A rock band from Ottawa Ontario. Every member of the Elegant Devils comes at music from a different angle, but leaves their own impressive mark on the sound they make. Despite coming from very different places on the musical spectrum, They embrace their unique individual parts to create music that is powerful, emotional, and fun all at once..
In this interview spotlight, we chat with members of Elegant Devils discussing influences, navigating the digital music age, the new project and more.
Full Q&A along with links and streams available below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications
Drew – We are from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. We create music that we love. Music that makes us happy and that we hope will make other people happy too. The closest genre I can think of is “rock”, but we’re more of a musical mutt. We have influences all over the spectrum and they pop up in the last places you’d expect.
Barkley – Our style was less of a decision, and more just who we are. Rock music can be simple or complex, but the emotion behind it is great. We start with an idea and let it grow on its own.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to stay the course?
Rob – I think I can speak for everyone when I say music has always been a big part of our lives. We all grew up with it around and it had a big impact on our upbringing. I don’t think you can ignore seeds that are that deep rooted. That puts you on the path. What keeps us on it? Making music and what that brings out of all of us. We truly do enjoy what we create and are able to share with everyone.
Barkley – I grew up falling asleep with headphones, listening to rock music. There was already music in the house. Everything just progressed from there.
How is your new release different than previous ones? Did you set out to accomplish anything specific?
Drew – Our newest release is really a way for us to show that we’ve written these songs as both studio and live tracks, and there’s so much value in each medium. A Live EP is our love letter to live music and to all the people who have supported us at our shows.
West – Well I’m in this one so that’s a bonus lol. For this recording It was more about feeling natural and trying to capture an example of us in a live setting.
Do you face any challenges as an indie musician in a digital age? On the flip side, how has technology helped you (if it has)?
Rob – The upsides are you can get your stuff available in so many places and reach so many potential opportunities. Digital music as really opened a lot of doors for indie artists. The flip side is that there are so many artists all cramming through those open doors it can make being heard hard. It’s difficult to stand out in a stampede regardless of how good your songs are. There is only so much content people are willing to take the time to sift through to find something they enjoy.
West – I think that technology allows us to hear things we would never otherwise hear, if it wasn’t for YouTube and Reddit, I would never have heard some of the best music I keep in daily rotation. Being able to self promote on social media and have support from friends and fans is exactly why I think the internet is key to any band starting out
Where can we follow you online and hear more music?
West – So many places, you can find the elegant devils on napster, apparently we have found a way to time travel back to 2004.
Rob – our official site would be our first suggestion. www.elegantdevils.com it’s always up to date and we keep the content fresh and flowing. You can also find us in the usual social media places @elegantdevils.
Anything else before we sign off?
Drew – A whole-hearted thank you to everyone who’s ever been to a show, sung along with our originals or covers, or picked up an album. Thank you so much for believing in us and showing us your support.
Barkley – Its always amazing to me that people love our stuff as much as we do, and sometimes more. And of course, thank you.
West – Thanks, it’s awesome to have someone appreciate what you create.
Rob – Thank you to everyone who has and continues to show us support. We do not take it for granted and it means the world to us. We also just kicked off a little YouTube project that we think everyone will really enjoy. Head on over to our site and check it out!
LINKS:
- Official Site: http://www.elegantdevils.com/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/elegantdevils
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqg7ubykikMTYfE4c0oQVow
