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We got the opportunity to see Gentlemen's Crow play in Orlando, FL and ask them some questions.
Photo Credit: Tiffany Kendall-Marcy
Alex - Lead guitar
Cam - Lead vocals, rhythm guitar
What is your favorite key/mode to write in?
Cam & Alex: Recently we have been writing in E Flat/D# tuning, and dropping down the low d# to c#. Definitely a new sound and vibe for the band. It's creating an alt-grunge sound for us that we really like.
If you could design the perfect concert line-up, what would it be? You can choose to include yourself or not.
Cam: Queens of the Stone Age, Deftones, Royal Blood, and Alice In Chains
What is your favorite gig you’ve played so far?
Cam: The Pharmacy in Philly, on one of our early tours. It was an amazing night. Sold out all our merch. The Venue owner was amazing too. Big Shout out to Bill.
What is your songwriting style?
Cam & Alex: We start with one musical idea, and just grow from there. It could be a lyric with melody, or a riff, or a chord progression. Then all of us as a group grow it together until we have a complete song to work with. After we have that first draft down, we'll go back and change different parts of the song to make it flow better, and have a more commercial appeal.
What is your favorite book/show/movie lately?
Cam: Anything Batman related.. literally anything!
What makes lyrics good?
Cam: Honest and Authentic. Lyrics that make you think. This is always better to me than just doing something stereotypical and overused.
How do you know when a song is finished? Is it ever?
Cam and Alex: This is so hard. I don’t think it ever is “finished”. You try to get the best version for the studio recording, but even after that we find ourselves updating songs we’ve recorded and playing them differently live. There is always a feeling of buyers remorse after recording because we have ideas or things that come out after we’ve cemented them in the studio.
How do you cope with the crazy schedules of touring and recording?
Cam: Lots of rest and down time. We all have to take breaks and get grounded in life again especially after a tour. We just wrapped up our June tour and now are taking a week or two off to spend time with family and friends, and to sleep.
What sacrifices have you made to follow your dreams?
Cam: Mostly financial and time with my daughter. It’s a double edged sword. You want to be successful in music but to do so you have to sacrifice so much time and money. There is no way around that. Luckily I have a family that supports this dream, and allows me to do what I need to get this accomplished.
What do you love/hate most about your life as a musician?
Cam & Alex: We love everything about it thus far. We haven’t reached the point where we have issues with it, and we hope we never do. There are some struggles and we get dragged through the mud as a smaller band, but we do it with a smile, because we still love what we’re doing.
What message do you want your fans to take away from your music?
Cam: Being authentic, and being a community. We have a slogan “CORPUS CORVIS” which stands for “Body of the crow”. We use this in our message and imagery to create a bond between us and the fans. We want everyone to feel safe and comfortable at our shows, and to connect with the music in the purist way possible.
The music industry evolves so quickly. What do you think is the best way for people to find new music?
Cam: I think through spotify playlists and through tik tok. That seems to be the best way to reach new fans these days. It's hard to get new music out to the world, but both of these tools act as a vessel to carry your songs.
If you could go open for any artist, who would it be?
Cam: Currently we really want to open for Narrow Head. They’re crushing it and have such a vibe to their music and energy.
What is it about music that makes you feel passionate?
Cam: The feeling you get in a certain part of a song that just flips your stomach and fills your brain with happy chemicals. The rush of a live performance. There is nothing quite like that for a musician.
What's the best piece of advice another musician has given you?
Cam - To work as hard as you can, tour as much as possible, and have zero expectations.