Music Fit For The Angels

The new''Get To Know' Series, which I will continue to make about various artist, actors, projects etc. kicks off with this..

I introduce the interview with the incredible up and coming Toronto band, Heaven's Muse. Watch The video or read the transcript below.

Heaven's Muse Interview Transcript

Members: Darren Armoogam: Vocalist/ Guitarist Lex (Alex) Stultz: Bassist Lindsay Clark: Vocalist

How did you get started in music?

Lex: I started when I was pretty young. I started taking piano lesson when I was four or five and straight through till I was about sixteen. I was in the jazz band and I was pretty good. but at it was really frustrating because I would never ever practice so I would always show up unprepared. So after that, I started playing guitar because I was tired of the piano. I played it through till about eighteen, not really that long then I gave it up. I only got back into it about last year.

Darren: I have probably been doing music the longest, I started when I was a kid as well. I've been performing for a long time I guess the late 90's early millennium. I started with piano 15-16 years ago. branched out to guitar about 10-11 years ago. I wouldn't call myself a drummer or though I have handled a drum kit a few times and I started singing about 5-6 years ago which is really what took me off musically.

Lindsay: I started [singing] really young, like when I started when I was a toddler. then I started taking singing lessons and when into musical theatre then classical, then I deviated from that and got into more of my solo blues. Then I met Darren and it was all downhill from there.

How was the band Formed?

Darren: I posted an ad on Craig's List about 3-4 years ago and I found Lindsay. As it turned out we had taken a guitar class together in university so I was like well I sort of know you and you sort of know me so.. Initially believe it or not we didn't think it was going to work.

Lindsay: we were so different stylistically [Darren] was like all rock and I was like lets go listen to some Erykah Badu and Darren was like who the fuck is that?

Darren: yeah I have no idea who that is... One common artist that we had which was hilarious is Vybz Kartel, and that's kind of how we started.

Where did the name come from?

Lindsay: the name had a lot to do with me. At the time I was very much into spirituality and the idea that all is one and we are all part of the universe and the idea that heaven is within all of us. and that heaven, God created us to sort of project unto itself to sort of see things through a different light. So the idea is that all of us, all of humanity, all of nature is Heaven's muse. It also had a lot to do with Darren's Arrogance; he was like yeah, I am heaven.

Lex: I joined after they had the name...

What inspires your sound?

Darren: It's probably best to start most recently and go backwards. Most recently we released The Fire Of Eden which is our second full-length EP. The inspiration behind that started last year: I was in a relationship at the time and it really didn't go so well at the end. I didn't know how else to channel all these negative and positive feelings so I just decided to sit down and just write. ideas started pouring out unto the piano, guitar etc. I think at least on my end it really sparked those creative juices.

Lindsay: My inspiration stems from a lot of different things. I think since I'm a little bit hippie, I tend to connect more to world issues and things like that so what I write tends to go in that direction.

Lex: I think they pretty much covered it. basically just sing about something that resonates with people. you could just be walking down the street and you see something that's usually pretty innocuous and you just find something that people could relate to.

What are you trying to achieve with heaven's Muse.

Darren: I want Heavens Muse to be synonymous with something of good quality. [I want it to be in such a way that] when we touch something musically, vocally, lyrically that it's just golden!

Lindsay: I think my goal is to spread a message: I feel that music [is the best way to do that]. It is the one thing, the one language that everybody speaks. I think that people will listen and that if it appeals to their ears then they will keep coming back. I also find that today's music is so generic; it's garbage. I find that what people are singing about is just sad. So I would like to bring some soul back to music and sing about things that actually matter.

How was the experience of shooting your first video?

Lex: So for Never Me, it was our first foray into creating a music video for ourselves. it was definitely a learning experience, it came out good, but definitely there are thing we can work on.

Darren: We had the idea to shoot a music video, but we didn't know which video we were going to shoot for. And everybody seemed to like Never Me the most off the EP. so we we're like okay lets go with this. But I don't think that we took into account how much [specificity we would need]. It was our very first music video and we had a lot of our friends helping us out just as a favour. Juliana, the actress in the video, [w e send our thanks to her]. as well as Benton and his crew.

Lindsay: I think that also goes to say that whenever something is your first time its not going to be 100%, it's going to be a learning curve. Even with our first EP we had those roadblocks and going into the second it was a similar process where we've gotten better, we've evolved as artist. We know going into the studio now that we need to do this to make it sound better. I think with the video, having watched it myself is a similar situation.

Lex: which is okay, we have plenty of room to grow.

Darren: despite the fact that it is a learning experience, a lot of the people seem to generally like [the video] so that's what's encouraging to me.

What's next?

Darren: our main goal right now is to have spring and summer be touring; locally , maybe a few places outside of that. We need to be hitting up a few places a month minimum. We need to be out there handing out business cards and promoting our Youtube channel our Facebook page and this and that. our main goal right now is not in the studio, it's to be out there. We have done the studio time it's time to take it out there and let Toronto hear us.

Lex: we really want to create a live presence in the city. I think [the others] would agree that we are better live than we are on album. Which is great for us but most people don't know that yet.

Darren: I would like to tell our fans that despite the small-ish following we have, that there are people out there who have legitimately been listening to our music from day one. And for the other people that are just hopping on whether its on our new EP or our old EP, we are going to be performing this spring/ summer. we are going to be bringing our A game and we are going to have a great sound live. We genuinely hope you all come out whether it's to one show or all our shows.

Lindsay: Also we are very grateful for any following that we get. We did put a lot of effort into this, money obviously, but effort more so. I would say time is of the essence and this does take a lot of time so we do appreciate anyone that does follow us and does think of us and does listen to us.

Lex: Listen to us on Spotify, give us money, by the album on iTunes. you don't even have to listen to the CD, just buy it!