Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Williamson. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Copious Noise was formed in late 2019 by guitarist/vocalist Jeff Williamson and drummer/percussionist Greg Daniel, both former members of the band Agents of Solace. They spent over a year writing and recording new material for their debut album, and yes with their Covid-19 masks on.
Being limited to two determined musicians posed a significant challenge to the writing and recording processes. The absence of a bass player meant tracking guitar and drums first; adding bass, keyboards, and vocal tracks later, separately. The end result speaks for itself and is now available on vinyl, CD, and most streaming platforms.
The musical chemistry between this duo is obvious when you listen to their music which is why they wanted to protect it. “We knew that in order to attract a veteran bass player we had to create exciting bass riffs and it paid off in a big way,” said Jeff Williamson. Enter Richard Scarlett Hatcher, an English-born bass player who’s toured the world with many bands, most notably McQueen Street. When Richard heard the album, he auditioned immediately and was hired on the spot, completing the band.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing’s easy when it comes to creating original music. When you’re self-produced, there’s no support, no record label financial backing, and no guarantee that the thousands of dollars and countless hours you’ve invested in recording and equipment will produce a return. While financial reward is important, our focus is on the art and the music as it should be.
If the art is good enough and you believe in yourself, money simply can’t compete.
Money can buy art, but it can’t create it. Having complete control over our entire creative process is much more rewarding than delegating the process to someone who doesn’t have as much skin in the game. And thus, we rise and fall on our own terms, no one else’s.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We’re creative songwriters at heart. Our writing process is simple and usually starts with an idea floating in one or all our heads. Add to that our natural musical chemistry and the songs actually write themselves. The artists become conduits for creative energy that spills over the musical page and into the sonic space. We diligently record each session to capture the free-flowing ideas.
What sets us apart from others is that we’re real musicians playing real instruments. While we do use technology, it’s done in very limited way. There’s nothing like a chest-thumping kick drum, soaring vocals, pulsing bass, and driving guitar. It’s the reason we use amps and cabinets, they just sound better! Quality of sound is everything.
Possibly two of our best songs where the lyrics match the music are ‘Squeezed’ and ‘Animal Side’. Both songs were written during the pandemic, and they share with the listener how we all felt in 2020, squeezed by everything.
The opening lyric of ‘Squeezed’ …
When I try to understand
Why this world is so damned.
What to believe can be so hard
We are deceived and starved
Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
While we do spend time reading our favorite authors (biographies of influential and formative musicians) using apps (to enhance our musicianship) and listening to certain podcasts (Rick Beato Interviews with a wide variety of musical artists), we feel that the best investment of our time is found in getting out of the studio to engage the community by performing, meeting people, and supporting the artist community, taking in live shows as a group. Fostering personal relationships, inside and outside of the band setting, provides creative fuel for our musical fire.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.copiousnoise.com
- Instagram: copiousnoise
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Copious-Noise-105659425115962
- Twitter: @copiousnoise
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-524561344
Image Credits
Ryan Whitehead
Ardent Owl Photography
