We recently connected with BlackCloud and have shared our conversation below.
Hi BlackCloud, thank you so much for making time for us today. Let’s jump right into a question so many in our community are looking for answers to – how to overcome creativity blocks, writer’s block, etc. We’d love to hear your thoughts or any advice you might have.
Brenda: As a musician and stage performer, I’ve learned that forcing creativity can be disastrous. When I hit a creative block, I take a break and step away from the project instead of pushing through. Coming back later with a fresh ear often helps me hear things differently and improve the results. Sometimes, all it takes is a little distance to gain clarity. I also find that listening to or collaborating with other musicians can reignite inspiration. Hearing someone else’s ideas allows me to bounce off their creativity and discover new directions I wouldn’t have thought of on my own.
Mitchel: writer’s block for me has been when I’m stuck in my rut. Doing the same thing musically. I pick a new technique or something I’m bad at and practice it. Eventually I’m half way proficient and use a new play style, scale, chord progression, adding notes to fill chords or just plainly playing the wrong note purposefully. Leading to something new and different.
Adam : Songs are like a river , ever flowing , and we are pebbles and fish in that stream grooving along and you have to adapt like water through the river stream to provide what the songs call for , like the wind in the trees . Be one with yourself and the river . Anticipating, overflowing , groove.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
BlackCloud is a Death-Doom metal band that’s all about keeping things raw and real. What I love most about what we do is the authenticity behind every part of our process. We don’t overproduce our songs or try to polish away the grit. What you hear is exactly who we are. From the sound to the visuals, our approach has an organic, old-school feel that really connects with the roots of the genre.
We’ve just released our latest EP, Suffering Body Erases Mind, which features three heavy, immersive tracks. It’s now streaming on YouTube, and we’re proud of how it captures the intensity and emotion of what we stand for. BlackCloud isn’t about being flashy, it’s about being honest, loud, and real.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Brenda: The three most impactful qualities in my journey have been learning the writing process, persistence, and stage presence. Understanding the writing process taught me how to shape ideas into complete songs. Persistence kept me going through creative blocks, drawn-out rehearsals, and the grind that comes with performing and recording. And stage presence – probably one of the most overlooked skills- taught me how to truly connect with an audience and make every show memorable.
My advice for anyone early in their journey is to have every note of a song down, including the BPM of a song, before ever setting foot in a studio. But at the same time, don’t be afraid to experiment while working on new material. Try new directions and let your writing evolve. Most importantly, when you hit the stage, own your space! Let the audience know who you are and give them a show they’ll remember.
Mitchel: The three areas that have helped me as a musician are the ability to learn music with literature either tablature or college music theory text, the discipline to play your instrument at least 30 minutes a day, and just being able to take a step back and ask for feedback. Saying I suck, tell me why, and what I can do to improve this has been my greatest way to improve myself as a musician.
The best way I can think of to really start playing an instrument is to start with simple major and minor scale runs to a metronome and learning chords. These will give you familiarity with the instrument so when you transition to learning the music you like you’ll already have the shapes and muscle memory down to fine tune what you like to play. The other thing is to listen and play all sorts of music, don’t limit yourself.
Adam : three qualities I learned throughout playing and would also offer as advice to any one playing music in a band :
One – Play what you like to play.
Two – Don’t be scared to improve . Ask yourself what’s next . That may sometimes be found in music itself . Take time to appreciate what others have created and find yourself in it , feeling it , about it don’t doubt it.
Three – the studio has no unshit button .
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Brenda: Yeah, we’re always open to collaborations and connections! Right now, we’re on the lookout for like-minded bands to share the stage with, and possibly individual musicians who are unafraid to push boundaries and explore new sonic territory. If you’re ready to bring raw energy and honesty to the table, hit us up! We’re always down to see where the music can take us.
Mitchel: I would love to collaborate with other musicians. Any band or single artists out there that want to just really take ideas and run with them. Whether it be a guest vocal slot in our band doing a guest spot in your music or a split ep doesn’t matter. As long as we can be open minded to each other’s suggestions and produce something we are all ok releasing. It’s not even something genre dependent either. I listen to country, metal, classical, jazz, electronic music, etc. I’m not really a polka guy though. Haha.
Adam: Stop collaborate and listen question : The collaboration of any soul is welcome into the journey of the beyond. Not all can walk as fast or as slow as others , and some may pass us and we may pass some. This band is under constant collaboration with the universe and soul awakening discoveries in ourselves. I believe the universe will put these fellow people in front of us when it’s ready to reveal that path.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackcloud_mi/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BLACKCLOUDmichigan
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@blackcloudmichigan
- Other: https://blackcloudmerch.bigcartel.com
Image Credits
Pixel Paige, Matt of PLeThorA
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