Sages Dino Vidovich talks about the bands beginnings
Interview took place on January 24, 2018
By Daniel Locke
SAGES, the psych-magician progressive rock collective from Sacramento, California, is dedicated to the service of this ideal, steadily pushing forward with creative leaps and bounds that defy genre restrictions and easy categorization. The music of SAGES could be the soundtrack to a whirling dervish or the backdrop to a sweaty mosh pit, equal parts dazzling musicianship and hard rock power, all with a spirited urgency.
Echoing the atmospheric vibrancy of fellow Northern Californian denizens Deftones, the melodic might of major label castaways and influential sojourners Saosin, the anthemic broad appeal of 30 Seconds To Mars, and the dexterity of Periphery, SAGES combine seemingly disparate elements and forge something new and unique.
The band’s debut album, Sleepwalker, won strong acclaim in multiple outlets, driven by the strength of songs like “Matter of Time” and “Close Your Eyes.” Substream, Alternative Press, and New Noise are among the publications to take note, with AXS and PureGrainAudio partnering with the band to premiere their singles and videos.
The life giving pulse of classic hard rock like Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, and Metallica is somewhere in their DNA, but SAGES’ creative output is free from boundaries, soaring unencumbered into uncharted heights of experimental depth and wonder.
Unratedmagazine: How did you find each other? Tell me about the development of the band?
Dino Vidovich : We all sort of knew each other already through mutual friends and being in the local music scene together. When it came time to put the band together, it was pretty easy. Just a couple phone calls.
How did you pick your name?
We decided on Sages, because we thought it was a pretty good reminder of a few things. We’re all constantly being told what to believe, who to hate, who to love, and who we are, and underneath all that bullshit societal programming we’re exposed to everyday, and underneath all the labels we give each other to categorize and judge one another, there is our authentic self; our true self… the being that is so much more than all the limiting titles and labels we give each other. We are not our minds, the titles and labels it gives, or the thoughts it thinks, but the consciousness that becomes aware of those thoughts; the observer; the sage. And during this time where it’s easy to get trapped in our minds and lose sight of that, I suggested naming the band Sages as a reminder. We are all sages.
Tell me about your backgrounds? You are from Sacramento, CA. Can you tell me about the music scene there? And what your favorite club to play in Sacramento and why is it?
The music scene here is cool. There’s a ton of music, an incredible amount of talent, and the music community is super friendly and supportive of each other. Right now, my favorite club to play in Sacramento is probably Old Ironsides. The stage is just big enough to fit a drum kit on, the ceiling is low enough to smash your guitar through, and it’s awesome. Also, the Powerhouse Pub, just outside of Sacramento, is a fun place to play.
Great staff, great vibes, and a great area. I don’t think I’ve ever not had a blast playing there.
How do you describe your music?
I tell people it’s like beauty and the beast. Some of it is beautiful, some of it is heavy and nasty, and most of the time it’s both of those things happening at the same time.
What type of music did you listen to growing up?
Mostly 80’s music, because it was so guitar orientated, haha. Metallica, Dream Theater, Van Halen, Satriani, Vai… those were my jams, man.
Who influences you and why?
On a musical level, we’re all influenced by a wide range of bands and artists from many different genres. I think it’s safe to say though, in general, Metallica and Deftones played a huge role in all of our musical journey’s and are probably the two most reflected influences in our music.
You recorded your album in Los Vegas. Why did you pick a studio in Vegas?
That’s where our producer, Shawn McGhee has his studio. It was a blast recording out there with Shawn.
Your album comes out this month. How is it doing so far? Who designed your logo?
Our friend Morgan Anderson at MADrums Media. We just gave him a general concept of what
we were looking for and he knocked it out of the park. Thanks, Morgan!
Tell me about the video Matter of Time what type of message are you trying to give?
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The song is about people realizing that things aren’t as they appear to be, that we’ve been deceived by those behind the curtain and the puppets in front of the curtain into believing a huge lie (a bunch of them), which have kept humanity down for a really really long time, and it’s only a “matter of time” now before things change and we see a major shift in the collective consciousness of this planet.
Other bands from Sacramento are Deftones, Cake and Middle Class Rut. Have you ever open for these bands?
We have in our own individual experiences in different bands, but Sages hasn’t yet. Hopefully we will soon though. We love all of those bands.
How was it to appear in Alternative Press and Substream?
It was awesome. I never thought our first release would manage to get those kinds of features. It was really exciting to see.
Dino what is Track Fighter?
It’s an old band that a couple of us were in for a long time before Sages was formed. I readied that the album was written for sells not to inspire, and your journey of self-discovery and introspection led him down the spiritual path.
How can that be?
If I’m understanding the question correctly, it’s not that any Track Fighter albums were written specifically for sales and not to inspire, we were just more focused on record deals and writing songs that had the potential of being played on the radio rather than just writing what we wanted to write. We still liked the music we were writing, especially on the Revenge album we released back in 2012, but we were still keeping it all inside of a box. We never allowed ourselves to break out and be as creative as we were all capable of, because we were keeping radio in mind, which a lot of bands do, but as artists, being stuck in a box eventually gets old and you want to break free. I think we were all ready to break out of that box, but we just didn’t get the chance before the band sort of just fizzled out waiting for our budget to be allocated, health issues, etc. After we went on hiatus, I went on a journey to learn how to heal an illness I had via alternative medicine. For three solid years I was studying and training with some amazing doctors and practitioners of several different healing modalities. I won’t get into the specifics now, but it definitely pushed me further down the spiritual path and has a lot to do with my contribution to Sages.
Dino you produced and engineer Sleepwalker on an old Sony VAIO laptop. What version of windows were you running and what recording software did you use? And is an Mbox 2?
Haha, oh my goodness. Yeah, unfortunately that was the situation I was working with at the time those songs were written (2011 – 2015). I used Pro Tools 8.0 on Windows Vista…basically the worst operating system ever created. I initially got the system back in the day just too record demos and ideas while on the road, but over the course of several years I just kept stacking more and more pieces together and adding new sections onto those demos that eventually they began to sound produced. Then when Sages was put together in 2014 and we decided to use those songs, instead of re-recording everything and reproducing all those sessions, we just decided to clean up what was there, re-track a few things, mix it as best as possible and put it out as Sleepwalker. The deluxe version of Sleepwalker, however, has two additional songs, “Free” and “Face The World” that we went and recorded at a local studio in Sacramento just before the album was released last year.
Any endorsement deals yet?
Yeah, I have one with EMG Pickups. I’ve been playing them my whole life so it’s a trip to have made it onto that roster.
What year, made and model of instruments do you play?
We all play Gibsons and Fenders. Some are older models, some are newer. My main guitar is a Gibson SG Supreme from 2008. The other guys play a few different kinds of Les Pauls. Matt, our bassist, has a few different Fender basses. I think his main bass is the Geddy Lee signature.
What music fests would you like to play in?
I think it’s safe to say the Download Festival would be our number one, and definitely the Aftershock Festival.
Would you want to play Rock on the Range and why?
Absolutely. That’s one of the better festivals in the U.S. We’d love to be a part of that one.
What is your feeling of Van Warped Tour since 2018, is the last year for it?
I’m super bummed this is the last year! I’ve been a huge fan of Warped Tour since I started going to shows and playing in a band back in the day. It’s like a huge part of a really impressionable and influential time in my life is coming to a close, and that bums me out, but it also means there will be new space in the festival world for something new and great to take its place, so I’m keeping that in mind as well.
Are you thinking about doing the nationwide US tour?
We’ve actually been talking about it for a while. I think the prospects of a nationwide U.S. tour happening this year are actually pretty good. We’ll see!
How would you explain your live performance?
It’s pretty intense, high energy stuff. I mean, we’re all pretty raw and real up there. We just kind of lose our minds and shit happens.
If someone was listening to you for the first time, what 3 videos or songs would you tell them to look/listen to and why?
I’d say listen to Come With Me, With You, and Up To The Sky. I think you can get a pretty decent idea of what we’re about with those three songs.
Any guilty pleasures your fans would be surprise you listen to?
Haha, no shame in my game! Honestly, I listen to more world music and jazz than anything else. I know Ryan listens to some pretty wacky shit, haha, but I won’t call him out since he isn’t here to defend himself. You’re lucky, Ryan. Next time!
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