Rich

0:07HostWelcome to Interceptor Beyond Podcast. My name is Artur and today my guest is Rich.

0:12RichMy name is Rich, or actually lots of people call me Ricardo, so I'm switching. And I'm the singer of the Berlin-based band Scream of the Butterfly.

0:25HostI just want to remind everybody who's listening to this episode right now to follow the show on Spotify or any other podcast platform that you prefer. Thanks. Thanks. I discovered Scream of the Butterfly some time ago, I don't remember when, but I discovered the album Ignition and I really liked the vocals and I really liked that it was like really cool to get into the muscle car and drive at the top speed in the desert. I really liked the Hammond organ, the whole energetic atmosphere. That's what I liked about that album. Can you tell us a little bit how it all started? Yes. So thanks for your words. Ignition, actually all the two albums we did, but also Ignition, I like it still very much.

1:11?And this album was, the band was founded in 2016 with three band members and then we turned to four. And the way we made music back then was we had lots of grunge influences in the band. We had also some 70s vibes and me as a singer, I'm always switching between some 60s vibes and some modern vocal style and modern way of playing and producing music. So on my end, I'm not so much into the technique stuff, so more into what I feel when I do the music. By the time we recorded this album, we knew, we felt it will be a fast album. The whole procedure of recording it, I mean, not the way we wrote the songs, but the whole way we recorded it was kind of fast in contrast to the second album we did. And it gave this album some momentum. Also, there are some lyrics on it, like on the song Miss the Break, that's obvious, could be related to driving, even though it's actually not. There's always some background to all the songs. And actually, all the songs that we write, I write the lyrics, they have actually more depth in them than you can probably hear when you listen to the songs for the first time. And it's kind of like both, you know, you don't have to dig so deep to the songs, you can just have fun listening to the music, but there's mostly more in those songs than just, let's say, road trip rock and roll music, you know. So, but with Ignition, we kind of like had a nice concept, like founding a very nice studio here in Berlin, big snuff studio. And we found like the mixing and sound engineer for Cardava and it gave a certain sound to everything. For example, we recorded the songs and then we put them into this tape machine. So, it gave this whole album a warmer sound. So, we used a lot of analog technique stuff, amps and everything to make it sound a bit raw or rough. And then also with Branca Studio as a designer from Spain, we had this nice cover artwork, which gave this whole album this Quentin Tarantino feel, like in the end, you know. All those songs, like the song, for example, Evil Feelings, yeah, or Miss the Break or Turning Me Loose, there's kind of like, there's a lot of kind of like some emotion in the momentum. Like, if you are on the way to something, if you are speeding up, whatever you do, or if you're in a rush, or if you're caught in a moment in a club or anything, you know.

3:52RichSo, it speeds up, the whole album speeds up with the first song, Solid Ground, and it reaches you to the end with Can't Go Back, which is kind of like a rock ballad that is actually the only contrast, you know. Up to this point, it's kind of like you get swirled around, left to right, to and fro. So, and that's actually what we wanted, and that's why we, in the end, we are very happy to have an album that you start listening to, and that kicks you through to the end, you know.

4:20HostAwesome. Actually, Evil Feelings is one of my favorite songs there. That's why it's cool that you mentioned it.

4:27?Thanks.

4:27HostHow did you come across the cadaver guy?

4:31RichWell, Richard Behrens is a good friend of us here in Berlin, and so the scene is not too big, so we know each other, and he had some free space because he wasn't on tour with Cadaver. So, we just asked him, and it fits into the music, and that's why we got this connection, and it worked out very well. So, we were very happy to spend the time with him, you know, and to record this album and mix it, yes.

4:55HostYou said not a small scene. I mean, I would believe that Berlin is one of the top, like, scenes in Europe, at least it's considered outside of Berlin. What do you mean, like, it's, like, not a big scene? In your music genre, I know musicians don't like music genres.

5:11RichI mean, it's always hard to define the music genre we are in, or, like, somebody else classifies himself or itself to be in. But mainly, you know, when you talk about this kind of rock music, it's always this stoner rock, desert rock scene, you know? It's, like, the main scene here. I mean, there are, of course, some other influences, but everybody knows each other. Everybody is actually supporting each other, going to the concerts. So, that's why, in the end, yeah, it's small because it looks like family when you meet each other, you know? That's why I probably think small, even though there's lots of record labels, lots of bands, and lots of other artists in the genre. To me, it feels probably more close because I'm here forever in Berlin.

6:01HostYou live in Berlin for a long time, right? You're not Berlin native.

6:07RichBut, yeah, and I was born in the GDR, so in the eastern part of Berlin. So, actually, I'm the truest what you can get when you think of Berlin.

6:19RichAnd, actually, that's why all the musicians I work with and also friends always tell me that this Berlin behavior, you know, I can't get rid of it, you know? It's, like, this a bit, how do you say that, a bit rough behavior, you know?

6:33HostToo direct.

6:43HostSo, probably, like, in Scandinavian countries, somewhere in Finland, you're a little bit, like, too much for the local people.

6:58HostAnd Branca's studio, were you looking for them or you just knew about the studio? No, we were looking for them because when we started doing this band, our bass player, Sergei, he had this contact in Rome, in Italy, to the people around heavy psych sounds, you know, Gabriele.

7:18?And they had a sublabel called Burning Wax Productions. So, this whole desert rock scene in Rome was kind of like a door opener for us because of our bass player. So, that's why we got involved in all those people in the scene. And then we got this contact to Branca and looked at his work and said, okay, it fits to the style of album we would like to create, you know?

7:57HostThat's how I discovered you. And I immediately saw the artwork. I was like, okay. And I was back then, I really into this stoner rock or at least I was digging in that direction. And then I saw the cover. I was like, all right, let's check it out. And then I checked it out and it was exactly what I wanted. I was like, it was perfect.

8:12?Yes.

8:12HostAnd yeah, it actually proves about the thing that everything, the personal connections are really important in the music industry. Maybe, like, even more than in other, okay, I'm not pretty sure, but in music industry, for sure.

8:26?Yes, yes, of course.

8:44RichBut I like to get as much done by myself as possible because then I kind of like, no, it's the truest product I can get to, you know.

9:10HostYou never tried to have management or representation?

9:28RichManagement is not a key factor right now. So, probably, we will buy into a promotion agency or something like this. Kind of, like, keep it for ourselves what we do and just, you know, but we never know.

10:02RichAnd so, we are planning lots of stuff right now, but also want to achieve to get the balance of how much can we do by ourselves.

10:12HostActually, like, you reminded me, like, jumping from the first album to the third one. I wanted to even jump even backwards. You did a gig with Bascox, right? Yes. How was it? I mean, it's the Bascox. It's awesome.

10:25RichOh, that was very overwhelming because here in Berlin, there's a punk booking agency. It's called Mutti's Booking. Mutti means, like, mom.

10:42?It's a very nice dude.

10:44RichAnd he just, I asked him because I knew him from my former bands where I was going more in the indie direction.

11:29HostWas it the first time you met somebody? Like, I mean, they're, like, stars, you know, but was it the first, your experience with stars?

11:41HostBut what's your impression after all of this? Like, it's fine or, like...

12:34HostSo, what you learned, what's the most important thing that you learned from that gig?

12:37RichYou see that lots of stuff that the booking agents do, you know, is built up on the work they did for, like, years. So, you see, like, in the end, it's a simple process, you know. It seems to be simple, you know. They have a band that's playing. It's actually almost the same thing as if you would play in a small venue and organize everything. It's just, like, pumped up, you know. And, of course, the spirit and the people, the audience, everything is bigger and has more impact on you, you know. But the process itself is pretty similar. And, you know, I learned more from the bandmates I played with during the last five years than from this gig. Because, to me, I'm not so much into amplifiers and all that stuff. So, my biggest fear is always if something is not working, you know. So, because my mind is totally set on different stuff music-wise. So, I rely on people that make this whole gear running. Of course, to me, it's like, well, yeah, big stage, lots of amps and hope everything is working. And, for example, my bass player, he always calms me down and says, I got everything under control, you know. So, it's kind of like this team, you know. You learn something because, you know, everything relies on having a team within the band and adding some people to the band, you know. And everybody has this position. And if you can trust each other and he knows what to do or she knows what to do, then things are working, yeah. So, and I think I learned just to have a good time all the time, you know.

14:10HostYou said you're not into amplifiers, but what's your thing?

14:13RichI mean, I am into amplifiers a little bit. I have a Leslie M 7060 from the 70s. And I'm really happy about this Leslie M for my Nord keyboard, which is my hand and organ or e-piano. And I have some gear, you know, but I think I keep it simple, you know. So, it sounds good. I like it. And if I go into the studio, I like to have somebody advising me about different instruments and different synthesizers and everything. I like to try stuff out. But my main focus is always that the music itself needs to sound good. Probably in my head, it's the songwriting, it's the lyrics, it's the mood the music creates. And then I find the people, because I can always, as simple as it is, I can say I like the sound or I don't like the sound. But I probably cannot always say why I don't like the sound. But I have people that can do it the way that I like it, that they like it, and that we like it as a band, you know.

15:09HostYou never paid for a feedback if you have a song and you paid somebody to give you a feedback. Oh, no.

15:17?Why should I do that? No, it's not the fame steps that we need to climb or whatever, you know. We had some reviews on Ignition and some on Birthless Repeat or a second album, but they weren't paid. Probably it's different when you pay a promotion agency, then it's something like that, you know.

15:36HostNo, no, no. I mean, when you have a song that you're working on and you're not sure about how it sounds and you ask somebody's opinion, but somebody that's completely outside of your circle, so they can tell you the honest thing.

15:52RichNo, no. Me, as a singer, I speak for myself. I'm not interested in that. Because I know if the song sounds good. I know if I think that the lyrics fit, you know, and even if it takes forever, because there's one word missing. Because sometimes I'm just standing in the forest for an hour in the night after rehearsal, and I'm looking at the moon, and I'm looking for this one word. So that's like my passion, you know. And once I'm done, and I see, okay, the lyric works, and the music, which is mainly made by ourselves, it's like music comes first, then the lyrics are added most of the time. Things are changing a bit right now. Then I know that the song is good. It needs to sound good in the end. So that's like the thing that I need advice on, you know. So that somebody says, okay, Ricardo, your helmet organ sounds good, but it's a bit thin. We have to try a different microphone or something like this, you know. Or you're playing a little bit too fast, because you're always a bit too fast. Something like that, you know, relax, dude. So this is the help that I wish for, and this is the help that I like. So I can, you know, that's why I don't, I'm not so much into studio. I'm more into live. I'm more a live musician. So, but yes, I would never advise, I can ask my bandmates, you know.

17:09HostYeah, I saw you live. You once came to Vienna, I remember. You look really cool on stage, like the whole act, really energetic, really fits the music of how everybody, how you personally, like on stage and how everybody in the band on stage behave. Well, not behave, but like look and everything.

17:28?I know, I know what you mean. Yeah. And I mean, I have this keyboard at the front, you know, like a helmet organ, whatever, pianos. I don't play, I don't play so much because I try to get both in this front person, you know, like being a guy that is moving around because I have to move. And yes, yeah, I like, I like, I like it that this band works in itself with the position everybody has, you know. Like, I love the attitude of my bass player. I love the attitude of my guitar player and our drummer. And everybody has this passion, but nobody is taking or giving too much room, kind of like, you know what I mean? And even though it's, when you saw us in Vienna, there was a former guitar player, we have a new guitar player now that is more active on stage. So it's the whole live picture you get when you see a show of Scream of the Butterfly. It's a bit more wild. It's even getting in the direction that I could or can or probably will do a little bit less because there's more movement from the sides now, you know. So, and if I would do so much, then it would kind of like, you know, overdo this whole thing because the whole music that we are doing, you know, that's always, maybe I can shortly or quickly say something about the name of the band. It's actually the main reason when we started with this band, Scream of the Butterfly.

18:57?Scream of the Butterfly is a lyric line by Jim Morrison. That was a big influence, the Doors, like to me is a big influence, you know. But the name itself, like Scream of the Butterfly, kind of like describes that the music is very energetic and then gets very self-centered and very introverted, you know, at parts, you know, which you can especially hear in our second album where we have more ballads. There's like a song, The Devil Is By My Side, and it's very forward and loud and has a bit saddest feeling. And then you have Soul Giver, which is totally the opposite.

19:28RichSo that's actually what this band mainly is about, to scream and shout, kind of like, you know, give a lot of energy. And also, on the other hand, to show actually also very many emotions, which we try to build up in the future with the future albums, you know, to really go to close your eyes and let it fly.

19:49HostWould you say that you have how many albums? You have two albums at the moment, right? Yeah, so the first album was already like really energetic and the next one, can we say it's more energetic in a way or it's different?

20:02RichIt's, I mean, I can quickly say something about the second album because it's very, very, a lot of story around it, you know, the second album was actually kind of like the end of this band and the way the band was working, you know, our drummer and our guitar player left the band and we still have a very good contact and we get along very well, but they wanted to do different projects. So we came at a point that we said, okay, let's do an album. And I was sitting at home and I was like, how can I give this album a name? Because in the end, they just wanted to record the songs and I wanted to make it special. I said, I don't want to give up on this band, but I knew the feeling was so intense that we shared, you know, we, and I was really wondering. And then I came up with this title, Birth, Death, Repeat, which actually gave the second album the name and the meaning, yeah, that we recorded this album with a kind of tragic feeling. That's why this album is a bit different from the first one, because while we recorded this album, we knew the band in this way would not exist after the album, you know? So it's kind of like the death, but also the birth. And that's why I, you know, I came to you and I'm so happy still every day. I look at this cover artwork. I see like that you did an amazing job. You gave so many emotions into this little artwork with this skeleton mother and symbolized, symbolizing the death and also the having, carrying the child in her arms. And this is kind of like really the effect, you know, like probably also with the artwork to keep up with this kind of like stoner rock scene. So it was kind of like also to say, yes, we wanted to reach the fans that we already had, but also the fans in the scene with kind of like this artwork. And it's very interesting because lots of people see this and don't expect this kind of music in the whole album, you know, because it's more concept in it. And then, yeah, and then we had those seven songs that we wrote together and also an instrumental track by me and then a blues version that we did as a last song. I've seen it coming with my bass player.

22:11HostSo once you know that there's a concept of birth, death, repeat, you added more songs or all the songs were there?

22:19RichActually, all the songs were now we added a soul giver because then it's and I added this instrumental track, birth, death, repeat, which is the first track on the B side, because then I knew this sounds totally opposite to what people probably would expect because this instrumental track is kind of like as if the sun would go rise, you know. So it's really what I wanted and what we in the end as a band came up with was to have very strong emotions, very strong riffs and guitar, heavy riffs and heavy grunge music that we presented and also, yeah, and probably also the way that we knew we split up as a band gave this whole album kind of like a bit more dark or a bit more touch of gloominess in contrast to Ignition.

23:10HostAnd in contrast to Ignition, what changed in production or maybe did anything in the process or how was it?

23:19RichThe production changed because we knew we wanted to get this album done, but I wanted to have more time. I said, OK, Ignition was kind of like a spinoff and it worked so good, but it's kind of like and even though if I think back eight days recording and we did actually a pretty good job, probably record some feelings, some magic that in the end, if we would have had a longer process of recording, we couldn't catch, you know. So, but I wanted to have more time because I wanted to spend more time. It's kind of like family. I wanted to spend more time with the musicians that I knew would be leaving the band. And that's why we like to have this. I think we recorded like for five months or stuff, you know, so even skipping some days and then meeting again and then listening again. And we did it in our rehearsal room. So we record the drums in the studio, but the rest we did here. Then we went to Hamburg and mixed the album. And then we mastered the album at Mike Tarsier at Philadelphia.

24:16HostAnd I think you released the album right before the pandemic hit, right?

24:20RichYes, it was kind of strange. I was a bit overstressed with everything, like knowing that it's my own or our own record label, Red Revolver Records that we came up with. Oh, it kind of like, you know, the focus on finding so many people that help you in a process when you know you split up, it was very, very heavy to get everything done. So my main focus was, OK, let's try to promote the album as good as you can. So in the moment that the pandemic started and I couldn't play this little tour and the release show, I was kind of like, all right, it's actually not good. But on the other hand, I have so much time now to reach all the people on the global, you know, and try to sell the album. So that was actually my job then, you know. And sitting in the basement and writing all those little notes and thank you notes, you know, on the cards and adding some stickers. And so it made me feel so good that I even kind of forgot that I couldn't play live for a while, you know.

25:25HostSo you got occupied by putting all the merch together and sending. What else did you do to promote? You said you reached everybody. What did you do, actually? Well, I actually, I could have, we could have done far better promoting the album.

25:40?So we could have brought into a promotion agency. But we tried to get some. But they really, because of the pandemic, they were so screwed in their heads. So they couldn't, they couldn't plan. And they said, OK, we have a release, but we skip it now into the fall. And I said, oh, come on, they are so, it's, it's, it's harder to, to get in this. It was March 2020. For me, it was kind of like, it's harder to try to work together with somebody that is totally unsecure right now because of this whole pandemic. As if I say, OK, let's try to do it yourself. Because I did Kickstarter, yeah, Kickstarter, this crowdfunding, which actually worked pretty good. We got some, I think, two and a half thousand euros or so with also lots of friends. And so lots of people, fans and bought an album before it was released. And then we switched to Bandcamp and then we got to know some other record labels, for example, one in Ohio, seeing Red Records and they helped us out. So we are building kind of like from the roots I started or we started to build this little scene for ourselves, you know, like a label. But then I knew with more help, I, we could have done better. But in the end now, I mean, we were writing songs for two years now. We found a new drummer, we found a new guitar player. I was so occupied being in this room right now that I think the band has achieved a certain level that I'm fine with at this stage I'm in right now, you know, like looking at not

27:15Richeven also looking at the numbers, but it's honest rock music that we do. You know, it's nothing, it's nothing that I, when I look back that I think, oh man, I could have done this differently and it would have worked out better. I probably could have promoted more, you know, like found somebody that helped me out. And I think that I could have invested a bit more. But in the end, I'm so grateful for all the fans that gave us some feedback and still do. And so the process itself, the music, the whole, yeah, the whole thing around it feels very natural, feels very good. And that's why, yeah, it's the way it probably was supposed to go.

27:54HostAnd you mentioned crowdfunding. Have you done this before?

27:57RichNo, I haven't. I watched some influencer guy from Canada and I said to myself, okay, let's try it. Because if you want some money, because you don't have so much money for yourself and you reach out to the fans that will, of course, support you, then you have just one hand of money that you can hold, you know. But there's also family and there's also lots of friends that actually, you know, they listen to different type of music, but they say, okay, I grab a shirt, I grab a vinyl and I support you. And I, you know, there were some friends that they don't, they don't listen to this type of music, but they sit at home with their wife and their kids, you know, they're building their house and they say, hey, a friend of mine, I give you a hundred euros, you know. So it wasn't so much like supporting the music was like more supporting a friend. So that's why Kickstarter is actually a very cool thing to grab some extra money.

28:52HostYeah. That's what I tell to people like crowdfunding is not only to get money from the potential fans or fans in general, but it's actually a legitimate way how to get money from friends and family because they see where the money is going at least, you know, it's not like you go one by one and, you know, asking for money for this project. What didn't you, what didn't you expect when you were doing the crowdfunding?

29:14RichWell, I didn't expect that some people were supporting me that actually only supported me because they were on Kickstarter and only supported projects. I could expect that some people will support our music or me as a friend, but that there are people who just invest money in general to support crowdfunding projects. I wasn't expecting that. So I think, I think 500 euros or 400 or 500 euros were people that weren't so much in the music, you know, they were into the crowdfunding stuff.

29:46HostAnd what was the hardest part of the crowdfunding campaign? Well, actually it's, uh, to me, it felt like an unnatural process to, um, to do this.

29:54?So, um, it was the hardest part was to get it going and, um, it's hard to, hard to describe. I mean, go to your friends and say, Hey, come on. But you know, it's the hardest part is actually to convince yourself that promotion, promoting your own music is nothing bad. You know, it's, I think it's something that I, as a musician learned, I'm still learning it, you know, over the time, over the months and the years, because as I told you, not so much interested in to studio equipment, blah, blah, blah. But more, um, I'm more interested in this kind of way, um, besides writing or making music or playing live, you know, just, you know, if you stand behind your product and you see, you think it's good music. And, uh, and I'm, uh, I think that the two records we did, uh, was the best we could do. You know, it's like, um, I think it's, uh, we, we did some honest and good music. If you're standing behind your music and your own creation, then you, you shouldn't be ashamed of anything, just, you know, promote it. And even if you talk to somebody one time to many, you know, it's like, it's, it's not bad if somebody says, Hey, come on, um, you know, I'm not interested, you know, okay, no problem. But I think that was the hardest part to learn that you promote yourself, you know, and to watch like artists like Freddie Mercury, who was probably one of the biggest promoters in time.

31:11RichAnd, uh, and to see that, uh, it felt totally natural the way he promoted all his music. And I think that was a step, a step to be taken. It was, uh, uh, and I'm still learning, you know, because right now we had a point that we are stuck in this room forever writing those songs. And right now we are in the beginning of going into the studio and then we will like with this podcast for the first time, like go out again, you know, and talk to people, promote stuff. And, um, when we are in the studio, like in our rehearsal room and writing songs, we don't put so many stories out on, on Instagram or everything, because it's a process kind of like for ourselves. So we, uh, we do some posts about some live recordings or some past stuff, you know, uh, or our merch storm, some videos, but, um, all the songs that we are writing, they are our secret until they, they will be revealed.

32:04HostYou got featured in many cool magazines. I saw all the interviews and everything, especially for the, well, yeah, for all the albums. Any advice how to get featured in a magazine?

32:14RichWell, actually, um, I think, um, with a second album, I didn't do such a good job to get featured in a magazine because we didn't have a promotion agency. So with the first album, there was far more. And yes, we had this promotion, um, little promotion agency from Italy that helped us out with this context, but I think, uh, I cannot give so much advice to it because this is also a process that I'm learning still, but I think to get featured in magazines, you need to get on a label that is, um, promoting you or if you want to do it the, the different way, for example, like in our position, if I like to, to keep running this own label as a band, then we would buy, need to buy into a promotion agency. So I cannot give more advice. I probably, yeah. I like, from my perspective, I cannot give more advice. I mean, as many people, as you know, can probably help you if you support each other in the scene, you know? So this is also something that works. But, um, in the end, I think, uh, if you want to invest some money, don't as a, like, I think as a musician, don't think too much, uh, only on the studio and, uh, the mixing and the mastering, because it's so fucking important to do the promote to promotion, like and the pre-release and also the post-release, you know, once the album is out that you, and you need to have a plan on how to release on Spotify, uh, with a release radar and everything. So there's lots of little, um, techniques that you can learn to promote yourself, but you have to like it, you know, I have to get into it. Otherwise, I really recommend, um, to have somebody doing it for you because otherwise you release the album, it's gone.

34:00HostWould you agree that, uh, the promotion costs, uh, almost the same amount as the production and recording of the album?

34:11HostOne to one. So it's like same money that you spent on, on the studio and recording is the same money goes into the promotion.

34:18RichYeah. For example, if you want to invest like, uh, I don't know, 3000 euros in a studio, then I, I also would invest 3000 euros in promotion.

34:27HostAnd you met, so you mentioned several times that you have your own record record label. So what was the decision behind it?

34:34?I still don't know. So I, um, I created it and then I worked together with seeing red records and then there was this deal. Hey, come on, dude, you can help us out in Germany and you can be our hub, you know, because during this Corona pandemic, it was so, um, so different to send records, but you could send a big pack, a parcel, you know? So I was like thinking, okay, uh, I could help, uh, I could like climb more into this label stuff and my little basement would be full of different records and I would probably earn some money.

35:05RichIt's still in my head. It's something that I'm still thinking about because there are some good bands and I'm like, okay, they release on bandcamp only a digital version of the album. I'm so, oh my God, I should, should do something, you know, the music is so good. So I have no idea, but, um, I didn't even create a bandcamp page or anything for this label only on Discogs. I did this Red Revolver records. So it's something that could probably, um, grow in the future, but right now it's just the label of the band. It's like, um, you know, I, I want to look at the numbers. I would like to, uh, to, to get as much, um, back from, from the music as I invested or as we as a band invest. And, uh, this way, uh, fucking hell, I, I sound like an influencer now, but it's kind of like, uh, you know, we did, we did two albums already and we want to do a third one. And so we thinking about money and thinking how to spend our money wisely and to how, how can you, how can you grow in a return, you know, of investment, so to say. So, um, and, and we all know it's, um, we are not getting rich by all what we do. You know what I mean? It's, uh, it's the passion that all come combines us musicians in this whole scene, you know? So, um, yeah. So right now it's the label because you need the label code. You have the, um, the kind of like barcode, the UCP, I think it's called, um, on the back and you have the ISRC code for the tracks and everything, you know, it's to just properly get tracked when, uh, when you want to get some return on a digital distribution, for example, you know, so, um, just, just trying to do it properly by ourselves right now. And maybe, uh, later on I can do something else with it.

36:44HostAnd you made your own company probably, right? For the label.

36:52HostOne, one, one, one, uh, yeah. Entrepreneur, one person entrepreneurship. And what's different for the band when you have your own label?

36:59RichBut I have to say, I have to say one thing. It doesn't mean that we will use this label right now. We are still looking for other labels, so it's, um, but it will, it might come to the point that we use our own label.

37:10HostSo it's like a backup label.

37:11RichI mean, if you need to use, it's kind of like a, it's kind of like a backup label. It depends, uh, what, what another label can offer us, you know, because right now when I have, I have some knowledge. So I think like investing in a promotion agency would probably give me better results than having a label that is not, uh, um, that is not, um, paying for the studio. So it's, uh, if I wouldn't have any knowledge, I would probably totally rely on the label, but right now, but on the other hand, if there's a bigger label that has more context, of course, then you say like, and there's also a possibility to do a split label thing, you know, like for example, seeing red records offered us to help us out and probably it could happen that we might do, um, um, um, a USA release with an USA label and do the red revolver label for ourselves, uh, also now. So, but it's not sure yet. So it's something to think about.

38:04HostI'm interested now, uh, what are you working now? Like you're working on the third album?

38:07?Yes. So, um, for two, um, I can say that we have found a drummer from Italy and, um, a guitar player from Vienna, uh, in the big, uh, it was the first, actually it all happened, um, when, uh, birth has repeats, birth, death repeat was released. Now it happened from January to the summer that we found the two musicians. We were even going on tour with our, now with our guitar player, um, Gabriel, and we were, um, having three gigs in January, I think in 2020. And then it was over. And then we found our drummer, Andrea, and we had this Keith Moon in this band all of a sudden, like, you know, Andrea. So, and also this influences from the guitar player that is also, also had this, um, little, uh, um, seventies rock attitude, but also lots of more sixties passion.

38:58RichAnd, um, I was like, wow, this band has the same momentum, but it speeds up even more. So I'm like, oh, I'm, you know, I'm, um, this is getting wild now. So even though, you know, we are here in our room, it's like, okay, this band is getting wild because, you know, I was always the wildest musician in this band and the three musicians I was playing with, they were very quiet, you know, as a, from personal personality. Now with Andrea and the band, it's like wild, you know, so, it's so much fun. It's so much energy. It's, uh, when we do the music and we, uh, we wrote lots of songs and some songs were written by our guitar player. Some songs are written by me. Um, lots of songs were written together, you know, and I think it's a very interesting album that we are working on right now. So it will go back a little bit to Ignition with this, you know, with this kind of like momentum, it will put some more sixties vibes into the, uh, into the album and, um, more different types of keys. And I think there will be also some little surprises like, uh, that the band, um, is in the process of growing, you know? So, because that's, uh, actually Scream of the Butterfly is not a typical stoner rock band. So it doesn't mean that we, um, create a totally new music, uh, or just try out different, um, types of music styles, but it's kind of like, we want to do kind of, we are a little bit also influenced by classic rock music. So, uh, when we promote an album or you just release an album, we want to have the listener to see, okay, there's something on it that I can rely on of the past records, but there's also a few tracks. Well, I'm a little bit surprised, didn't expect that, you know, but still the, the, the main aim is that the songs will be connected again, even though they might be a little bit different. So you still have this compact album that gives you the feeling of, I can listen from the beginning to the end and it just picks me up, you know, and this, this is where the sound comes into play. This is so important that then when we mix and everything that we, that we see, okay, uh, different types of songs will be connected, you know?

41:10HostAnd, uh, well, actually I never considered you, uh, your band as a stoner rock because in my mind, stoner rock is completely slower. Yours is more like rock and roll.

41:21HostMore rock and roll and influenced by stoner rock.

41:54HostYeah. And what's funny is that Josh Homme, he says, I don't really understand stoner rock. We just played in the, in the field, in the desert and we, we just played our music. And now everybody took this genre and made it like a stoner rock, but I don't get it. They say.

42:07?Yeah. Yeah. We don't define ourselves as, as, as, as any type. That's why we, we are ranges from, we have influences from the seventies rock music. We have, um, influences from grunge vibes. For example, my biggest influence as, uh, as, um, as a singer on a stage is Scott Weiland. You know, so it's, uh, it's, it's the guy that, uh, to me just fulfilled, um, being a front man and, and just, you know, put all the passion into his body, you know, the way he moved and the way he sang. And so it's still, when I see the videos, I'm like, okay, this, this guy, he devoted himself so much to the creative process itself that probably that's why he just totally got confused with everything around him, you know? So, um, always, um, a very, very big influence for me.

42:54HostSo, um, do, do you practice a live show, uh, like, uh, at home or something like this, like the moves or something like this, or practice in front of the mirror?

43:03?Yes. Yes.

43:04HostWell, you're actually one of the few people who actually does it. And I tell everybody that actually you, you should do this.

43:09RichI cannot, I cannot do it differently. So I need to dress up at home sometimes, um, totally with everything. And I start practice. I mean, there's no music, there's no music and I'm not even singing, but I like to see how my shoulder is going, uh, to the front or my leg or how I'm moving. And I like to have mimic on my, on my face, you know? So, um, it's something I'm playing around with. I mean, we don't play so many gigs obviously, uh, right now, um, to, to, to improve all those stuff, you know, because actually, actually it's always the moment and it's your personality. I'm, I'm like this, you know, I cannot stand still on stage and, uh, tap my fingers on my leg or whatever to have a metronome, you know? I mean, I could kill myself if I would act like this. So I need to have this little movement from, for example, uh, from Joe Cocker, you know, that he always had this arms, you know, and you're, and for me, it's like, um, there's the saying that, um, that music is the kind of like, uh, and, and, and lengthened arm of, um, of your soul, you know, kind of like, so, and, and to me, uh, music is not, uh, the way you sing, but the, it reaches your fingertips and, and, and, and the moment where you forget yourself on stage, you know what I mean? Um, then you do everything right. So, and there's personalities that stand still and they overwhelm you with their personality and, uh, but I'm the way I am. I cannot stand still. And, um, and I don't even care if somebody likes it or not. It's, it's, it's in this way. I try to be as good as I like to, to, to play good. I try to, um, have the band in the focus, you know, have a good feeling. And then, uh, we are in the moment. And I think that's what everybody is searching for.

44:50HostSo, yeah, when I saw you on the stage, I was like, uh, a little bit afraid, maybe that you're going to take the home and organ and you're going to smash it into the, into the audience because the, and the energy was going through the hands into the piano and, and maybe you would even throw it somewhere. Maybe it's possible in the future gigs. I don't know. It wasn't a good way. I mean, it was, everything was so energetic. It was so cool.

45:13RichYou know, you never know. It depends. I mean, if, if I'm on a big stage and I have a lot of money, then I just kick it, you know, but I wouldn't kick it into the people. Um, don't want to hurt anybody, but, uh, it's something that probably happens out of an effect. Yeah. So to say, but it's not something that like the who did on purpose, like destroying some instruments. I think it's not, this is also not me. You know, I like to do front kicks.

45:37HostWell, you can tie, you can tie the piano to the, to the bouncing thing or whatever. Like I think Rammstein had it or something like this.

45:44RichYeah. I mean, there are some, some moves that you, that you can do, you know, like have a keyboard stand that, and, and, and, and your, and your, and your keyboard is going like in a, an angle, you know, and you play like from the side or something. I mean, it's, it's like, sometimes I tape it and then I can move it better, you know? And when I do a solo with one hand, I can lift it with a left arm and just, just play it as a guitar. And actually I had a former band for 10 years that I played. I mean, it's maybe strange for somebody that listens to this podcast, but I was playing in an indie rock band for 10 years and I had a keytar.

46:32HostAnd then you said, it's not enough. Let's do something real rock and roll. Yeah.

46:37?I like to have this keyboard standing there. I mean, and also it depends on the way you set up your stage. For example, if I play in a small pub, you know, I don't have to stand in the middle.

46:46RichIt's, uh, the music is always, um, working for itself. So for example, bass player, guitar player, I stand in the middle and I'm standing on the left side, you know, and I have this, can put this keyboard on the wall. It would work as well.

46:58HostHave you ever taken like, uh, like a light technician with you, you know, to do the lights on the tour?

47:03RichI mean, we didn't yet. What we did is we made some lights for ourselves. We could, um, remote it for ourselves with a foot, foot switch. And we had, um, with, uh, I don't know what it's called stroboscope, uh, like flickering light and stuff. Yeah. So we had some beams that we adjusted. And so with a different solos, we could just, you know, do our own light show. Yeah. But that's something that we would probably need for the future. Also like a sound, um, engineer that is helping us out sound engineer and then lights and

47:34Hosteverything. So probably your, your crew is going to get, it going to get bigger a bit.

47:38RichYes. Yes. Uh, as, as, as, yeah. When the team, when the band improves, when the team improves, um, there will probably be somebody with us because it's also for me as a singer, I need, um, totally secureness that this whole technique stuff works. It's not a big deal. If something is not working, you know, there's always some side songs you can play and you can have fun and you can even be honest and say, okay, come on guys, grab yourself a beer. It's, uh, no, we got some issues here. It's, uh, it's not a big deal, but, um, and also to put some delay on the vocals or it's good to have somebody, you know, it should, it's actually better.

48:12HostIt seems that you want everything to be precise, uh, in control so that when you're on stage, you can completely go loose.

48:19RichYeah. As far as it gets, but I also, um, don't want to be over precise. So, um, you know, if, if, if the monitor sound sucks all of a sudden, then I'm not standing like, uh, raising my thumbs, you know, to say a bit louder, a bit, you know, that's the way it is. Then it's rock and roll time. Then you say, okay, I'm doing my best, you know, because in the end, uh, it's, it's entertainment for the people. Yeah. And they, they, they paid some money to get a good show. So I, you know, soundcheck time is over and if something happens, let's have a good time. Let's get it over with.

48:48HostYeah. Your live show. So like the one that I saw live personally, it was great. I really enjoyed it. So what, what are your plans for this year?

48:56RichThanks. Many, many plans. So actually it's now is the time that we start probably working every day. So we have those songs finished. Uh, we chose nine, uh, I think nine or 10 tracks out of 15 songs we wrote. We're very satisfied as a band. We are very close connected right now, and we are going into the studio in March and we cannot, we are doing the pre-productions right now, which will probably be dual to the studio session. We are still working on the pre-productions because then the songs on the pre-productions are ready and we can add some effects and see how this could sound in the real studio production, you know? So there's lots of time that we spend together right now. And, uh, also, um, thinking on how to release and to find a video, uh, video team that is doing a video with us to see how we could also do some videos by ourselves, even if it's a studio video or later on a tour video. And then we have some help, um, from, um, two booking agents and we are looking to play, um, some shows here in Germany might reach, uh, different countries. The aim for this year is that the third record will be released, uh, in fall. You never know what happens and probably it might be later, but the aim is that we are doing, uh, right now we've got everything we need and now we, now the work begins, you know? Now the passion, the passion is still there and we're looking forward to going to the studio, but, uh, the songs are done. So now it's, um, recording time.

50:27HostAny plans to have gigs in summer or when are your next gigs? So I think the next gig is in summer in June.

50:33?It's a festival here in Berlin and not in Berlin, I'm sorry, in a city called Halle.

50:45RichSo yeah, there will be some gigs in the summertime, but I think it won't be too many because we are so focused on the album that, uh, not playing gigs right now, even though it sucks. It's, it's not so bad right now because we want to do a good album. It's, it's, it's, it, um, takes so much time. Um, yeah. And, um, we want to give it as much, um, time that we can. Yeah. So actually for us, it's sufficient if we play some gigs over the summertime and then in fall, um, we play a tour. This is our aim.

51:18HostHave you tried to contact already like the labels, you know, like through connections or like doing cold calls or anything with the new music?

51:26RichYes. And we didn't try it because we are finishing for, um, pre-production songs right now. I think there will be done in this week. And with those four kind of like demo songs, we will reach the labels.

51:37HostAnd are you going to reach the labels in Berlin, Germany, or like, uh, outside or any, any, or you start just the process of like usual.

51:46RichI don't know yet. Um, I probably will first of all, try to send it to people that like our music that give us advice to the labels and they are worldwide. There's some, uh, in the USA or in England and in Italy. And maybe they say, yeah, that sounds good. I can give you, I can, I can give you a good contact. You know, it's kind of like, I'm probably going this direction. It doesn't matter if it's a Berlin, a Berlin label or a different label. I mean, of course here in Germany, in Berlin, the last record we did, we, we were pressing by ourselves in the pressing plant. So, um, this album was, was released on point, you know, like relying on another label could also mean that your vinyl will be, you know, so as much as I, and then I just repeat myself as much as I can do by myself will give me the chance that things will be ready in time for our fans.

52:40HostYou know, there's so many questions I wish I could ask, but, uh, we're almost out of time. Where can people follow the Scream of the Butterfly?

52:48RichWell, the main channels, obviously, uh, um, the Spotify channel, for example, or the, or the other different platforms than Instagram and Facebook. And, uh, we have a YouTube channel that is, um, very good. Um, there, there's, um, some different playlists, you know, like, um, videos with picture and also the albums. You can listen to the playlist of the albums. And of, uh, then we just did a web page. Um, so go to screamofthebutterfly.org and this is our new web page with our new photos. And actually that's the best place to be because you have everything you need on this one page screamofthebutterfly.org.

53:27HostI'm a strong believer in websites. I think they're coming back. They're the new Facebook, new Instagram, because all the platforms can change, but your website will not.

53:36RichYeah, and that's, that's why I say we, we have a newsletter, uh, and I totally advise

54:01HostAnd also the newsletter is really important. If you want to get a good deal, if you're a fan of the music, it's a good occasion to get a good deal. If there's some discounts, when there you have a bundle of merchandise, that's the, that's one of the main ideas why new sweater is important. Why you need to be on that new sweater.

54:20?Yeah.

54:21HostUh, which song are we going to hear at the end of the episode?

54:23RichSolid Ground Shaken. Yeah. Uh, which probably gives, uh, um, a nice picture of, of the way that the band could sound, um, with the third album.

54:31HostRicardo, thank you very much for this interview. It was a blast.

54:34?Thank you so much for your questions.

59:50HostThank you for listening to Interceptor Beyond's podcast. Don't forget to follow the show wherever you listen to podcasts. And if you like what you're hearing, rate the show on Spotify or any other podcast platform that you prefer.