Interview- Faith and the Muse

Faith in the Muse will be on tour in North American throughout 2010 performing songs  from their latest album : ankoku butoh :.  You can pick up this amazing new CD : ankoku butoh : on iTunes and Napster! The New CD: ankoku butoh : started the new year as #1 in the German Alternative Charts for 4 weeks in a row! Jules Cohen recently caught up with the band for an interview and to talk about the latest happenings so far in 2010.

Jules: Greetings Monica and William! Great to have the chance to do another interview with you both! As you can see by my review of ankoku butoh, that I beyond smitten with your new release!

Monica: SO glad you love it! We have had a phenomenal response to the new album!

William: Thanks Jules -- we're pretty pleased with it as well!

Jules: It's a bit of a departure it seems and this is a positive that you seem to have explored a more spiritual side to your music. What inspired all of these great sounds to have come together?

William: Like anything else in our world, it's a simple evolution. For us, it doesn't feel like a departure at all; rather simply drawing on inspirations and ideas and confining them to a conceptual framework, which we have done before, just not in this particular iteration.

Monica: I researched a great deal into the Shinto belief, which is native to Japan. Much of it is based on Nature, and the mythology is exquisite; stories around tree spirits, storms, water sources, animals and fanciful creatures - all highly matriarchal in view...

Jules: smiles. yes...you paint that picture so well with this album!!

Jules: When you started with Elyria all of those yrs ago, did you think that this is where you would be musically in 2010?

Monica: I don't think I thought so far ahead on what we'd be doing and where we'd be! But I am very happy to be here!

William: Never had a clue, and always liked it that way -- I enjoy the journey, rather than staking it all on the destination.

Jules: Sounds indeed William like you are living in the moment and create because you love to do so. Is it because you are a bit older now and you have evolved as musicians and are mature people? We are all the same age, so I think growth, acceptance, life, experiences.....

Monica: Exactly, One can't help but feel grateful to be still doing what they love and people connect to it.

William: Honestly, I don't know how much age has to do with it; I'd like to think that this all comes from a rather timeless place within us...

Jules: It also seems that you haven't lost your roots....

Monica: Not at all! The song "Blessed" definitely comes full circle back to our punk rock beginnings!

William: Present and accounted for.

Jules: Fave song off your new cd?

Monica: I think "Battle Hymn" currently, though I am very proud of "She Waits by the Well". This was something I composed and did electronic drums to show William, he added all the Taiko in and turned it into quite a song!

William; Different from day to day, but today I'll say "Sovereign." "She Waits by the Well" is another great one though, which frequently visits the "favorite" spot.

Jules: Personal mantra?

Monica: Be true to yourself, Always.

William: Bop-Chilly-Um-Bop-Tonight.

Jules: giggles

Jules: How you want your fans to view you with your new release?

Monica: Thus far, they are viewing it with fire and empowerment! We've already received some amazing letters from fans about how they feel from listening to the album.

William: I want them to view it simply in the way that they view it -- no interpretation is wrong, because it's theirs.

Jules: Nice...the fans get to make it their own- their own experience.

Jules: What's to come for FATM?

Monica: Touring! We are pretty giddy about what and who we'll be bringing to the live show! On violin we have Paul Mercer (of The Ghosts Project, formerly of The Changelings), on taiko and percussion Julia Cooke, on guitar/viola Steven James (of Christ vs. Warhol and The Deadfly Ensemble, ex-All Gone Dead and Scarlet's Remains), on bass/cello Marzia Rangel (also of Christ vs. Warhol and The Deadfly Ensemble, ex-Scarlet's Remains), and finally our dancers, who also do backing vocals, Aradia and Lucretia*Renee (both of the dance troupe Serpentine).

William: A LOT of touring this year, with more music to follow...

Jules: great musicians have are on your new album.

Thanks so much to FATM!!

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THE MERCYGROUND

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The Mercyground: All Things Faith and the Muse