What was the beginning point for your music career? How did it all start?
Unlike most musicians and the band members of Delphi Ravens, I started playing seriously much later in life. I just decided one day to transition to a full time musician and songwriter. Did a lot of study and research for best practices for both and took the leap.
Starting the band was a real learning experience. It was my first time starting one and I made a lot of mistakes, did dozens of auditions, and it took one year before I got the right mix of people. Then COVID hit and we decided to focus completely on writing original songs…and here we are!
Were there any bumps on the road? What kind of challenges did you have to deal with?
The biggest bumps were finding people who could work together. Of course, I wanted people who could play but it was more important to find those that would work well together. That turned out to be the best choice too. I got lucky that everyone had very different musical backgrounds from metal, hard rock, alternative, country, blues, and even orchestral. Different experiences are really valuable when writing new music. We also defy the idea that all the band members need to be the same age. We are very diverse age wise and that adds to our creativity.
What was the most fulfilling and satisfying moment so far?
It is always exciting to do that first release and one you never forget, especially when it is well received. We have won some awards, hit some charts, and gotten a lot of radio recently and all those things are great. But the most satisfying thing is to write new music that you really like.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
A lot of reviewers call us a “dark” band with many songs about somber topics like pain, heartbreak, bad relationships, anger, fear, personal loss, and so on. We do write a few uplifting songs but most of our songs are on the dark, emotional side. Musically we vary a lot using different keys and key changes, some polyrhythms, different tempos, and so on. But everything is true to the song, focused on making the song the best it can be. Serving the song is of utmost importance.
What is your creative process like?
Thanks for asking. A lot of bands just jam and try to find a sound. We don’t. We actually do have a process. Kira and I write all the song lyrics. Sometimes with a melody and sometimes not. I write the music and Kira writes the melodies and sings them.
Most times I select the key and write the chord sequences and bass line for the entire song. I review this with Kira to make sure her melody or melody idea will work with what I have written. We are normally very close on this. Then, I write the entire song with the chords on a big easel pad so everyone can see it. The band will then come in and play the music as written and give feedback and ideas for any changes or enhancements. This works for us really well and shortens our time to create the song. We only make 1-2 changes for most songs. Then it is off to the studio when we have about 4 tracks ready to record.
If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
Streaming services not paying what they should to artists. They make billions and pay a fraction of a penny per stream. I think it is a rip off. I do think it is great that it is easy for artists to get their music out there and more new artists can be found. But when only about 1% can make a living off of streams then everyone else starves.
If you were asked to give a piece of advice to upcoming bands, what would that be?
Whatever style or genre you play, stay true to the music and each song. Have a thick skin, many sick people enjoy trying to dis you and bring you down. It is not a fast process, so you have to persevere and not give up.
Most important, surround yourself with people who are better, smarter, more creative than you and do not be afraid of input or constructive criticism. It will make you much, much stronger and improve your artistry.
What has been the best performance of your career so far?
Not sure we have done that yet. I believe in constant improvement and never being totally satisfied. So, our best performance is yet to come. One thing is I see a lot of bands, probably 95% or more, who just “wing it” and play. That is fine if it is just a fun hobby for you. But if you want to really grow and get a strong audience reaction you have to plan out performances, set lists, transitions, etc. Watch any top band and you can tell things are not happening by accident. They are fully prepared.
If you didn’t become a musician, what would you be doing now?
Already did it. I was a business exec and then entrepreneur. Also a best-selling author and keynote speaker for a short time. I’m not afraid to do things other people think I shouldn’t or couldn’t do. In fact, that is a driving motivation for me…the challenge!
What is new with the band at the moment? What are you currently working on and would like to share with the world?
We do recording sessions about three times a year. Then we start on our next group of songs while the mixing sessions get done and we have final mixes. Usually by the time release dates are set for our last recording session, we have group of songs ready for the studio. Now we are starting to mix in live gigs and will gradually ramp those up at selective locations.
Our first EP will come out in 2022 and first album in 2023. We wrote and recorded 11 songs in 2021-22 to date. Touring is out until the album is done.
Our number one goal is to find people who enjoy our music and grow our fanbase. We are planning our fan club and have lots of things to give our biggest fans.
Can’t wait to get there!!!
