BYSTS [beasts]
Interview conducted on April 28, 2020
by Dan Locke
BYSTS ANNOUNCE THEIR NEW SINGLE ‘RUNES’. THE SINGLE WILL BE SELF-RELEASED DIGITALLY MAY 15TH ON ALL STREAMING PLATFORMS.
Speaking about their next release:
“Through the lens of the old Gods RUNES tells a story of sacrifice. Anything you want in life requires an offering. None of us is entitled to anything. For everything, we must be willing to give freely.”
RUNES is the 5th in a series of singles the duo started releasing in September of 2019, following the release of their EP ‘Dreamland’ and the second official single to promote their upcoming sophomore album to be released later this year.
Dan Locke: What is your upbringing?
Bryan: My mom moved here from Samoa with my dad when she was 19 and settled in Utah. I was born just outside of Salt Lake.
Stefanie: I grew up in Los Angeles. My parents moved here when I was 5 from Brazil where I was born.
How did you discover music?
Bryan: Hymns at church & Samoan music from my mom. Rock, hip hop, R&B, from my brothers & sisters. Big band stuff from my grandma. Later punk & then shoegaze in high school. It was a pretty diverse mix at a young age.
Stefanie: My parents. My dad owned a small independent recording studio with a friend before we moved to the States so I was exposed to a lot of his love for music.
How did you start to write music?
Bryan: I started buying instruments from pawn shops when I was 17 to play along with records with the goal of teaching myself how to play. Then a friend gave me a 4-track recorder and I’ve been writing ever since.
Stefanie: The first instrument I started playing was the drums so I didn’t really write music until I started playing in bands.
How did you create your band? I heard it was in a makeshift studio. What type of equipment did you use?
Bryan: Stef and I had played in bands together for years. She on drums and me on guitar or bass or something. We got along really well and saw eye to eye in general so it just kinda clicked that we should work together. Yeah, our first record was actually recorded in a closet. I didn’t have a ton of money but I needed a digital audio interface. So, I bought the cheapest one I could find that could be read by apple’s proprietary software. It was an Apogee Phone USB to quarter inch jack. It was meant for a quick recording on your phone. Not studio recording. But it got us our first record deal so no complaints here. I used that to record all of our vocals, guitars, everything. We used pawn shop headphones and one SM57 microphone and that was it. Our set up now is a bit more professional but not by much.
How did the band get its name?
BYSTS: BYSTS is an acronym for an ever-changing mantra. I can’t tell you what it means today because it doesn’t mean the same thing today that it meant yesterday nor will it mean the same thing tomorrow.
How did you develop your music?
Bryan: Many hours playing and finding out what you like and don’t like. Finding out who you are. Trying to find your voice, what your story is and what you want to say. It takes a long time to sound like you and not all of your influences. Do you know what I mean?
Stefanie: Bryan and I were in another band before BYSTS. We would always talk about what inspires us and what we would want our next project to sound like. It was a couple years before we could make it a reality, but we took that time to really think through what it was that we really wanted to do.
How do you stay healthy while touring?
Bryan: Lots of drinking. The alcohol helps to disinfect the body. Actually, we try not to party too hard. You gotta perform and then you gotta couple hundred miles to drive. You can’t do that regularly if you’re hungover. At least not well.
Stefanie: You don’t. Hahaha. You try and you have good intentions, but it’s hard.
You have shared the stage with the likes of Eagles of Death Metal and the Black Lips. Did they teach you anything about the music business that you would like to share with our readers?
Bryan: Opening for the Black Lips was great. They were super sweet guys but we didn’t chat about the music business. Also, we played at the same festival as Eagles of Death Metal but I never met them while we were there. The festival was a week-long spread out across Toronto.
You just put out a new video “SPREADOUT” redone. Were there any problems with copyright issues on the video?
Bryan: Spread Out isn’t a cover so we didn’t have any copyright issues. I’m aware of the reggae song by Don Carlos that is also called Spread Out from the 70’s that is pretty dope. Although that song is incredible, we didn’t cover it. The only similarity is the title.
What are your feelings about streaming music?
Bryan: I love streaming. I get to hear music wherever and whenever I want and hear just about every obscure act on the planet. I know there’s a big upset about musicians feeling like they aren’t getting paid but guess what, you weren’t going to get paid anyway. If you’re making pop music then maybe. But if you’re making independent music, whether it’s hip-hop, punk, post-punk or shoegaze like us then the odds are not in your favor. You got to find another way to make money, homie.
Stefanie: Everything comes with its challenges. If I had to choose between the streaming era that we’re in right now and what it was like releasing music before streaming, I would definitely rather be releasing music now. At least now we can reach more people.
Digital vs. vinyl?
Bryan: Both. Our vinyl game is on point but records don’t play that well while you’re driving.
Stefanie: Vinyl for when you really love something.
Any plans to tour once the country opens up?
Bryan: Always. We actually had to cancel a tour because of this. Once it appears that it, we can all tour again, it’s on.
Stefanie: I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate things going back to the way they were.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? And what is the meaning that song means to you?
Bryan: Nickelus F ‘Watermelon and Chicken’. That’s just a great song. Either that or Metz ‘Wet Blanket’. I always think of those songs.
Stefanie: KC and JoJo “All My Life”. I think that song is never not stuck in my head.
Since you are a band. Are you a business and are you getting money from Trump?
Bryan: We are a band and we are technically a business in that we make money, sometimes, from our music. But, no, we did not get money from Trump. I’ve still got my fingers crossed that he’ll remember that he forgot us.
Stefanie: We weren’t making money before, so I think if we were to apply, we’d get approved for a total of $0. Actually, we’d probably end up owing money for wasting someone’s time. Haha.
How do you feel the COVID-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
Bryan: The next two years are gonna be sketchy for small acts but I’m guessing if you’re a larger musician it’ll be fine. If you can hang in there and do it digitally then it could be a really interesting and innovative time for people. I’m excited to see how inventive people become.
Stefanie: I think the music industry will be hit really hard by this. I think you’ll see a lot of people being creative with the tools they have, but if groups can’t congregate for another year or two, I fear independent music will suffer and we’ll see a lot of it disappear.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
Bryan: Finishing our next record, reading, and trying not to drink too much.
Stefanie: We’ve been working on the official lyric video for “SPREAD OUT” and our next single “RUNES” that will come out on May 15th.
Lots of people are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Are you planning to do something like that?
Bryan: We have some plans for it but have been holding back because we thought we could get a ton of recording done. But we’ll be doing something very special soon on our Youtube and Instagram channel.
Stefanie: Yes! We’re working on some ideas for that and hope to have something soon.
There was an article in the New York Times this week talking about concerts that may not start again until the Fall of 2021. Do you think it could happen?
Bryan: I do and I’m trying to plan for that with different ways to experience music online. We’re experimenting so keep a lookout.
Stefanie: I would love to see that happen, but honestly that’s probably the optimistic date.
Can you bring the club to your home?
Bryan: Yes, we can and yes, we have.
Stefanie: And yes, we will.
How do you see yourself in the next five years?
BYSTS: As far as our music is concerned, we hope to push the art form and the genre as far as we can while at the same time making the best music that we are capable of. That’s all we really hope for.
Anything you would like to say in closing?
Bryan: Do your best to enjoy the life you have. Tomorrow is promised to no one.
Stefanie: It’s easy to look at the past few months and feel like society and the world is crumbling. There’s a lot to be angry about. I hope what we actually get out of this is the realization that we are connected and can make a huge difference in each other’s lives
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