EMQ’s With CHAPEL FLOODS
Hi everyone. Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with Yorkshire, UK based Alt Metal band, Chapel Floods. Huge thanks to their Bassist, Shawn Denton, 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?
Shawn Denton – Bass. The band was conceived from an off-kilter rant from Bing, with Shawn and Luke quickly turning it into a jam. The band started jamming and writing just before the dreaded 2020 lockdown, in spite of this, the three forged ahead with a singular focus of making music by themselves, for themselves. The addition of Will on guitar in mid-2021 rounded out the band.
How did you come up with your band name?
Where we are from is by the river Don which floods regularly. The place where we had our first jams as a band was subject to a lot of flooding due to being at the side of the Don. From there we could see the chapel built on the bridge over the Don and postured that if the chapel ever flooded, Rotherham would be completely destroyed, that stuck.
What Country/Region are you from and what is the Metal/Rock scene like there?
Yorkshire – UK. It’s amazing, there are so many great bands and small underground labels.
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)
Self-titled 3-track, which we recorded live in our practice room, mixed and mastered ourselves.
Who have been your greatest influences?
This is all over the place but the thing that brings us all together is 90’s Metal such as Alice in Chains, Neurosis, Kyuss and everything all around that.
What first got you into music?
Seeing Phil Lynott on Top of the Pops. Completely awe-struck and knew I wanted to play bass but never be as cool or smooth as that beautiful man.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician, who would it be?
Scott Kelly from Neurosis. His vocals suit everything.
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
Any of them, but Hellfest would be amazing to experience.
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
Small underground bands have “fans” and get “gifts”? Honestly I’m just chuffed when someone picks up some merch or appreciates the band live.
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Support the underground. The bands, promoters and venues need everyone to sustain it and keep going.
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
Tied between Phil Lynott and Layne Staley.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
Being creative and making music is just the best and I’m a total pedal and amp junkie. I don’t hate anything about it, but get frustrated when a band either doesn’t pull in the same direction or we’re all working at different paces. Communication is critical.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
More alternative and underground bands pushed into the mainstream. Once upon a time you could listen to Top of the Pops or Radio and get a great balance of different music. I hate that Pop has become a genre and not just the top list of popular music from across a broad spectrum.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
“War of the Worlds”. The first music I ever heard, and it had such a profound impact on me. I’ll never forget being 5, sitting in the dining room in front of the old separate system (which you weren’t allowed to touch) and being told to just sit and listen. Changed my life.
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CDs, or Downloads?
Any physical media, I enjoy the artwork and sitting with that one release and really digging into it. Digital is too easily skipped and discarded.
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
We’re only 3 gigs in with this band, so I’ll wait and see what we can get, but I have been lucky to play with some great bands over the years with various projects.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
I’m a part time musician so I still have to have a day job unfortunately.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
Living or dead?
Phil Lynott, Bill Hicks, Layne Staley, Justin Chancellor and Troy Sanders
What’s next for the band?
More gigs, more recording, videos, all the usual stuff you have to do alongside just writing and playing music
What Social Media/Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
We have the usual – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, Bandcamp… We’ll consider other streaming services at some later point though because these days you have to use them.
Jaffa Cakes? Are they a cake or a biscuit?
CAKE – it’s been proven in court, scientifically, it’s a CAKE. Anyone who thinks it’s a biscuit is a psychopath.
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Give us a listen, a like, a share, get to a gig if you can but mostly go support local independent music.
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