starhaven interview

Starhaven Interview (by Carlos for 317 Punks and East Light Records)

For my bi monthly zine and now occasional blog I like to interview certain interesting artists and bands. “317” generally covers the creative types in our area code, like graf artist CZK, but there is life outside of  Indy, so for this issue/entry I am interviewing an acoustic artist from Philadelphia whose music I have followed for three years.

I picked up the “Ghouls Vs Boys” CD in 06 at Karma Records based upon a friend’s recommendation, It was under the “Local” section, but I soon found out that the band was really from Philadelphia. We basically blasted it all summer, songs about “Cereal Being Good” and Johnny Ramone and zombies and a lot more about cereal. Through the magical resource of MySpace, I began having correspondence with the “band” which is really just one creative individual, a DJ who could play about ten instruments and was also part of a  pretty well received hip hop project called Light Born.

I was pretty surprised when I found out that Ghouls wasn’t going to stay an active project, and even more surprised by the new music of the singer Bevan McShea. Typically I love punk, rockabilly, and screamo….but when I find an acoustic artist that  I feel I can listen to it all day, and that is what I found in Starhaven.

This is a really deep , really unique album with some of the most passionate vocals that I have heard in a long time. This is a one of my more interesting interviews and it is pretty short. The answers did not consistently line up with the questions, but kind of add a little mystery and style to the artist’s work. This was done over the phone from 317 to 215.   Bevan sent me the audio from 2 live shows that were taped as well as an advance copy of  “Iron Light,” which I have to say I have listened to about seven times already. Great album.

I was surprised by Bevan’s speaking voice. He had a slight Philly accent and spoke in a tone that sounded a lot different from his singing voice. The interview takes some abstract turns and kind of ends abruptly. So goes the mind of an artist.

CF) Hey man how is everything? How is it in Philly?

B) Great bro…where are you from again?

CF) Indianapolis.

B) Oh yeah. Are you a fan of the Colts football team?

CF) Naw man…it is not punk to like sports haha.

B) Yeah…maybe you can get away with liking hockey. Or root for the Colts rivals.  That is kind of punk.

CF) Yeah…but I don’t know who that would even be…so thanks for sending the album and the live audio files.

B) Yeah did that live version work? Because I converted it to cd but did not divide up the tracks or check it yet.

CF) Yeah man it sounds great…the whole album sounds amazing….it is a lot different from the Ghouls vs Boys.

B) Oh yeah. That was really fun. I knew that was kind of a short  term thing.

CF) So what does the name Starhaven mean?

B) Well…I am very excited about this project. There are a lot of metaphors and hidden symbolism, even in the name and the way I write it.  I kind of hope that people can figure things out by the lyrics, but it is basically a term of spiritual significance. It all has to do with the relationship of God’s Presence and the universe.

CF) There was a Ghouls song about Jesus, is this project aimed at a Christian audience?

B) Well no…it is for anyone really because….not to say anything negative about the Christian market genre, but it makes more sense to reach out to others, not those who are already in agreement with your specific faith. My Christian faith is kind of different anyway. I have kind of an esoteric if not mystical approach to faith. I read a lot of Buddhist text. Quakerism is the closest thing I have to a religion.

CF) Isn’t that the people outiside Philly who ride in carriages?

B) Those are the Amish…some may be Quaker, I think there are Protestant variations. Quakerism speaks about the Inner Light. It is a peace based faith.

CF) There seems to be a lot of emotion on the album. The lyrics are very personal and deep. Is this a concept album?

B) Kind of it is. I will have 7 albums for Starhaven. All will correlate with the expression of the 7 chakras, and more importantly, the 7 Joys of Mary from the Catholic tradition.

CF) There will be 7 concept albums?

B) Yeah well I know what some will be already, but each one will represent one of the 7 Joys of Mary. I am drawn more and more towards the beauty and power of joy and what I think is a necessary shift of consciousness in the world.

CF) What kind of shift?

B) Well…I have realized how hurt people are….(there was like 10 seconds of silence here…I thought the phone went dead but it did not)

CF) Yo…hello…

B) Yeah many novels and televsion programs are mentioning 2012 and how it will be the end of civilization. But the Bible says that people do not know the dates and times…so a lot of destruction prophecy is jus gossip. I think that the kind of change that will happen soon is more of a kind of feminization…not in the typical sense. More of a creative and more loving approach in the world.  I often think about how when Christ rose he first appeared to women, and his unique and revolutionary approach to relationships with women.

CF) Does the album speak about these things?

B) Not this one  too much, though there is a maternal celebration. The next album will be about the Atlantean civilization, which I think was a real society, and whose demise we can learn from. These are interesting concepts and metaphors, such as Amilius being an early incarnation of Jesus in Atlantis, if it is true it is interesting because the   Crucifiction would be the  absolute Victory of God forever and make it even more clear how supreme the personality of Christ was.

CF) Well does this specific release have any kind of messages?

B) Well… I would like people to read the lyrics, but it is based upon the experience of losing our baby in miscarriage, and how our baby named Star became a star and how I went and planted a garden and built a new city on one if its planets. And how now the baby that died has left an angelic blessing on our baby who will be born. That is kind of part of it. There are things in they lyrics that are still unfolding and making sense. It is an album about hope I guess…about loss, hope, faith, and the victory of God’s Love.

CF) Yeah it is very atmospheric, I like how certain melodies and choruses kind of repeat and are referenced through out the album.

B) I am very happy with that.

CF) This has a different feel than a lot of acoustic I have heard. It is not really folk, almost emo type vocals.

B) Sometimes…I feel that singing is really me…and I don’t like everyday conversations because they can not reveal the depth and truth that singing can. I would rather sing a few words then keep speaking. I feel people bleed words…like they talk too much and they lose life and power by not shutting up.

CF) I noticed that with the live songs you gave me…there were no introductions to songs or anything.

B) Yeah…I feel like I just want people to read the lyrics and interpret my vision in a way that is helpful to them. So I don’t like to talk a lot and especially tell long stories like alot of acoustic artists do in between every song.

CF) Do you think your non acoustic background helped you? Like Djing and playing punk?

B) Yeah I think everyone needs to have a creative outlet and then grow within that artistic identity. Ghouls Against Boys was fun but Lightborn blew up more because it was more me.  More of  my essence and experience. I took the deepest parts of my soul and with….bloody hands I said “Here” to the world. You know what I mean? “Take this. Hope it helps.” The Starhaven is like Lightborn so much even though the genres are so different, it is just a different take on introspection and expressing faith. It is more colored with the melody of space then tainted by the street or the world. You know what I mean? I am about to start doing these paintings only using purple and green. Before I was doing all these cubist still lifes. These are all means to make one look more deeply.

CF) Do you listen to ‘Iron and Wine’ or “Bright Eyes” or “Dashboard?” or any acoustic artists out right now?

B) No. I don’t know those bands but they are probably talented. I listen to a lot of abstract jazz and underground hip hop. It is weird I love acoustic but don’t listen to it a lot. I love Jim Croce and Roky Erickson’s acoustic songs.

CF) Who are your favorite artists?

B) In music?

 CF) Well…any type of artists.

B) Well…I like visionaries. You know. I hope I can one day be considered to be at that deep level that….Kubrick and John Coltrane and William Blake achieved. Where art is like vision and experience. Something like…other worldly. I hope my expression can be remembered to be that powerful. I like the collagist Romare Bearden a lot. I like outsider art…and outsider music a lot. Killah Priest and T Rex are my favorite musical artists. You probably won't hear anyone else say that. Sensefield and The Beatles I guess are my favorite bands. I like a lot of old reggae. Like Ken Boothe. The Ramones will always be up there for me. The Ramones were deeper than people think. They had something really special.

CF) What is your favorite song on the album? Or is that tough to decide at this point?

B) Favorite song? Well…I like a lot of different parts of songs. There are a lot of tempo and arrangement changes. I am very happy with the album and how the songs came out. I guess I can say though that live I have a few favorites to play.

CF) Which ones?

B) Which ones…I am happy with the texture and recording and mixing of the songs but live is always better. Or it should be better. I like playing “Further Than’ and ‘ Let it Be Red” live.

CF) That is track 13? That one is the closest to the energetic sound of the Ghouls album.

B) It is the only one with a complete live band sound, but live it is just me acoustic. On the album I really like the song ‘”Starry Knight” how it came out and the song called ‘”The Prince’ but I will   not really play that live.

CF) Why is that?

B) Why? I don’t really know. Alright man thanks a lot I am syked you like the album.

CF) Yeah man good stuff….I guess is there anything else you would like to add about the record?

B) I think it may be the best creative thing I have ever done. I feel real blessed about it. I found an old pick in a religious Sacred Heart candle. The wax had melted and poured out and looked just like the traditional symbol of a heart. Also…there is one part when I did backing vocals, and the words….hold on….“In violet flames we formed your frame” crossed over with “Delicately arise” and the R’s combined and made the rolling “R” sound. That may have some significance some how. And I used that pick to record many of the songs.

CF) Interesting…okay any last words or shout outs?

B) Thanks for interviewing me before the album is even out. I am thankful that a lot of people liked the “Seahorse Warrior’ EP and hope people will support this and see me live. Also I am excited about working with some of my people on some projects and collabos like my bro from back in the day Kevin Killen and Damian Cusumano. And my boys Trach and HMD. And the next Starhaven I am already writing. It will be called “The Sundial in The Sea.”

CF) That is the one about Atlantis?

B) Yeah. Also I love my brothers and Liz. And all my friends.