Page 33 - Black Velvet Issue 94

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in life or love or care or connection, but clude a philosophical quote, named similarly Fenix, like the rise out of the ashes kinda
when they use the word ‘empty’ in the East with two words - ‘React; Respond’, ‘Alone; image that we’re all familiar with. It actually
it’s actually a desirable state. It actually Together’ and ‘Accept; Disconnect’. tied in symbolically with the fading in and
means open and clear and not filled with de- Jonny explains, “The record is a reflec- fading out and with being reborn and all
sires that push you and pull you through life tion of a death and reverse process and a those kind of concepts.” Jonny says he does
like a puppet. It’s actually a good personalize it
place, a serene place to be. So when he sings it
that puzzled me for a while, to de- and thinks
cide what kind of emptiness is a about his own
worthy thing to become and what dad, who he
kind of emptiness in the Western says, “is a very
sense is a very negative feeling supporting and
that we try to avoid.” very loving fa-
ther.”
ne thing that could be- As we grow
Ocome negative, although up through life,
can often start out positive, is am- we become
bition. Nothing More themselves more awakened
are an ambitious band, but ‘The by what is going
Stories We Tell Ourselves’ begins on around us,
with ‘Ambition; Destruction’. So is both socially
ambition destructive? and politically.
“That’s what I was struggling Of course, now
with these last two years - was more than ever,
that I’ve always felt ambition to be with the internet
a positive force, but I’ve also seen and social
it, I guess like anything, any media, we are
strength or virtue taken to the ex- finding our own
treme can turn into a negative voices to speak
thing. So I don’t think ambition is up on certain
necessarily destructive. I think subjects. One
ambition without context and bal- thing Jonny has
ance and understanding can defi- noticed though,
nitely become destructive when it is how some
is unbridled.” people point fin-
He thinks ambition has de- gers at others
stroyed some bands or musi- without looking
cians. “I heard this quote the to change them-
other day where someone said, selves first. In
‘Narcissism many times is a re- ‘Do You Really
sponse to people’s feelings of Want It?’ he
meaninglessness’. So a lot of sings, ‘Every-
times people that seem to be the body wants to
most narcissistic or self-ab- change the
sorbed or pursue a career that world, but one
puts them in the spotlight and thing’s clear, no
puts a lot of eyes on them, a lot of one ever wants
times it’s a reaction to how mean- to change them-
ingless they feel in the universe,” selves’. “I think
says Jonny. “So they respond to the overwhelm-
that sense of meaninglessness by ing majority of
trying to become over-meaningful people tend to
to a lot of people or in their own eyes, and I grieving and healing process and so, I think take the easier route, which most of us do,
think that a lot of musicians and performers death and life are many times the same point which is talk about how everyone else
go down that path, and I can relate to that on a circle. When something dies, something should change, instead of how we should
100%, because that deep sense of meaning- is also simultaneously being reborn, and I change, and, as a result, change the world
less or even a sense of despair, I think a feel like, at each stage of that grieving starting with yourself,” he says. “I noticed a
sense of ambition sometimes is borne out of process, there were two things always pres- trend with our communication, especially
that. So, it’s not necessarily the ambition that ent. Like the ‘Alone’ and ‘Together’ being put with the rise of social media. Facebook is
destroys them, but I think it ends up it can side by side; that was at a phase when it felt probably one of the biggest hubs for political
play out to do that where they can put their the most conflicted, because I was with discussion and people projectile vomiting
career first and it becomes such an impor- someone but I felt so alone. I feel like I was their ideologies onto others’ walls or com-
tant thing to them that a lot of the things that conflicted by the two things being present at ment threads. I think that’s really where I saw
really matter or contribute to happiness in the same time. So all those are… ‘React; Re- ‘everybody wants to change the world’, or at
life, which are still the basics like love and spond’ simultaneously presents when peo- least talk about changing the world instead
care and connection with people, a lot of ple deal with conflict, or getting triggered of changing themselves, which is the only
those things do get sacrificed in the wake of with another person, a lot of times a big part thing you can really control.”
that ambition for their career, and they can of you is reacting, and you’re unconsciously
sacrifice their own happiness and then as a reacting to whatever’s coming at you. And s a band, Jonny, Mark, Dan and Ben
result end up down a path of suicide or de- then there’s a higher part of you that cares Aare working at changing themselves
spair or depression.” and will take the time and energy to respond, for the better – and this includes their live
Obviously we’ve seen this happen re- which is more of a conscious effort.” show. If you’ve seen the band’s show, you’ll
cently with the deaths of Chris Cornell and know that it is second to none. Previously,
Chester Bennington, to name just two; Chris ince the album focuses on death and they had a section in the show where they
in particular being out on tour and away from Slife, it makes sense that the natural brought out the Bassinator for a one-of-a-
loved ones at the time of his suicide. process of life and growing older, and the kind band bass solo. They have now brought
But aside from ‘Ambition; Destruction’, continuation of generations, is on the album a new contraption to their stage set – some-
the band also have other short musical too. ‘Fade In/Fade Out’, Jonny says, “was thing known as the Scorpion Tail. Bassist
pieces on the album in between songs, ei- originally written by Mark, our guitar player, Dan, who is a welder, made the impressive
ther instrumental pieces or those that in- about his dad and his son. His son’s named stage piece and the band have been incor-
NOTHING MORE