ETHOS – An in-depth conversation with the orchestra
Ralph Beauchamp
Spirit are a dynamic five-piece band from Atlanta who just released their new EP called Eye for an Eye. The band consists of Austen Earp (vocals/keys), Kuyper Cummings (guitar), Matt Palopoli (guitar), Nick Riggs (bass) and Tribb Robison (drums). Their sounds defy categorization. SpiritThe use of powerful guitar riffs, demanding vocals and exotic soundscapes creates a massive explosion of sound. Their songwriting is heartbreaking and their brilliant arrangements convey a profound ferocity.
Spirit‘Recent efforts, Eye for an Eye, a true testament to the band’s bold musical exploration. All five songs reflect the band’s strong melodic aims. “Begin With the End” is filled with fiery vocals and an avalanche of propulsion. Robinson’s drumming is filled with existential fervor. The musicianship is relentless. Plus, the track is booming everywhere. “Holy Water” is a sonic beast with a muscular texture and cinematic sound. The song is both dramatic and full of mysterious rhythms.
The next three songs make up the “Archetype Suite”. This huge epic shows Spirit. The Suite displays a strong sense of orchestral drama by introducing characters and narratives hidden within interesting compositional themes. Fearless grandeur turns to contemplative silence Spirit Exploring songwriting with a vibrant tenacity that – as their name suggests – showcases their ability to create intensely emotional listening experiences.
Spirit It was an honor to join AMP for this in-depth conversation.
AMP: Can you give our readers a brief history of the band?
Spirit: Austin and Matt met in college and started Spirit Year 2009. As a four piece we wrote and self produced our first full length album. Matt left the band at some point in 2014 but worked on finishing recording our second full-length album, Shade and Soil (2017).
Kuyper Cummings, vocalist and lead guitarist of Knoxville band Cerulia, stepped in to contribute during the recording process and became a full-time member. Matt rejoined the band in 2019 and we started writing the five-piece material for “An Eye for An Eye” in 2020. Some singles are hiding there.
AMP: Your music spans many genres and themes. How would you describe your sound?
Spirit: It’s always difficult to put a definite label on it, it really depends on the song, but we’re mostly in the realm of modern alternative rock, with a lot of prog influences, metal leanings, and often an emphasis on piano-driven productions.
AMP: Your new EP is Eye for an Eye. Can you give us some insight into this release?
Spirit: The process for this work began in 2020. Like all our previous releases, this was a highly collaborative process that was frustrating at times, but also beautiful. Our motto is “Try No matter what”. The EP also continues the other three parts of Archetype Suite, a sci-fi/fantasy musical concept that started with our last release and will continue.
AMP: How does your creative process work?
Spirit: Historically, many of our songs started on the piano and were presented to the band as a whole, or started entirely in a guitar riff-based jam. In recent years, we’ve passed a lot of ideas back and forth over the remote end before the five of us got into a room to hammer out the details. When everyone is excited about something, ideas flow effortlessly and that’s the litmus test that we’re onto something. It’s highly collaborative and no matter where the idea starts, once the team gets a grip on it, the song takes on a life of its own.
AMP: There seems to be a sink-or-sink mentality in today’s music industry. Has this realism had any impact on the dynamics of the band?
Spirit: I think it’s important to first define what success looks like for a band. For us, we love the music we make and it brings us together like a family – we’ve all been friends for years and have been making music together since 2009. It’s hard work to do that but at the core of our band, we love the music and each other and we want to be honest in our writing. This makes getting our music heard the “icing on the cake”.
AMP: What themes do you incorporate into your songwriting?
Spirit: There are a lot of musical themes in our work, especially in the prototype kits. Our signature sound is very melancholy, almost reminiscent of a romantic era of music. Progressive, heavy, piano driven. Austen was also a great lyricist and incorporated a lot of word painting. His work is very poetic and often existential. You might see science fiction, self-reflection, themes of doubt, exposure of greed and corruption, love, betrayal.
AMP: Where does your inspiration come from?
Spirit: Each of us may have different inspirations, but as well as the obvious musical influences and trying to hone our craft and break new ground with each new release, we all have huge interests outside of music, such as film, art and literature , these will definitely inspire creativity. Sometimes it’s daily experiences and reflections
AMP: Is there an album the band wishes they had written?
Spirit: Of course, we all have some albums that are extremely important to us personally, but we all agree that some of the albums we wish we’d written include “Karnivool” – Sound soberMuse – pardon and Soundgarden – super unknown.
AMP: What do you hope your fans take away from your music?
Spirit: when we started Spirit, our main goal is to make our audience “feel” something. We want to make music that we love, we love writing stuff that you don’t hear every day. The ancient Greeks believed that music has the power to influence the soul, hence the name “Ethos”. Ultimately, we want people to enjoy it, be inspired by it, and take them on their own journey while listening.
AMP: What’s next for Ethos?
Spirit: We have started writing new music and continue to explore different musical avenues and push boundaries. So far there has been a tendency towards more atmosphere and simpler song structures that introduce complexity into the harmonies, whereas the next The Archetype Suite material will continue to use the heavier sounds of piano and more orchestral and dramatic elements. We also hope to return to the stage at some point but have not planned any shows yet.
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