Artist: High Spirits
Genre: Heavy Metal
Label: High Roller Records
Band members:
Vocals – Chris Black
Guitar – Scott Hoffmann
Guitar – Mike Bushur
Bass – Bob Scott
Drums – Ian Sugierski
Time For Metal / Hellania:
Welcome to this interview. Thank you for taking the time for giving the readers a view of yourselves.
High Spirits / Chris:
Thank you for checking out High Spirits and for inviting us inside!
Time For Metal / Hellania:
At the beginning it would be great to get a little more information about you. The readers don’t really know you yet, so how did you gather together and did your genre always stand as clear as now?
High Spirits / Chris :
This style of music is very natural, you could say even „automatic“ for us. I started making demos in 2009 without any pretense of becoming a band. It was just a matter of passing some winter hours with my guitar in my home studio. But then people began to notice and feel a connection to the music, so naturally that was a great motivation to continue! So much has happened in only 2 years! Now we are a full band, using a professional recording studio, and having our music released internationally. We are so happy!
Time For Metal / Hellania:
Your album cover shows Chicago at night. What does the town mean to you? What is the connection between you and Chicago?
High Spirits / Chris:
I did not grow up here, but at this point Chicago feels like home. It is a huge city with a real international flavor that you won’t find in the typical American city. There is a lot of variety here when it comes to music, food, people, and lifestyles. And we have a great heavy metal community here.
Time For Metal / Hellania:
Do your songs play/act there as well or isn’t the track list connected with Chicago at all? And did you choose the cover to show your love to your home town?
High Spirits / Chris:
I wanted a city scene for the album cover, so it only made sense to use Chicago as the „model“! The action in the songs can be wherever you imagine. There’s nothing specifically about Chicago in the
lyrics.
Time For Metal / Hellania:
You do music for several years now, not only in this band but also in other projects. What does making music mean to you? Do you use the music to realise some of your dreams and do you share those dreams with your fans?
High Spirits / Chris:
Yes! After my family, music is the most important thing in my life. Both have been a part of me since before I can remember. But, I do not think that myself in life and my music are the same thing. I can still keep a healthy separation, in the way an actor is separate from the character he or she is playing. In this way High Spirits is inspired by life, but it’s not my biography. If it was too personal, it would be harder for the audience to connect to it, and this goes against our purpose as a band.
Time For Metal / Hellania:
You already had a lot of gigs in America. How did the fans react on your interpretion of Hevay Metal?
High Spirits / Chris:
We had a great time with our shows! I think our best crowds on tour were in Providence, Michigan, and Richmond, but of course we love to play here in Chicago as well! Typically at our shows we have lots
of people smiling and singing with us, sometimes headbanging or even dancing a little bit.
Time For Metal / Hellania:
How are your plans for the future? Will there be another album or another tour?
High Spirits / Chris:
Right now the main goal is to bring this band to Europe. I think with the new release on High Roller, it may be possible to do it in 2012! But we will keep working hard, regardless of the outcome.
Time For Metal / Hellania:
If you could choose a band to do a gig with, what band would you choose?
High Spirits / Chris:
It doesn’t matter to us! We can play with any hardrock or heavy metal band, and bring our best to the audience. I think we can win any crowd’s heart with our music.
Time For Metal / Hellania:
Last but not least: is there anything you want to tell your fans?
High Spirits / Chris:
Thank you for your support and for finding us out in the sea of thousands of other bands. It means a lot to all of us, and we hope to meet every single one of you someday and say THANK YOU in person!
Time For Metal / Hellania:
Thank you very much for giving us so many views of your life and work as band High Spirits. I wish you all the best for the future and hope you’ll conquer your fans’ hearts in a flash.