The Cinematics, an up-and-coming alt rock band from the Scottish Highlands, recently unleashed their second album, Love and Terror, onto the music scene. This new release has earned the group a barrage of positive reviews that praise the new, edgy, and darker material.
Love and Terror was created during a very transitional period for The Cinematics. Their label, TVT Record Company, had collapsed in bankruptcy, causing the band to be passed off to a New York based business. Also, the group had replaced their former lead guitarist, Ramsay Miller, with newcomer, Larry Reid.
Benefiting from an increase in creative freedom offered to them by the new record company and from the addition of new talent, Love and Terror is a collection of songs with distinctive character, pulsing energy, and intriguing moodiness. It is fueled by emotion and seems to flirt with Goth stylings, offering a sound that is organic and, at times, even sparse (in a good way). Many critics (this one included) agree that The Cinematics are on the verge of superstardom.
A defining feature of the band’s sound is the unique voice of the lead singer, Scott Rinning. He has a straight forwad style of delivering the lyrics and a beautiful, soaring upper-register that is accentuated by a slight vibrato when he brings his highest notes to a close. The songs from Love and Terror offer him a chance to show off the expansive range of his voice and his ability to convey a variety of emotions effectively.
For the past few weeks, Scott and the boys have been busy honing their musical craft and building their reputation as an exciting live act while on tour promoting the new album. Luckily, the frontman was kind enough to set aside some time to answer a few questions about the new album, The Cinematics, himself, and a few other more random subjects.
Since the release of A Strange Education in 2007, The Cinematics have undergone some major changes in label and personnel. Can you tell us a bit about those changes and what influences (if any) they had on the sound and overall mood of the new album, Love and Terror?
Well obviously a new member is going to have an effect on a band's sound, especially someone as crucial to the sound as the lead guitarist. Larry has a much rawer, let it rip and let the sound man deal with it if it's too loud approach to his guitar sounds, which I think stems from his love of bands like Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine. He has also been a major contributor to the songwriting on this album. The collapse of TVT also had an effect on the album. It covers some dark terrain but not for melodramatic effect.
Article comments
1 - R.P.M.
Wow Jason, big ups on this for a few reasons. The preface to the interview is something I have been debating and wondering on should/should not as I personally have like 6 interviews that I have to publish.
They are a pain going back and getting the words verbatim. To see the extent with which you took care to details, well that along with questions that mixed in the slow pitch softballs with hard Mariano Rivera sliders.
Thanks for not just the insight into someone I have never heard of until you covered and for the thoroughness of the writing.
2 - jason
Thanks! This guy and the band are really fantastic. Check them out.