Today’s guest can only be described as the "Renaissance Man" of the Doom Charts Crew. As he’s involved with so many awesome projects that help promote the Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal scene. I have the pleasure of interviewing Bobby Rayfield. Bobby is a member of the Doom Charts where he creates the ongoing and excellent series of YouTube videos featuring bands who’ve made an impression with the Doom Charts community.
However, Bobby is also a Record Label Owner, Record Shop Owner and a member of Sludge/Stoner Metallers KOZA.
I caught up with Bobby to discuss all of the above items and how he manages to do all this. Read on with this great interview which Bobby kindly answered my questions to.
Hi Bobby. Thanks for doing this interview. How are things with you today?
All is well here. It is mid-October and the weather is starting to cool off which makes for a beautiful time to relax on the porch and watch the leaves change.
I’m just trying to think where to start with this interview. As you’re involved with a lot of different things. Doom Charts, Record Label Owner, Member of KOZA and YouTube Content Creator. So let’s start with Doom Charts and work our way down.
Doom Charts
How long have you been part of the Doom Charts Community and how did you get involved with the group?
Though I do not remember what sparked the initial conversation, it started as a chat with Bucky Brown regarding the Doom Charts and my appreciation for what was happening within. Somewhere in there I was invited to be a contributor and gladly accepted. At the time, 2018, I was the program director for Trendkill Radio so checking out new releases for the station was already in my priority list. It was an easy extension to my normal responsibilities and made sense.
Has it surprised you how well liked the Doom Charts have become and well respected by the Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal community in general.
From our community, not at all. Most of the folks within it have often been a strong support system for each other and champions of the arts. From my point of view at the time of being let behind the curtain, I was already an admirer of what was happening with the Doom Charts and the amount of work the team was putting in.
The Doom Charts is an amazing resource for heavy music fans and bands to bridge the gap between release and listener. It is exciting to see the charts get a high five from the community though. Every month there are 25 new albums discussed per month and the add on of 25-40, that is astounding to me. Considering almost ten years of that dedication. It is mind blowing.
*Note: The first chart was released in March 2015.
You’re mainly responsible for creating the awesome neverending YouTube videos featuring bands who have appeared on the Doom Charts through your wonderful Inherent Records YouTube channel. When did you get the idea to do that side of things for the Doom Charts.
First, let me say thank you for the kind words regarding the videos! It's been a full year since releasing the first episode. That first one made me a bit nervous. No one knew it was coming and, though these are very serious albums and writers, my take on myself is not to be serious, at all. It will never be perfect so roll with the flaws and embrace them as my own. Fingers crossed and there it goes! Haha!
The idea started with my wanting to learn more about video editing. Combine that with an endless interest in and want to share music with people. After trying a couple of other video concepts that went fairly well (for me, not for viewers) the newest Doom Chart list was released. As I browsed all of these great albums and writers, it occurred that in order to edit there had to be raw video content. That content would require something to keep my attention at a high level and in a way that interest would not fade over time. The pilot episode of the Doom Charts Mystery Picks was made.
It is much easier for me to promote others over myself and this concept is the perfect marriage to do that. It branches connections to new bands, labels, writers, PR teams, all hard working and can always use an extra nudge that might open the door to a new ear or eye of interest. It has become a fun way for me to learn and experience a part of what the Doom Charts can offer as a whole and hope others feel the same.
For anyone reading who is unfamiliar, those videos barely scratch the surface of the monthly charts. I can not praise the Doom Charts team enough.
How time consuming is it for you to create videos of high quality on a regular basis? Do you create these in one take or does it take multiple versions to get everything just right.
Ah, you wanna know the secret sauce??? Haha! Kidding, of course. Regarding time, the videos can be a pretty hefty chunk of my evening to record. My process works best when done in batches, so I will sit down and record each episode back to back. Each is done in one take. Usually on the release day of the recent Doom Chart monthly. Typically that Friday evening, sometimes Saturday morning, I go into it blindly with only a brief scan to see what albums landed and where (after all, I'm a music fan too and can't wait to see!), hit record, blurb blind, roll out the intro and let 'er rip. Some go easy, others are serious tongue twisters and need a retake. This goes back to why I'll never take myself too seriously. With English as my primary language, deep southern as my accent obtained by nature, there is no perfection coming from the Rayfield Reading Camp. Haha! If the video is 10 mins, it probably took me 20-30 mins to film. 50% of that time is the welcome intro. The remainder is to read the blurbs.
I will edit one episode a week to prevent myself from getting burned out. Though I truly enjoy this process the most, it is also the most time consuming. Between gathering album art, screen grabs, music bed, rewatching and various other things that no one needs to read about, my guess is between two and four hours to edit properly, per episode.
The down side is saving and organizing files, uploading, tagging, adding chapters, etc,. It all takes a ton of additional time. That part contains zero excitement for me and requires me to step away afterwards. Saving and uploading are work, in my opinion. Plus, there are other video projects I dabble with also. Vinyl unboxing and the Monuments in Ruin Music Show, among others.
For fun, the next time you are reading the Doom Charts, read one random blurb out loud at full volume and see what happens. It will crack you up how simple sentences can tongue tie you.
It seems this could be a highly demanding role but also highly rewarding as well. How you found that experience. Is there any aspect of that role you could do without.
I once read a quote that said. "Pressure is a privilege". It rings true in most cases. You take on what you can because you can. The next step is acceptance to do this in a way that resonates with yourself. After all, these things are extensions of ourselves, our art, our short time on this planet with the people in our close and extended circles. These moments are ours to wield in whatever fashion we command.
If there were any aspect in this that I could remove, it is that the time applied to one idea, concept, project, artistic urge, is always deducting time from someone or something else that I deeply care about. Time from family, time from a game of catch with the animals, time from attending certain events, listening passively to a record, reading a book, etc. Fortune has smiled upon me to marry such a loving person who understands my urge to create is connected to the thing that has made me who I am.
You're highly respected within the Doom/Stoner Metal community. What things do you like being involved with the community? Are there certain aspects you don't like when promoting bands across the entire scene?
Thank you so much, Steve. I have to admit, reading that makes me so very happy. Respect from the community requires respect given to others within and that reciprocation can continue to carry us to better fortunes. It goes back to you and so many others in our music circles. It is much easier to promote what you enjoy than it is to report on something negative solely because it's there. If the next sentence is my last, it would be better served to speak of something positive in place of something negative.
I enjoy seeing endless creative spirit. When someone gets a win it inspires us to do greater things. Seeing someone being uplifted for their art, their unique perspective of sound, visual art, the flaw that they think ruins the work but resonates so deeply with the fan, those are the parts I enjoy. A win is not about a number but about a connection or arc made in the rift of our timeline. A connection to one person is a win to me. In terms of a conversation, we all speak at different times. Sometimes you speak and other times you listen.
Above the energy of our community, I'd have to say I enjoy that it welcomes me as I am. There is no need to wear the uniform, learn the entire track list from Master of Reality, drink the beer or pledge undying loyalty to the riff. This community has welcomed me as I am and that is something I truly enjoy about it.
As for aspects I do not like, those tend to get pushed into the shadow of it all. With so much positivity to latch onto, it seems mute to discuss dislikes on a public forum. We can keep that to a friendly chat, direct message or at the venue while we kill time as the next band sets up to melt our faces. Seems like a fun way to express those opinions, anyway.
Monuments In Ruin
Moving away from Doom Charts, you’re also involved with the brilliant blog and webshop. Monuments In Ruin. How did that project start up?
Monuments in Ruin started in 2008 as a revision of the Inherent Productions Podcast. That podcast was basically an online mixtape I made for friends and featured things of interest in the music world. In 2008 Temple of Despair Radio invited me into their platform as a host and I wanted a name that described what my mission was while also describing what it felt like was occuring in the climate at the time. These albums are "monuments to a moment in time" (Yes, that is a Twilight Zone quote) and the internet seemingly made it feel somewhat disposable. Like they are simply being labored upon and then left to decay in the ether.
Creative writing was a connection I made in my later high school years. Before that, it was always song lyrics or whatever but I took a class as a slightly interesting way to fill a credit and realized, "Wow. They let you write a story in here? I can get into this!"
For years I wanted to create a music zine. I had the chance to write album reviews for a local Chattanooga, TN zine called BogGob for a short while (around 2006'ish) and really enjoyed it. Once Inherent Records was opened it felt like a web page that would allow me access to update albums for sale, write stories, album reviews and others with ease would be the way. Time is again the always defining factor. Due to poor website choices the idea as a whole was put on hold and I would eventually find my sea legs with the Monuments in Ruin web page about two years ago. The first 10 years of the web page saga was an absolute disaster.
You’ve written great reviews and interviews for that site. Which areas of music do you focus upon within that site.
Again, thank you for being so kind, Steve. I've never been dedicated to a specific genre in my listening habits and that basically translates to what is written about. As I listen, a story may start to play out in my head. If so, that tends to be the thing I write about. Kinda taking that creative writing phase and applying it to the work of art projecting through the speakers to me. My hope is, the band and reader will enjoy the ride and make their own deduction of the music as they listen and read. To the band, this is the story you brought to life in my mind.
How long does it take you to write a review or put an interview together?
That is really definitive of the moment it occurs. Some stories are first drafts and write themselves the moment I start to type. Finished and ready to post within 10 minutes. Could they be polished up? Sure but often the demo is better than the album, right? Haha!
Others, I may write and feel there is another word or angle that could better serve what is knocking around in my head. For those, I will sit on them and revisit late in the evening or early in the weekend morning. Those dark hours tend to ignite the fuse that may have been cold in the earlier draft.
Funny side story, I recently wrote a review and shelved it. Later broke the album out and unknowingly wrote a second review. When going to post it I realized there was a draft of it. When I read it back, the story was very similar. Sometimes a sea beast lurks in the riff, I guess!
Are there areas of music that you won’t cover or one that just doesn’t appeal to you.
Nothing comes to mind. If it makes it into the mental storyboard then it must be connecting to something neurological that needs to get out of my head. It is least likely that modern pop will make it on my radar. Anything could happen though.
Inherent Records
You also have a highly regarded Record store called Inherent Records based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. When did you open the record store and how did it come about?
This was an extension of how I felt when the name Monuments in Ruin materialized. It had always been lurking in the back of my thoughts. Discussions with friends, "One day I want to..." and then everything changed in the world and those places were all gone. No music store in our mall? This cannot be. No music store in the entire city?? No place for a kid to find that first album to change everything???
In 2010, I wanted to build that place. Something that reminded others that music and art are still relevant to our community in a physical way. Being an extreme recluse, this was a huge step for me. Stepping out of the silent shadows and taking on a serious responsibility to cultivate the thing that has carried me through all of my years. With the help of some woodworking friends we built shelves, my friend Ryan Locklear volunteered his time to keep it open when I was unavailable and we stocked new vinyl, put the word out that bands could come and play and before you know it, this thing was real.
It is a great fortune that Travis and Sondra Aten met with me one day to discuss moving the vinyl shop into their store called Collective Clothing. Through all of the fight and struggle, good times and bad, my days were numbered. Though they did not know it at the time, they completely saved it from going the way of the dinosaur and disappearing.
We packed up everything from my location in Cleveland, TN and are now located within Collective Clothing and it is a perfect combo of vintage clothing with new vinyl from modern artists. It also allows me a touch of connection to the Chattanooga area that was not available to me beforehand and I can return to my reclusive natural state. Haha! The records simply materialize there weekly!
Do you run Inherent Records by yourself or do you have help to run this with you.
At this stage, Collective Clothing and their staff handle all of the day to day business of selling but every single album is sorted, researched, purchased and restocked by me personally. I live about an hour from the shop and will make weekly rounds to take care of business, restock, clean, organize and other business things.
Do you feature all areas of music within your store?
This is one area I am a bit more specific about. Though I tend to be open minded, the store's curated stock is a reflection of music that I either would or do personally own and listen to. I'd like to think that, as a patron of the store, you can walk in and grab anything from 95% of the shelves and find it will land in the "Worth a listen" category, if you are open minded for a listening adventure.
What is the most popular physical media that is sold within your store? CD, Cassette or Vinyl.
We are basically a vinyl exclusive shop. We do carry a few cassettes and compact discs as a platform to support local releases and a few non vinyl releases or something related. Maybe a cool disc or tape someone will pick up on their travels for the car or something of the sort. That's not our focus though.
I started the shop as people told me "No one buys music anymore." so it has been interesting to hear, "Vinyl boom is upon us" every few months mixed with "Sales are slacking" every few months. Meanwhile, the majority of us are enjoying the process. My library consists of vinyl, tapes, compact discs, a streaming option on the phone and countless mix tapes and CD-r's handed to me with the subtext, "Hey man, check this out." It's great to be part of the process and hope everyone continues to support the artists. If they change, we will change in an effort to tag along. Until then, maybe some folks will check out our unboxing videos on the YouTube page!
What is the record store scene like in Chattanooga, Tennessee and the surrounding areas. Do you have a network of friends and business colleagues you can call for advice for information.
The record community tends to be very supportive, all around. Many of the people who have helped me and connected along the way are all over the world. We have multiple shops in Chattanooga that are all doing very well and seem to have different lanes naturally. Some stick to major titles, others dig around the edges a bit and then there are specialty sellers of specific genres. It’s cool to see so many locals support small businesses in our area. We all want to see each other do well. Again, it feels good to see your people do well.
Do you have any helpful advice to anyone who wants to start a record label or open a record store like you have.
Make sure your heart is in it. It’s gonna be a fight with yourself daily. Be that a battle of finance, long days, burn out, storage, how to move units, so many things that, on the surface, seem like an endless struggle. As long as your heart is in it, you can shake all of that off and keep going. If not, it’s gonna be a super painful wake up call. Reach out to friends, businesses, anyone you can think of to ask reasonable questions. You may find they inspire you and provide direction to many unanswered questions, your excitement overshadowed.
This is the advice I recently shared with my friend John Rollan who opened Skeletunes Records. Hold all of the money you are willing to invest in your label or store in your hand. Now imagine your life if it completely disappeared with zero return. If that idea makes your life unstable then think twice. If it does not impact your life in a negative way, physically or emotionally, then you know one of the possible outcomes already. If it still seems worth the loss, you’ll be fine because it’s a fun experience and you’ll meet a ton of interesting people along the way. You have now made an agreement with yourself. The next chapter of this outcome is to be determined by your actions that follow. He seems to be doing well, by the way!
Which physical media do you prefer – Cassette, CD or Vinyl.
Vinyl and cassette. My library of vinyl is way more vast than any other media but I truly love cassettes also and have a large library of them too. I’ve always been a fan of making mixtapes, which is now what I refer to as my podcast, when time allows it. I’m not tied to any format though. Albums sound different on different media and I’ve found favorites within each that fall flat on other others.
KOZA
You’re also part of the fantastic Sludge/Stoner Metal Band KOZA. How did you become part of KOZA.
So happy you enjoyed listening! It’s been such a wonderful experience for me. I had basically given up on being in a band other than ambient solo work as Earth Builder. My long time friend Russ Cannon (guitar) met me at the record store one day and asked if I could drop by because KOZA needed a bass player. My first response was regarding time. I did not want to commit unless it could be an honest commitment. All in. We agreed he would try one more guy and if it did not work out I promised to have a jam session and use that as a gauge for what it could be. Turns out, both myself and our drummer, Chris Ross, arrived on the same day to jam. The two remaining guys, Brooks Rose (vocals) who I’ve also known for many years and Russ, sat us down and discussed what they wanted. That was the first time I had met Chris and he and I felt like a completely natural rhythm section on day one. KOZA have been at it since that day. Jamming, writing, touring, basically enjoying what we craft. I often tell them how much it reminds me of being a teenager and raging in the basement. A loud amp and nothing else matters until the session is over. A true gift and pleasure to share with friends.
Are you guys still active. As I loved your 2021 album Calcification Of The Human Ghost. Such a dark and daring record that has a lot to say with bleak grooves to match.
We are very active on our weekly schedule and very reclusive, unintentionally. We play shows any time they can be worked out with family. Calcification landed during a strange period in the world. When everything shut down we decided to focus on writing and recording. We are currently in the process of recording our next album now. All that remains is the mixing stage. Very excited to share the new songs and let everyone in on what we have been raging away with in the jam room.
What is the creative process or setup within the band? Do you write the music together or do certain people within the band do that.
We all contribute riffs, songs, rearrange, add, subtract, etc. The three players all play multiple instruments which helps us direct traffic for songs we write individually or riffs we bring to the table. A lot happens in the room at that point. A complete song is always dissected and put back together in a new fashion. In that regard, we all touch the writing process. Vocals are the only thing that remains an individual effort. A lyric may change to fit a riff or an arrangement may change to fit a lyric but, to my knowledge, Brooks writes every word that is spoken. He shares those with us and it’s always powerful.
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What is the local Hard Rock and Heavy Metal scene like in your hometown. Is there a thriving gig scene and community that allows you to perform regularly or do you have to travel further afield to perform on a regular basis.
This area has always been very active with creative people. Not a genre thing but more like a support system. Some shows will mix metal and rock, punk and hip hop, it’s all a blur of lines and that’s because we are all friends. As a music fan, it’s a fun thing. There are a few venues here that absolutely champion the local artists. We are very fortunate to have them in our corner. Be sure to throw a few bucks in the tip jar if you enjoy the venue. Every little bit helps and the bands playing are likely taking the door money.
What bands or artists influenced you to pick up an instrument and to become a musician.
My older brother would be the first influence that got me playing. Thrasher Magazine and Igor’s Record Collection were inspirational to finding my path within it. Once the door was open I found myself listening to a lot of skate rock, crossover punk and heavy metal in the late 80’s. Black Sabbath, M.O.D., Suicidal Tendencies, Beastie Boys, Black Flag, Metallica, Iron Maiden and Jane’s Addiction. Later influences in the early 90’s would be Neurosis, Grief, Kyuss, Melvins and Buzzoven. There is a lot to unpack in all of these eras. I’m keeping this list slim.
Do you have any side projects that folks can check out.
The only other active musical project I have is Earth Builder. It’s an ambient, experimental, synth project. Though it started under a different name, it was the original catalyst that led to my starting the Inherent Records label.
Misc Questions.
How do you relax away from the crazy world of music. As we all need time away to chill out.
Whenever possible, my wife and I will sit on the front porch with the dog and talk or read books. We walk a bit. I have a few classic monster movie and b-movie magazines that I keep up with. Cooking, listen to music as a passive activity (yeah, I know, right?), and goof around in the yard. Anytime possible, I’ll wake up and have coffee on the porch and listen to the breeze, the birds or a Beck album. Toss up between Morning Phase or Sea Change. I’ll drop in on Modern Guilt too. He has a great discography. If left alone with control of the TV on an open Saturday I will stream Jeff Grosso's series Love Letters to Skateboarding all day long and not flinch. It’s a true gift to the history of skateboarding. If I relax too much I will start a new project that is time consuming so I keep my schedule stacked.
Thanks for doing this interview Bobby. Much appreciated.
Thank you for allowing me this honor to chat with you, Steve. Outlaws of the Sun is a stellar blog and your work is a true companion to a thriving music world.