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To bask in the realms of loudness: An interview with Scott Middleton of Asheville, N.C. rockers BASK


Bask, as photographed by Arlie Huffman.

BASK is a loud as hell southern rock band that blends backwoods brutality with a rustic, Appalachian atmosphere. Their sound varies between progressive, folk-like interludes, fat stoner jams, and rock and roll hooks. But one thing remains consistent with Bask, and that's the high volume. I witnessed Bask recently unload a decibel-raising set in Philadelphia at Kung Fu Necktie, and their music made me feel like I was being dragged through the wilderness to be barbecued alive.

Bask has recently joined forces with Season Of Mist to release their next album. Behold, an interview with Bask's Scott Middleton about playing loud and living large.

HELL-O Bask. How did your United States tour go?  
Hey! The tour went very well. We were able to see a lot of friends and family in some of our favorite cities and even played a couple new places for the first time while trying out some of our new material. 

Your upcoming album will be released on Season Of Mist, featuring Mastodon producer Matt Bayles. How did this creative process go?
We worked on writing the album for more than the past year or so and cranked out the recording with Matt Bayles in four and a half days at Echo Mountain Studio, here in our hometown of Asheville, NC. 

What can fans expect on this new album?
Fans can expect what they've come to know as our sound, but we have definitely expanded upon it in our songwriting. We branched out musically on this album in new ways and I'm excited for people to hear it. 

I was impressed by the enormity of your sound in a live concert. What's your secret? 
Dynamics are probably one of the biggest contributors to our sound and it's something we always keep in mind. We enjoy the contrasts in our sound and feel that without the occasional come down, the highs are not nearly as powerful. 



How do you describe BASK in your own words?
To make it easy, I'll often describe us as a loud, rock band. Usually adjectives like progressive, spacey, psychedelic, and metal get tossed in. It's up to the listener to decide. 

Name one album that changed your life forever. 
For me, Mastodon's Leviathan always comes to mind as one of the first metal album to truly blow my mind. I know bands like Pantera and Metallica also hold a really significant spot in the lives of my bandmates. 

Your music also has a few mellow interludes. What's some non-metal music you unwind to? I myself am a big fan of Yanni...
Haha, not too much Yanni here. This year I've become a bit obsessed with an ambient/experimental band out of Chicago called Bitchin Bajas. They're very droney and meditative. Although along the metal lines, we've all really been enjoying the new Elder. It has a very chill quality to it. 

Thank you for going one on one with the GRIM1! Anything you'd like to add in closing? 
Thanks for this opportunity and we're looking forward to seeing you all on the road soon once the new album is out! 

Follow Bask on Bandcamp for more loudness. 

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