The Scene

Ancient Whales Q & A

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Bryan Poole
Natalie Bledsoe
Enoch Bledsoe
The Ancient Whales most recent record, Vestiges of Tails Appear in All of Us, is a mighty wall of introspective, brain-blasting rock. They are three: Enoch Bledsoe (vocals, guitar), Natalie Bledsoe (vocals, bass guitar) and Bryan Poole (vocals, drums). They’ve been called acid rock, alt-rock, riff rock, punk rock, melodic garage rock, flower punk – take your pick. The Mad Mackerel calls them a “satisfyingly crunchy slab of grungy, garage-inflected indie rock.” Listening to their music we hear echoes of Nirvana, Hüsker Dü, My Bloody Valentine, The Sex Pistols, Cocteau Twins and their beloved Beatles.

To Be
Would you tell the truth
Would you lie to me
Would you tell me how I’m supposed to be
Be me, Be you, Be me
 
Will I talk to you
Will you talk to me
You can have all that is left of me

What’s left of you, What’s left of me

How did the name Ancient Whales originate?

Long long ago in a time before man, when beasts roamed the earth and great monsters ruled the sea, creatures existed with no names that have only recently been labeled by you and me and our friend Sam who named the band.

What’s your songwriting process?

Sometimes the songs begin with a bass line, sometimes a guitar riff and sometimes just a melody. Enoch and Natalie collaborate on the tunes. Enoch writes all the lyrics and would like to publish a collection of works in the future.

Ancient Whales, 40 Watt Club, May 25, 2017
Some themes that emerge from your songs are escaping, relationships, living authentically. Do you write with a theme in mind or does that happen in the process?

Yes a lot of the songs are written with a theme or idea, real life events that shape the song. For example our kitty cat ran away and we wrote the song Giving while longing for her return.

Your sound since Birthing (2012) to Vestiges has widened and deepened in its intricacies – was that a conscious decision or just something that’s happened naturally?

We got bigger amps!

What inspired the song, To Be?

Meeting new people and making new friends. Also the transience of life-forms.

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cover by Elijah Bledsoe

You’ve recorded several times with Joel Hatstat. What does he bring to the sound?

Joel helped us manifest a couple of our earliest albums. He’s really good at what he does and being a musician he understands how to capture a band’s sound.

What’s your process in the studio?

Trade secret.

What poets/writers/musicians/bands inspire you?

We are bonded by the Beatles.

What’s coming up for Ancient Whales?
We are looking forward to playing POPFEST in August!

Is new material in the works since Vestiges of Tails Appear in All of Us?
Yes we are currently writing new music and hope to record soon.

What might a perfect day for the Ancient Whales be like?

Baguettes, chocolate cigarettes and a European countryside drive to perform at a festival with all our favorite bands.

What are some things outside of music that rejuvenates your creativity?

Vacations and imaginations.

What would your advice/strategy be for a band just starting out?

Practice and love playing music above all.

photos by Ruth Finley

http://atlanta-music.net/article/ancient-whales

Categories: The Scene