CARBON BLACK - JONATHAN HURLEY

#interview

CARBON BLACK - JONATHAN HURLEY

💿 Hi, it’s a pleasure for us to have on Hardrockheavymetal JONATHAN HURLEY of CARBON BLACK.. Welcome!

Thanks for having me! Always a pleasure to be able to chat with fellow metal fans.

💿 Can you introduce us the current line-up of the band?

Sure! First up on drums and bass respectively we have Steve and Rob Giles. Two brothers who drive our sound like a freight train.

Damon Bishop is our six-string maestro (Guitar) handling all the blazing solos and chugging riffs.

Last is me Jon Hurley on vocals, doing my best behind the Mic.

💿 On May 6th, 2022 will be out your 3rd full-length entitled WE REMAIN, positive received on our pages. Can you tell us somethin'about its composition process and style?

Most of the time our songwriting starts with a drum beat from Steve then Damo comes in with a riff, or an idea on guitar which sets the foundation for the song. We get some pieces that work together, jam on it during rehearsal to feel it out. Obviously, Rob is constantly involved, contributing and developing ideas during this process. Then we get a feeling of what’s a verse, what sounds like a chorus etc. Then I come in and start putting melodies and lyrics together.

💿 What's the role of lyrics in your songs?

I don’t usually have an idea for lyrics before I sit down with the song. I try to find what the song is saying to me. I listen to the track over and over trying to hear what would elevate the song, what complements the song, that type of thing.

There’s always a message in the lyrics I write, but as most lyricists do, I use metaphor and language to try and enable people to get their own meaning for that song. What it means to them may be different to what it means to me, and I think that’s awesome.

💿 In your early times which artists influenced you the most?

Oh, the usual for a metalhead in the 90’s, Guns n Roses, Metallica and the big one Pantera. Being in Australia it was difficult to find new bands to listen to back then, CD’s were like 35 dollars and usually imported unless it was a massive artist. I have other influences from theatre and pop music, people that have amazing voices like John Farnham or Anthony Warlow, who just make me want to be the best vocalist I can be.

💿 Where does the band’s name come from?

Rob and Damon were in a band before Carbon which had a song called "Carbon Black", which Rob wrote the lyrics for. They dug the title and when that band dissolved, and they got me in, they had already decided that was the name they wanted for the band. I’ve always liked the name, I think it suits us and our sound.

💿 WE REMAIN is a self-release. It was difficult to find a label or is a choice to be free?

We have done everything as a band off our own backs and from our own pockets. It is difficult for any heavy band in Aus to get any sort of representation from labels. Don’t get me wrong there are lots of people out there who have been championing heavy music in Australia! The basic truth is there isn’t a ton of money to be made for a band on our level so other people can’t make money off the small amount that we may make from merch or shows.

Although we were recently picked up by Earache UK for digital distribution which is amazing! Who knows, the new release is easily the best stuff we’ve ever done, hopefully lots of people like it and keep coming back for more and turn up at our live shows!

💿 Here at HARDROCKHEAVYMETAL we are strong defender of classic format. Love for vintage or isn't there a future outside digital?

I think that both have their pros and cons. Digital sources like Spotify etc, while they easily could pay the artists they have on their platform more for their music and should, it also allows everyone instant access to be able to hear the music. Because of this I personally have found new and different artists that I would never have listened to without that access, which is awesome as there are so many talented artists out there from all different genres.

The old faithful CD or Vinyl format is still vital for the industry. I buy albums to support the band as much as I can. In my opinion that is the most important way of supporting the industry and the bands especially on lower levels. Picking up a CD of a young band playing their heart out at a local show who have poured their soul and probably all their money into their product makes a huge difference for them.

💿 We love the cover of WE REMAIN…Can you tell us somethin'about?

The entire world has been and still is going through massive changes and events. We have environmental issues constantly being swept under the carpet because of something else, but they’re the most threatening to this world, if the planet can’t support life anymore, we’re all dead!

It just feels like the world is going to hell. Our world leaders seem to only care about how much money they’ll have when they get out of politics or what top level job they’ll have in some oil or coal company etc. Not making the world a better place for everyone to live in - which I had always believed was the point.

The cover artwork by Mike Morphett is connected to our previous album 'End of This' and tries to represent those ideas, but also the idea that we will survive as a race. Hence, We Remain. Like, yeah, the world is probably going to end, especially the way things are going, but we can and will survive, but we must make changes now and not worry about the monetary cost, worry instead about the future of the planet.

💿 Can you tell somethin’about rock/metal scene in your Country after two years of Covid madness?

Well, it has been super difficult to say the least. The live scene, which all bands depend on disappeared… for years. Small venues that depended on live music to keep the doors open suffered tremendously. We don’t have that many stages to play on, so losing even one venue hurts all the bands.

Bands tried streaming live shows, hell, we did one ourselves, but it was missing the audience. Half the fun of being onstage is seeing the people in front of you losing their minds to your music, and the exchange of energy from them to you and you to them. It’s an amazing feeling, which is so important to a lot of people.

Hopefully we are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel! Live music is coming back; we’re playing a show on Saturday the 2nd of April. In saying that we have also been through this before, then something happens, and everything gets shut down again with the first thing to go and the last thing to come back being live music. I just have my fingers crossed that with everything we as a race have gone through with vaccinations etc. that it finally calms down and we can get on with living life!

💿 Thank you so much for your time! See you soon on Hardrockheavymetal!

​Thanks to you for your interest! I’m glad we had this opportunity and hope that people check out our new release!! Again, we’re super proud of our new songs and can’t wait to share them with the world!