SOURCE – Antediluvian Projekt is the debut album. What can you tell us about the songwriting and recording process for these ten songs? Were there any surprises, obstacles, or challenges that came up – and what are your thoughts now that the album was released?
John Heckathorn – Firstly, thank you for your interest in my stuff! Looking back on that debut album it really is well summed up as an experiment in the purest form. I had no idea what I was doing so it became very much an exercise in trying things and seeing what might work. I took the raw drum tracks I recorded in my parents basement, did a rough mix and began writing the instruments over the top. Adding trumpet came in later after I was inspired to pick the horn back up after about a 10-year hiatus. Adding the trumpet texture is what made me decide to release that original batch of ideas and then continue on with the experiment to today.
SOURCE – Will this remain a studio project or do you see the possibility of maybe assembling a lineup to do some live shows?
John Heckathorn – As much as I would love to play live the logistics and organization of it all make it sound less enjoyable than writing more music casually in my free time.
SOURCE – The last EP Rending The Veil surprises me. It really has a wide range of different influences all over…
John Heckathorn – Thank you! Rending The Veil EP somehow manages to be even more experimental mostly due to changing my process for writing and recording drums in the house my wife and I moved into. I wanted it to be my “Bitches Brew” if that makes any sense. Just a very freeform style embracing even more dissonance but still having some breakdown syncopation.
SOURCE – Are you planning more video clips?
John Heckathorn – I struggle with spending time on anything that isn’t moving the needle on releasing more music and I’m exhausted by the content warfare game artists seem to get caught up in. That being said I like shorter form videos that I can do with little time invested and especially less time consuming post production on the back end of filming. Doing more simple “throw up the phone” videos has been fun especially for drums.
SOURCE – How important do you think are singles and EPs in this era in comparison to full length releases?
John Heckathorn – I think as a fledgling independent artist the strategy can be less formulaic than with huge established artists. I actually think an album is a good way to start as it gives your music credibility as a body of work exploring and engaging with a larger concept, and also a start to a back catalog for potential fans to find and sink their teeth into. You can also always release the tracks as singles and then have them put into a cumulative album/EP through one of the various digital distributors.
SOURCE – What are some of the biggest worries (or concerns) you have regarding the world that we live in today? Where do you think the average person should spend more time, energy, and effort into to make the world a better place for everyone overall?
John Heckathorn – I don’t think we are designed to be able to know as much as we are able to in todays society as a result of social media. It can lead to endless comparison and actually lead to less action towards things we want to do. If you think about an idea long enough you will find a reason not to do it. And of course, spend more time with the real people in your life and things you can actually affect.
SOURCE – Is there anything else you’d like to mention before I let you go?
John Heckathorn – https://linktr.ee/antediluvianjohn
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