www.facebook.com/darkstonecrows
From: Toronto, Canada
Sounds like: Hard Rock/Metal
1. How did you get started with music and how did you develop your sound? Who thought of the name “Darkstone Crows” and is there any meaning behind it?
Chanel and Jiv started this band after meeting in a music program when we were both very young. We worked our fingers to the bone to create our music and resume along with other members who have now been dismissed from the lineup. We developed our sound by simply trying out different ideas. Even to this day we branch out and look for new, fresh and interesting styles of playing. Just to keep things interesting and exciting for us and our fans. Our band name was originally “Pariah”, however marketing was an absolute nightmare because of how many organizations are called Pariah already. We were brainstorming ideas for weeks, finally Russ came up with “Dark Storm Crows”. Jiv, upon hearing the name, said “Darkstone Crows” by accident and it stuck.
2. What do you want listeners to take away from your music?
We put a lot of meaning and effort into crafting our lyrical content to address issues as we observe them. A fair amount of angst and displeasure towards war/suffering, police brutality, racism, homophobia, animal cruelty, and crimes against nature can be clearly heard in many of our tunes. We also celebrate the excitement of the world around us (metal scene, related community), and the thrill of live performance, as well as trying to inspire people to rise above, and strive toward a more positive end.
3. What can people expect from your live show?
A whole lot of sweat and flying hair. We’re a very high-energy band, we move around a lot, we try to have fun, really get into it with the entire crowd, and make them move. You won’t find any of us standing still, that’s for sure. Offstage, all of us are really easy to talk to, and more often than not, we’re up at the front, supporting the other bands and once again just trying to get people to MOVE.
4. How has the response been to the "Darkstone Crows" EP? What's your favorite track to play live?
Unreal. The amount of feedback has been pretty amazing, we were reviewed more than a few times, but the real kicker for us was that there was such a ton of positive feedback. Of course, we’re always looking for ways to improve, but it was such a nice morale booster.
Choosing a favourite song is tough. We have two staples from our set on that album, but it’s a toss-up between them and some of our newer material. Of the album tracks “Sidewinder” and “Fathoms” are the two winners, but “Fathoms” is the crowd favourite, for sure.
5. Who are three bands you’d like to tour with?
International: Halestorm, System of a Down, and Iron Maiden.
6. Any crazy show stories?
Right before a very important show, just as we were about to begin, the boys of the band ripped off their shirts and revealed hidden bright pink, rainbow emblazoned tshirts that said “Death Metal” across them in bubble letters. The girls were flabbergasted.
7. What’s your take on the current state of metal?
It’s never going to go away completely. Metal is so engrained into such a diverse and tight-knit community, and it’s a tradition passed down through the decades. It seems like the surface of what’s possible has only been scratched in the last few decades, and we are excited to be involved with the newest wave of heavy metal coming out of the woodwork.
8. What’s the current music scene like there in Toronto both locally and country wide?
Toronto itself seems to be leaning towards a declining heavy folk/indie vibe at the moment, however the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has given way to a massive cult metal following. Oshawa/Whitby has a more punk rock vibe, really gritty and dirty, within its metal scene. You move in toward Ajax/Pickering or Scarborough and it starts getting a little more hardcore and punk than metal in those suburbs. Toronto itself has a very underground metalcore scene that caters more towards bands touring through the city, rather than the product of the city itself. Mississauga, where we are from, is near desolate in terms of metal bands. As you move past Burlington’s death metal dominated scene, Hamilton’s rock n’ roll and raunchy late 70’s energy envelope you. Hess St. is notorious as THE pub scene.
9. What’s your take on legal/illegal music downloading?
While downloading is arguably helpful towards musicians in terms of exposure, in the end it does hurt the financial gain and general livelihood of musician(s) in question. As awesome as free music is, it’s still a business and it should be up to the artist whether their music is available without purchase or not.
10. What’s next for Darkstone Crows?
More work, more shows, more recording, more people and places to see. We want to tour outside of our little corner of Ontario eventually. Getting stateside without label support is tough but we’re working hard to make that happen. Europe is calling to us, we’ve been told we’d do well there, but for now, we’re just setting a foundation. Definitely keep an eye/ear open for some new recordings, maybe a music video too.
11. Any shoutouts?
Second Pass, This! Is A Crisis, Second Nature, The Dead Sexy, Odd Ones, Chasing Shadows, Tether, Infinity, Black Collar Union, and a very special shoutout to Schoolcraft. They’re all so awesome and hardworking.
