An Interview with Cameron Thomson of Familiar Spirit
What happens if you think you’re doing an interview, but then you think you’re not doing an interview and you have a few beers, but then suddenly you’re doing the interview again…?
Sarah met up with Familiar Spirit frontman Cameron. After too many pints.
“Cameron, it’s lovely to meet you! What can you tell me about your band?”
That’s a really vague question.
“Erm……….”
We’re Familiar Spirit, based in London. We’ve done some recordings recently with Randy LeBeouf from Graphic Nature Audio in New Jersey. He has produced some really brilliant bands, like Northlane. It’s the same studio Lamb of God use as well.
“That’s really impressive though! How did you end up recording there?”
“Just through the right contacts! Our management put us in contact with the right people. Randy has become a very good friend of mine and that’s ended up with us making a killer set of music”
“How did you get the gig supporting Mushroomhead?”
“We’re booking through Artery Global, which is an absolutely huge booking agency. One thing lead to another…
“Are you enjoying the tour so far then?”
“It’s been absolutely massive! It was our first time in Leeds. We’ve already been to Manchester a couple of times. Every single response from the crowd has been fucking amazing. The people who have been there have been there from the start of the night, staying until the end of the night. It’s been such a solid decent and generally nice response from everybody, such good engagement. It’s been wicked to come and play to these kind of crowds”
“For our readers at home who haven’t heard you before, how would you describe your sound?”
“Early 2000s meets the Isle of Skye… That hits the spot. We’ve got the rapping, we’ve got a bit of screaming, we’ve got a bit of the metalcore influence from the late 00s. We’re focused on building the atmosphere through the music the whole time. Think snap back bands, meeting the boys in the flannel shirts. That’s what we want!”
“What are you guys working on at the moment?”
“It’s a given that there is new music! I can’t say for certain what’s coming up, but at the moment the biggest and best bits of the band are coming through stronger than they ever have before. That’s heavier rapping, heavier music, bigger atmosphere. That’s what we want, we want to give the people that they respond the best to and that’s what we’re going to deliver next time.
“Who are your current musical influences?”
“We like all the way from deathcore to nightcore, anime girl shit right the way through to death metal. We’re always jamming Deftones, love a bit of them. Love a bit of Pouya. Some of the new Northlane is kicking at the moment, they are delivering on that new album!!! My boy Randy in Trade Wind, who did our album, he is bringing the heat with some of his new stuff. He’s fucking incredible”
“Can you tell me one crazy tour story?”
“We are generally very respectful actually, we’re respectful of the people who put on the shows…. But… Nah, we’re pretty boring…”
“Mate… you’re a bit drunk… I’m a bit drunk… there’s got to be a funny story to end this interview with…”
*20 SECONDS OF THE WORLDS MOST AWKWARD SILENCE*
“No, we’re really fucking nice to people”
“And I believe you! Thank you so much for talking to Rockflesh this evening, hopefully we’ll see you again soon!”
Interview by Sarah Cummings