There's been some interesting names in the world of rock & roll. Everything from Strawberry Alarm Clock to Hippy Murder Machine to one of the best ever; Gutbucket. Another can now be added to the list; i:scintilla.
But we're not here to discuss names so much as to introduce fans to another band that needs to be heard. I've had the pleasure of exchanging some questions and answers with Jim from the band, who seems to be an intelligent guy and put some good thought into this interview.
It's not so often that I get a comment like "I love this question!", so I'll crow a little bit about that while letting you read on about another great band.
Look these guys up and show your support!
D-Day: OK, everyone wants to know.... where did the name come from?
JIM: The definition of scintilla according to dictionary.com:
1.
A minute amount; an iota or trace.
2.A spark; a flash.
Several years ago I was subscribed to a word-of-the-day email list (so that I could aggrandize the diapason of my vernacular). The word scintilla appeared in my inbox one day and I thought it would work perfectly to describe the music I was creating. However, the scintilla.com domain was taken, so I had to improvise. People ask us about the band name all the time and I think we’ve heard every possible pronunciation.
D-Day: You've signed with Alfa Matrix; how did that come about and how do you feel about that?
JIM: Our friends Hungry Lucy suggested that we contact Alfa Matrix (their label at the time). We shipped off one of our nifty press kits and the label liked what they heard. We’re very excited to be working with Alfa Matrix. They have been growing by leaps and bounds over the past couple years and their roster is both impressive and reputable. At this point in our development, it’s the perfect scenario for us.
D-Day: Do you have anything coming out soon that we can look forward to?
JIM: Our first release with Alfa Matrix is the Havestar EP and it’s due out on August 18. It contains three songs from our self-released debut, The Approach, which have been re-recorded and produced by Wade Alin (Christ Analogue, Atomica). These songs have really taken on new life and make their predecessors sound like Fisher Price recordings. The EP also contains six remixes by the likes of Combichrist, Klutae, and several others.
D-Day: Who would you consider to be your main influences?
JIM: I like to name individuals: Rudy Ratzinger, Chris Randall, Bill Leeb, Wade Alin, Trent Reznor, Kevin Ogilvie, Statik, David Bowie, plus many more.
D-Day: Along those lines, if you could pick three bands that would make the ultimate tour for you to hit the road with, who would they be?
JIM: Collide (arguably my favorite band), Iggy Pop (he seems like he would be really cool to tour with), and Motley Crue (let’s do it right).
D-Day: As a hard working band, you must have seen some crazy shit. Do you have a Spinal Tap moment and/or some other crazy shit you can share with us?
JIM: There are definitely stories that are way crazier than ours, but here are a few tidbits:
·We played an outdoor festival in May 2004 and it was below 40 degrees, windy, and rainy. I couldn’t feel my fingers after two songs.
·I destroyed my $1700 Parker Fly Deluxe guitar during a show in November 2004.
·When we performed in Columbia, MO, anime porn was projected on the giant screen behind us.
D-Day: I'm curious.... Zeppelen or Sabbath?
JIM: Black Sabbath probably influenced me more, but my heart will always lie with Led Zeppelin.
D-Day: Let's try a multiple choice question.
Train "A" is going towards Chicago at 65 miles an hour.
Train "B" is leaving Chicago at 72 miles an hour.
What does this mean?
a) They will crash eventually.
b) There's obviously as many people trying to get the Hell out of Chicago as are coming in. And faster.
c) Chicago is the origin of pretty train graffiti.
d) Train "A" has a chick with big boobs, so who cares?
JIM: How about e) I am on Train “A”. i:scintilla will be (fully) relocating to Chicago soon and we cannot wait!
D-Day: How did i:scintilla come about? Was the band search a long process? Tell us about it.
JIM: I started i:scintilla in my bedroom in October 2002. Chad Mines (ex-bass, guitar) and Jason Allen (guitar, programming) joined in January 2003 and March 2003, respectively. We ended up writing most of The Approach during 2003 while searching for a vocalist. We auditioned many before we found Brittany. We knew instantly that she was the perfect fit.
Jason left the band in March 2005. We moved Chad to guitar and brought on Bethany Whisenhunt to play bass. The final piece of the puzzle was added in February 2006 with the addition of drummer Vince Grech (Stromkern, ex-Sister Machine Gun). We had performed for over two years sans human drummer. We just played our first show with Vince and we will never go back!
D-Day: How big of an influence do you see the internet in promoting your band?
JIM: The Internet has been huge for us. We have been able to reach out to so many people, mostly through our website (www.iscintilla.com) and Myspace. We have been able to sell music and merchandise through our own store (shop.iscintilla.com), CD Baby, and iTunes. The promotional and commercial possibilities from the Internet have certainly made it possible for any artist to thrive. However, one cannot rely on promotion alone. There must be quality behind the art as well.
D-Day: If you found out that you had a million downloads of your song after selling 100 CD's would you be pissed? Explain.
JIM: I love this question! Even big-name artists should be asked this.
We wouldn’t mind if the scenario you described happened to us. The reason? Artist income from CD sales, particularly when signed to a label, is typically not very significant. With a million downloads, we would certainly be exposed to many other lucrative opportunities. These would include merchandise sales, very profitable tours, licensing, sponsorships, and more. We would be pleased that the music spread through such a wide audience and we would explore alternative sources of income.
D-Day: What is the main goal for i:scintilla?
JIM: We want to create music that people enjoy. We want to push ourselves and technology to the limits. We want to develop our art with more sophisticated songwriting and sound design. We hope to bring something special to the world, one MIDI event at a time. Okay, maybe that was four goals.
D-Day: Thank you for sharing with D-Day's Revenge! Any final words?
Jim: How about my favorite word? Fiefdom.
Learn all about i:scintilla at these links:
