Opus of a Machine interview

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Here comes an interview I recently did with Zachary Greensill of Australian alternative progressive rock band Opus of a Machine. They have a debut album called "Simulacra" coming out on November 16th, and it can be pre-ordered on Bandcamp. 

Zachary is also a member of Caligula's Horse.

Speak to me about the band’s beginnings.

Zachary: Mitchell (Legg) and I grew up together. For years we’ve played in bands throughout High School and always vowed to start a “serious” band. Throughout even our most absent times we would always share musical ideas, riffs and concepts with each other. When the song writing for Simulacra started to get a little more serious we figured, why not go all out and try and make it a thing. I lived with Dale (Prinsse, bassist) at the time and we started sharing ideas on production and mixing and got dialogue going for a band. He taught me a lot of what I know with production and really aided in the album creation. From there it was just a matter of finding a drummer, which was much easier than I thought. We put out feelers at our university and the first person to approach us was Trevor (Gee, drums). From there we jumped straight into recording for the album. It was a very clear and focused formation.

Considering that you are a new band, with an album that is coming out on November 16th, how would you describe your music to someone who has never heard you before?

Zachary: I think I’d say it’s a mixture of heavy, interesting, progressive themes with something to really latch onto with hooks, guitar solos and groovy rhythms.

How did you write the songs for “Simulacra”? 

Zachary: All in my bedroom, way too detached from reality. If I try to explain it anymore I’ll be here for ages making very little sense.

What are you striving to achieve musically, particularly on your debut album?

Zachary: The debut never strived to be anything besides a collection of songs that are very close to my heart. But what I strive for is delivering music that is progressive, interesting but also accessible and fun. We try not to delve into darkness too often as I find it can be far too disingenuous. Overall, I just want to make music that I would want to hear. 

The sound on “Simulacra” relies heavily on both progressive and alternative rock genres, what seems to be an unexplored combination of the genres. What is your take on it?

Zachary: I always found it counter-productive to on one hand be as experimental and exploratory as possible and at the same time, abide by a strict set of rules. This is what I see most progressive rock bands to be. I love the idea of having freedoms in my song writing rather than fitting to a category. However, I love pop music. I love the art of saying all that needs to be said in 3 minutes rather than in 15 minutes. For me personally, rock is the foundation in which we lay on, “progressive” and “alternative” are just the ideologies that drive our exploration.

Was it your idea since the beginning to self-release “Simulacra”? 

Zachary: It would have been great to have financial assistance for the album, but I knew that if I did release this independently I would be able to walk away from the release of the album with a large set of skills that allow me to bypass record companies if needs be. It wasn’t a conscious choice to self-release, it just happened that way given the nature of my role in the band.

What do you find is working best for you at the moment, from a publicity and promotion standpoint?

Zachary: Right now, we’re doing a lot of promotion online, which is working great. Our album is getting out to people that care about us and the reception before the release has been phenomenal. However, there’s a large amount of groundwork in the live scene here in Australia. It’s a great scene, but distance is a serious hurdle to overcome. Playing multiple dates throughout all the major cities means a large amount of money needs to be put in, which at this stage isn’t yet feasible for us. It’ll happen in time, but for now, online promotion is working amazingly well.

Tell me about the gear you primarily used to get your sound on “Simulacra.” Also, what kind of gear you use when performing live? 

Zachary: For me personally, most of the guitars were tracked on my Fractal Axe FX II, either direct or through a variety of power amps. The guitars used were my old Ibanez Apex II (that has since been sold) along with an old Ibanez RG with dimarzio Blaze pickups and a beautiful early 90’s Ibanez universe that both belonged to Sam Vallen (Caligula’s Horse). Right now, I’m using my Music Man JP7 for live, which has got to be the best guitar I’ve played. It’s a beautiful guitar that will no doubt be used at some point in future recordings.

Speaking of playing live, you already have experience as a touring band. What is the feedback like?

Zachary: Really great. It’s hard sometimes to really give everything to the performance when people don’t know the songs, but you can feel the energy lift toward each set as you can tell people are really digging what they’re hearing. So far, the response to the songs live has been quite amazing.

What’s up next for you?

Zachary: We’ve got a few shows tentatively planned for early next year and we hope to kick start touring around early to mid next year. Right now, it’s about pushing the album as hard as we can and at the same time having sometime off from recording and writing for a while.

Visit Opus of a Machine on Facebook. Grab a copy of their debut album "Simulacra" here.

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JohnNicholson Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Newbie Joined: November 29 2013 Location: Sydney Status: Offline Points: 16	Topic: Opus of a Machine interview Posted: November 11 2014 at 03:33
	Here comes an interview I recently did with Zachary Greensill of Australian alternative progressive rock band Opus of a Machine. They have a debut album called "Simulacra" coming out on November 16th, and it can be pre-ordered on Bandcamp. Zachary is also a member of Caligula's Horse. Speak to me about the band’s beginnings. Zachary: Mitchell (Legg) and I grew up together. For years we’ve played in bands throughout High School and always vowed to start a “serious” band. Throughout even our most absent times we would always share musical ideas, riffs and concepts with each other. When the song writing for Simulacra started to get a little more serious we figured, why not go all out and try and make it a thing. I lived with Dale (Prinsse, bassist) at the time and we started sharing ideas on production and mixing and got dialogue going for a band. He taught me a lot of what I know with production and really aided in the album creation. From there it was just a matter of finding a drummer, which was much easier than I thought. We put out feelers at our university and the first person to approach us was Trevor (Gee, drums). From there we jumped straight into recording for the album. It was a very clear and focused formation. Considering that you are a new band, with an album that is coming out on November 16th, how would you describe your music to someone who has never heard you before? Zachary: I think I’d say it’s a mixture of heavy, interesting, progressive themes with something to really latch onto with hooks, guitar solos and groovy rhythms. How did you write the songs for “Simulacra”? Zachary: All in my bedroom, way too detached from reality. If I try to explain it anymore I’ll be here for ages making very little sense. What are you striving to achieve musically, particularly on your debut album? Zachary: The debut never strived to be anything besides a collection of songs that are very close to my heart. But what I strive for is delivering music that is progressive, interesting but also accessible and fun. We try not to delve into darkness too often as I find it can be far too disingenuous. Overall, I just want to make music that I would want to hear. The sound on “Simulacra” relies heavily on both progressive and alternative rock genres, what seems to be an unexplored combination of the genres. What is your take on it? Zachary: I always found it counter-productive to on one hand be as experimental and exploratory as possible and at the same time, abide by a strict set of rules. This is what I see most progressive rock bands to be. I love the idea of having freedoms in my song writing rather than fitting to a category. However, I love pop music. I love the art of saying all that needs to be said in 3 minutes rather than in 15 minutes. For me personally, rock is the foundation in which we lay on, “progressive” and “alternative” are just the ideologies that drive our exploration. Was it your idea since the beginning to self-release “Simulacra”? Zachary: It would have been great to have financial assistance for the album, but I knew that if I did release this independently I would be able to walk away from the release of the album with a large set of skills that allow me to bypass record companies if needs be. It wasn’t a conscious choice to self-release, it just happened that way given the nature of my role in the band. What do you find is working best for you at the moment, from a publicity and promotion standpoint? Zachary: Right now, we’re doing a lot of promotion online, which is working great. Our album is getting out to people that care about us and the reception before the release has been phenomenal. However, there’s a large amount of groundwork in the live scene here in Australia. It’s a great scene, but distance is a serious hurdle to overcome. Playing multiple dates throughout all the major cities means a large amount of money needs to be put in, which at this stage isn’t yet feasible for us. It’ll happen in time, but for now, online promotion is working amazingly well. Tell me about the gear you primarily used to get your sound on “Simulacra.” Also, what kind of gear you use when performing live? Zachary: For me personally, most of the guitars were tracked on my Fractal Axe FX II, either direct or through a variety of power amps. The guitars used were my old Ibanez Apex II (that has since been sold) along with an old Ibanez RG with dimarzio Blaze pickups and a beautiful early 90’s Ibanez universe that both belonged to Sam Vallen (Caligula’s Horse). Right now, I’m using my Music Man JP7 for live, which has got to be the best guitar I’ve played. It’s a beautiful guitar that will no doubt be used at some point in future recordings. Speaking of playing live, you already have experience as a touring band. What is the feedback like? Zachary: Really great. It’s hard sometimes to really give everything to the performance when people don’t know the songs, but you can feel the energy lift toward each set as you can tell people are really digging what they’re hearing. So far, the response to the songs live has been quite amazing. What’s up next for you? Zachary: We’ve got a few shows tentatively planned for early next year and we hope to kick start touring around early to mid next year. Right now, it’s about pushing the album as hard as we can and at the same time having sometime off from recording and writing for a while. Visit Opus of a Machine on Facebook. Grab a copy of their debut album "Simulacra" here.