun, that’s all that matters.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

• Of course. I think disagreements help us creatively. Disagreeing on certain parts really pushes us to be better in our writing. In the end, we all know that it doesn’t matter who writes what part, or what makes it to the final mix.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that's coming up?

• We are writing our second EP, due for release in March 2021. In the meantime, we plan to play as many live shows as we can to create a little bit of a fan base.