This is a page header.
Monday, October 6th 2008
The Vincent Black Shadow Rides Again
After the collapse of BodogMusic, Vancouver’s own The Vincent Black Shadow
refused to accept the failure of their former label as a death sentence to
their career. With their sophomore release El Monstruo recently completed,
band members Cassie Ford and the Kirkham brothers (Robbie, Tony and Chris),
faced the tough decision of either packing it in or going it alone. Having
created what they felt was their best work to date, the choice was clear.
El Monstruo shows a maturity in songwriting that shows off more than just a
cabaret-rock fusion that was largely present on their debut, Fear’s in the
Water. This time around, producer John Webster (Aerosmith, Motley Crue),
pushed the band to create songs that were more than just campy ideas, but
focused, musical strikes that never gave the listener an opportunity to get
bored. To help them achieve this high standard, the Kirkham’s found a
treasure trove of resources in their own backyard.
They turned to their father Ray’s connection to the Vancouver Symphony
Orchestra, to provide the live string and horn sections on songs like
“Stupid Intruders”, “Dig Dig Dig” and “Last Few Minutes”. Robbie also went
to his “other” profession, teaching, for the services of an elementary
school choir on the broadway-esque track “Pale Man”. Their own backyard also
provided the vocal talents of bass player Chris Kirkham, whose voice was
seldom heard on Fear’s in the Water, on the song “Taste of Copper” in which
the band experiments with its first “duet” between Cassie and Chris.
Continuing this line of new ideas, the lyrics also underwent some new ideas
with both Tony and Chris contributing the lyrics to the songs “In A Row” and
“Taste of Copper” respectively.
This unified approach to creating and recording El Monstruo inspired the
band to take a new approach in the release of the album.
In their struggle to make their mark in the music industry, The Vincent
Black Shadow decided to make a stand for the recording artist by walking
away from the tired traditions of the music industry and setting up their
own record label, Beef Records Inc.
More than just starting a record label, the foursome have embraced the very
device that nearly destroyed the music business- the Internet- to market and
sell El Monstruo. The term “indie” is taken to an exciting, new level with
the launching of their unique online store.
Foregoing distribution companies and record labels, the entire TVBS
experience happens in one place: www.tvbsmusic.com
. The band offers their fans the opportunity to
acquire their new album digitally, at high sound quality, directly from
their site and also provides the buyer a free copy of the album mailed
straight to their home.
Recognizing their fans as their greatest resource, The Vincent Black Shadow
hosted an exclusive online listening party for El Monstruo in which fans
could not only listen to the new album, but also interact with the band in a
real-time video chat, leave feedback on the songs and ask any question they
had for the band.
Drummer Tony Kirkham says about the video chats, “We really wanted to give
our fans the opportunity to hear the album before anyone else, because they
are the ones who are spending their hard earned dollars for our music.
Without them none of what we are doing right now would be possible.”
Singer Cassie Ford says about the fan interaction, “It’s rare that you ever
get to directly ask an artist questions about anything. We’re trying to lift
that veil in our own way and personalize the exchange of art and feedback
between us and our fans.”
They hit the road this fall for the El Mons-Tour 2008 with fellow
Vancouverites, Nim Vind, which begins in late October and will take them
throughout the west coast as they support El Monstruo.
Inquiring minds can get more info on The Vincent Black Shadow, Beef Records
Inc. and the new online store at their website www.tvbsmusic.com
or www.myspace.com/tvbs.