XM: Could you start off by getting our readers up to date on how the band got started and how you came up with the name Divinity.
Sean: I started playing music and started the band back when I was in high school in 1997. Like most young metal heads, I started getting into Metallica, Pantera, and Slayer. The main inspiration for the band name came from the Pantera song "Domination" it has the lyric "a now blacked heart Is reaching out divinity." When I found out what the word means I knew it was a great fit for the band. 10 years later, we are playing dynamic progressive heavy music always growing in total domination!
XM: The band is releasing “The Singularity” this December, what was the recording process like this time around?
Sean: The recording process this time around was completely DIY style. With Sacha Laskow (Lead Guitarist) taking on the recording production, we were able to record, edit, mix and master all of our different tracks without the heavy costs of a big-time studio. We even documented the whole process and created a site called BrokeBands.com. You can see all the gear and steps it took to create our new album.
XM: “Allegory” was well received by fans and media alike, what are your expectations for “The Singularity”?
Sean: We feel this is new album far surpasses "Allegory" in dynamics and song writing quality because the songs on "The Singularity" are much more connected to what we can do as a band both musically and technically right now. Divinity has been going on for 10 years and our new album is a time stamp of the last 10 months, so we are feeling a very confident vibe with this new material.
XM: Are you still signed with Nuclear Blast? How did that happen, did they come to you , did you go to them, what’s the story?
Sean: At this point we are not signed to any label, although we are continuing to pursue the best deal we can find. Nuclear Blast initially came to us and wanted to put out "Allegory." How could we refuse? Less than a year later we went to them with our new album and they really loved it but would not move forward. We are finding that labels right now are not very interested in working with "New Talent" instead they are focused on "Name" bands that are already well established. It seems to be a growing trend among the bigger labels. All that said, we are very excited to move forward as an independent band, free to choose our own path and work with the best people we can find.
XM: I have seen a bunch of great graphics on your site and album covers, who was the brains and the hands behind this great work?
Sean: We usually find an artist to create the initial artwork for the album. For "The Singularity" we found a great graphic artist named Rafal Tomal tomaldesing.com) and he was able to create 3 artwork pieces for our CD booklet artwork and overall theme of all our graphics. Otherwise, Sacha and I are graphic designers and work with the artwork and create the rest of the graphics and websites.
XM: Are you guys still working with Outerloop Management? How did that all come about?
Sean: Outerloop Management was recommended to us by Byron Stroud (Strapping Young Lad, Fear Factory, Zimmers Hole) as he has ties with them directly. Officially, we are not working with Outerloop Management mostly because we are a self-sustaing band where we have each band member able to manage the band. That said, you always need help and people to work with and we still have a good connection with Outerloop and we will be looking for support in the near future along with many other agents.
XM: What are your views on the vast growing amount of sub-genres popping up almost daily?
Sean: It doesn’t really matter…..people like to be called exactly what they are and in my opinion all they’re doing is limiting their sound to certain styles. I prefer to leave the sub-genre open to whatever people want to call it….Divinity is influenced by many different styles and our music sounds the way it does because of that.
XM: Do you think it hurts or helps Metal and the bands playing it?
Sean: Like I said before, people seem to limit themselves when they call themselves by a certain genre. We’re a band that can listen to porcupine tree, followed by nile. There’s tons of good music out there and we like to be open to new ideas, but I’m not sure many bands feel this way. But as long as they’re happy playing what they play let them do what they want!
XM: You played on the 2008 Summer Slaughter Fest, impressive I might add ! How did you guys land a spot on that tour?
Sean: Mike from outerloop got us on that tour a few months before it happened. We were having a tough time finding a tour at the time because we were so new, and this one worked out great. We met lots of cool people and made contacts that we would have never made without the tour. Definitely a big step for us.
XM: Thinking back on all the shows that Divinty has played, what was the most memorable one and why?
Sean: The Toronto gig on the summer slaughter tour was a killer show for us. The crowd was really into our stuff and we played really well that night. The first three shows on that tour were as big as we’d ever played, and they all were great….but Toronto was the best one. We never saw any tits though….that would’ve made it better.
XM: What has been your biggest obstacle and biggest achievement being a Canadian metal band?
Sean: Having to drive so far ALL THE TIME. The summer slaughter tour was about 12000 kms and we played 8 shows during all that driving. Pretty hard to make any kind of money at that rate. We definitely have to ‘pay to play’ it this stage of the game, which makes it quite hard at times as we’re broke bastards. We have to work and save cash for weeks just to play a couple of shows in Vancouver. Roughly 25-30 hours of driving, 2-3 hotel rooms, food, drugs, booze, hookers, t-shirts, coffee, toothpaste, etc….This shit all
costs money and a lot of it. So next time you see a guy in a band scrounging for food or drugs….help a brother out.
XM: Promoting yourself and writing, singing and performing your songs doesn’t leave a lot of free time, but what other hobbies or activities do you do in your spare time?
Sean: We all have things that keep us busy during non band times. Nick works out with household appliances, like dryers and stoves to pass the time. James drives around in his company truck and talks on the phone about things that are important, and also makes sure he has the coolest t-shirt every week. Sacha has a petting zoo in the basement of his townhouse that we all enjoy, as he has many exotic domestic animals. Like 23 toed cats and one normal goat. Sean talks to people about their problems and helps them through tough times, while Brett yells at people and sends them to Sean for help. We keep very busy.
XM: If you could have been involved in the writing, recording or production of any album which would it be and why?
Sean: Paris Hilton’s record. So I could learn how it is to completely suck at everything and still be rich.
XM: What is your favorite lyric of all time?
Sean: “I don’t wanna wait…..for my lunch to get colder…..oh why can’t I eat it right now?” Peter Griffin
XM: Name your 5 favorite old school death metal acts.
Sean: Is old school death metal a sub-genre? Personally I don’t know what old school death metal is. How old is old school? Death is pretty wicked and they’re old….so them. Morbid angel is deadly as well as suffocation. Gorguts has some killer shit. And…..deicide rocks my socks too.
XM: If I could raise my horns and grant any 1 wish what would it be and why?
Sean: Take all the big wigs of the music industry and put them on a 2 month tour across north america in winter. Stuff 20 of them in a 15 passenger bus that breaks down every 3 days, make them only shower once a week and give them 12 dollars a day to eat. Deny them tour support and take a percentage of all the money they make from shows, merch, cd sales, and any other form of income. And every show on the tour will be at a small club so there won’t be showers or food available at the show. Hopefully then they’d realize how hard bands work for years and years to try to ‘make it’, mostly ending up with bands that have had numberous member changes and credit card debt to show for all their months on the road.
XM: I will leave the last bit for you …..
Sean: We are a band that loves to play and write music. With our short time being on a bigger label we’ve seen what the business does to so many bands. I wish I could say that the hard work pays off but I can’t. Too many awesome musicians give their music away and don’t get the payback they deserve.
We are hitting a time where cd sales are at an all time low and it’s only going to get worse. There has to be some way to generate enough revenue so the label’s “product”, or bands, can at least live a decent life when they tour for 8-10 months out of the year. Seeing bands hiding their own merch sales just so they can eat more than once a day is rediculous. And these aren’t bands that just put out their first record, these are bands with numerous albums and tours under their belt and they’re forced to tour under these conditions. And because bands have agreed to this for so long, new bands in the big scene like us have no choice but to sign a deal that will never pay us anything, and will make us tour for less money that one can make at a part time job at 7 11. Is this any way for a major label band to tour and live their dream??
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