Sound Colour Vibration (Music | Art | Film)

Photo by Nick Thieneman

Louisville, KY’s Young Widows define what the term heavy applies to in music. If you have ever seen one of their shows, you know exactly what I am speaking of. With guitarist Evan Patterson, bassist Nick Thieneman, and drummer Geoff Paton, Young Widows dive into so many areas of heavy music that to label them in any one setting would be pointless. With frenetic break speed, massacre inducing sounds in the beginning of the groups career, Young Widows have been interjecting new areas of sound into their body of works. These new sounds have come in the form of this year’s full length release from the group, In and Out of Youth and Lightness. The slow, grinding, doom metal blends with shades of power blues riffs and sludge tinged rhythms. This music breathes in a completely different way than any other record they have put out. The results of this change are worth every second.

Young Widows have been very active with touring since the beginning of the band in the mid 2000′s. With the type of hectic touring schedule they have become used to over the years, catching up with the band can be a daunting task. Thanks to Trevor de Brauw, we were linked up with guitarist and singer of Young Widows, Evan Patterson, via email and these are the results of this interaction. Young Widows is a devastating band live, the level of sound they bring is glorious in ways only the last few generations can understand. After the interview, we have included the recent official video release from Young Widows for the song ‘Future Heart’.

- Erik Otis

Young Widows recorded their latest LP In and Out of Youth and Lightness at The Funeral Home in your hometown of Louisville, KY. Whose idea was it initially to record in this active mortuary?

Evan Patterson: The idea was to record with Kevin, it wasn’t to record at a funeral home. Kevin just so happens to be stationed out of the second and third floors of his family owned funeral home, The Ratterman Funeral Home.

Did the band do multi-tracking sessions for this latest LP or was this album put together with everyone playing together at the same time?

Evan Patterson: We all played together and kept those initial live cuts. Everything else was overdubbed.

Do you guys use different amps for studio recordings than what is used for tours?

Evan Patterson: Same amps, different speaker cabinets. Our cabinets wouldn’t fit up the staircase, otherwise we would have used them.

I have always been interested in the routines that bands take for the construction of their albums. Do you guys have a methodical approach to your music or is their many hands shifting each song to a unique style of creation?

Evan Patterson: We have a windswept approach. It’s a different kind of approach.

I really love how deep the bass tone is on this album, it really captures the depth of the lyrics, drum work and harmonies. What model bass does Nick Thieneman use on this recording?

Evan Patterson: Gibson RD Artist.

Improvisation is something that always fascinates me about live shows, there is always something a little bit different. How much do you guys improvise live and how much is performed as to what is strictly on record?

Evan Patterson: Most of the songs are written by improvising and jamming. Live, we try to leave certain sections of songs open for the mood of the performance. The least appealing part of touring and performing is that we aren’t creating music and the improvised sections fill that void.

Young Widows have been with Temporary Residence Limited for awhile now. The roster of artists they have and have had has always been insanely good. How did you guys link with the label?

Evan Patterson: Label owner, Jeremy deVine, is from Louisville and we share friendship based on our passion for music. He shares our vision and gives unconditional support for the heavy art that we create.

Evan, you have a lot of angular really wild guitar lines that jump in and out of hardcore elements, a futuristic flash of 30′s blues if they had huge amps to use and progressive tendencies. I really love how powerful your guitar sounds. When did you start approaching music with this style of fluid variation with not just sticking to one genre setting for how you play?

Evan Patterson: Musical influence is ever-changing and style should exist temporarily. Granted, the arrangements and song writing that I have been sticking with for the past couple years feels the most comfortable. Minimalism is key.

What are some bands that blow you guys away live?

Evan Patterson: My Disco, Cave, the Melvins. I just saw Gillian Welch and a couple days later Swans. They we’re both equally inspiring.

What do you guys have planned for the rest of the year?

Evan Patterson: Our friends Russian Circles ask us to join them for a couple shows to celebrate the release of their new album. We’re are performing at the 3 Floyd’s Brewery Anniversary festival November 12th and the next day we have the pleasure of sharing the stage with Scratch Acid here in Louisville.

Thanks for your time Evan.

Band Members & Cast:
Evan Patterson
Nick Thieneman
Jeremy McMonigle
death: Lindsay Reinstatler

Produced by: Rockadee
Executive Producer: Jeremy DeVine
Camera: Jeremy Johnstone
Editor: Sung Han