[00:00:01] Speaker A: He was born on a Saturday in 73 he loves punk rock music fighting the 13 cabin in the dazzle jazz Rocking out on the beat Guitar with a short wind radio bass his motherfucking envy scrolling look at motherfucker cuz here he comes Andy Sculling wearing his orange.
[00:00:26] Speaker B: Hats welcome to unsigned fire 518. I am here with Illumination. What's up guys?
[00:00:33] Speaker C: What up?
[00:00:34] Speaker D: What's up?
[00:00:35] Speaker E: How's it going?
[00:00:36] Speaker F: What's going on?
[00:00:38] Speaker B: Nice talking into the microphone. And I guess what we'll do is we'll start off, we'll start to my left and just introduce yourself what you do in the band and then we'll just go right down the line.
[00:00:47] Speaker C: Josh, bass player and unclean vocalist.
[00:00:51] Speaker D: Jack here, drums, percussion.
[00:00:54] Speaker E: Kevin, here, vocalist.
[00:00:56] Speaker F: My name is Britney Spears and you're watching Disney Channel. I'm joking. I am the backup vocalist. My name is Lucy Snow. I'm an independent artist from the 518.
[00:01:05] Speaker B: Sweet. I, you know, and I thought you were. When you first showed up, I was like, is that Britney Spears?
But I can see that. I can see the confusion is all I'm saying.
[00:01:17] Speaker F: Are we talking about old Britney Spears?
[00:01:19] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. So what we want to do is, you know, and I said we're, you know, I don't really have interview questions, but I just want to kind of start the story of the band. Like, you know, how the band got started. Like, I don't know, who wants to take the lead? Like, you can go back as far as you want, you know, start whenever, just.
[00:01:38] Speaker D: Yeah, sure. Well, Illumination, this project actually started because of a falling out of a previous project called actually My Prophecy, a band I was a part of for about seven or eight years of my life. And Kevin here is actually the guy who, who really started the. The true idea of it.
[00:01:54] Speaker E: Yeah, the actual idea came from. Or it was October 2023.
That was when I had my first falling out with the previous band. I was doing camera work for that. And then the actual idea, like kind of actually.
What's the word?
Actually came to fruition.
[00:02:16] Speaker B: Manifested.
[00:02:17] Speaker E: Yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly. In April 2024. So a few months after that we are. I brought in Josh here, got in Jack, and then later on I got.
[00:02:32] Speaker F: Thrown into the fucking walls. I'm fine though.
[00:02:37] Speaker B: So, you know, it started, you know, and I don't really need to go into the actual falling out or anything like that, but.
[00:02:44] Speaker E: Right, right, right.
[00:02:44] Speaker B: But it started from a need to replace. Almost feels like there was like an urgency to create that wasn't being filled. And that's how it came about.
[00:02:56] Speaker D: Absolutely.
[00:02:57] Speaker E: Specifically with these guys, with Jack and with Josh here.
They basically, they. They needed a way out. But I actually. I've been wanting to do this for a while. I've been wanting to sing. I've been wanting to be a vocalist, wanting to be a part of a band. The opportunity arose when they came out and then we all just kind of said, let's just It. Let's just do our own thing. So, you know.
[00:03:21] Speaker B: And is this the first outfit you've been, like, worked with?
[00:03:23] Speaker E: Like, this is. I've never. I've never even done a live performance yet.
[00:03:27] Speaker B: Nice.
[00:03:28] Speaker E: Putting those first few songs that we've put out so far. First things we've done or I've personally ever took it apart of.
[00:03:35] Speaker D: So he's got to break his live music virginity.
[00:03:38] Speaker E: I do.
[00:03:39] Speaker B: But, yeah. So you've got. What is it? Just a couple singles out on Spotify? Just the stuff that's on.
[00:03:46] Speaker E: Yeah. Just three singles at the moment. Title track just recently came out. We have the EP coming out January 31st, so that'll be our first outing. And we got some really cool lined up for after that, so.
[00:04:00] Speaker B: Cool. Yeah, definitely. We. We'll. We'll save the. You know, we'll tease the EP now. And I do want to dive into it a little more.
You know, maybe after, like, the first song, we'll. We'll check out more. More on the ep.
[00:04:13] Speaker E: Sure, man.
[00:04:14] Speaker B: But so when you say, like, it's so new, like, you haven't even played a live show yet. Like, how's the. The structure going? Like, how do you get that tight that fast without having cut your teeth in front of an audience?
[00:04:29] Speaker E: Well, basically, like this man right here.
[00:04:31] Speaker C: Yeah. I'm the producer of the band, so.
[00:04:33] Speaker D: Shout out to Josh.
[00:04:34] Speaker C: I write most of everything. We had a couple people help us with some of the other songs, but, yeah, like, I write the stuff. Like in Guitar Pro, it's like a tabbing software. Then I work with Jack to program the drums to, like, the parts he would play. And then I record it in Pro Tools, mix it, master it and all that.
[00:04:51] Speaker B: And then you use that, like, as a demo for the band to.
[00:04:56] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:04:56] Speaker B: Learn their.
[00:04:57] Speaker E: Yeah, and that's what Jack will be doing. He'll. He'll learn his stuff. Like, right now, it's programmed. He hates the program drums.
[00:05:04] Speaker C: He loves programs.
[00:05:05] Speaker D: It's a computer. You know, Obviously, when you do live drums, it's. It's very naturalistic. It's human, like, because you're obviously a human behind the set, but on program drums, the parameters are so tight, and it's almost robotic because it's a program. So when I'm trying to play the parts I'm writing, if I'm not, like, you know, a half a beat, you know, in front of the beat, I feel like I'm off, because there's. There's no room for error.
[00:05:26] Speaker B: Right. But so you kind of program everything, write everything, get everything ready. Like, how close are you? I know we said we wouldn't talk about live shows, but, like, how close are you to, like, being able to pull.
[00:05:41] Speaker E: At the moment, we have a rehearsal space in the works so that live shows and live performances will probably. We plan on starting out, like, at an open mic, you know, for the first couple of times, and then we're thinking probably the end of summer, late fall, we got a couple shows that we're looking at doing. Got a few people willing to hop on the bill.
[00:06:04] Speaker B: And that's good, too, because a lot of the times people might rush to that too quickly.
[00:06:10] Speaker E: Oh, yeah, we're not doing. We're not doing.
[00:06:12] Speaker D: We are not in the position. We're not ready yet. We. We got to just get through the. Got to get this interview first.
[00:06:16] Speaker E: We're really. We're taking our time. We have a lot planned, like, going forward, like, a lot of stuff lined out, but we're taking it all with time, you know?
[00:06:25] Speaker B: Yeah. Because, you know, playing shows takes a lot of time. Takes a lot of time away from anything else that you're trying to put together. Because if you have a show on the. On the books, like, that's what you're working towards.
[00:06:36] Speaker E: Right.
[00:06:36] Speaker B: And if you're trying to do other stuff and shows, it gets really hard. Like, when we wrote this album that we just did, like, we put a freeze on shows. We're like, no shows for. I think we did, like, fucking three months. And we'd been doing a couple of shows a month for like, two and a half years.
[00:06:53] Speaker E: Oh, yeah.
[00:06:54] Speaker B: And then we were just like, nope, none.
[00:06:56] Speaker E: I don't know how people write on the road, that kind of thing. Like, all these big. I mean, these bands that have been doing it for so long, I understand it. I can get it. But, like, for us, we have to. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:07:06] Speaker B: You got to put your focus into your time, into it. And like, a. A live show is different than you're literally building the band. You know, you're building the band. You got to build the band.
[00:07:15] Speaker E: You got to have a Catalog. You actually have to have songs to play, you know, right. People to have heard them.
[00:07:20] Speaker B: And so when you're recording the song, you know, like the ones. What was it? Is it Suffocate me that I heard that's on it.
[00:07:26] Speaker E: That was the first one.
[00:07:27] Speaker B: First one. We'll hear that in a little bit. But like with those, when you're recording them, is that something that, you know, you take your compositions and your demo stuff and just transfer it over to the recording studio.
[00:07:42] Speaker C: I just record it like on real guitar and bass. And we program the drums.
[00:07:46] Speaker B: So you handle the bass and the. And guitars.
[00:07:48] Speaker C: Yeah, for now. Until we get guitar player.
[00:07:51] Speaker B: Cool.
[00:07:51] Speaker E: And we plan on live after the cp.
We definitely plan on. For our first studio album we need live drums. And Jack's very happy about that.
[00:08:03] Speaker B: But you know, any. It's. It's. I always say like, especially when you're first starting out, it's. You work with what you have. It's a necessity, you know.
[00:08:13] Speaker E: Yes.
[00:08:14] Speaker B: Gotta get this going. And the way you get shit going is you take that first step. And I think there's a lot of people that don't take the first step because they feel like they don't have everything, you know, everything ready. And it's like no, you work with what you steps.
[00:08:28] Speaker E: Brilliant.
[00:08:29] Speaker B: Fill in as you go and then you'll get to where you need.
[00:08:32] Speaker D: There's an old saying. I say it's a one day or day one. It's either one day. Are we going to make this band a band or is it day one we've started and music takes a lot of hard work and you know, practice, practice, practice, you know. And the boring usually is what will get you to the top. You know, you got to practice. You got to sometimes duke it out in the studio and have disagreements on.
[00:08:51] Speaker E: Music and have a few Bob Rock moments.
[00:08:53] Speaker D: Having hard ass drummer, you know, gym.
[00:08:57] Speaker F: Muscles ain't scaring nobody.
[00:09:01] Speaker B: Yeah, it is. It is a, a different thing. Like getting everything ready is. Is the. It's the hard part. And like it's not glamorous. You know what I mean?
[00:09:11] Speaker D: Like.
[00:09:11] Speaker E: Yeah, no, it's a snowball.
[00:09:13] Speaker D: You just. You got to get it going.
[00:09:14] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:09:14] Speaker D: You know, once it gets bigger and bigger, you just push it down that hill and see where it goes.
[00:09:18] Speaker B: Mo everybody.
[00:09:19] Speaker E: Absolutely.
[00:09:21] Speaker B: So I think.
[00:09:23] Speaker F: What did you just say about me?
[00:09:27] Speaker B: So I think at this point we should hear a song. Which one? More? You know, I know we have a couple of them that we're going to hear, but what are we going to hear first.
[00:09:34] Speaker E: I think we all agree Suffocate Me.
[00:09:37] Speaker B: Cool. So we've been talking about, you know, the process and the. And the songs. And. Is this the first song that you guys recorded?
[00:09:43] Speaker E: This was a song that originally Josh had in the works for a while. He kind of had that in his vault.
[00:09:49] Speaker C: I wrote this song, like, a few years ago, and funny story, I actually hated it. It was more of a new metal type song. But, you know, when we were getting this project together, I was like, you know, I have this song I wrote a while ago. Maybe like, show it to you guys and see if it works. And it worked.
[00:10:07] Speaker D: So definitely one of the most popular tracks for single.
[00:10:10] Speaker E: He wrote the whole thing on their lyrics and everything. We kind of just added in, like, we gave a few ideas. How about you do this for this part? I'll be do this. And then just came what it is and helped us kind of like get our feet in.
[00:10:21] Speaker D: Very Slipknot inspired, you know?
[00:10:24] Speaker C: Yeah, like Slipknot, like Chimera.
[00:10:25] Speaker D: Very 2000s new metal type of thing.
[00:10:27] Speaker E: Yeah, it worked for perfectly for how we were feeling at the time, too. Just, you know, coming out of what we were coming out of, so thought it really fit.
[00:10:35] Speaker D: It's kind. Kind of a great introduction to Illumination because there was a lot of anger and emotions following the previous project, so that's kind of the perfect song to start.
[00:10:44] Speaker B: All right, so let's hear Suffocate Me, and then we'll be right back to talk some more. With Illumination it.
[00:11:36] Speaker G: Cause you stop.
[00:11:50] Speaker H: I want to die not another day not another day I can't go on I can't go on Beside just get Bless.
[00:12:00] Speaker G: What you have gone through it But.
[00:12:03] Speaker B: I just take the R because you oh sa.
All right, so that was Suffocate Me Illumination, and that one is on the upcoming ep. Right. So, like, where are we at in the whole process of the episode?
[00:14:12] Speaker C: Well, by the time this comes out, the podcast comes out, it'll be out already, so.
[00:14:17] Speaker B: Okay, so it'll be out like we're recording it. What is the date now?
[00:14:21] Speaker C: Like, we're 26.
[00:14:22] Speaker B: Yeah. All right, all right. So as we're recording it, it'll be out in a couple days. So certainly by the time this episode airs, it'll be out.
[00:14:30] Speaker C: We're in the finishing processes of. Cool.
[00:14:32] Speaker D: Perfect.
[00:14:33] Speaker E: Perfect.
[00:14:34] Speaker B: All right, so then you know all about it. What do we got? Like, how many song. How many songs are on it?
[00:14:38] Speaker E: He has six songs, six tracks. One of them is a intro, and then we got Like a little interlude track in there, like kind of like some cool, like avant garde type of. And then there'll be an instrumental on there too. Like a big 10 minute epic instrumental type.
[00:14:56] Speaker D: Yeah, this EP, it's a. It's a very experimental EP. You know, there's a lot of great metal bands out there that I've listened to that are local and you know, we try to do something a little bit different. I know that's very cliche to say we're trying to be different, but you know, we really, we're trying to be a different metal band, trying to experiment with different sound effects, different writing styles.
[00:15:14] Speaker E: Well, having gone through all the styles that we did and just like kind of experimenting with this, I think we kind of like know what direction we're going. So this is, I view this as more like a demo, like, like a actual, like a proper like mix and master type of thing. But this is like our just a first outing. And that's why I said from the beginning, let's just do an ep, put whatever ideas we have to the test.
[00:15:37] Speaker D: This is definitely our training wheels for say, as a band. You know, this is getting our feet wet, trying to see what we can do, what we can't do. Our strengths and weaknesses we'll figure out along the way.
[00:15:47] Speaker B: So, you know, you've got the EP coming out or it'll be out by the time this episode is, is out. And then you're also like preparing to do, you know, some live performances towards, towards the end of the summer as this comes out. But like, are there any other, what are, what are like the other plans, I guess, that you have, like, for the band?
[00:16:06] Speaker D: Well, not to spoil anything we're gonna put out, but after the EP drops January 31st, we have. All I can say it's a collaborative project and it's gonna be, it's gonna be pretty sick.
[00:16:15] Speaker B: So you're gonna kind of hit the ground running like with it once the first project is out, you know, you.
[00:16:20] Speaker D: Gotta kind of keep it going, keep the fans engaged, you know, but obviously let them digest it first. Don't just release something and then release something else. You know, they have to, they have to soak it in first. And after your first release as a band, you really, truly find out who your real fans are. You find out the people that stick around, like your posts and yeah, even.
[00:16:36] Speaker E: People that carried over from the previous project that really like what we do, they've stayed with us. So we really appreciate everybody.
[00:16:43] Speaker D: Seriously, Seriously, we love all our fans, like Every single one of you who likes to post and comment, we love you all.
[00:16:48] Speaker F: Yeah, much love, man.
[00:16:51] Speaker B: So I think we should hear another song. Is the second song that we're going to hear. Is that also going to be on the ep?
[00:16:57] Speaker E: Yeah, absolutely.
[00:16:58] Speaker D: It is the. The title track titles elimination.
[00:17:01] Speaker B: All right. Yeah. So do you. Anything you want to say about this track before we play it?
[00:17:06] Speaker D: Honestly, this track, out of all the songs on the ep, is definitely the representation of what Kevin and Josh can do vocally together. Because Suffocate Me was just Josh vocally. So when you hear the title track, it's, it's. It really shows that dynamic between Kevin and Josh, you know, what they can bring to the table musically. And I'm very proud of my writing on there, drum wise.
[00:17:26] Speaker E: This was actually the first set of lyrics that I ever wrote. And when we actually started to put the music together, I changed some things around and I wanted it to be like a back and forth kind of thing between me and Josh. So I thought that was a cool dynamic with the clean and the unclean vocals.
[00:17:43] Speaker B: Cool, yeah. All right.
[00:17:45] Speaker C: Verse is like me starting with unclean, then him with clean vocals. And then the chorus is both of us together. So it's just like a real cool, like thrashy type song.
[00:17:56] Speaker E: Yeah, yeah.
[00:17:56] Speaker C: Got some slam riffs at the end.
[00:17:58] Speaker D: And then of course on the end you have, you know, the, you know, you have the slam breakdown. You know, we're trying to like kind of blend new metal into slam metal, you know, I think really it's just.
[00:18:09] Speaker E: Like extreme elements, like kind of mixed in with like some more melodic stuff.
[00:18:13] Speaker B: All right, well, let's check it out. It's title track is the EP gonna be called Illumination? Yeah. Self titled.
Yeah. All right, well, let's hear Illumination from Illumination off the EP Illumination.
[00:18:27] Speaker E: Awesome, guys.
[00:18:28] Speaker B: Then we'll be right back to wrap it up. With illumination.
[00:18:35] Speaker H: Through the darkness I think the light.
[00:18:40] Speaker G: In the depths of chaos my soul will take flight.
[00:18:46] Speaker H: Burning fire, illuminate the wave.
[00:18:51] Speaker G: Endless nights and slumbering days awakens the truth.
Through this illusion we find our voice. It's always been black and white, so make your choice. Ignorance is bliss, our venom is vice. Balance the dark, you must balance the light. Or dysfunctions. Embrace thinking you are right.
When it all burns out, you better hold on.
[00:19:38] Speaker H: You want to see the truth so it's right before your eyes.
[00:19:43] Speaker G: You're not illuminated, you are blind.
[00:19:49] Speaker H: This is a rebellion against all that is the enemy within.
[00:19:55] Speaker G: Embrace your desire to illuminate the spirit through the breath.
[00:19:59] Speaker B: Of God.
[00:20:01] Speaker G: Through this illusion we find our voice. It's always been black and white, so make your choice. Ignorance is bliss, our venom is vice. Balance the dark, you must balance the light. All dysfunctions embrace Thinking you are right.
When it all burns out, you better hold on.
You must use muscles in the gift of the dirt so that you might understand even though it's more than you should? The choices in your hands you want to get done. Which part of the world in which part are.
[00:21:25] Speaker B: Sa.
All right, that was illumination here on unsigned 518. And, guys, I want to thank you so much for taking the time out of your afternoon to come out and do this with me. It's been a real cool conversation. And before we go, like I do with all my guests, want to give you a chance to say what I call your gratitude. So, Josh, we'll start with you.
[00:22:26] Speaker C: Thanks to everybody who supported this. Thanks to everybody who's listening.
I'm also in another band called Morticide, kind of like a black and death metal type band. I do the vocals and bass for that. And then of course, I'm in Illumination, obviously. And then me and Jack are in a band called A Little Overboard, together as a bass and drums, respectively. More like a rock type band. And I'm also the vocalist of Malicious Offense, which is another death metal band. So a lot of bands.
[00:22:53] Speaker D: I mean, the man of many bands.
[00:22:55] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:22:55] Speaker D: All right, guys. Well, I just want to give a shout out to everybody who supports Illumination. We love you guys so much. And of course, I want to give a shout out to everybody who supported me as a Drummer. You know, 24 years old, I'm young, you know, I got a long way to go. And I'm also a part of another project called A Little Overboard. Shout out to my amazing band members in that I love all of you. And I'm also in a another band, a cover band called Last of My Kind. And. And also I wanted to say Jesus Christ is my lord and savior and he's number one.
[00:23:30] Speaker E: I just want to say thank you, Andy, for bringing us out here, man, and for everybody that's allowing me to be able to do this for the first time. Really appreciate your support.
And Derek here be going next.
Gonna have him on future tracks. Brought him in.
[00:23:51] Speaker F: Well, I'm excited for what's in store. And this whole interview, I've been staring at the Pac man machine, so I'm gonna go play some fucking Pac Man.
[00:23:59] Speaker B: Do it.
[00:24:00] Speaker F: Andy, thank you for bringing us out here. We appreciate it very, very, very much. And that's all.
[00:24:08] Speaker D: I really just want to give a shout out to all the 518 fans in our scene too. Congratulations for everybody who was nominated for the Extreme Music Awards if you won or not. You guys are all beautiful people and heavy metal will never die.
[00:24:20] Speaker B: All right, so they are Illumination. I am Andy scullin. This is unsigned 518. See you on the road. Unsigned 518 is produced and hosted by me, Andy Scullin. New episodes are available every week wherever you stream podcasts. If you would like to help support the show, please like and subscribe wherever you are listening. Or you could buy me a
[email protected] unsigned 518 if you would like to advertise on the show send me an
[email protected] and to be a guest on the show reach out to me through Instagram signed 518 take care of one another and I'll see you next week.
[00:25:03] Speaker G: Andy Scullin Andy Scullin.
