Beneath the Sky
Brittany Sturges
Dating back to 2004, the Cincinnati band Beneath the Sky recently had a big reason to celebrate. After two years of recording and playing various live shows, the band announced that they had signed with Victory Records. I was able to chat with them about the signing and about the pressures of becoming a “signed” band.
For starters, who is Beneath the Sky?
We’re a hardcore metal band, based out of Cincinnati, Ohio. We have six members: Joey Nelson (vocals), Jeff Nelson (guitar), Chris Profitt (guitar), Nick scarberry (bass, vocals), Matt Jones (keytar) and Brandon Sowder (drums).
Why call the band “Beneath the Sky?”
“Beneath the Sky” to us is more about just the way we live life. We feel that we all have a very short existence “beneath the sky” and that life is worth living and fighting for and making it worthwhile. There are too many negative things going on in the world today to let it affect us and the younger generation. And we just need to make the most of things and have fun while we are all here.
After distributing 5,000 copies, you decided to retire your four-song demo. Any reason specifically? Would you ever think of bringing it back for new fans who might be interested in getting one?
We had begun writing new music and were planning on recording a new EP sometime in the near future. The newer music we had been writing, we felt, was a better representation of us. We actually re-recorded “Miss Misery With a Delicate Voice” for our recent EP – that song was one of our original demo songs. The old demo is on a few peer-to-peer downloading programs. We are considering re-using a couple of the songs in the future, though.
You released your latest EP in 2006. How was this different than what you’ve recorded before? How has the band grown since the last recording?
Musically, it was a big progression. By then, we had been a band for a year and we had all grown together musically and collectively. The sound we were shooting for was more established on this EP. We keep growing musically with each release and you always learn things from each release that you need to work on or do better. We just try and grow as much as we can as a band. I think a lot of people will be surprised with a lot of our music we have written for our Victory debut. It still has the signature BTS sound, but just stepped up a bit in all aspects.
You recently announced that the band has signed with Victory Records. How did that deal come about?
Our management shopped our demo around to several record labels. We played a private showcase for the Victory staff in June 2006. After that, we just kept contact through email and phone conversations. They knew what our goals were as a band and what we stood for, and we felt that Victory was the perfect label for us to project our music and meaning out to the masses. We have always been big into promotion and have a major DIY attitude. Victory Records shares the same attitude and ethics we do as a band, and we•re very excited to be a part of them.
Any information you can share about the Victory debut?
It will see a January 2007 release and should be about 10 to 11 songs. Definitely the best BTS music to date.
Do you think there will be a big difference going from an unsigned band to a signed band (i.e more pressure, more shows, less time at home, etc)?
Yes, not so much pressure-wise – we’re used to that pretty much. I’d say things are more hectic now. There is a lot to get done and worked out now. We will be recording (starting in October) and will be in the studio for probably about a month. After that, we will be touring extensively. We will definitely spend the majority of our time on the road. Being signed just gives us the chance to do this everyday.
What’s the best advice you’ve received since getting involved in music?
Don’t worry about what other people say or think of you. Do it for yourself and things will pay off.
In your myspace bio, it says that the band has an intense live show [that one must see] to experience fully. What’s been your craziest show to date?
Haha, there has been a lot. Several have ended up with somebody bleeding; our keyboardist knocked out our guitarist once. You always have to watch out for flying guitars and keyboards. We put everything into our live show and always leave the stage exhausted and dripping in sweat.
You’ve toured the Midwest and the Eastern U.S… any favorite places to perform?
We love playing Dayton, OH. We’re from Cincinnati, but due to a lack of all-ages venues, Dayton is really our home away from home. We have played a lot of places with a lot of cool bands. It really doesn’t matter where we play; it’s more about the people involved with the show. We have a lot of friends all over and we always have a blast at every show.
Where do you see the band exactly one year from now?
Hopefully, touring and writing more music. We’re pumped to start touring and get around to a lot of cities we haven’t been able to visit in the past.
For more updated and information, you can visit the band’s myspace page at www.myspace.com/beneaththesky. With their new record deal, Beneath the Sky will only get bigger. After all- the sky’s the limit.
