EMQ’s with Supermodel Taxidermy
EMQ’s with Supermodel Taxidermy
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with Canadian Crossover Thrash band, Supermodel Taxidermy. Huge thanks to their drummer, Reilly Williams, for taking part.
What is your name, what do you play and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
My name is Reilly Williams, I play drums for our band. As history goes, our frontman / guitar player Shawn is the mastermind behind this project. During the time of covid when the world was shut down, he started writing music which turned into our EP “A Whorer Story”. Once things reopened and got halfway back to normal, he headed to the studio and got some hired help to create the music. After releasing the EP to the world, Shawn and our bass player Mike got into contact and I was pulled into the project sometime afterward. Since then, we have been practicing hard, playing shows, and currently are in the midst of writing our debut untitled album for 2023.
How did you come up with your band name?
Our frontman Shawn actually is responsible for the name. The name actually came from a friend of his. He tossed it out as a joke one day. As soon as he heard it, he knew that it was going to be the name of this band.
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
We currently live in Fort McMurray which is located in Alberta, Canada. Our music scene here is pretty vibrant. There are a lot of very talented musicians here that play in cover bands and original bands as well. Like many small places, people are very encouraging and friendly, it seems the music scene here continues to impress and grow as time goes on. There is no shortage of music around here!
What is your latest release?
Currently, our latest release is our new track ‘Blood Painted Dash’. It is one of our tracks coming up from our untitled 2023 album and also the first recorded track myself and Mike have been a part of. Not only did we just release the single, but we released a music video with it as well. The video can be found on our YouTube page and our single can be found on most major streaming platforms.
Who have been your greatest influences?
Ultimately, I’d have to say, my friends and family. I have been blessed with musical surroundings my entire life. But more on a band level, that can be a lengthy answer! To keep it short, I’d definitely say Avenged Sevenfold, Pantera, Led Zeppelin, and A Day To Remember are some of the main ones. There are so many influences that have shaped me to be who I am today.
What first got you into music?
For me, that would be my dad. He has been a guitar player for decades, so I was always surrounded by music and instruments growing up.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
At the moment, I’d love to play and collaborate more with the Alberta band Tymo. We got to open up for them when we played in Calgary this past October and they were absolutely mind-blowing! Really great guys as well, super friendly and incredibly talented.
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
Great question! I guess on a smaller scale, I’d love to play at a Warped Tour in my life. Always been on my bucket list to attend let alone play! On a major scale, I’d love to play at the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany. My older brother got to go one year, and he said it was one of the best experiences of his life. Can’t begin to tell how much time I spent watching bands play at that one!
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
So far, never received any major gifts from fans personally, let alone weird ones. I did get a couple shots of tequila before however!
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Keep on rocking and supporting live music!
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
To be biased, I would say James “The Rev” Sullivan. He was the original drummer for my all-time favourite band Avenged Sevenfold. He easily is one of my biggest influences and inspirations when it comes to drumming.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
For me, it’s everything really. I love practicing, playing, listening to music, making new songs, playing live, hauling gear. Just about everything that comes with being a musician is fantastic to me. Nothing I would ever change about it. Can’t say I really hate anything about it, anything music related is just a part of my DNA.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
In my opinion, it would be the fact that it is harder than it ever has been to become financially successful. I would love to see more money coming into the pockets of the bands / content creators rather than the multi-million-dollar companies making money off the success of others. All these music streaming apps and alternative ways to access and listen to music is amazing, but it’s a double edged sword. You get more music out easier and quicker, but the payoff for it is far less than it ever has been. Unless you are playing live shows every night with merch and hundreds of thousands of streams a day, it’s incredibly hard to break into any scene. Hard work, practice, patience, and a bit of luck are really the only hope to make yourself stand out among the rest.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
One of my all-time favourites, if not my true number 1 would have to be Avenged Sevenfold’s 2010 record “Nightmare”. This album spoke a lot to me back when it came out and still does, delivering amazing hard-hitting songs and strong lyrics filled with emotion and energy. I still listen to it frequently, it helped mould me into the drummer and musician I am today.
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?
I was always a CD kind of guy. I always tried to buy CD’s whenever I could to support bands and just for my own personal collection. The new era these days with all these music streaming apps is definitely easier than ever to find new music and bands but buying CD’s and playing them loud as hell will always be special to me.
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
So far, the best gig we did was in Calgary this past October at Vern’s. Everything about it was amazing from the atmosphere, the crowd and the insanely talented line up that played. It was definitely a night I will not forget!
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
I can’t imagine a world or reality where I am not a music guy, but I guess other hobbies would present themselves. For my main work, I am currently a heavy equipment technician which is very fulfilling and fun!
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
Chris Cornell, Mike Portnoy, Vinnie Paul, Slash and Mario Duplantier. Sadly a few names here aren’t with us today but if I could have 5 people, these would be it. It’s hard to pick any names but these 5 definitely hold a special place with me and have been an influence on my life and musical prowess thus far.
What’s next for the band?
Our main goal going forward is to spend more time together writing new music and releasing our first full-length album!
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people? Please include any Links
We currently have Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Spotify, and Apple music which are all under Supermodel Taxidermy. We also just launched our very own website www.supermodeltaxidermy.com
Facebook.com/supermodelmodeltaxidermy
Instagram.com/supermodeltaxidermy
YouTube
Supermodeltaxidermy.bandcamp.com
Spotify
Apple Music
Music Video – Blood Painted Dash – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7w8AsOL6L08
Time for a very British question now. As an alternative to the humble sandwich, is the correct
name for a round piece of bread common in the UK either a Bap, a Barm (or Barm Cake), a Batch, a Bun a Cob, a Muffin, a Roll or a Tea Cake?
Ha ha well I’m totally at a loss for this question, but if I had to make a guess I would have to say a roll? Maybe a cob?
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
I along with my other fellow bandmates would love to thank you for the questions and the opportunity to connect with fans and like-minded people! Keep on head banging and don’t be a stranger, connect with us and keep an eye out going forward. We have only just begun!
Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.