| Def Rain Session | |
| Violitionist Sessions |
Session Date: September 18, 2012
Posting Date: December 24, 2012
Artist Hometown: Denton, TX
Links: Facebook, Soundcloud
Recorded by: Michael Briggs
3 QUESTIONS
ONE: What goes through your mind when you’re performing?
Ashley Cromeens: Nothing at all.
Grant Ring: Transcendence.
Ashley: Oh yeah? That’s deep. Way to go, buddy! Yeah, I don’t know, it’s the only thing that makes me not worry, you know? It’s like meditating or something. It clears your head. I don’t ever think about anything. I guess the moment you think about stuff is when you start messing up. If I started thinking about bills I needed to pay or something, I don’t think I’d do well. So ya, I don’t think that I think about anything. Maybe like, what’s the next words? I can’t remember words well.
Grant: This is a song. [laughs]
Ashley: So not much I guess. We’re pretty serious. We’re pretty deep. [laughs]
Grant Ring: Transcendence.
Ashley: Oh yeah? That’s deep. Way to go, buddy! Yeah, I don’t know, it’s the only thing that makes me not worry, you know? It’s like meditating or something. It clears your head. I don’t ever think about anything. I guess the moment you think about stuff is when you start messing up. If I started thinking about bills I needed to pay or something, I don’t think I’d do well. So ya, I don’t think that I think about anything. Maybe like, what’s the next words? I can’t remember words well.
Grant: This is a song. [laughs]
Ashley: So not much I guess. We’re pretty serious. We’re pretty deep. [laughs]
TWO: Do you ever get distracted by the lasers?
Ashley: Sometimes when it does something funny. Like it’ll change course or something.
Grant: It’s tricky.
Ashley: Like a squirrel. An ADD squirrel. Occasionally you’re just like “Ohhhhh, that’s moving East now.”
Grant: I’m always distracted by lasers. Always. That’s why I like them so much.
Ashley: It takes focus off of us.
Grant: It just kind of goes whooosh.
Ashley: I like going to shows when there’s something that puts you in a trance. I get kind of bored with just watching rock shows. It’s kind of fun adding lasers. I know it’s kind of silly sounding, but it’s something new to look at, you know?
DJ: True. I think a lot of bands maybe neglect the more theatrical aspects of performing.
Grant: Not to say that the rock thing isn’t good.
Ashley: Nah, I always thought it was more pure and the way to go like, “Ya, this is raw, this is pure, this is what we are”, and now I’m just like…
Grant: You can be anything.
Ashley: I like to be entertained by things now. Backup dancers that have moves together and bow ties. That’s just fun to watch, you know? Backup dancers. That’s the key. You know, those moves, they’re like. [dances]
They’re all spinning and bow ties and it’s weird, and you just don’t see that on a local level. That’s more of like a Bieber level, you know? But it’s fun when you just go to Rubber Gloves one night and all of a sudden, it’s like “What the hell are these guys doing? This is weird”.
Grant: It’s tricky.
Ashley: Like a squirrel. An ADD squirrel. Occasionally you’re just like “Ohhhhh, that’s moving East now.”
Grant: I’m always distracted by lasers. Always. That’s why I like them so much.
Ashley: It takes focus off of us.
Grant: It just kind of goes whooosh.
Ashley: I like going to shows when there’s something that puts you in a trance. I get kind of bored with just watching rock shows. It’s kind of fun adding lasers. I know it’s kind of silly sounding, but it’s something new to look at, you know?
DJ: True. I think a lot of bands maybe neglect the more theatrical aspects of performing.
Grant: Not to say that the rock thing isn’t good.
Ashley: Nah, I always thought it was more pure and the way to go like, “Ya, this is raw, this is pure, this is what we are”, and now I’m just like…
Grant: You can be anything.
Ashley: I like to be entertained by things now. Backup dancers that have moves together and bow ties. That’s just fun to watch, you know? Backup dancers. That’s the key. You know, those moves, they’re like. [dances]
They’re all spinning and bow ties and it’s weird, and you just don’t see that on a local level. That’s more of like a Bieber level, you know? But it’s fun when you just go to Rubber Gloves one night and all of a sudden, it’s like “What the hell are these guys doing? This is weird”.
THREE: Do you have any plans for releases coming up?
Ashley: Ya, we’ve got about 10-13 songs that we’re working with that we’re going to record soon in the next hopefully couple of months and then I think we maybe wanna do a tape release, we’ve talked about it. Do a little cassette tape release.
DJ: Why a cassette over another format?
Ashley: I don’t know, because I like them. And my car has a cassette player deck. That’s good. It doesn’t work right now, but I’ll get that fixed. When you’re rolling in a ’99 Corolla, sometimes you just wanna play some tapes. [laughs]
I don’t know, it’s fun because you can rewind and it’s like [makes tape noise] until it stops and then you know where it is. You have to work at it, you can’t just skip.
Grant: You break your favorite tape, that’s always great.
DJ: Why a cassette over another format?
Ashley: I don’t know, because I like them. And my car has a cassette player deck. That’s good. It doesn’t work right now, but I’ll get that fixed. When you’re rolling in a ’99 Corolla, sometimes you just wanna play some tapes. [laughs]
I don’t know, it’s fun because you can rewind and it’s like [makes tape noise] until it stops and then you know where it is. You have to work at it, you can’t just skip.
Grant: You break your favorite tape, that’s always great.
– Interview by Dale Jones, transcription by Michael Briggs