Josh Graham - A Storm Of Light - Blood & Fire Productions

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Josh Graham - A Storm Of Light

Hail seignior Josh! How are you today?

Hey Florian! Tour got the best of me. We got home last week and I am finally getting caught up on everything.

What provoked you to discover the ideas behind your latest record, "Forgive Us Our Trespasses"?

I have been very interested in the Gaia concept for a long time. The basic idea is that the physical components of the Earth (atmosphere, cryosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere) are so closely integrated that they virtually form one living organism. More extreme views of this theory suggest that the Earth as Gaia could actually be a conscious organism, responsible for maintaining the habitable environment we live in today. So the question became: If the Earth is conscious, what would it think of the spread of humanity? What will it do once the human population surpasses the point of sustainability? This is where the ideas for the record began.

Is there any other label who proposed you a record deal beside Neurot Recordings? Was it a simple choice?

Having been in Neurosis for ten years now, it wasn't really a hard choice at all. We all work so well together that it seemed like the obvious choice.

What portrait have you created about A Storm Of Light at the first go-off? Is A Storm Of Light the result you ever wanted to accomplish?

A Storm Of Light began as a necessary musical outlet, more of a reaction against playing instrumental post rock. With this last record it is truly turning into something special for us. We are finding ourselves and at the same time seeing where we can take the band next. I think as we progress, it will definitely become what I have always wanted to accomplish, and hopefully surpass that.

Is there a point when the light will die?

I believe that the band will continue as long as I am making music. Domenic and myself work great together and we will just keep pushing along.

Do you need to fit in a musical category?

Absolutely not. Thanks for asking that question. Our influences are so varied and based so far outside of the current scene that I hope someday we can transgress the need for people to categorize us.

Would you ever want to make a cover of any Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds tracks?

Definitely. We actually just did two covers for Southern's Latitudes series, and The Birthday Party was in the list of potential songs. Because the session was only 6 hours long we decided to keep it simple and have fun at the same time. We ended up covering Joy Division's "Day Of The Lords", and Big Black's "Kitty Empire".

How did you discover art, especially the visual one and then the musical one?

Both art and music have been evolving together since I was a child. Neither one ever really won the battle, as they basically co-exist and feed off of each other. Hopefully that will continue to be the case; because even as it is a constant challenge, I am not sure I could live without both.

How is it to be a music video director?

It is weird. I am not sure that I totally like it to be honest. While I do like creating visuals to accompany music, music videos themselves are very formulaic. I have recently readdressed directing music videos, and have decided that I prefer to make lower budget videos because they have infinitely more possibilities, and generally the band is more excited. The larger the budget is, the larger the band is. The whole process becomes very limiting and boring.

I enjoy the Underoath video. It's something very different than anything else out there. How did you get to help them with it?

Thanks. They actually just approached me. I think they really liked the Isis "In Fiction" video.

How did you get to be involved in the cult band Neurosis?

We really just began talking about visual ideas in the late 90's. Over the course of a couple years we began to talk more about collaborating together. Before we knew it, I was working with them permanently. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

What do you know & think about Romania?

About two years ago I travelled around Romania and I really like the country and the people. I hope that A Storm Of Light will be able to play there this May. We are trying to work that out. My girlfriend and I, along with some friends of ours, stayed in Bucharest for about 3 days, then took the train to Brasov and then headed up to Cluj. The Zoological Museum in Cluj is awesome.