Music is everywhere. An artist’s job is to find influence and inspiration and turn It into their own music. Our recent discovery Shadow Creek finds influence from a source that is not used too often.
We caught up with the unique band for a deep dive into their music and story. Enjoy the interview here:
First off, tell us about the name Shadow Creek?
From the beginning Tony Preston, the founder of the band, was inspired by horror movies. He wanted a band name that sounds both creepy and realistic at the same time. Shadow Creek was named after a popular residential community in Pearland, the suburb of Houston, Texas. This name is realistic because it does exist in life. And at the same time it sounds creepy like it’s from 1980s underground horror movie. It is unclear why developers chose such a strange creepy name for the residential community, but in fact that area is pretty normal. Accordingly, this name reflects not only the horror genre connection but also the band geography (Houston area).
How would you describe your sound? Which artists have had the biggest influence on Shadow Creek?
We call our music ‘electronic rock’. It is experimental synth heavy music with dark lyrics, a blend of multiple genres: post punk, darkwave, gothic rock, synthpop, new wave, psychedelic and even hard rock. Our biggest influences are Black Sabbath, John Carpenter, Gary Numan, The Cure, New Order and Depeche Mode. We also love listening to modern dark electro playlists, there are many interesting new bands…
Tell us about your songwriting process. How does a song come together?
// Tony Preston (songwriter and composer):
– Typically everything starts with the lyrics. I love long walks outside, and it’s perfect time to brainstorm new song ideas and write something. To me lyrics normally don’t come easy and fast, but I don’t like rushing things and spend as much time as needed to finish a song. Some songs remain unfinished for months, but I never forget about them and eventually revisit and finish at some point. When lyrics are ready, I start working on the main synth riffs/basslines to lay down musical foundation of each song and define song structure. After that, we can get together with Emma Campbell (vocalist) and record vocals. Only when the vocal parts are recorded, the active phase of the project begins and I start putting all the layers of each song together (drums, guitar, secondary synth parts, etc). That’s how Urban Decay album was recorded.
Where do you find inspiration for your unique sound?
Many of our song ideas are inspired by the horror movies and crime thrillers.
What can you tell us about your latest album Urban Decay?
This is our second album and the most important music effort at this point. This album is darker and heavier than Playing With Fire (the first album) and has more defined concept. This was the first time Emma Campbell, the local talent and rising star, joined Shadow Creek as a vocalist, and she did a great job. Urban Decay combines our favorite horror theme with personal experiences and our vision of what’s going on in the country right now as reflected in the title song.
How do you hope to connect with the listeners of your music?
These days everything is Internet driven. Social media and streaming platforms provide lots of opportunities to connect.
What does the future hold for Shadow Creek?
We have big plans! We are working on new songs and planning a world tour eventually!
