Ceremony Blast Listeners With “Rocket Fire”

In the beginning, there was rock ‘n’ roll.  Then musicians began evolving and trying to outdo their forerunners, all the while forgetting that they were simply advancing the musical “wheel”, and not necessarily creating anything entirely new altogether.  Categories, sub genres, locales… it’s all so tiring, really.

Ceremony realize this and cultivate a sound that spans boundaries and time with overdriven guitar tones, not to mask sub-standard guitar playing or a creative deficit, but to craft one hell of a “wheel” that takes listeners from zero to ass-to-the-wall in less than a second. And whether they gaze at their shoes, the stars, or deep into your eyes, it’s still rock ‘n’ roll to us.  

What makes Ceremony’s recent full-length, Rocket Fire, so relevant is not necessarily what they’re doing, but how they’re doing it and why.  The emotional appeal of each song on the album hits in all the right spots: the sentimental songs are lovely, the angst-ridden songs are fierce, and throughout, each note played and each rhythm created isn’t lost on the listener for lack of purpose within the music.  The intensely distorted guitars grind and shriek their way across many of the tracks, slicing through auditory hemispheres with a grit unknown since JAMC’s Psychocandy.

But while much of Psychocandy‘s beauty may have been too drowned in distortion for the average listener, Ceremony flesh out the deeply melodic appeal of Rocket Fire to ensure their eternal sweep of fuzz only accents each track while not destroying them completely.  Guitar and bass pedals don’t make a song, or a musician, for that matter, but Ceremony prove that meticulously weaving them into music makes for one forceful album that seems could only be propelled by rocket fire.  And the album does take off like a rocket.  The opening blast of “Stars Fall” had us turning down the normal listening level of our iPods and car stereos as the entire album’s volume hits a little harder than your average LP.  Even “softer” songs like lovelorn “Marianne” and “Regret” peak at levels indicative of why venues have asked (and often rudely) the Virginia duo to stop live shows.

Rocket Fire is an album beautifully out of its time, yet unwaveringly timeless.  In an era where so many bands try desperately to create something different, Ceremony have carved their difference with full sonic control over traditional song structures, creating an epic album full of immensely memorable hooks that translate easily across various palettes.

“Rocket Fire” Propels Ceremony to New Heights of Acclaim

Thanks to the beauty and ease of the internet, we were able to sit down (independently of each other, of course) with John Fedowitz and Paul Baker of Ceremony, a band too loud for Fredericksburg, VA, and a band whose anticipated full-length Rocket Fire, due for release tomorrow, April 27th, will be too loud to ignore.

We talked about the future, inspiration, influence, and the fellas were even nice enough to make me ashamed of my Hall and Oates knowledge (everyone knows Hall’s golden mane was the driving force behind the duo!).  Here’s how it all went down…

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First of all, congratulations on the upcoming release of Rocket Fire.  This is your first full-length as Ceremony on Killer Pimp.  What does this release mean for you two personally?
 
John Fedowitz – Personally, it means if anyone stuck in their room recording can get recognized playing music that means something to them and means something to other people as well, then we’ve made a statement.  Hopefully it will be a stepping stone to a bigger label.  Rocket Fire is my favorite release of ours so far.
 
Paul Baker – I’m glad to have some of these songs finally be released officially, as some of them have been floating around for quite some time.  Some of these songs could have been on Disappear but just didn’t seem to fit the mood correctly, so we held onto them until Rocket Fire.  I think it was good to wait until the right time to put them all together.

How has it been working with the label Killer Pimp, and what are your future plans with them?
 
PB – Jon from Killer Pimp is definitely a perfectionist, which is a bit strange for us, but I think it’s been a good thing working with him.  He’s a great guy who has a vision that respects ours and I can certainly appreciate that.
 
JF – Jon is someone I finally worried about letting down, concerning recording quality, song sequencing, and cover aesthetics.  We’re grateful to him for enlisting Jeff Lipton to master the album, and we think he did a fantastic job.  As far as future plans, we can’t say anything except we’re focused on the release of Rocket Fire.

There seems to be a growing trend in sparsely outfitted bands.  Bands like The Big Pink and Screen Vinyl Image are making big splashes with fewer members.  You as well.  As a two-man group, do you find it easier or more difficult to compose music? 
 
JF – Before Ceremony and even Skywave I was in other bands with more members and more ideas of what the band was about.  It always turned into chaos. I would love to have a full band with musicians, as it’s more visually appealing, but I’ve always had this idea of what music should sound like, and I don’t think anyone else could really tolerate being in a band with me, except Paul.
 
PB – It’s both, really.  Fortunately, John and I have remarkably similar sensibilities when it comes to music.  I mean we each have our different takes on music we hear from other groups, but when it comes to our music we almost always agree on things.  Sometimes he will want me to record a guitar on one of his songs, but there’s no point because he’s already done exactly what I would have done.  That’s not always the case, but very often it is.  On the other hand, there are times when I wish there was another opinion or some additional input, but we have yet to find the person we could trust with that.

And how do you find yourself composing music?  What’s the creative process like for you two, at a glance?
 
PB – We spend a lot of time working on our own songs, just because of scheduling issues.  I write songs when it hits me, for the most part.  Usually a song that is forced sounds that way, so I don’t bother.  If I don’t feel like the song is saying something to me, I’ll just drop it.  But it is a great feeling when it all comes together in a few minutes, and I know I’ve done what I set out to do.
 
JF – I usually get my influences from Paul’s songs and demos and I change them and distort them in ways he will never know.

You guys have a video for just about every song on Rocket Fire.  Talk a little bit about that.  Do you own the equipment, have friends who help out?
 
PB – Well, not quite every song, but you’re right because a lot of these songs have been floating around for some time, but, like I said, they didn’t seem to fit properly on our earlier albums.  Some of the songs on Rocket Fire were written or even recorded before Ceremony existed.  I think I wrote “Stars Fall” and “Marianne” when we were still Skywave.  John will have to answer the technical questions.
 
JF – My wife said, “You can do this, make a video!”  I just used iMovie and tried to make it look as cool as possible and hoped for the best.

There are obvious influences in your music’s sound.  Some reviews give you a nod toward the blatant shoegaze giants of the late 80s and early 90s, while others make parallels between JAMC.  But how important is the influence of your contemporaries to you, or do you strictly rely on the influence of bands you heard growing up?
 
PB – I can’t help but be influenced by the music I heard as a kid that really moved me, but there are far more influences going on in our music.  In retrospect, some of the groups I liked when I was younger don’t seem so great to me now, but other groups I didn’t like then I really enjoy.  Things always change, and that’s usually a good thing.  Sure, I listened to My Bloody Valentine and the Jesus and Mary Chain, then and now, but I was some kid, 13 or 14 years old, and didn’t understand there was a difference in categorization.  I still don’t care about that.  I love Hank Williams Sr. the same way I love Oasis or Kraftwerk.  Lots of so-called “shoegaze” is totally boring and they couldn’t write a song if their lives depended on it.  I like the effects, when they’re done well and there’s a good song.  That’s the most important thing, the song.  I think Ladytron has been a big influence on our group, as well as the Raveonettes, and of course, A Place To Bury Strangers.  Oliver is great at both songwriting and production, and I will listen to his music as long as he keeps making it.
 
JF – I find myself falling out of the music scene often, but things hit me later and I always find some new inspiration, even if it’s 20 years old.

In that regard, there was an article in the Chicago Tribune recently about the return of shoegaze and how bands such as APTBS have helped revive the trend.  How do you feel Ceremony fits into that revival?  Do you really consider yourselves part of that genre?
 
PB – I think my answer to that is sort of the same as the previous question.  When we were in Skywave it felt like we were doing everything against the odds, “shoegaze” was out and venues weren’t interested in what we were doing.  But now, with people looking back, we somehow kept it alive or something, but “shoegazing” wasn’t what we wanted to do, we were a rock and roll band, and we still are.  I think maybe there’s a place for us in that genre, but we’re not the face of it.  And I do enjoy some bands who fall into that category very much, but it seems to be a weird mix of things, some of which I’m not too crazy about.
 
JF – Thanks to Oliver we’re getting some recognition.  Shoegaze has been distorted in many ways, I don’t think people know what it means anymore.  I wouldn’t mind if Ceremony and A Place To Bury Strangers started a new genre with a cooler name…

For the sake of vanity, who do you consider the frontman of Ceremony, or does your duo status require too much shared responsibility?  If you two were to ever split, who would be Hall and who would be Oates?
 
PB – Uh, don’t know anything about Hall and Oates, but John started this band so maybe he can answer.  

JF – Well, who was the keyboard expert in Hall and Oates?  Because that would be me.

As a fellow left-hander who’s been shunned by the world, John, I have to ask you something.  Left-handed guitar players are a rarity; how difficult is it for you to find gear you really want, or is it all strung upside down?
 
JF – If you want a Strat or a Les Paul, you’re good to go, but that’s not for me.    I string up everything upside down, except the bass.  I play my bass guitar high G string on top, low E string on bottom.  Lefties have rights too, but I’m still pretty pissed off about it…

As you know, this pub is based in San Antonio, Texas.  There’s a promising Austin band called Ringo Deathstarr who opened for you not long ago along with Screen Vinyl Image and The Sky Drops.  Describe the experience of that show.
 
PB – That was a great show.  Actually, due to unfortunate circumstances, both SVI and the Sky Drops had to cancel, but we had a wonderful time meeting and playing with Ringo Deathstarr.  I’ve had their records in continuous rotation on my record player for at least a week.  They’re awesome live and really nice people to top it off.

JF – That show was great. Hanging out with Ringo Deathstarr was a lot of fun. I remember listening to them on youtube the year before and it’s so cool hearing those songs live.

So how’s the music scene in VA?  Do you find audiences receptive to your music, or does a change in location suggest greater recognition?
 
PB – Where we live, people like us, venues don’t, so we don’t bother.  We’ve been kicked out of clubs multiple times for being too loud, which is kind of a badge of honor, but I don’t want to do it anymore.  We have some of our best shows in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area.  I want to bring the music to our fans, wherever they may be, but not if the venue is going to literally pull the plug on our power and tell us to get the fuck out and they’re going to call the cops.
 
JF – People from all over have said that Skywave kept shoegaze alive in the U.S.  I really appreciate that, but being in Virginia, it’s not really appreciated.  Ceremony has faced the same sort of club owners who would like us to turn down to a “Motley Crue” volume.  We always leave alone.  

In your career as Ceremony, what’s been the most surreal experience for you two?  Was there a certain show you took part in that blew your mind, or bands with whom you shared the stage?
 
PB – It was great to play with A Place To Bury Strangers at the 930 Club in Washington, DC.  That was a pretty big deal for us.  Playing shows in Tokyo with Screen Vinyl Image was pretty surreal for me, as I’d imagine it was for them.  I never thought I’d be in a band playing gigs in Japan with a band I really like and who are such wonderful friends.
 
JF – Yeah, I agree.

Thanks again for your time, mates, I really do appreciate it.  Please tell me, are there any upcoming plans for a tour in support of Rocket Fire, and if so, how accessible will the locations be?
 
PB – Maybe we should get to work on that… If we do, we’ll try to be as practical as possible, but no guarantees.  We’ve never done things the way we should.
 
JF – This album defintely needs to be promoted well, east coast, northwest, midwest and Europe.  Those are my hopeful plans.