Introduction: Due to time constraints as regular individuals running Witching Buzz and focusing primarily on writing reviews, we are limited to publishing only one (occasionally two) review(s) per day. However, we strongly believe in providing greater exposure to deserving bands and musicians who have put in immense effort. As a result, we have launched a new section called “Witching Riffs: Behind the Sound.” In this section, we have crafted a series of intriguing questions that we pose to every band or musician who wishes to share more about their unique projects. While the questions remain the same for each participant, the diversity among bands ensures that the answers will be fascinating and diverse. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy this captivating journey as we delve into the minds and stories of these talented artists.
we broke the weather / USA
What drew you to the immersive and hypnotic sounds? How do you aim to captivate your listeners with this genre?
Nick Cusworth (vocals, keys, sax): I think it’s fair to say that all of us in the band are fans of music that demands your attention and rewards listening on headphones. I wouldn’t say it was something that we intentionally set out to do from the start, but the more we worked and played together the more it became clear that that was what we were into and felt played to our strengths. We know that we’re probably not gonna dazzle you with the most mind-bendingly technical stuff out there, but there’s a lot we can do to create a complex landscape of sounds overlaid on each other.
Andy Clark (vocals, drums): Yeah, and it’s the natural result of taking our diverse influences as a group – prog, psych, jammy, jazzy, indie, folk – and blending it all together. Sometimes that process is a delicate weave, sometimes it’s just mashing until it works. We shoot for things that are interesting to play and, hopefully, interesting for folks to listen to.
Can you share the story behind your band name? How does it reflect the essence of your music?
Steve Muscari (bass, synth): Time to bust out the old list…
Kev DiTroia (guitar): We’re slightly concerned about the changes in the weather
Scott Wood (vocals, guitar, sax): I think ‘weather happens’ was taken?
NC: The truth is way more boring than you probably think it is, so I’ll just say that I’m glad we went with that name and not some of the ones that were thrown around like Hanged Like a Horse (actually, wait, I might still like that one).
SM: Yeah similarly Clench Warfare, Confounded Sloths Anonymous, and Deathscalator didn’t really fit the vibe.
NC: I’m definitely writing a song called Deathscalator for the next record.
What are some unconventional or unexpected influences that have shaped your unique blend?
NC: Maybe this isn’t too unexpected from us, but there’s some more modern jazz and experimental artists who definitely have a direct influence on both our writing and our performances, especially when it comes to how we employ sax. Both Scott and I love Portico Quartet and what they’re able to do in existing in these perfect little liminal spaces between acoustic jazz and electronica. I’m a huge Colin Stetson fan as well, and he’s had a huge influence on both how I approach the sax as an instrument as well as composition as a whole. Outside of that, I’m a big post-rock and metal guy (everything from Mono to sleepmakeswaves to Cult of Luna), and even though I wouldn’t say it’s chief among the styles that comes out in our writing, it’s definitely tucked away in there.
SM: Getting into modular synths a few years ago sent me further down the rabbit hole of electronic music and musique concréte. So I have a lot of Cluster, early Tangerine Dream, Laurie Spiegel, and Lisa Bella Donna influence (to name a few) that I try to channel for the synth-y interludes. Incorporating that stuff and making it relevant to the full band compositions is a fun challenge in its own right.
How do you approach creating expansive and atmospheric soundscapes? What techniques or methods do you employ to achieve that signature vibe?
SM: I definitely come from the Pink Floyd school of soundscapes/sound design, which to me means a) using intentional interstitial ear candy to thematically link each song to the next (more on that later) and b) incorporating soundscapes that are so integral to the song that you can’t separate the two (and also need to find ways to recreate them live which often presents it’s own challenges). Fortunately for us, the latter is usually baked in from the first demo, like with Heavens Were a Bell or Sevenseas. Then it’s fleshed out during the arrangement phase, often with some spur of the moment additions or alterations in-studio.
For the track transitions/interludes, I found drawing inspiration from the tracks themselves be the key to keeping things thematically coherent. Whether that’s literally just lifting the sequence from the Vestige interlude to transition into Cycles, or more figuratively adding delicate little icicle sounds to the end of Heavens Were a Bell for the intro to Marionette to then come and smash and shatter. The other key here was bouncing all these transitions and sharing them with the bandmates as I was working on them. Without their feedback I would’ve totally lost my mind from overthinking things—“Is this part done? No no it needs 4 more layers of cricket sounds…”
SW: Often when I’m working on new material, I’ll spend a good deal of time looping sections and experimenting over drone-y soundscapes. I seem to get a bit attached to those and they’ve usually ended up in whatever first cut I bring to the band. The fun part has been seeing how the rest of the group interprets those (usually Garageband-generated soundscapes/synths) and recreate and improve upon them with other instrumentation. Steve with his Moog, and Nick with his Nord seem to rule the day in that department. And yea… then figuring how to do it all live is another animal.
Are there specific themes or emotions you seek to convey through your music? How do alternative music help you express those concepts effectively?
NC: I can only really speak for myself here, but I inevitably draw a ton from my host of mental illnesses that I suffer from in the way of depression and anxiety. There’s just a lot of pain, sadness, and emptiness that I’ve experienced (and continue to experience on-and-off) that finds its way into my music. But even at its most dark and grim I really do try to not just say “Things are terrible and will always be terrible and you shouldn’t even try to find things in life that bring you joy and light.”
So like on “The Fog” from the self-titled album, which is probably the song that most directly addresses my experience of depression, it makes a heel turn from doom and gloom to a kind of hope in realizing that you truly aren’t alone in this and have people in your life who can keep you from sinking into the ground. And it’s reflected in the music through the kind of synth patches we use and through reharmonizing the chorus to use more major 7ths and open, airy chords.
Or with “Vestige” from the new album, which explores different types of trauma and how one can coexist with it, the song begins with this really heavy, dark mood represented by heavy prog, then transitions into a kind of mysterious space of conflict where you have this spacey ostinato synth line punctuated by djent-y hits, all for it to resolve into a barn-burning bluesy stoner groove that should make you want to pump your fist and shout “Hell yeah!” The great thing about prog and less conventional music forms is that you really have the full palette of sounds and styles available to you to employ at any given time to express what you want the listener to hear.
AC: I’ve always been drawn to sad or angsty lyrics cloaked in happy music. So I might send a musical idea in an optimistic direction sonically but the themes are more based in regret, nostalgia, mistrust, frustration… And lately through the lens of getting older, needing to be an adult… But a lot of the same stuff I’ve been shouting about in various bands for 15 years, I guess.
Share a remarkable moment or incident from your journey as a band that exemplifies the spirit of your music.
NC: I dunno if there’s a singular moment that encapsulates our music, but we love taking band retreats up into the woods and mountains of New Hampshire, and I think we’ve done some of our best work there. Because four of the five of us have families and kids and whatnot, it’s hard to find concentrated time where we can just focus solely on music over a period of a few days. But those long weekends we’ve been together have certainly been some of my favorite moments with the band. I think we’re at our most collaborative and musically open during those times, and it’s also just really good bonding time with us as people who genuinely enjoy each other’s company.
In what ways do you envision your music progressing or evolving in the future? Are there any new elements or experimental approaches you’d like to incorporate?
NC: I think the beauty of this group and this group of guys in particular is that we’re never satisfied doing the same thing for long. So inevitably we’re gonna keep pushing the envelope and trying new things as we continue to write more music. I think based on our experience thus far, you can expect there to be more experimenting with synths and ambient soundscapes as it’s just something we have a lot of fun with and tends to produce unexpected results. Whatever we do I think the goal is to just have fun with it and never go “Full Prog” (i.e. disappear up into our own asses with needlessly complicated song structures and tricks).
KD: I’m always pushing for more jams/improvisational stuff, but the guys usually push back. I have a long, complicated history with jam bands and it tends to bring dishonor to my musical armory. Despite the resistance, you might notice the band has released an improvisational track on the Cabin Fever EP. Slipped at least one past the jam goalie.
AC: All I can say is I’m excited to see where it goes. The first two records are definitely siblings both in terms of how we conceived the writing and how we captured the recordings. So I’d like to push a bit out of our comfort zone. Bring in some jangly math, some electronica – I dunno – some folk?
Is there a particular song in your discography that perfectly encapsulates the essence of your music? Please elaborate on its creation and significance.
NC: This is a tough question in that I think the essence of our music is never doing the same thing twice. It’s also tricky because we have three primary songwriters in the group (myself, Scott, and Andy), so the answer is likely to vary person to person. If I had to choose though, it would probably be between “Marionette” and “Sevenseas,” the latter of which Scott can talk about as it’s his song. “Marionette” definitely stands out as sounding nothing like any other song we have, but between the manic horn lines, the bouncy bridge, and then the cosmic breakdown towards the end, it kind of has all the hallmarks of a wbtw song. I treat most of my songs as through compositions, so it all started with the main riff and just took off from there. I really wanted to convey this sense of a lack of control and agency, so that’s how you get all the frenetic energy throughout and the massive changes in style. It’s certainly a significant and meaningful song to me, but I don’t want to prescribe its meaning too much to others who might have their own connections and interpretations of it.
SW: As for sevenseas, I agree that this one showcases a lot of what wbtw is about. Sonically, it brings that drone-y soundscape-y side of us from the start with a simple plodding transition and entrance, has a bit of a dizzying middle section with layered vocals featuring all three vocalists in a sort of ‘round’, builds and creates tension with a chaotic escalation of weaving guitars, synth and shreddy bass, and ultimately concludes with a triumphant guitar solo overtaking the final vocal line. Emotionally and thematically, this one goes through the paces of acknowledging the bleak outlook of the climate crisis, and all the anger, fear and anxiety that comes along with that. But there is also a glimmer of hope mixed into all that uncertainty. Maybe?
So, yea, I think between those two songs, we cover a lot of what this band is about, both in terms of what we’re doing from a pure musical standpoint – lots of instrumentation, varying time signatures, etc. -, as well as from the internal and external drivers and themes of our songwriting.
AC: “Through the Wall” was long our go-to intro-to-the-band song. Also, shout-out to “Bellwether” which to my surprise makes its way into most setlists despite its weirdness.
Are there any emerging or lesser-known artists within your music genre realm that you find inspiring or deserving of more recognition? Feel free to share their names and what you appreciate about their work.
NC: I’m going to shout out some of our friends and peers within the Boston scene. First there’s Clamb, who are just stupidly talented and have technical chops out the wazoo. They play more in the jazz fusion realm, but it’s always unpredictable and fun. They’re also just the sweetest people and are responsible for one of the better DIY venues in the area. Eight Foot Manchild is another compatriot band we love. Their whole thing is what they call “doombrass” as they play a heavy, doomy brand of metal/heavy rock that makes extensive use of bari sax, trombone, and tuba. They also, not coincidentally, run their own DIY venue that’s doing great work. We also love what Job Creators (math rock duo) and Sundrifter (stoner rock/metal) have been doing. Boston just has a really solid underground scene that’s thriving in spite of the city seemingly doing everything they can to push small venues out of business.
What do you hope listeners experience or feel when they immerse themselves in your compositions? Is there a specific mood or sensation you aim to evoke?
SM: I’m not sure that there’s a specific aim to evoke this feeling, but I find most of our music to be extremely cathartic and I hope that comes across to the listener.
NC: Yeah, catharsis is a good way to put it. There’s a lot of tension and energy going on in our music, but my hope is that we let loose enough to reward the listener for those knottier passages.
AC: A touch of confusion. The right balance of discomfort and curiosity. Catharsis is right. When the song is over and the listener thinks “Ah, we made it.” We pretty much feel the same way on stage.
Turbo Regime:
– Fuzz or distortion?
SM: Fuzz for sure.
NC: Bzzzzzzzzzzz
KD: It’s complicated
SW: Is it though? Fuzz.
AC: Nice clean Telecaster.
– Analog or digital effects?
SM: Analog, especially if any kind of saturation is involved.
NC: I’m probably the only one in the group who will defend digital effects, but only from a practicality standpoint. I have more than enough going on in my little musical battle station between two sets of keys/synths, the mic if I’m singing, and then sax/flute running through effects. I just can’t be bothered to put the time into crafting the perfect analog effects chain and keeping track of what’s on and where. So I will continue to use my little digital effects board until I find something better for my needs.
KD: Analog, but mostly because it sounds better.
SW: My heart says analog but I do appreciate the digital realm as well.
– Sabbath or Zeppelin?
SM: Aww c’mon man… I gotta go Zeppelin but respect to Black Sabbath for writing some of the boldest, most out-of-left-field B sections of all time
KD: Tough to beat JP
SW: On the zep train.
– Heavy riff or mind-bending solo?
SM: Mind-bending solo, but it really must be truly mind-bending. Riffs vs solos in general… that’s a different story
NC: This is gonna sound contrary coming from the jazz student, but an absolutely killer heavy riff that gets stuck in your head and just dominates a song is always gonna reign supreme to me over 99% of solos.
KD: Why wouldn’t you want your mind bent?
SW: Deep appreciation and respect for anything mind-bending but give me the riff, please.
AC: Nice clean mathy riffs on a Telecaster.
– Vintage gear or modern equipment?
SM: I tend to go for modern recreations/reinterpretations of vintage gear
NC: Same. The sax I play is a Selmer Reference 54, which is a modern interpretation of the classic Mark VI and does a damned good job of it.
KD: Yeah, most of my gear are newer versions of older stuff.
SW: What they said.
AC: Not really a gearhead so modern does me just fine for drums and cymbals.
https://www.webroketheweather.com/
Label: Argonauta Records
PR: Grand Sounds Promotion
