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Interview with Supermodel Taxidermy
What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?
When I was about Twelve years old, I found a master of a puppets cassette tape that my auntie had left laying around our place. The moment I put things into the stereo I was hooked, that’s the year I gave up playing video games and began learning the guitar with a few other kids in my neighborhood. Even though I never actually owned my own guitar it didn’t stop me from hanging out with the kids who did, so by the time I was given my first Sammick from our local music store I could already play a few Nirvana and Metallica riffs which were enough to impress the girls in my class at the time. If it wasn’t for music, I am not sure where I would be in life today because my world revolves around it
What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?
I love the outdoors, getting away from the city noise and being in nature is one of my favorite escapes. It’s the best way for me to recenter and focus on what’s important in life. Clarity comes when the mind is relaxed, which boosts creativity
How long has your band been around?
This band was something I started when the world was shut down due to covid back in 2020, I wrote the first album and hit the studio as soon everything re-opened.
After the seven-song E.P was released, there was a lot of interest in it. That’s when I decided to look for people to play it on stage. It took a while but once I found Mike and Reilly it got easy, we have been together ever since
Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?
We hail from Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. It’s about 4 hours north of Edmonton, I grew up listening to punk bands from around our region like SNFU and The Smalls. It’s probably a massive part of why I mix my metal with punk rock when I write today
How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?
It was something a friend of mine suggested as a joke when we were trying to come up with cool band names. The idea of a Supermodel Taxidermy represents everything that’s wrong with society. People tend to idolize beauty and personify the idea that it’s the norm to look like a model or that guy on the magazine cover which is just the opposite of what our band is pushing. So, we wanted the world to have a mascot that displays how truly ugly that scenario really is. What better image for that then a Supermodel Taxidermy. remember substance comes from within; stay true to what makes you a decent person because you don’t have to please anyone but yourself! We’ll promote that till the day we die.
Tell me about your most memorable show.
I would think the most memorable show for me would be our first. Up until that point I had never played on a stage in my life and our first gig was an open-air festival/skateboard competition. There must have been few hundred people listening that day. It was so gnarly, and we killed it!
What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?
We have a lot of fun everywhere we play but the one spot we’re hoping go is Loud as Hell in Drumheller. There’s something about playing outdoors that just can’t be beat, plus they have a dinosaur museum down there and those are always fun to see
If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?
I would build a festival and put it somewhere hot like Red Rock in Colorado, Then I would get Dr. Living Dead to start back up and have them play with us and Suicidal Tendencies
What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?
Sit back down and finish writing that song, it’s not going to happen unless you commit to it
If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?
Time warp isn’t for me. My path got me to where I am, I couldn’t be happier
Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?
That whole first album means a lot to me; it is written as a journey through my way out of a really dark place. The order from the first to the last song displays a shift in mentality of the lyrics, but when I hear the song Chrysalis it reminds that I had pulled thru it all successfully. That song is about change and dusting yourself back off
Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?
Better Humans is one of my favorites because punchy songs with solos right out the gate always hype me up. We get a lot of requests for Blood Painted Dash
What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?
I write the majority of the music before bringing it to rehearsal, so when I show up with something new and it gets a positive response, we’ll build it up from there.
What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?
I tend to promote self growth in my lyrics, and I usually leave the message in a form of a question so you get to decide what’s right about the topic. I like to open up a few eyes with our content, it doesn’t necessarily mean I have to have the answers for them though
Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?
Everything always comes to a vote! But we usually fight over the last beer in the fridge
What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?
We just released a new single which happens to be an Official Music Video. It’s called Blood Painted Dash, that song is the first release for our up coming untitled album scheduled for 2023. We also have Vinyl now so be sure to check out our Bandcamp if that’s your thing https://supermodeltaxidermy.bandcamp.com/merch
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Music Video - Blood Painted Dash -