On June 16th, Atlanta locals, Stokeswood released their much anticipated album, ‘2075’. 2075 is a thirty minute journey through a combination of electro-pop and alternative rock that ultimately blends together into an album full of energetic beats that should be added to any EDM fan’s musical rotation.
2075 starts off with the title track which does not disappoint. The driving rock melody combines perfectly with the energetic kicks of the drums to create an excellent beginning to the album. ‘Our Streets’ is the second track on the album, and you will quickly see why it was released as the first single. The electronic undertones really shine through here, creating a high energy track that appeals to multiple genres and musical tastes.
The middle tracks continue the energy of the overall album while also showcasing the voice of lead vocalist Adam Patterson who may be one of the underrated elements of the band, as he contributes vocals that really just work well throughout the album. On ‘Bloody History’ and ‘Forget’, Patterson’s vocals are dominant without being overpowering, which is always a crucial element in the overall flow of any track. Backing vocals throughout the album showcase intricate harmonies and showcase the chemistry between the band.
2075 ends with it’s longest track, ‘Stop By’ which could be the most interesting contribution to the album. You can clearly see the influence that MGMT and Nero and other synth-pop artists have had on Stokeswood, while also hearing a unique sound that differentiates the group and creates a fresh take on the concept.
In my personal opinion, ‘2075’ deserves a solid B+. I wish it were longer, but I also appreciate and respect the work that went into the 30 minutes of music that was included in the album. They do a great job of taking influence from other groups and combining that with their own unique sound to create an energetic album that will make you want to dance.
I had the opportunity to interview Mark Godwin, lead electric guitarist for Stokeswood and ask him a few questions about the album, band and touring life. The first thing I asked was the names and instruments for everyone in the band:
- Adam Patterson: Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Keyboards
- Mark Godwin: Electric Guitar
- Justin Mullinix: Production (NI Maschine), Bass, Backup Vocals
- Michael Roman: Keyboards
- Jon Joiner: Drums
The following is the rest of the interview with Mark:
So, when I was first presented the opportunity to set up an interview with you, I was sold on the fact that Stokeswood plays an “alternative rock meets electro-pop” style. After listening to 2075, I can see the electronic undertones, and can see the appeal for our readers on the site. Tell us how you would describe your style as well as your inspiration behind it.
Having to describe our music has always been tough, but find me a musician that doesn’t have the same issue. The hints of electro-pop and alternative rock form an EDM like experience especially at our live shows. We were just talking this past weekend in our hotel room about how you’ll look out in the crowd and see everyone dancing their faces off only to realize we’re losing our minds on stage too. It’s one big happy dance party every night.
How is the tour going? Are you guys planning on touring in other parts of the country in the future? I’m sure people out on the west coast would enjoy your music.
Everyone has been great to us so far, it’s been nice getting back out there after taking some time last year to focus on all things 2075. We certainly plan to tour the entire country and would love nothing more than to make the West coast part of the staple route, it’s just been a tough nut for us to crack.
Can you describe or tell us about the process it took to craft 2075? How long did it take you guys from start to finish? What was the inspiration behind naming it 2075? Give us an idea into the music making process for Stokeswood.
With each of our releases the creative process has been quite different. We’ve brought finished songs into the studio to flesh out and we’ve written songs in the studio. Having Justin, a producer, actually in the band, we decided this time we’d “demo” songs as far as we could take them in our Decatur warehouse and then we sent those over to 2075 producer Adam LaRossa up at The Zone studios in Norcross. Adam then took a pass at them himself before we went back and re-tracked vocals, guitars etc. All in all I’d say it took us about a year. The inspiration behind naming 2075 comes from the lyrics Adam penned for the title track about yearning to get back to a time that hasn’t happened yet.
What are everyone’s musical inspirations? Favorite artist/band, favorite album? Do any of you have a favorite EDM DJ or artist that inspires you personally and in your music?
Between the 5 of us it’s hard to pin down any one direct musical influence. On the road in between 2 cities you could hear a playlist consisting of everything from Paul Simon, Talking Heads and Pendulum to Kilo Ali, Tycho and Radiohead.
How long has Stokeswood been playing and making music together? How long have you been touring?
The current Stokeswood roster has been touring about 3 years but we’ve been doing this project in some form or another since before our first release in 2009.
Tell us a bit about how the band was formed. What is everyone’s background and how did you find each other and form Stokeswood? How has Stokeswood evolved into the band that it is today as compared to when you first started off?
Adam and I started Stokeswood as a duo and started building a band around our first album. Justin actually produced the first 2 albums and during the recording of the 2nd we convinced to join the project as a full time member. We knew Jon from school and when we he became available we scooped him up after having gone through half a dozen drummers in a year. Michael was the last to join us and was living out in Vegas at the time the position opened up. He had been asking about joining the project since he first heard Carassia and when I gave him the call he moved across the country and went straight to Justin’s house to learn the catalog in 3 days before we hit the road.
It’s been a pretty natural progression for us musically. We didn’t set out to make the music we play now when we started, we just slowly gravitated towards it, introducing more and more synth like elements to each release and with 2075 we decided to finally just dive in.
Are you guys working on any new projects after releasing 2075? What do fans have to look forward to in the future from Stokeswood?
Absolutely! We’re home for 10 days before the Northeast leg and we’re heading to the studio to hand off the first batch of demos. We haven’t decided on how many we’ll be doing this time around but we’re excited to get the process started again. For 2075, we wrote over 20 songs and released 7, so there is no telling where we’ll end up this time.
Extra thanks to Mark and the rest of the band for taking some time out of what seems to be a pretty busy schedule with touring and working on demos! I’m sure I’m not the only one who will be keeping an eye on the future of Stokeswood and looking forward to what they will come up with next.
Be sure to check out ‘2075’ on your favorite music service and keep up with Stokeswood on Twitter @stokeswood!
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