Interview: Getting to Know Lake Mar/e
Lake Mar/e could be a dark pool of mineral water on the surface of a cratered planet’s moon that bubbles whenever vicious obscenities are chanted. What Lake Mar/e is certainly not is a vacation destination, a multi-vitamin, or a good night’s sleep. In this interview, we get to know them a little better.
1. Hello! Thank you for taking the time to chat to us. First things first, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started.
Lake Mar/E, in its earliest conception, started when Stephen Bialkowski (guitars) and Eric Howerton (vocals) spent a month working on a few songs in 2017. Shortly thereafter, Eric took a job several states away; rendering the project low priority (at best). Fast forward 5 years: I (Stephen) started working with Kris Bashaw (bassist) in another dead-end local band. Kris was super excited about the Lake Mar/E material. We looked and looked and looked for the right drummer for over a year. When we finally flew Nick (drummer) out to UT; we had exactly 2 days to rehearse before our first show. Nick killed it! That’s when we knew Nick was the right fit! We have experimented with bringing on various support roles. But it seems like the 4 of us are the core…at least for now.
Stephen Bialkowski – shredding guitars since 92′, in various local jazz/blues/metal/classical/(experi)mental bands.
Eric Howerton – Sang in several metal bands in UT and TX prior to LM.
Kris Bashaw – may have the most impressive claim to a regional rock band from the 90s of the 4 of us.
Nicholas Sibley – obsessively dedicated drummer with over 30,000 hours of practice under his belt.
2. Someone comes to you and asks you to sum up what kind of music you play – what do you tell them?
In a word: loud.
If they are still intrigued: rock/metal/progressive/psychedelic.
If they want to engage, I say something like: it’s in part a culmination of 10,000s of LPs; and in part an investigation in music theory. It’s about drawing from many corners of rock and metal history—punk ferocity, stoner grooves, psychedelic sprawl, death metal weight—then smashing them together into something that serves our emotional and intellectual directives; one song at a time.
If they still want to engage, I’ll say something like (speaking to our newest release): Reanimatrix is an investigation of parallel moods…pulling in elements of punk, progressive metal, psychedelia, and even moments of death metal to set the stage for an emotional roller coaster. Shining a light on the manic nature of off-again/on-again relationships (in the Mary Shelley sense) further focuses this bumpy ride. What came out the other end is Reanimatrix!
3. What’s currently keeping you busy? A new album/EP/single release? A new video? Playing live, or planning ahead?
We are mostly focused on preparing for our upcoming shows. We prioritize making each show better as we learn the lessons from the previous. We are also making some progress on the LP. We are struggling with how to make this a priority at the moment. But, we will hit it hard after our December shows!
There has also been semi-formal discussions of a video on the side. We have several great story boards at the moment.
4. What is about this current period that is particularly exciting for you?
We are in a period of growth. We ask ourselves to do things like fly or drive members around the country to play shows. I’m not sure if this is insanity masked by enthusiasm; but it sure is fun.
5. Tell me about the work that has gone into making it a reality and what it means to you.
No one’s values align 100% in this band. But, we stand by a few principles:
– we don’t rush the song writing process
– we always bite more than we can chew lol
– we strive to make each performance better than the last
As a result, we all feel fortunate to be able to work with such like-minded members.
6. Making music and being creative can be a very positive experience and can be very good for the mind. In what way has making music had a positive impact on your mental health?
Speaking for myself (Stephen): I can confirm that all of the good things they say about engaging in musical composition are true. It has become such an integral part of my life that I feel like a mere shell of myself when I don’t make the time for it.
That oddly sounds like a negative sentiment. But it’s not. It’s the consistent practice of being musically engaged that heightens my well being. Which is why I am still getting on stage in my 40s lol.
7. It can also be incredibly challenging, more so in the modern times. What have been some challenging aspects of making music and how have you overcome them?
Writing the music is the easy part. Connecting with listeners…that’s something I don’t understand well enough to speak to. I feel like the best I can do is create something exciting to me; and don’t hold back. The key is following through with the things that create excitement and even anxiety. Those anxious moments tend to indicate that I have found something exciting that I am initially scared to explore. Maybe it seems too hard on the surface…or whatever the subconscious excuse may be.
8. How do you handle the online aspects of being in a band? Having to put out content constantly, promoting across several different social media platforms, and having your success measured in likes and follows?
We try to use socials as a tool to attract and immerse people in the world of Lake Mar/E. For every post you see, 10 go through the filter of “would I care if I saw this?”. We also try to support other bands whether they are just starting or kings of the hill.
That said: likes and follows are only two metrics to track that help us understand how to ultimately allow people to enjoy what it is we offer as Lake Mar/E. Likes and follows are just an indicator of interest. They do not necessarily equate to enjoyment, show turnout, etc. Shows and sales are the real metrics.
But thinking in these terms is a trap. It’s about the art, the entertainment, and the consumer all at the same time. You can take away the art…but you can’t take away the other two; if the goal is public “success” as a band. I believe that is why so many substandard bands have left the masses pondering their existence. We will always prioritize the art component.
9. How do you make this part of things enjoyable, and fulfilling, for yourself?
I don’t. I can only cope with socials. But I understand they are a necessary evil.
10. Speaking directly to listeners – what would you ask they do to help support you?
If you enjoy our material, please tell the algorithms. You can follow us on YouTube, FaceBook, Spotify, etc. It helps more than you know!
11. Outside of music, what do you like to do to relax?
Nothing. We don’t sleep. We are all too consumed with socials, writing songs, working 9-5s, and balancing our family lives lol.
12. Where can people find you?
FaceBook and YouTube are the socials we put most of our energy into. That said, take your pick:
