EMQ’s With Surface of the Sun
EMQ’s With Surface of the Sun
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMqs interview, this time with Canadian Solo Progressive Rock/ Metal project, Surface Of The Sun. Huge thanks to main man, Devon Eggers, 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 Devon Eggers, and I’m the only member of Surface of the Sun (SOTS). It is a solo music project I created, where I write and perform all music and vocals, except for the drums, which I hire a studio drummer for. I also do all of the recording, editing, and mixing.
How did you come up with your band name?
Over the years I’ve had a habit of getting names for things from my movie collection. I named two dogs after characters in Pulp Fiction, and almost all working titles for my songs are movie titles. This habit started when I lived in a very small basement suite in my early twenties. Everything was crammed together, resulting in my DVD collection being next to my guitars and computer. One day I needed a new working song title, happened to look at my DVDs while thinking about it, and named a song The Matrix. So, years later when it came time to name my music project, I took the same approach.
I knew I didn’t want a simple one-word name, or a name that was “The ____” (fill in the blank). I also wanted it to in some way reference something scientific, or at least something one might discuss somewhere in the realm of science. So, after weeks of thinking, I eventually landed on Surface of the Sun, which came from one of my favourite science fiction movies, Sunshine. It met my aforementioned requirements and also seemed cool because the sun technically doesn’t have a surface.
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
I’m from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. COVID aside, there’s always been an alright music scene here, but there are lots of struggles for musicians. Lots of great bands and musicians come from this area, but I know the live music scene is challenging for many. I think most people still lose money when they do a show here, after you consider time and expenses. I think this is the case in many places, but I know it really impacts things here. So, for the musicians, I think it’s challenging, but for fans, I think it’s pretty good because there are a variety of shows to see.
What is your latest release?
My latest release is the Dragon EP, which has two songs: ‘Dragon’, and ‘Vanguard’. The songs are quite different from each other, though still fitting within the vibe of SOTS. ‘Dragon’ was the first single, meant to be catchier — something you could really bob your head and groove to — and received some radio support throughout Canada. ‘Vanguard’ is more Prog, has a dense arrangement, and is one of those songs you can turn off the lights and get lost in. ‘Vanguard’ is one of my most favourite SOTS songs to date. I made a very beautiful music video for each song.
Who have been your greatest influences?
My biggest influence overall was Korn. That band changed so much for me when I was younger. Their first album hit me so hard. There was nothing like it and I was instantly hooked. I can credit Korn with taking my love of music to another level and encouraging me to start making music.
Since then my tastes have broadened, and I can say some of my greatest influences include: Tool, Chevelle, and A Perfect Circle. But, in my music library, you’ll find everything from those bands, plus a little Taylor Swift, some Eminem, Glass Animals, Imagine Dragons, Miosis, Gojira, etc. I like a bit of everything, except Country. I can’t get into that. I blame my parents for only listening to Country when I was a child.
What first got you into music?
My older sister and her friends were the ones who really got me into music. It was the nineties, and there was so much to listen to. They exposed me to bands like Bush X, Moist, Green Day, NIN, Marilyn Manson, White Zombie, Alanis Morissette, Silverchair, etc. And I just soaked it all up.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
In truth, this list could be pretty long. There are a lot of insane musicians out there I would love to work with. But, I’m going to keep it to two, because they’re for very different reasons.
The first is Korn. And this is because, as I mentioned before, they changed everything for me. So, to be able to work with the band that influenced me the most, and set me on my musical journey, would be the most amazing experience.
The second would be Of Monsters and Men. They are an amazing group, and very different from SOTS. And that’s the reason I’d love to do it. It’d be two very different genres coming together, and I think that would be a fun and challenging experience.
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
Since SOTS is a solo project, live shows haven’t been a part of things. I was, however, working towards starting live shows mere weeks before COVID hit, which cancelled everything, of course. This might start up again, and if it does I’d focus on a festival close to home to get me started on that new journey.
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
Some musicians get gifts?! Haha. I’ve never received anything that I could say is a gift from a fan.
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
I have some amazing fans that have supported me and SOTS since the beginning. They share my material and promote it as best they can, and are always excited to hear new songs. To them, I’d say, “thank you”. Having others love my music that much continues to inspire me to make more.
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
I’d bring back Chester Bennington. He was a brilliant musician, had an incredible voice, and seemed to be a genuinely good individual. His story was a sad one, and I’d bring him back in the hopes he could have another chance to work through things. Mental health is finally starting to get some much-needed and overdue attention and understanding, and maybe that could’ve made a difference for him.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
The thing I enjoy most about being a musician is creating music. That’s where my love lies. It’s why SOTS became a solo project, and in part why live shows didn’t get a focus. It’s why I barely know how to play other musician’s/band’s songs. In fact, I don’t know how to play someone else’s song in its entirety; only parts. Whenever I pick up an instrument I go straight to writing and improvising.
What I hate the most about being a musician is how music is sold and streamed, and/or downloaded and shared for free. In addition to being a musician, I’ve also been a professional recording and mixing engineer for about 20 years. So, I’ve seen various sides of the industry, and it’s all challenging. The amount of money, time, energy, etc., spent to create material can easily add up to hundreds or thousands of hours, and ten of thousands of dollars. Even a simple 3-song EP takes months, or longer, to create from writing through to release. And in the end each song — even a hit single — might make a few dollars from downloads and streaming. This means not only do musicians not get adequately compensated for their music, it also means that everyone involved in the production (labels not included) gets hurt too.
I remember a few years ago a Nickelback album was ranked number one in Canada, and had only sold about 5,000 copies. Even further back, Pharrell William’s song, Happy, after something like 25 million streams on Spotify, had made about $5,000, which didn’t even cover one day of recording costs.
In the end, I think this hurts everyone, including the fans. It means few can afford to be musicians, which means less can work on the production side of things, which means less music for fans.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
If I could change one thing it’s how people value music. And I don’t mean just the fans, I also mean those running the industry.
Before the days of Napster people commonly got excited for new music. They listened to the whole album, not just the single. They appreciated the art of the cover. They appreciated the sounds of the guitars, the skills of the drummer, and the vocal melodies. They checked to see if there was a secret song at the end. This is not to say this is non-existent, I just think it’s much, much less. It’s too the point now where a cup of coffee is worth more to someone than an album they’ll love for decades and listen to hundreds of times. Songs have become digital files, meant to be copied, meant to be downloaded for free because it’s not a physical thing. I think music has lost its value to many people, even though basically everyone listens to music every day.
For those running the industry, not much seems to have changed since the days of the major labels. Streaming services are still bringing in a lot of money; it’s just not going to the artists. If these individuals valued music more (let’s ignore, for a moment, the business argument side of this conversation regarding, profits, shareholders, etc., as well as the question of “why would someone pay more for something they can legally get basically for free?”) I think the downstream effects could be huge. I think it’d change everything for those trying to make a living creating art, and those trying to enjoy it. I think the industry would be healthier and better overall.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
One of my all-time favourite albums is “Follow the Leader” by Korn. From front to back, everything about this album is incredible. Even after all these years, I’m still impressed by the overall quality of the songs, production, and recording.
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?
Oh, this is an interesting one. Haha. It’s really situational for me. And it’s not that simple because they’re all different, and hard to compare. For example, vinyl might be awesome until you want to listen to your music on an airplane.
Vinyl and cassettes are analog and therefore have more detailed wavelengths than the digital CD or downloads. But the analog mediums also have a lot of noise that you can hear, and they tend to provide more coloration (or impurities, if you will) to the sounds that we tend to find pleasing. So, it’s a trade-off.
But, in our world today, I think a high-quality download is best. Preferably something not compressed like an MP3 is. I can take all my music on my phone, and play it anywhere, and it sounds pretty damn good most of the time. Everything in our world has moved to digital connectivity, so downloads just make sense. Heck, most computers don’t even come with a CD drive anymore!
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
As mentioned above, live shows haven’t been part of SOTS to date. So, unfortunately, I don’t have an answer for this one.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
I have many hobbies and keep myself quite busy. One I’ve been focusing on the most is acting. So, if I weren’t making music, I’d be acting more. I’ve had an agent for a couple years and have been in quite a few indie projects, a TV series, and a lead in a feature-length indie film.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
Assuming these five people are not people I currently know (saying this to safely mention people who do not include my fiancée) I’d invite Bill Burr, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Ali Wong, and Dwayne Johnson. That’d be one funny conversation, and I’d remember it forever.
What’s next for the band?
Recently I’ve been reviewing a lot of song ideas from years past, tweaking things here and there, and seeing if there are any to include in the next release. I don’t have a potential date planned, but I’m aiming to have the next one be another 4-5 song EP released sometime next year.
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
Webpage: http://www.surfaceofthesunmusic.com/
Webpage: http://www.devoneggers.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5HWLkYQfOyNbtl82oi0nm1?si=VD_MugJZRzalAGztfYRbTw
IG: surface_of_the_sun_music
Facebook: www.facebook.com/surfaceofthesun
Youtube: @surfaceofthesun
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
Ooooooooo… Imma go with… Roll?
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Thank you! I really appreciate your support and time and energy for this interview. I love making music and support like this helps keep it a reality.
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.
