Shaman's Harvest interview
05.23.10
I would like to take the time to thank drake, craig, and josh for taking the time to sit down with me and answering a few questions. It was truly a pleasure to speak with them and i look forward to hearing more from them in the future!
Miranda: How did you guys come up with the band name Shaman’s Harvest?
Drake: we’ve been together for 15 years first of all, and it was a long time ago. A shaman is a spiritual healer for many indigenous cultures and in which i’m into and a lot of the guys are into, and music is really a spiritual healing process for us. Regardless of whatever the ailment. It’s a cure all, you know you get pissed off at each other, and whatever is wrong at time and you just jam it out, and everything is alright.
Miranda: What’s it like playing for a lot of people for the first time?
Drake: awe fantastic, we had to open up today, and it’s hard to get fans, or it’s hard to get a crowd into it at the crack of noon. But they do show and they really rocked.
Miranda: How do you prepare for a show? I saw some stretching, and you have a hurt ankle (drake).
Drake: yeah we’re a little bruised up and beat up but we’re alright. We get put bed that how we prepare for a show.
Craig: like the nike swoosh…. We just do it!
Josh: i prepare by punching all the other band members in the face.
Miranda: What is the most memorable show you guys have performed so far?
Drake: this was pretty up there. It was pretty dope. Ac/dc was pretty memorable. These festivals, anytime we do one of them you got fans hot, pissed off, usually drunk, and ready to party. They throw down.
Miranda: especially on the second day, they’re still drunk from the first day.
Miranda: How do you describe your music to someone that has yet to hear it?
Drake: i think it’s traditional rock and roll, we got a classic feel to it, there’s a blues influence you know, with some metal guitar riffs, i don’t know how would you describe it?
Craig: like a box of cereal
Josh: with a prize inside
Miranda: what type of cereal?
Craig: i’m thinking fruit loops, maybe lucky charms, a little bit of everything.
Miranda: so you are all fruit loops?
Drake: he’s the fruit loop
Josh: this is why we normally don’t let our drummer talk.
Miranda: Who influenced you the most to play music?
Drake: a lot of people. Zeppelin was a big influence, tool was a influence for us, metallica had some influence in there. Currently mastodon, clutch.
Craig: were like a melting pot band, all of us brings something different to the table.
Miranda: so everyone likes something different.
Drake: yeah
Craig: and somehow, we just manage to mix all that together.
Miranda: so put it all in the blender
Craig: just add tequila
Miranda: Tell me a little about your album, I’ve listened to it and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Drake: this album was really a quick process for us, it’s probably the fastest written album, i mean it’s only 8 tracks; fastest written album, fastest recorded. The other ones you know took a long and this one was like you know our last hoorah we’re given it up you know, and you know the story, it just started reacting and we just perused it and actually it became pretty much the album and we just wanted to see what people thought. Just wanted to see what people thought about it and so far so good.
Miranda: What’s your biggest challenge as a band?
Miranda: the drummer?
(laughs)
Josh: you read my mind, he would probably say the rhythm guitar player.
Craig: putting up with me in the morning is probably the biggest challenge.
(laughs)
Josh: he’s a grumpy guy when he wakes up.
Craig: it’s 8 dudes in a van all the time, we might butt heads sometimes but we get over it pretty quick.
Miranda: Is there any questions you guys haven’t been asked, and are waiting to be asked?
Craig: if you were a jelly bean what flavor jelly bean would you be?
Josh: are you asking her?
Craig: i’m asking you.
Josh: i would be a jagerbomb flavored jelly bean
Miranda: you know they make a jalapeño jelly beans
Craig: is that right?
Miranda: would be a juicy pear
Miranda: What are your hobbies when you are not on the road touring?
Craig: making money
Miranda: how do you make money when you’re not touring?
Craig: i deliver oxygen
Drake: music is our hobby when we are not touring
Josh: we always have to constantly try to write more, do more, learn a little bit. When were not touring, were working on music for fun.
Miranda: Any messages for your fans?
Drake: keep believing in it man, this has been a fan based album, the fans have driven this album. Keep believing in the “shine” album, we got a new single coming out the title track “shine” everybody listen for it. It’s a song that will take your head off, we’re stoked about it and we’re anxious to see how radio feels about it.
