Welcome to the feature where we talk to musicians about some of their favourite things about the industry. Today we speak to Crone Tye who has recently released No Guts, No Glamour. We ask about the favourite things about the music industry.

What is your Favourite:

Song you have written:

Mik: No Guts No Glamour, it’s our current single. The next one is great too. We are fusing different styles of alternative music together from a fan point of view. Influenced by Gothic culture, genre movies, neon, Los Angeles, industrial with a pinch of the 80’s.

Tye: It’s impossible to choose, even with some serious thought. I always think my favourite song is yet to be written…

Lyric

Mik: Prick your finger, it is done. The moon has now eclipsed the sun. The angel has spread its wings, the time has come for bitter things.

Tye: Favourite lyric of my own I’ve written and favourite lyric from another artist is super difficult for me as that’s the part I look into the most with other bands and spend the most time on when writing.

From my own work, there’s a song on the upcoming Demoralised album where I’ve channeled a lot of my Poe influence with 2000s emo metalcore stuff. I’d super proud of it.

From another band, maybe something uplifting like “If you mean it, you will make it” from 570 by Motionless In White.

Musician:

Mik: John Carpenter, his movie soundtracks are amazing. I saw him live and it was great. All the film footage surrounded him. There are plenty of inspirational musicians in many different genres. But the thing about John is that he creates the music to fit his films. He’s a jack of all trades in everything I nerd out about.

Tye: Another tough pick, I’ll go with Nero Bellum from Psyclon Nine, he’s the chief songwriter and multi-instrumentalist behind the band and I’ve got respect for any sort of industrial or electronic musician who does programming etc., because it blows my mind and I’d never have the patience for it.

Film or television show:

Mik: The whole Twin Peaks universe is my choice. The first season and the Fire Walk With Me movie are my personal faves. I found the return ok but it moved away from the Laura Palmer storyline a bit too much. I’m due a rewatch so I might change my mind. The soundtrack is amazing too. Angelo Badalamenti was a master composer. Very varied in his song writing and had the ability to capture every emotion in his music. 

Tye: Favourite film will always be The Crow with The Lost Boys and Edward Scissorhands closely behind. Favorite horror film is Martyrs (2008). TV show easily goes to Twin Peaks…or maybe The Mighty Boosh.

Venue to perform at:

Mik: I miss Leeds Cockpit, The Marquee in London and The Barfly in Camden Town. In my perfect world those venues would still be running.

Tye: The Key Club in Leeds has been host to many of my wildest shows in the past.

Item to take with you on tour:

Mik: An Ipad to watch movies on and read books. I’m like the robot Johnny 5 from the movie Short Circuit. I need input. Must have Prime video, Tubi and Shudder on there. Netflix I spend more time looking for something I actually want to watch than watching it. 

Tye: Book(s)….and toothbrush.

Instrument:

Mik: I have lots of instruments. I have had a relationship with the Vintage guitar brand for nearly 20 years. I would say my blue Vintage VS6 is a great guitar. I also love my BC Rich Mockingbird.

Tye: I don’t play anywhere near as much as I should or used to, but doing the Demoralised album recently, I’ve fallen in love all over again with my Jackson DKMG Dinky, a proper weapon. Or maybe my recording mic, the trusty Shure SM7B.

Song to play live:

Mik: We are mainly a studio band so no gigs on the horizon just yet. Our single No Guts, No Glamour would go down well as it’s easy to sing along to the catchy chorus.

Tye: Definitely, it would be a great one live. I love playing the INHERITOR song Wasted Time, Borrowed Pain live, it’s got some demonic vocals, a big catchy chorus with emotional singing. It encapsulates a lot of my range and vocal styles in a furious package and gets people moving.

Album by another musician:

Mik: Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral

Tye: Bullet For My Valentine- The Poison

Memory of tour:

Mik: Actual tour memories I don’t know really. I’m in business mode. Meeting new people and chatting. 

My favourite thing to do when on tour is to book a Premier Inn and after the show get the biggest Pizza and bottle of wine and chill out . Something about that neon bed light. Instant zen, haha.

Tye: The shows themselves are the highlight for me. In 2019, I finished a tour with a band with a Leeds headliner and it was just an insane show. We brought smoke machines, lighting rigs, pulled out some covers, it was just an insane show. I got my head split by the bassists headstock, ended up climbing the ceiling of the venue, just pure rock and roll chaos.

Era for music

Mik: The 80s Sunset Strip rock scene. Not necessarily the more commercial bands. More of the sleaze bands Faster Pussycat, L.A. Guns, early W.A.S.P, Van Halen.

Tye: Probably 90s for me. Nu-metal and nu-metal era bands are starting up, with Deftones, Korn, System Of A Down, Slipknot, Rage Against The Machine. The death metal scene in Florida is bustling, Metallica open the decade with their self-titled mega hit. Thrash is doing well still, alternative rock and grunge is on the up with Rollins Band, Smashing Pumpkins and of course the big 4 of grunge. Then there’s Manson’s rise and prime, Nine Inch Nails reinventing industrial and metalcore starts up towards the end.

There’s ground-breaking, genre defining albums from Scandinavian bands like In Flames and especially At The Gates in melodic death metal and you’ve got the New Wave of American Heavy Metal being kick-started by bands like Pantera, Machine Head, Biohazard, Fear Factory and the influence of Sepultura. Type O Negative’s big albums. Let’s not forget, black metal rears its ugly head in full force across the globe and especially in Norway and England answers with dark, gothic bands like Cradle Of Filth and Paradise Lost. A true melting pot decade. Oh…and TOOL!

Part of making a record:

Mik: the layering of everything and putting it all together. The feeling of accomplishment when you listen to it through a decent set of speakers or earphones.

Tye: It’s all a labour of love and even the trying parts are done with and out of passion, but hearing it back and listening to the fruits of your efforts which came from ideas in your head is incredible, there’s no words to describe how satisfying that creative process and outlet is. It’s ineffable.

Thing about performing at festivals

Mik: It’s a great way to introduce people to your band. You kind of have a guaranteed crowd of like minded people. It’s always good to catch up with your friends’ bands and check out new ones too.

Tye: What Mik said.

Quote

Mik: “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.”

Tye: “Without music, life would be a mistake” – Nietzsche.

Thing about the music industry at the moment

Mik: Easier to get out there but harder to get noticed. No money left to develop an artist and work on building a fanbase. It’s left to the bands now 100%. Pay to play, Pay for Likes, etc it’s still a shady business with people willing to do anything to gain attention. Fortunately there are websites like yours fighting for our cause.

Tye: The way you can put music together without label budgets or pressure. But as Mik said, the reward isn’t always commensurate these days.

Thing about this year so far?

Mik : It’s been a strange year for the world so far. The news is weird. If you watch one news station it has a totally different spin on things than another. It’s hard for anyone to see a true representation of anything that’s happening. We are more divided than ever. The good thing about music is that it brings us all together. The world needs to become more wholesome.

Tye: As of this year, I’m officially a published writer, something I’ve wanted to pursue for years now.

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