Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
- Grant Goldsworthy (Creative Director, Lead Vocals, Guitar, Keys)
- Alex Hilliard (Bass)
- Anthony Pieruccini (Lead Guitar)
- Cory Paternoster (Drums)
- Mikaela Krall (Vocals, Keys)
*Session Players (EP)
- Grant Goldsworthy (Vocals, Guitar)
- Daniel Joseph (Producer, Guitar, Vocals)
- Alex Hilliard (Bass)
- Chad Adams (Drums)
- Morgan Laubaugh (Vocals)
- Perfect Martin (Vocals)
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Snow Villain? How long has the band been around?
I grew up in Central Pennsylvania, where I've cultivated and developed my skills in the music industry. I have about 15 years of experience and I've performed with different bands across Pennsylvania, Washington DC, Boston and New York. I decided it was time to create something of my own and got together with great musicians out in the suburbs of Philadelphia in 2015, and that's how Snow Villain started.
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
During the writing process, the session players and I did some gigging as Eskimo Wave. Considering the name was not very “politically correct,” we changed it. We liked the name having an arctic-theme, so we came up with Snow Villain, which we instantly loved.
Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?
Because I have a versatile voice, the way Snow Villain was created is liberating to me as an artist because I can explore different genres in different album cycles. This approach allows me to have different EPs with different collaborators. For this particular first EP, I chose Daniel Joseph as a producer because he was very complimentary to me as a songwriter. The songs are all about my experiences and written about specific events in my life. It’s a very introspective album with themes about love, hate, lust and government. Those are broad themes but ones that are very universal in music, and are ones that I’ll always probably write about.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
Death Cab For Cutie, Spoon, Queens of the Stone Age, Smashing Pumpkins, Built To Spill, Ween, David Byrne, St. Vincent, Emily Haines, and LCD Soundsystem.
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
When I was growing up, I was introduced to classic rock and folk music from my parents. My mother loved bands like The Beatles and Billy Joel, and my father listened to CCR and The Rolling Stones. That gave me a natural love for pop sensibility in songs. In the 90s, when I was growing up, I gravitated to grunge and alt-rock. Overall, I like organic sounds, and that's why I wanted to make this record as organic as I could in the rhythm instrumentation.
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc …
I try to rest and stay pretty relaxed physically all day, eat lightly, stay hydrated, but I haven't adopted anything else crazier than that yet.
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
Completing this collection of songs that will be on the Snow Villain’s debut EP, “I.”
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
Ween, Butthole Surfers, Weezer, Smashing Pumpkins, The White Stripes, LCD Soundsystem. I respect all of these bands; I admire their music and they are fascinating artists. I believe it’d be beneficial for me to learn from them because I’ve taken influence from them in my work.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
We are very excited to release the first two EPs of Snow Villain this year (Summer and Fall 2018). Also, we are in the middle of editing two more official videos to share with all of you. And, we'll be performing in Pennsylvania, New York, Washington DC and many more places. Follow us on social media for updates and news! There's a lot coming soon for Snow Villain fans.