Interview: Crone Tye (Written)
Crone Tye, the alternative rock and metal duo, recently released their debut single, ‘No Guts, No Glamour’ and in this interview we get to know them a little better.
1. Hello! Thank you for taking the time to chat to us. First things first, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started.
Mik: Tye and myself have a mutual love for movies and music so when I decided to try to channel this into a project ,Tye seemed to be the ultimate choice. He is in a band called INHERITOR and I’ve seen them evolve into a giant monster of metal so I thought how would he sound if we combine this element with some 80s rock and some industrial music?
Tye: As well as my metalcore and modern metal ties, I’m a huge fan of glam metal, gutter glam and gothic/industrial culture, so it’s great to have a new musical avenue to explore thanks to Mik. It’s also very felicitous that we both share many common interests, it’s set up a lot of cool creative areas for exploration with this new project.
2. Someone comes to you and asks you to sum up what kind of music you play – what do you tell them?
Mik: I would say we are a combination of a few things. We both have a strong bond with many different kinds of alternative music. We wanted to take elements of 80s sleaze bands like Faster Pussycat and LA Guns and combine it with industrial artists such as Ministry and Alec Empire. We also channel horror movies and gothic culture into our vision.
Tye: That’s it right there! It’s as if a much less polished Skid Row were to find a copy of The Crow soundtrack and compulsively span it in a run down jam space.
3. What’s currently keeping you busy? A new album/EP/single release? A new video? Playing live, or planning ahead?
Mik: We are currently promoting our debut single ‘No Guts, No Glamour’. The plan for the future is to keep writing and try to add visual elements to the songs. I’m a big fan of Dario Argento movies and the band Goblin who do the soundtracks. There is something hypnotic about how the music works with the red and green colour palette. I would love to experiment with that and see what audio visual elements could be created.
Tye: Finding our own bloodsoaked LA style neon niche within that sort of Argento technicolour signature would be awesome.
4. What is about this current period that is particularly exciting for you?
Mik: I feel there will be a resurgence in industrial music soon. Artists like Nine Inch Nails are coming out of retirement and a lot of the bands who were around in the 80s are making new music and playing to bigger audiences than they were then. It could be my age but I truly see that all styles of alternative are being embraced. At one time the magazines were king and they would make and break whole trends. Now we have the ability to find what we want via our phones, laptops etc. and it’s more personal. There is more to choose from but when we find out things we can access it instantly.
Tye: Cross pollination of the genres is really at an apex now. Bands like Motionless In White have always masterfully fused that contemporary style of metal and arena rock with their goth and industrial love and are finally getting widespread recognition, similarly so for acts like HEALTH and of course, the return of Marilyn Manson himself! A dark and heavy band I love is Psyclon Nine, those guys are touring like mad and putting out some very innovative material so I’m starting to agree with Mik’s sleaze rock soothsaying haha! It’s a new but nostalgic time and I’m super appreciative to be watching it unfurl in real time and hopefully add to it.
5. Tell me about the work that has gone into making it a reality and what it means to you.
Tye: Making music, or doing anything artistic, is always a case of pure alchemy really. You have these amorphous ideas floating around in your head that you then mould into musical notes, ink on paper or a canvas and you create something that hasn’t existed before, it’s very magical really. I think Mik has channeled his influences and inspirations very well with an original twist on our first tune and I’ve added my usual lyrical style over it with an atypical (for me) vocal approach. It’s been a case of experimenting, but a very smooth and organic one.
6. Making music and being creative can be a very positive experience and can be very good for the mind. In what way has making music had a positive impact on your mental health?
Tye: Music and the moods it sonically paints will always be there for you to turn to, as will the lyrical content and your emotional ties to it. There’s a reason it’s always been referred to as a universal language, it can be deeply personal yet be enjoyed by millions of like minded people around the world and bring tens of thousands of people together at a venue, if that’s not a sign of power I don’t know what is. Both as a fan and creator for me, it’s always provided an outlet, something to match my emotions or make me think, been an anchor for my friendships and a bedrock for meeting and growing alongside fellow musicians. It’s also a catalyst for building whole relationships, it’s a great uniting force.
Mik: The end result. The feeling of accomplishment. Over everything else the artistic release brings peace of mind. If I’m not creating I’m down. I feel like something is missing.
Tye: And what Mik said, without a doubt!
7. It can also be incredibly challenging, more so in the modern times. What have been some challenging aspects of making music and how have you overcome them?
Mik: Being in the right frame of mind for writing is important and sometimes there is writer’s block. The thing ing a home studio is that we can go back at any time and add to the ideas. Some days a whole song can be written and recorded in a few hours. Other days it’s harder. But the ability to record when needed helps a great deal.
Tye: That’s the true beauty of this new generation of bedroom musicians and producers, we don’t have to worry about as many external factors disrupting the flow or rushing for things to be finished and sent off like a product rather than a detailed and human piece of work!
8. How do you handle the online aspects of being in a band? Having to put out content constantly, promoting across several different social media platforms, and having your success measured in likes and follows?
Tye: Partially, I despise that part of the modern “industry”, but I’m also a contemporary and part of it so I’d be lying if I said I’m boycotting it or eschewing it wholesale. The entire likes, clicks and becoming an algorithmic darling thing isn’t what it’s all about or means for me, it’s a great direct and expedient tool for reaching an audience and promotion, but there’s a hyper inflated currency of content out there now and you can easily become a teardrop in a digital ocean, which is why you’ve got to make an effort to be authentic and stand out and definitely make sure you’re in it for the right reasons.
9. How do you make this part of things enjoyable, and fulfilling, for yourself?
Tye: Balance and authenticity. I have a lot of creative projects going on and this is something different for me but still within a familiar realm which I love, so it’s still new and fresh! I do get a bit stalled and fed up of playing the social media game and marketing or posting constantly with my other bands and creative outlets, you don’t want to spam people but you can’t stay silent or have prolonged breaks because the world is just too fast paced nowadays.
10. Speaking directly to listeners – what would you ask they do to help you?
Mik: Keep listening to us and help spread the word.
Tye: If you like what you hear, share it with others who may also! We can’t ask for anything more than people’s time!
11. Outside of music, what do you like to do to relax?
Mik: I have a Harley so I like to ride. I also watch a lot of Horror movies. I’m a dad too so family holidays somewhere warm are a great reset for the mind.
Tye: I’m also super into films, especially horror and arthouse. Most of my time is spent reading, I try to get through as many books or as much written material as I can, I need to constantly keep my brain ticking and stimulated with new information or I’m instantly bored. I’m also into fitness and combat sports, love to travel and I’ve recently started pursuing my longtime interest in becoming a writer.
12. Where can people find you?
Tye: We can be found everywhere on social media and streaming platforms, as it’s a completely fresh project we’re still in the process of consolidating an online identity which is quite exciting! If people want to check us out on Instagram @cronetye666, we’ve got a link in our bio there that takes you to whatever you may need! You can also just type ‘No Guts, No Glamour’ wherever you get your music online and we’ll be there waiting.
