The Ocean Cure – RE: Discover

By starrymag | June 6, 2019

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) We’re definitely a blend of several different genres. If we had to put a blanket statement on it, we’re post-hardcore. However, we like to incorporate more pop elements to our sound to make it a unique experience for people listening to our music.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) We all have different backgrounds in terms of influence. Some of the major ones include Counterparts, Erra and Tonight Alive.  Counterparts and Erra have always been favorites of ours.  The guitar work that comes out of both of those bands has such an incredible blend of heavy and pretty parts. We think that aspect definitely comes through in our own music as well. Tonight Alive also pushes the boundaries of pop and rock, which is something we draw a lot of inspiration from.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Structures.”

 

A) “Structures” has a few different underlying themes within the story. The song is loosely based on the movie Inception. We talk about being unsure of the line between imagination and reality. We draw similarities between that idea and topics of mental health, specifically anxiety that causes that sense of being unsure of what is real and what we’re creating in our own minds.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) I think there’s a lot of lyrics within Structures that people can connect with. Especially in today’s world where a lot of us are “broken” for lack of a better word. Music has always been a place where I can go to get my mind off of things that are taking a toll on my mental well-being and that’s what we’re trying to do with this song. There’s comfort in knowing that we’re not alone in feeling this way.

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

 

A) We really wanted to draw attention to what we were talking about in the song. With all of the incredible visuals within the movie inception itself, we tried to give a nod to that. Having all of those objects suspended around us was definitely a challenge to perform around while we were shooting, but we’re super proud of how it came out and hope that everyone enjoys it as much as we do.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics? 

 

A) We don’t really have a set “formula” in terms of writing, and I think that’s a big part of why our sound is the way it is. We all have an equal part in bringing ideas to the band and each song has its own development process. Sometimes a song will start out with a vocal melody or sometimes it will start with a guitar riff, but at the end of the day whatever it takes to make a great song is what we’re going to do.

 

Q) You worked with producer Sam Guiana on your forthcoming EP RE: Discover, but how much of hand do you have in the production of your music? 

 

A) Sam was absolutely incredible to work with. He helped bring our vision to life and we can’t thank him enough for the role he played in making this happen. RE: Discover was largely produced by the band itself. We all have backgrounds in recording and the creation happened in a lot of different places. I (Casius) built most of the recordings from the ground up in terms of tracking and the entire band had a hand in the arrangement.  Sam handled tracking of the drums and also did all the mixing on the EP. John Nada mastered all the songs and a big thanks goes out to him as well!

 

Q) The EP covers topics like anxiety, fear, planet preservation and more. Why were these ideas so important for you to give a voice to?

 

A) I think that we all have a responsibility to draw awareness to the problems within the world that we live in. This place is our home and it’s the only one we’ve got, so it’s up to us to make sure that we leave behind a viable place to live for the ones who come after us.  In regards to anxiety and fear, mental health awareness is something that the band takes very seriously.  We have members that live with mental illness, so we understand the hurdles that come with it.  Like we mentioned earlier there’s solace in knowing we’re not alone, so we try to put that message across in our music.

 

Q) What can fans expect from a live The Ocean Cure performance?

 

A) If I had to put it in a word – “fun.” That’s why we started doing this in the first place, to have fun. We’re all incredibly energetic when we’re performing. At the end of the day, we’re there to put on a great show. And we’re always trying to one-up ourselves. It’s pretty hard to put into words, but the best way to find out is to come through and party with us!

 

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from listening to your new EP as a whole?

 

A) Overall, we want people to know that it’s okay to not be okay and that it’s okay to place importance on keeping our planet safe.  We really hope that people will be on board with the direction that we’re taking the band in. This EP is very different from Daydreamer, but we believe that it still maintains the essence of what The Ocean Cure is.

 

Q) The EP comes out on June 14. How will you celebrate the release?

 

A) We’re gonna have a release show in our hometown Toronto on June 22nd, at The Hard Luck bar. Joining us will be some of our closest friends: The Northern, Relapse and Lost Light. We want to be surrounded by the people that helped us get to this point, and we think this is the best way to do that. We’re also gonna be talking about tours over the next little while, details for that will be announced once we solidify things.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) There are so many people/bands that we can list off for this one. Counterparts is definitely on the top of our list. We’ve also tossed around the idea of collaborating with a rapper, no one specific. We just think that would be awesome. Drake, if you’re reading this, hit us up.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

 

A) Right now I’m (Casius) really digging Ice Nine Kills latest release The Silver Scream. I just think the concept of it was really well thought-out. I’ve always been a pretty big horror fan, so to hear songs inspired by some of the greats is just a really fun time. The guitar work is incredible and Spencer [Charnas] is an amazing vocalist.

 

Pauline [Taylor] is usually bumping whichever latest Ariana Grande track is out.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) Connecting with people is definitely one of the greatest things that comes along with being a musician. We meet people from different walks of life brought together by one common love of music. So, we try to embrace that as much as we can. There’s nothing cooler than knowing someone halfway across the world likes what you do. Social media makes the world so much smaller and easily accessible, and it’s absolutely incredible.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) A resounding thank you from all of us. Seriously, the only reason that we’re able to do what we do is because we have the support that we do. Without them we probably wouldn’t exist. So, thanks for giving us the opportunity to be us.

 

 

ALL QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY BASS PLAYER/VOCALIST CASIUS WRAY-MUTO