Scale & Feather
"There used to be a Place of thoughtful Exchange"
Scale & Feather is a Tucson, Arizona-based post-rock project founded by multi-instrumentalist Curtis Rockhold. Over the last twelve months, the artist released several outstanding singles, and I immensely enjoyed them. I mentioned some of them in the monthly music lists I publish here on my blog, which is how I came in contact with Curtis. Long story short: I asked him for an interview!
Anne: Hi Curtis! Thanks for taking the time for this conversation. How are you doing today? How are you spending your day?
Curtis: Thanks, Anne, for the opportunity. Happy to answer any questions you have! I'm good, just grinding away at work. I do a lot of woodworking with cabinets, with lots of solitude. So, I have ample time to catch up on music, podcasts, etc., during the week.
Anne: In 2022, you released lots of singles which I love to listen to all in a row. Plus the EP "Knit Together"—is that your plan? Do you want to put them together and release an album version?
"The calm and introspective mood of "Knit Together" came from that state of mind"
Curtis: "Knit Together" is a stand-alone EP. At first, I didn't plan to release it. It was more a place to put ideas that were more contemplative and stripped down. When I released it, it was shortly after I found out my wife was pregnant with our second son, so a lot of that calm and introspection came from that state of mind and made its way into the titles. The three singles, also released in 2022, will be part of an upcoming album in spring this year. There are a few songs on there that are still being finished off and tied together to create a cohesive album, hopefully.
Anne: What's your favorite Scale & Feather song so far?
Curtis: I think most likely "Antediluvian" off the "Age Of Giants" album, the way the drums by Dennis from At the Grove complimented the guitars in that song makes that one stand out in my mind.
Anne: Your music is all about telling stories—without the need for words. I am more and more convinced we should all talk a bit less to make this world more peaceful. Do you think so, too?
Curtis: Yeah, unfortunately, our listening skills all require more work as a general rule. In my life, I'm more inclined to try to make my next point before I have heard a whole story at times. It's something I need to continually work on and improve at. By and large, I think that's probably true with many people, listening for the sake of caring about the other person telling you what they have to say.
Anne: Do you want to tell a bit more about the stories in your songs?
"'Valley of Darkness' is loosely based on paranormal stories"
Curtis: Each album tends to have a theme, my last full album "Arizona" was mostly dedicated to my memories in my home state, growing up as a kid or driving up into the mountains. This year my release will be titled "Valley of Darkness". The idea is kind of stolen from Psalm 23:4 and loosely based on some paranormal stories I've heard on podcasts like "The Confessionals". That mixed with the concept of these periods in life where you have these valleys of difficulties or depression and then coming out of that mentality. So, there are some pretty intense mood shifts, sometimes mid-song or from the album's start to the end.
Anne: What does Scale & Feather stand for? Light and fragile like a feather but reasoned, logical, and considered like math?
Curtis: I actually came up with the name about seven years ago when I was trying to write a short story about a bird and fish that became friends. And then, at one point at the end of the story, the bird is dying, and the fish sees it but feels helpless to do anything about it because it's a fish stuck in the water. I never finished the story, but that's where the concept came from—scale for the fish and feather for the bird.
Anne: Sounds like a good story! I would love to read it one day!
We share our love for post-music and everything experimental. Did you always want to make music related to those multifaceted genres?
"Those genres off the beaten path always fascinated me"
Curtis: I've always been drawn to those genres that were off the beaten path. When I was younger, I was into punk and then into emo and hardcore. Finally, those post-genres (post-metal/rock, ambient, experimental) came up. I think finding a genre where vocals weren't a requirement and getting away from typical song structure, verse chorus verse, etc., was definitely appealing early on.
Anne: Who are your influences?
Curtis: MewithoutYou, Mineral, Norma Jean, The Appleseed Cast, Saxon Shore, This Will Destroy You
Anne: I heard you are also a talented guitar builder. Is that your profession besides being a musician?
Curtis: I'm a bit of a hobbyist when it comes to building guitars or pedal boards. It's really fun to do when I have the time and materials, particularly finding unique woods to use in the builds. I've worked in some form of wood crafting since 2005 when my father used to have his own shop. I did a lot of projects there, but since he's moved, I found it harder to find the time. I do have a walnut telecaster-style guitar and a padouk wood guitar I'm still hoping to finish.
Anne: Besides Scale & Feather: You are also the bass player of Standby Red 5. Are there any other projects you want to mention? Which one do you enjoy the most?
Curtis: I loved playing with the standby guys. A lot of us are still really close friends. Unfortunately, we are all separated by states now. So, we haven't been active since 2013. We'd like to resurrect the band and at least record, if nothing else, at some point, though. Outside of Standby Red 5, I've recorded as part of the Post Everything Collective and love working with all those talented musicians.
Anne: You've worked with many talented artists so far and recorded tons of fabulous music with them. How do you find each other?
"There will be a new Scale & Feather album this year"
Curtis: Back in early 2020, Jill from Oreana introduced me to a group called The Post Everything Group. There are tons of excellent musicians on there, and I've really enjoyed getting to know and working with a lot of them. Especially Rob(hereafter) and Dennis(at the grove) for their work on drums has been a huge difference for me not being a person that plays. Being able to play remotely with other musicians and bounce ideas off of them has been really helpful in terms of writing and just overall community and connections in this space.
Anne: Are you more into spending time rehearsing and jamming until you find the perfect tune? Or more like one of those perfectly organized musicians, going to the studio already heaving this big overall concept in mind about what you're going to record?
Curtis: I tend to write almost whole songs in this stream-of-consciousness kind of setting. I'll then go back later and dissect things and start tweaking and pulling things apart or adding areas. Sometimes I'll strip away whole songs. So, the end product is entirely different, but in a lot of ways, it's just what is coming to me at that moment.
Anne: What are your plans for 2023? Will there be any live shows? You already mentioned a new Scale & Feather album?
Curtis: Right now, I have about eight full songs I'll be releasing this year as an album, hopefully in April or May possibly. No shows as of right now, though I've considered doing an ambient take on some of my songs in a live setting. They'd be very different from how they sound now, though.
Anne: If there was one thing in the world you could change. What would it be and why?
Curtis: For me, it would be for people to react less out of a basis of emotion and instead thoughtfully consider other ideas that are presented to them, particularly if they are foreign ideas. I feel there used to be a place of thoughtful exchange while maintaining a friendship, and it feels that kind of discourse is becoming less common.
Anne: Thanks for answering my questions! It means a lot!
Curtis: Thank you so much for taking the time to ask, love being able to share.