INTERVIEW WITH JOE FITZPATRICK
PHOTOS BY KLW PHOTO!
Based in Hampton Roads, THE AFTERTHOUGHT STRANGER is a unique group of individuals telling a very interesting story of a man known as Claude Roswell filled with stories about destruction, heartbreak, and love. These conceptual tales are told by guitarist and vocalist Kevin Ramey, guitarist David Byrd, drummer Jackie Webster, guitarist Dean Delemos, and bassist Wesley Stone. Through these stories, THE AFTERTHOUGHT STRANGER have been captivating thousands of new “band-aids” and quickly making a name for themselves in the local music scene.
Who is Claude Roswell, and why is he significant to your band?
Kevin: He is a character that I made to get inspiration from, and our music tells the stories about his endeavors, as well as how his stories translate to human life.
So would you say that THE AFTERTHOUGHT STRANGER is a concept band?
Dean: Absolutely! Each album conceptualizes a story of Claude Roswell’s life.
Kevin: One of the main themes we write about is loss and being able to deal with that. The best part of life is how we deal with those type of situations.
Dean: Our first three EPs will be based solely on Claude Roswell, but we might branch out after that.
I noticed that on your band’s Facebook page that you aren’t signed to a record label despite your huge following of over 6,850 people. Does your band aspire to get signed or remain independent?
Jackie: We would like to (laughs). It’s the ultimate goal to be able to make money playing music and touring the countryside, playing for as many people as we can.
Dean: In the future, it would be good to get our music out to as much as we can, but for now, we are fine with staying who we are.
What are your thoughts on music piracy? Do you think it will eventually kill the music industry?
Kevin: It might sound crappy, but I’m totally for it. I understand that the label has to make money, but at this point, I just want people to hear our record.
Dean: I completely agree about getting our music out there. I don’t support music piracy, but I am all for free music. I think if there was more free distribution of music, the music industry might actually be more successful.
Do you have any plans to release illustrations or even full graphic novels to accompany your music like COHEED AND CAMBRIA did with theirs?
Kevin: One of our primary influences is actually COHEED AND CAMBRIA, and three of us are artistically inclined. We have talked about doing a graphic novel, or going the novel route. Right now, our primary concern is getting the music there, and piecing it together.
Are there any parallels in Claude Roswell’s life with your own?
Kevin: There definitely are. Some of Claude Roswell’s experiences directly parallel experiences in my life.
Can you give me specific example?
Kevin: I wrote the first song on our EP called “Steady Now” when I ended a relationship with a band called THE ARTIST IN THE SKY. After that, I dealt with some serious depression, but I kept my head up and kept writing music. It helped me to stay motivated. I knew Wesley from that band, and we teamed up together to start this band. So the song is basically about even though you might struggle with feelings of inferiority, it’s important to keep your head up and do something with your life.
Which song of yours has the most personal meaning for you?
Jackie: “Ishmael” always gives me chills. It deals with the loss of relationships. Family, friends, and the like, which resonates strongly with me.
Dean: I agree. “Ishmael” was actually the first song that I wrote for the band. It’s a sad song, but it’s good to reflect on things like that.
Does your band have any new music that you are currently working on?
Kevin: We have three new songs. “The Tower” is our favorite so far. It’s almost like an indie-pop song. We also have another song, which is currently untitled, where we will be switching instruments amongst our band members, and the third song is called “The Compond”. The first EP is a seamless story, but our next two might be flashes forward into Claude Rosewells future or looking back into his past. We haven’t decided on that yet.
Jackie: We also would like to do some music videos to break things up a bit too.
Why do you call your fans “band-aids”?
Jackie: Dean and I are big fans of the movie Almost Famous, and we got it from that. They just help the band, and we really appreciate all of their support.
