I first heard Cover of Afternoon on 4/19/14 @ Art Bar in Columbia, SC. For the most part when I go to hear a band I go in cold because I've been away from Columbia for 13 years. I don't have any preconceived notions. I didn't know that Cover of Afternoon are pretty big on the local music scene. I just know that I fell in love with them during the first song. One of those, "you had me at 'hello'" moments. When I met them later that night they were such friendly, warm people. Alex immediately agreed to do an interview for me and as you will see is such an engaging person. I hope you enjoy getting to know more about Alex and Cover of Afternoon.
Elaine: When and where did Cover of Afternoon start?
Alex: Cover of Afternoon actually started in the small town of Swansea, South Carolina... even though the band didn't form until many years later, the three of us started a friendship back in high school as musicians in Swansea High School's marching band. In 2008, Allen and I began jamming for fun. We had both been in previous bands. In fact, Allen and Reid were in a jam band together, while I was in a local act called Last Breath with John Vail, one of my best friends.
When we started jamming, it was mostly acoustic. We added a drummer, and played a show or two with him. It was sort of a funk/punk thing. The drummer didn't last, and we sort of floated around as an acoustic duo for a while, just playing for fun and focusing on being engaging and funny. Reid joined us in 2011, and changed our complete image. We became more professional, tighter, heavier, and we began writing our album.
Elaine: Where did the name come from?
Alex: The name actually came from a movie that is based on an incredibly funny television show.... Mystery Science Theater 3000. In the movie, these characters are trying to escape a villainous alien trying to destroy them. They talk about being inconspicuous and trying to sneak out... as they climb into a giant 1950's style hatchback during the day. So one of the MST3K jokesters say, "oh, great idea... let's escape under the cover of afternoon in the biggest car in the county". Loved the joke. Took "Cover of Afternoon" from that.
Elaine: How would you describe your music?
Alex: Honest. We can't describe our "type" of music, because we do so many things. We have some heavy and darker songs. We have some hopeful and almost "poppy" songs. We have some acoustic tracks. We have some piano driven rockers. We cover a lot of ground. However, our lyrics are always honest, and our music is always what we feel. There is never a "let's do this to be popular!" thing going on with us.
Elaine: Who writes your songs?
Alex: All three of us. For example... Allen will write a riff or chord progression and bring it to practice. We'll rock out to it a bit, then discuss where to take it next. Ried and myself will have equal part in that process. Another example could be me playing a piano song that I wrote, and Allen and Reid fleshing it out with awesome guitar and drum parts. We've jammed songs out for fun. Kings and Architects happened because of a jam at a practice. There's really no set way that we write parts. It's a collaborative effort from what I like to consider three talented musicians. That's what makes it so special.
Elaine: I'm really enjoying your cd, "Among the Tides", where can fans purchase your music?
Alex: Fans can pick up our album on Amazon, iTunes, CDbaby, and pretty much anywhere else music is sold digitally. You can also pick up a hard copy at one of our shows... which is what we love to see happen!
Elaine: Do you have other cd's or any planned for the future?
Alex: YES. We won't be stopping anytime soon. We have an acoustic album in the planning stages, and we're already writing material for a follow up. There's no telling where this band will head, but we've got to keep writing.
Elaine: What are some of the band's influences?
Alex: We've got too many influences to really count. Thrice. Beloved. The Foo Fighters. Dispatch. Emory. 311. However, we're also influenced by many classical composers, because we were exposed to early and often in our lives.
Elaine: You are amazing on bass! How long have you played?
Alex: I got my first bass when I was in 6th grade, thanks to John Vail. I originally wanted to be a guitar player, but he encouraged me to get a bass so we could "start a band"... since he was getting a guitar. We played our first "gig" in 7th grade. We wrote a song called "Congaree" to play as a school project... set to the tune of "Wild Thing". Not my proudest moment.
Elaine: Do you play any other instruments?
Alex: Yes. I play piano, guitar, and all forms of percussion.
Elaine: Did you have formal musical education or are you self taught?
Alex: I have a lot of formal musical education. I started piano lessons when I was five years old. I continued all the way through life until high school. I took trombone for a year (hated it). Then I was a percussionist in high school band. I made region band and all-state as a snare drummer and was part of a three-time state championship marching band. I continued my music education through to college, as I was accepted into the percussive arts program at the University of South Carolina as a music education major. That only lasted a year, because it drained me of my love of music. I still wanted to teach, so I became an elementary school teacher, which I am currently doing today for my full time gig.
Elaine: What genres of music do you enjoy playing and listening to?
Alex: I love metal. I'm a closet metal freak. I love Bewteen the Buried and Me, Protest the Hero, Meshugga, and all kinds of other stuff. I love learning fast riffs, but I'm not as good at it as I used to be.
Elaine: Where can we see you play next?
Alex: I'll be playing with Cover of Afternoon on June 20th at New Brookland Tavern with the full band, and we'll be doing another acoustic set for the Fox 102 acoustic challenge on May 6th.
Elaine: Name three bands or musicians you think everyone should listen to?
Alex: Thrice needs to be on EVERYONE's playlist. People should also check out John Vail of Vorov, (formerly of Wretched, By the Sins Fell Angels, and Ye Mighty!). I've mentioned him a couple of times in this interview, but he's truly turned into one of the greatest artists I've ever known, and is one of my biggest inspirations. Also, people should really try out Lower than Atlantis, a really cool band from the UK.
Thank you so much to Alex for taking time to answer my questions. Do yourself a favor and check Cover of Afternoon out at New Brookland Tavern on 6/20/14 and at the Fox 102 acoustic challenge on 5/6/14! Download their latest cd, "Among the Tides", or pick it up at their live show. You can also hear it blaring from my car stereo!
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