Though, MEAN Green are perhaps that little bit more aggressive and playing a more Psychedelic based sound in places.
I caught up with the band recently to discuss their formation and what to expect from the album.
Q: Hi guys. Thanks for doing the interview. How are things with you today?
A: Not too bad buddy, we just got together for practice and had a chance to answer your question together.
Q:For folks not in the know, can you give a brief history of how the band came together and where it is today.
A: We formed this band in early 2022, but we have been friends and playing together for a few years now. We finished recording our album recently and looking forward to releasing it soon.
Q: Can you advise if you’ve played or currently playing in other bands so folks can check out your other musical projects?. (Though I know that Alex, Jake and James played together previously in One Armed Jefferson who were a damn good Southern/Stoner Metal band).
A: Our drummer James plays in a tech-death band, Razorbeast. Alex used to play in the death metal band Warfist. I (Jake) used to play in various bluegrass and country projects but mostly as a stand in/session musician. I'm glad you mentioned OAJ, we didn’t think anyone had heard of that project.
Q: How would you describe your own sound? My own words would be WEEDIAN and Massive.
A: We agree with that. We’ve always aimed to get the thickest sound possible with only three members.
Q: Congrats on your debut album. Loved it from the very first listen. What can people expect to hear from this album?
A: A variety of sounds that encompass all of our music inspirations. From slow and trudging doom tracks, to amped up and full throttle sludge riffs.
A: The writing process was slightly hectic due to time constraints between arranging shows and being invited on a tour, considering that we had not written enough material to fill out a full set. However this allowed us to fine tune our songs in a live setting and on the road. When it came time to record, thanks to our talented studio engineer Reilly Appert, everything went very smoothly.
Q: What bands and artists influenced you when recording this album?
A: Between all three of us it was a huge mix. I would say mainly Sleep, Weedeater, Monolord, Electric Wizard, Boris, and Windhand.
Q: What formats is the album being released upon and I’m seeing you’re releasing this album yourselves?
A: Yes we are doing an independent release. It will be released on bandcamp, spotify, pandora, and apple music.
Q:Are there plans to release this album on Physical Media?
A: We are planning a limited run on vinyl in addition to a CD release?
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Q: The artwork is freaking awesome. Who designed the artwork and how much input did you have into the overall design of this?
A: Artwork was created in-house by James, our drummer. There was this really cool old race car on the side of the road by our practice spot and we decided it would be perfect for our album cover.
Q: What is the creative process or setup within the band? Do you all write the music together or do certain people within the band do that?
A: Most of it is written as a group during practices. Some songs and lyrics are written by each of us individually. We all wanted this project to have equal input from each of us.
Q:How did you get involved with music? Was it a particular album, group or artist that made you want to write and play your own music?
A: I (Jake) have been playing music my whole life as my dad was a professional country/ bluegrass musician. So music has always been a part of my life. It wasn't until Alex introduced me to Sleep that I realised I wanted to start playing heavy music.
Alex started playing music when he was pretty young, He didn’t start taking it seriously until he got into heavy music in 2017. That is when he decided he wanted to be a musician professionally and write his own music.
James started playing drums in middle school, starting his first band with members of his high school marching band. He continued to play in bands of his own, and as a session musician in college. After graduating, he decided to focus almost entirely on music, with Mean Green being his primary project.
Q:What is the current state of the Boone, North Carolina Rock/Metal scene? Do you perform gigs on a regular basis and do you have a local scene that you're actively involved with?
A: There is a small but tight metal scene in Boone, with the likes of Bongfoot, Hempire, Razorbeast, Goodwrench, and ourselves. We play on a pretty consistent basis but the main problem with Boone is the lack of suitable venues.
Q:Will you be performing any gigs to promote this album locally or further afield!
A: We have a few gigs coming up (check our instagram for updates). Our album release show is on March 24th at The Odd in Asheville.
Q: Before you go, do you have any words of wisdom for your new and potential fans out there?
A: Bring ear plugs, it's gonna be loud
Words by Steve Howe and MEAN Green.
MEAN GREEN debut album will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl from March 24th 2023.
Links
Official | Instagram | BandCamp
