“Laurestine” is indeed one of the strangest & darkest albums that you’ll come across this year. It’s hard to explain with words what So Hideous have created so I think it’s better to listen to their new album and enter their dark, atmospheric, symphonic & extreme world. The band’s composer, guitarist & keyboardist, Brandon Cruz, talked to Grande Rock and clarified several things about the new album and the band’s further musical evolution…
Hi Brandon… welcome to Grande Rock. First of all, I’d like to ask you, which are the new elements that you introduce with your new album “Laurestine”?
B: Thanks to you and Grande Rock for the interview. “Laurestine” is the end game of a specific sound we’ve been trying to achieve for nearly a decade. Through a confluence of factors we were able to make it happen the way we originally envisioned this time.
And which are the differences between your debut “Last Poem/First Light” and the new one “Laurestine”?
B: “Last Poem/First Light” was a stepping stone and took a more primitive, straightforward approach still very much rooted in being a four piece band. On “Laurestine” we were less interested in the rock band thing and more into making an uninterrupted symphonic work that incorporates harsher or more abrasive elements. We approached “Laurestine” differently from previous records to be more in line with a chamber record/film score.
In a time when technology is mostly used to make the life of the musicians easier, how did you decide to use a 30-piece orchestra on your new album? Are the final results better that you expected compared to what they could have been with the use of synth?
B: This is like asking someone why they would take a once in a life time trip to Norway to see the Northern Lights when they could instead stay home and watch a camera phone filmed clip on Youtube. The results with the real ensemble are absolutely better and the experience was truly a dream come true.
Given the chance which is that 30-piece orchestra and how was the cooperation with them during the recordings?
B: We had very seasoned, talented players and are grateful they lent their expertise to our compositions. For our purposes, we do not require much cooperation or collaboration insofar as all the music is written out on notation beforehand, finalized and ready to go, they just have to play.
How did you come up with the album title “Laurestine” and what does it declare?
B: The “Laurestine” flower is known as the deathless flower as it grows in harsh conditions, it endures. This tied into the imagery we were exploring in writing an album about the 7 minutes of brain activity after the heart stops.
Can you explain the hidden messages of the cover artwork… with the triangle, the golden flower, and the two hands that try to reach each other?
B: When I was describing the feel of the album and possible ideas for the cover, it kept coming back to Terrence Malick, the opening credits from season 1 of HBO’s “The Leftovers” and the Sistine Chapel. The Laurestine flower represents all the themes of transcending death so we had to place it front and center. The Laurestine flower represents all the themes of transcending death so we had to place it front and center. The triangle is very interesting and when researching the symbolism behind it you come across all sorts of silly bullshit and on the other hand profound connections to ascension and three sided numerology. It’s all this in a blender.
Do describe each track with just a couple of words…
B: “Yesteryear”: Baroque and Cecilia Bartoli…
“Here After”: 7 6 7 7/ fun to play…
“Relinquish”: William Wallace…
“The Keepsake”: Romantic era colour…
“Falling Cedars”: Magic/Time stopping…
“The True Pierce”: The album’s pop song…
“A Faint Whisper”: Beethoven’s 9th!
You say that you have an “unorthodox composition style”. Can you give a hint about your songwriting formula in general?
B: We’ve never said we have an unorthodox compositional style, that’s what journalists have painted it as... for us it’s completely natural and simply the way things are. I write the songs initially on piano or synth, start the sheet music notation and lastly present them to the band and we spend sometimes rewarding/sometimes tedious nights at rehearsal extrapolating on those concepts as a four piece.
The album was recorded by Dean Baltulonis (Lucero, Sick of It All) and by Chris Montgomery (Lily Allen, Mumford & Sons). Who did the mixing, the mastering and the production? Are you totally satisfied by the final outcome? Did it you reach the sound that you had in mind in the first place?
B: Dean recorded and mixed the band. Chris M recorded and mixed the strings. Dean then mixes the both of them together. Mastering was completed by Michael Judeh at Dubway. Yes and yes. We approached this album production not like that of a rock band as with “Last Poem/ First Light” but more as an ambient chamber piece and placed even more emphasis on the orchestrations and atmosphere and less emphasis on the guitar - bass - drum aspects.
Are you planning to release any concept video and if yes for which one of the tracks?
B: This is still in the infancy stage but the roundabout answer is: Yes.
How would you describe your band’s music style to someone that hasn’t heard of you before?
B: Like someone having a total collapse and holding the crowd hostage during Bach’s mass in B minor.
What are you future touring plans? Do you plan to play in Europe too at some point?
B: We do. This being worked out and when it is, dates will be announced.
What are the expectations from “Laurestine” and what do you wish to achieve with So Hideous in long term?
B: The expectations for “Laurestine” were for it to simply be made as we saw fit and be given the chance to find an audience. For So Hideous, we wish to continue in having an outlet for our ideas and allow them to develop in a way that is true to our will.
So what’s next for So Hideous musically? I’m sure you do not want to repeat yourselves. Do you have in mind how you will go on musically from now on or is it too early to think of that?
B: For the future we want to explore more by way of rhythm, electronics, romantic era orchestrations, Penderecki style dissonances, baroque chorale harmony, foreign instrumentation and vintage synth work in addition to the foundation we’ve established.
The album seems to be a “love it or hate it” entirely. There’s no middle road. What do you have to say to those who haven’t really “comprehended” the album and they make all those meaningless comparisons to bands, sounds, scores etc. in order to prove “something”?
B: If someone doesn’t enjoy the music I’m certain a few words won’t change that... the majority of the issues stem from their expectations of us being something we’ve never claimed to be and really only serve to bring their limitations as listeners or in many cases as writers to light. If you’ve only heard a handful of bands, stick to certain genres or have limited diversity in what you listen to overall or do poor research then naturally you’ll only make comparisons to the most “popular" of that style. It’s lazy.
Time for our “weird questions”!!! Why did you change your name from So Hideous, My Love to So Hideous and what does it mean to you?
B: We received a cease and desist letter from the company the film was based on (a documentary about director Dario Argento) and had to either change the name or shorten it.
Which are the top 3 extreme metal albums of all time?
B: Don’t know, not really my thing.
Which is the record you wish you had written and why?
B: Radiohead – “Kid A”. There are so many interesting things from so many different aspects of music colliding in an exciting way. It was also a time when there was still a sense of mystery behind album releases and there was less online snark and trolling; people, even if they weren’t into it, were genuinely interested in the work.
Were you obliged to give just one album to extraterrestrials that would represent the whole human music, which album would it be and from which band/artist?
B: Beethoven’s 9th symphony. This was bold madness but still very human in its longing for something greater.
Fill in the phrase… “Extreme music wouldn’t have evolved the way it did, if it hadn’t been for…”
B: Avant Garde composers freeing up dissonance.
If you could be any historical person, which one would you be and why?
B: Alexander the Great. Even if you fail, aim high.
If you had the chance to travel in time… where would you choose to go? To the past or the future and why?
B: I’m definitely more interested in the future to see if humanity blows it.
What’s the worst thing one can say right after sex?
B: Check please.
You have the opportunity to sleep with the movie-celebrity/porn-star of your choice. Who would it be & why?
B: Rashida Jones. She’s dope.
Which character from the “Game of Thrones” would you have been – if you lived in the Seven Kingdoms?
B: How many guys say Oberyn?
Which of the Seven Deadly Sins do you reckon is the one, that’s more likely to send you straight to Hell, in the afterlife?
B: Wrath. Road rage.
Imagine that your girlfriend/wife/life partner is selling your whole album-collection just to buy an expensive ring for herself. How would you react?
B: There’s no chance of that shit ever happening.
It was nice talking to you Brandon. Wish you the best for the future to come. Do say anything you feel like saying before we close. Take care!
B: I’d like to thank the listeners and readers at Grande Rock for giving us your time. We put a lot of work into “Laurestine” and are very thankful to be able to share this work with others. Thank you, Brandon.
B: Thanks to you and Grande Rock for the interview. “Laurestine” is the end game of a specific sound we’ve been trying to achieve for nearly a decade. Through a confluence of factors we were able to make it happen the way we originally envisioned this time.
And which are the differences between your debut “Last Poem/First Light” and the new one “Laurestine”?
B: “Last Poem/First Light” was a stepping stone and took a more primitive, straightforward approach still very much rooted in being a four piece band. On “Laurestine” we were less interested in the rock band thing and more into making an uninterrupted symphonic work that incorporates harsher or more abrasive elements. We approached “Laurestine” differently from previous records to be more in line with a chamber record/film score.
In a time when technology is mostly used to make the life of the musicians easier, how did you decide to use a 30-piece orchestra on your new album? Are the final results better that you expected compared to what they could have been with the use of synth?
B: This is like asking someone why they would take a once in a life time trip to Norway to see the Northern Lights when they could instead stay home and watch a camera phone filmed clip on Youtube. The results with the real ensemble are absolutely better and the experience was truly a dream come true.
Given the chance which is that 30-piece orchestra and how was the cooperation with them during the recordings?
B: We had very seasoned, talented players and are grateful they lent their expertise to our compositions. For our purposes, we do not require much cooperation or collaboration insofar as all the music is written out on notation beforehand, finalized and ready to go, they just have to play.
How did you come up with the album title “Laurestine” and what does it declare?
B: The “Laurestine” flower is known as the deathless flower as it grows in harsh conditions, it endures. This tied into the imagery we were exploring in writing an album about the 7 minutes of brain activity after the heart stops.
Can you explain the hidden messages of the cover artwork… with the triangle, the golden flower, and the two hands that try to reach each other?
B: When I was describing the feel of the album and possible ideas for the cover, it kept coming back to Terrence Malick, the opening credits from season 1 of HBO’s “The Leftovers” and the Sistine Chapel. The Laurestine flower represents all the themes of transcending death so we had to place it front and center. The Laurestine flower represents all the themes of transcending death so we had to place it front and center. The triangle is very interesting and when researching the symbolism behind it you come across all sorts of silly bullshit and on the other hand profound connections to ascension and three sided numerology. It’s all this in a blender.
Do describe each track with just a couple of words…
B: “Yesteryear”: Baroque and Cecilia Bartoli…
“Here After”: 7 6 7 7/ fun to play…
“Relinquish”: William Wallace…
“The Keepsake”: Romantic era colour…
“Falling Cedars”: Magic/Time stopping…
“The True Pierce”: The album’s pop song…
“A Faint Whisper”: Beethoven’s 9th!
You say that you have an “unorthodox composition style”. Can you give a hint about your songwriting formula in general?
B: We’ve never said we have an unorthodox compositional style, that’s what journalists have painted it as... for us it’s completely natural and simply the way things are. I write the songs initially on piano or synth, start the sheet music notation and lastly present them to the band and we spend sometimes rewarding/sometimes tedious nights at rehearsal extrapolating on those concepts as a four piece.
The album was recorded by Dean Baltulonis (Lucero, Sick of It All) and by Chris Montgomery (Lily Allen, Mumford & Sons). Who did the mixing, the mastering and the production? Are you totally satisfied by the final outcome? Did it you reach the sound that you had in mind in the first place?
B: Dean recorded and mixed the band. Chris M recorded and mixed the strings. Dean then mixes the both of them together. Mastering was completed by Michael Judeh at Dubway. Yes and yes. We approached this album production not like that of a rock band as with “Last Poem/ First Light” but more as an ambient chamber piece and placed even more emphasis on the orchestrations and atmosphere and less emphasis on the guitar - bass - drum aspects.
Are you planning to release any concept video and if yes for which one of the tracks?
B: This is still in the infancy stage but the roundabout answer is: Yes.
How would you describe your band’s music style to someone that hasn’t heard of you before?
B: Like someone having a total collapse and holding the crowd hostage during Bach’s mass in B minor.
What are you future touring plans? Do you plan to play in Europe too at some point?
B: We do. This being worked out and when it is, dates will be announced.
What are the expectations from “Laurestine” and what do you wish to achieve with So Hideous in long term?
B: The expectations for “Laurestine” were for it to simply be made as we saw fit and be given the chance to find an audience. For So Hideous, we wish to continue in having an outlet for our ideas and allow them to develop in a way that is true to our will.
So what’s next for So Hideous musically? I’m sure you do not want to repeat yourselves. Do you have in mind how you will go on musically from now on or is it too early to think of that?
B: For the future we want to explore more by way of rhythm, electronics, romantic era orchestrations, Penderecki style dissonances, baroque chorale harmony, foreign instrumentation and vintage synth work in addition to the foundation we’ve established.
The album seems to be a “love it or hate it” entirely. There’s no middle road. What do you have to say to those who haven’t really “comprehended” the album and they make all those meaningless comparisons to bands, sounds, scores etc. in order to prove “something”?
B: If someone doesn’t enjoy the music I’m certain a few words won’t change that... the majority of the issues stem from their expectations of us being something we’ve never claimed to be and really only serve to bring their limitations as listeners or in many cases as writers to light. If you’ve only heard a handful of bands, stick to certain genres or have limited diversity in what you listen to overall or do poor research then naturally you’ll only make comparisons to the most “popular" of that style. It’s lazy.
Time for our “weird questions”!!! Why did you change your name from So Hideous, My Love to So Hideous and what does it mean to you?
B: We received a cease and desist letter from the company the film was based on (a documentary about director Dario Argento) and had to either change the name or shorten it.
Which are the top 3 extreme metal albums of all time?
B: Don’t know, not really my thing.
Which is the record you wish you had written and why?
B: Radiohead – “Kid A”. There are so many interesting things from so many different aspects of music colliding in an exciting way. It was also a time when there was still a sense of mystery behind album releases and there was less online snark and trolling; people, even if they weren’t into it, were genuinely interested in the work.
Were you obliged to give just one album to extraterrestrials that would represent the whole human music, which album would it be and from which band/artist?
B: Beethoven’s 9th symphony. This was bold madness but still very human in its longing for something greater.
Fill in the phrase… “Extreme music wouldn’t have evolved the way it did, if it hadn’t been for…”
B: Avant Garde composers freeing up dissonance.
If you could be any historical person, which one would you be and why?
B: Alexander the Great. Even if you fail, aim high.
If you had the chance to travel in time… where would you choose to go? To the past or the future and why?
B: I’m definitely more interested in the future to see if humanity blows it.
What’s the worst thing one can say right after sex?
B: Check please.
You have the opportunity to sleep with the movie-celebrity/porn-star of your choice. Who would it be & why?
B: Rashida Jones. She’s dope.
Which character from the “Game of Thrones” would you have been – if you lived in the Seven Kingdoms?
B: How many guys say Oberyn?
Which of the Seven Deadly Sins do you reckon is the one, that’s more likely to send you straight to Hell, in the afterlife?
B: Wrath. Road rage.
Imagine that your girlfriend/wife/life partner is selling your whole album-collection just to buy an expensive ring for herself. How would you react?
B: There’s no chance of that shit ever happening.
It was nice talking to you Brandon. Wish you the best for the future to come. Do say anything you feel like saying before we close. Take care!
B: I’d like to thank the listeners and readers at Grande Rock for giving us your time. We put a lot of work into “Laurestine” and are very thankful to be able to share this work with others. Thank you, Brandon.