Interview with lead guitarist Alex Kewley

Interview by: Jeremy Edwards - Scale Records | Sense Music Media

Right now, while the majority of us are in our homes, it’s possible that bands and musicians can lose motivation and momentum but it’s certainly not all doom and gloom; and in the case of Gold Coast prog-rock quartet Mass Sky Raid, there are obvious signs of brighter future.

Mass Sky Raid are coming up on their tenth year together and while they still consider themselves a newer band, over that time they’ve released a brilliant debut EP - Courage Under Fire - and a number of singles, as well as their first full-length release Science of Fiction. Right now, the guys are in the studio, almost at the end of the production phase of their sophomore full-length album.

The Interview

We caught up with guitarist Alex Kewley, who took us through the band's early days and the production of their music to date. They have worked with some of the current stock of the Australian Music Industry’s engineering luminaries including Matt Bartlem, Forrester Savell and Luke Palmer. The majority of their music was recorded at Loose Stones Studio, in Burleigh, Queensland.

Kewley follows with a quick comment on their first full-length release Science Of Fiction:

The band had an anticipated timeline for the release Science Of Fiction, however recording the album was far from a smooth process for both them and the production team. In fact the album was essentially recorded twice:

MASS SKY RAID have toured the east coast in the past with great reception, although they didn’t get much of a chance to tour Science Of Fiction after it’s release for a few reasons:

Often times when members leave a band, it’s over some kind of internal drama or issue. In the case of MASS SKY RAID’s ex-drummer Morgan Blake, the bond is clearly still there. It’s great to hear band members speak highly of each other after a ‘break-up’:

Unfortunately, there was a break in transmission at that point, but we took up again with a short tease of a new drummer:

Kewley gives some insight into ways to stay productive, including mention of another Brisbane band who are doing great things right now:

What else can be done?

In the following clip, Kewley talks about working out how to get through any of the current restrictions people might be facing at the moment, one main one being financial income.

The Queensland government offers funding and grants for projects, the details of which can be found here https://www.qmusic.com.au/grants.

There you can find information on the annual Grant and Funding as well as information relating to funding during the COVID-19 situation provided by the Queensland government.

There is another really good point in that previous clip. A very good tip for younger bands lies in not being afraid to go back over everything you’ve ever made to look for new songs. There’s that ‘fresh ears’ approach as well as the fact that musicians are likely to be more accomplished and find even better ways to express the songs they are creating.

Kewley continues the discussion with details of their current production phase including an interesting story that illustrates just how tight the Queensland music scene is:

To continue the sentiment of how it is still very possible to record and release music, the guys have used a few different studios and techniques to keep momentum flowing Loose Stones Studio, where Science Of Fiction was recorded has since been sold as is now known as StudioOne16. Kewley also mentions Studio Circuit in Burleigh, QLD and mistakenly mentions ‘Love Studio’ but was checked to mean Lush Recording Studios in Albion, QLD.

For those who aren’t quite sure of ways to get around your normal recording process, Kewley provides some ideas on what you can think about doing.

We rounded out the conversation with a summary of one of the themes of the interview. There's a great opportunity now to go back over the music you’ve made, to have a look at your overall achievements to date and then, like these guys, be able to say that everything you’ve done has brought you to this point:

There’s no confirmed release date at this stage, but you’re going to want to keep an eye out for it. These guys are just getting better and better. Put them on your list of bands to see as soon as you possibly can!

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