By Sonia Schnee | Posted Wednesday, October 30, 2019
On October 19th, Central Jersey indie trio Silent Tides released their debut EP Fruitless Enterprise. Check out our interview, below, with Liam and Gus to learn about the inspiration behind their music.
What's your name, where are you from, where are you based now?
Our names are Liam Hughes and Gus Mirabella. Liam is from Westfield, NJ and Gus is from Milltown, NJ. We met while attending St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, but we’re now based in the New Brunswick area.
Who are the members of Silent Tides?
We are the members along with our friend Jesse Silva, who plays drums and sings backing vocals. We both write and sing lead on our own songs, so the band is a mix of our songwriting styles and personalities.
How would you describe your sound? Who are your musical influences?
Our sound is a cross between indie, garage, and psych rock. Our influences are Tame Impala, Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes, The Smiths, and The Beatles to name just a few.
Congratulations on the release of your debut EP, Fruitless Enterprise. What's the inspiration behind the EP?
The inspiration behind this EP was to make a succinct statement on what Silent Tides is all about. This is our debut EP, so we wanted to capture the wide range of sounds we play, as well as touching on different themes that have captured us in recent years—personal growth, independence, religion, the ever-changing social climate, etc.
As we both write songs, there is an ebb & flow both in theme and style throughout the record. Fruitless Enterprise may very well live up to its namesake, but regardless, it is a statement of growth and has been anything but fruitless for us.
Is there a song that's your personal favorite? What's the creative process like for you (which comes first, the melody or the lyrics)?
LIAM: For me, my favorite is “Who Knows.” It’s a song that means a lot to me and it took a few different sessions to get right. It starts as a series of questions like: What should I do with my life? Is following a dream a good idea? And the second half is a kind of self-assurance and love song. Basically saying that although there’s confusion, and things seem meaningless I can find peace and meaning in knowing how I feel and believing in that feeling, whatever it’s towards.
I’ll start with a musical idea, record it, and listen back to determine how it makes me feel. I ask myself, what does this song evoke? and I find a subject that works with the music.
GUS: My favorite song on this record is “Grey Eyes.” I had written the first section independently, but it wasn’t until Liam and I worked on it together that it took its current form . It is our most collaborative song, and you can hear it—both Liam and I sing lead in different sections.
I don’t have one method, it differs from song to song. Sometimes it starts with a riff or a drum beat, then the other instruments and vocals/lyrics follow. Other times, I have lyrics that I want to use and so I base the music off of that. I think having a concrete method is dangerous so I try to let the song just happen without overthinking.
What's next on the horizon for you? Do you have any shows coming up?
We [had] our EP release at FM bar in Jersey City 10/17 (https://www.facebook.com/events/561024154713558/), and after that we’re taking a break from shows to put our focus towards the second record. We are opening for Delicate Steve at the Stanhope House on December 21st.
Do you have any words of advice for people who share a similar passion or have maybe faced similar obstacles/challenges?
Well, we are in no position to give advice, but I would recommend finding other people with the same passions as you. Community is so important and having a group of people who can relate to you is one of the most valuable things in this world, don’t take it for granted.
Finally, what are some ways that fans can connect with you online? (Website? Facebook? Spotify? Etc.?)
We’ve got all the typical stuff. We finally got our website up—it’s still a work in progress but that’s our home base where you can find everything you need to follow us: SilentTides.com—nice and easy. We are on all streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.). Some additional links:
Facebook: Facebook.com/silenttides
Soundcloud: Soundcloud.com/silent-tides
Bandcamp: Silenttides.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @silenttidesmusic
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Support local music! Also, shoutout to the longtime friend of the band and my (Liam) personal mentor EJ Gaub. I would not be here in so many different ways if it weren’t for him. He recorded this EP for us, and was a tremendous help throughout the mixing process.