Music has been considered one of, if not the largest sources of inspiration right here at Welcome for the reason that daybreak of the model. It is on the middle of all the pieces we do. After we first mentioned the thought of doing collaborations with bands, we solely needed to do them with bands that we really love. Bands that encourage us. They needed to be particular and imply one thing to the individuals right here, in any other case why ought to they imply something to you? Working with Mushy Kill was an apparent alternative. In any given week at our headquarters you’ll, no doubt, see at the least one Welcome worker in a Mushy Kill shirt. Personally, they’ve been considered one of my favourite bands for a decade now. I used to be additionally lucky sufficient to have gotten the chance to design some merchandise for his or her 2018 European tour, so the private relationship was already there. Past that, my good pal and former bandmate, Ryan, not too long ago began taking part in guitar for them. And once I approached Mushy Kill’s lead singer, Tobias, about the opportunity of making some items collectively for the discharge of their new album, his response was that he and his associate had actually been discussing that concept, and the way rad it could be, the night time earlier than. Now, I will not say this was meant to be, as a result of I do not consider in that idea, however I’ll say that all of us thought it ought to be. And so it’s. We labored collectively to make three gadgets that we’re all happy with, and that we’re excited to share with you. Under you may additionally discover an interview between Welcome’s founder and artist, Jason Celaya, and Mushy Kill’s Tobias Grave, and an unique dwell video of “Fairly Face” from their new album, Useless Children, R.I.P. Metropolis. When you’re already a Mushy Kill fan, we hope this can be a fraction as particular for you as it’s for us and the band. When you’re new to Mushy Kill, please learn the interview, watch the video, and deal with your self to their whole catalog of gorgeous music. You could simply discover your new favourite band.
– Shane Cox | Welcome Artistic Director
JC: After we within the workplace first heard Useless Children, R.I.P Metropolis we instantly picked up on the cinematic really feel of the document. I believe after we spoke on the telephone you sharpened that commentary by saying it was “The Breakfast Membership in a methadone clinic”. This album feels to be a a lot larger than something you could have beforehand finished. Did you got down to seize that or was it a contented accident?
TG: I do suppose laying it out to really feel like a soundtrack was intentional, however I’ve been obsessive about observe lists and sequencing as a rule since a child. Sure information that actually impacted me took me on a journey and we’re at all times trying to seize that very same circulation. This document actually looks like essentially the most cohesive execution of that for Mushy Kill. It undoubtedly was the sum of the elements in impact although… these songs all have been intertwined subject material sensible and Dave Trumfio’s manufacturing and imaginative and prescient for the way it must be offered to the world took it to a different stage we couldn’t have imagined was attainable.
You could have publicly been very open concerning the struggles you could have with dependancy and the jail time you could have finished. With issues getting into the correct course personally did you discover it simpler or more durable to make this document. How was the method of penning this document completely different than one thing like Savior or Choke?
I don’t need to downplay previous information or shit on the discography, however “Choke” is a group of songs from a selected, reasonably tumultuous interval for this band. It was the beginning of the turning level for this undertaking to be a respectable entity that excursions however I used to be additionally fairly buried in crystal meth dependancy in the course of the bulk of the writing course of.
I believe what “Useless Children…” has that different information don’t is readability. It’s not a unconscious cry for assist as a lot as my associate Nicole and I processing our experiences as addicts and to speak about individuals we misplaced to the streets via our lyrics. I’m in awe listening to it as a result of there’s this confidence within the phrases and so they take me again to these actual moments each time I hear them. Lyrics on “Choke” and “Savior” have been written by somebody very misplaced and may be interpreted in numerous methods relying on how I really feel at that second. “Useless Children…” is up for interpretation by the listener however for me I’m going again to the identical locations every time.
What’s behind the title of this album?
It is a play on Kendrick’s album of an identical identify. Portland is named Rip Metropolis and I made the joke as soon as that the subsequent album must be referred to as “Useless Children, R.I.P. Metropolis”. That title plus the album cowl and evaluating that to what’s anticipated from us it simply appeared like an ideal step in a singular course for us. It performs proper again into the distinction issue that is a crucial a part of what I believe makes us completely different.
With Welcome I really like the juxtaposition of blending occult imagery with colours/themes which are “cheerier”. One of many issues I discover very intriguing is that you just guys sometimes tour with demise metallic bands as an alternative of bands one would possibly suppose could be nearer in style. How did that come about?
We like all the pieces. We’re not goths or “publish punks” or unhappy Dracula’s. That’s been actually arduous for individuals to course of and it’s miserable that some individuals can’t get behind one thing except it absolutely validates their dedication to a selected subculture however I might look out into the group and notice we had such a different viewers appreciating the band. Stepping exterior of our consolation zone felt essential to develop and play to completely different individuals. It’s been an enormous a part of constructing a assist system fan base sensible that permits us to function independently and survive with out the alternatives you get from being within the cool circle. I believe we’d be ten steps again from the place we’re at if we performed by the foolish guidelines.
Music is most important driver of inspiration of Welcome from the artwork to the clothes design, getting to listen to the album early actually helped in placing collectively the artwork on this collaboration. Has skateboarding influenced your music in any method?
It’s such a cliche however skateboarding was my gateway into music. Solely a few us actively skate however I’ve felt a kinship with that world in addition to graffiti writers, streets children, and many others. All of it looks like the identical world to me, irrespective of how commercialized a few of these issues have turn out to be, most individuals nonetheless don’t perceive what all of us are doing and are devoted to and inside the thriller of that I really feel actually at residence if that is sensible?
That is your first album you could have launched independently which I can relate to as Welcome was really an impartial enterprise in all sides. What has been the very best and what has been the worst issues about making that call to this point?
We have been just about utterly ignored by the cool blogs. The legwork that went into not simply funding and producing this however ensuring it ended up in shops was not solely costly however draining mentally. The times main as much as dropping the primary single and preorder nearly despatched me off the deep finish.
The benefits far outweigh all of that although. We’re personally linked to our viewers and each greenback earned we hold which results in us doing extra and making every of these strikes extra realized and substantial. The flexibility to dwell off our music and spend money on the subsequent steps is 100% a results of self releasing. All my associates who launched information on labels this 12 months are broke and it breaks my coronary heart. I at all times say that it bothers me that we acknowledged what was incorrect with the foremost label music trade trappings however the impartial rock scene has primarily created a mirror picture of that with even much less assure of monetary repay. You must get REALLY massive to revenue off that mannequin, and whereas I respect those that have made it work it’s simply not for us.
Thanks for doing this interview and thanks for Mushy Kill.
We love y’all. This collab means the world to us.
