POET release their new album tomorrow – August 1st – so get to know them first before you head over to Bandcamp and buy a copy!
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
Eugene, Oregon
How did you meet?
We met at a music festival a few years back.
How long have you been playing as a band?
We’ve been playing for about 5 years together, but mostly in other bands together (Felled, Wēoh). POET was sort of an offshoot of those other bands.
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Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
Still the same place: Eugene, Oregon. It’s in the Northwest region of the United States—Cascadia, if you will.
Usnea, Lycus, Bell Witch…
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
I would say one unique aspect is the way we use violin and clean vocals. I think there are some really strong melodic moments strewn throughout the album and yet it’s still heavy, dark, and doomy.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
The lyrics on this album are taken from Emily Dickinson poetry; particularly her nature-based poetry. The concept was to explore various poets and their artwork, so the next album will focus on a different poet.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
This band is a studio project at the moment. We’ll likely put together a live performance once the coronavirus stuff simmers down.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
Whoa good question hmmm… I saw some nazis get the shit kicked out of them by security once… or one time I saw a confrontation where someone fired a gun outside of a show. But those instances were years ago in Seattle. Those definitely top anything I’ve ever done at a show.
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
For this album, I used a Jackson with a 6505 head and Catalinbread karma fuzz.
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What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
We’re currently promoting the release of our full length album Emily, which is set to release August 1st.
What are your plans for the next 6 months or so?
We plan to release an EP probably in about 6 months from now. Most of it is tracked but still needs to be mixed.
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
Well I’d definitely say any of the bands I listed as influence. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to open for Bell Witch once (just not while playing in POET, it was another band we play in). And as far as an opening band, I’d say Cathartes Aura out of Corvallis, OR. They’re a great local doom band and could also play second.
