Acolyte have been putting in the hard work, writing, recording and planning their career, playing gigs and developing a cult following. With the release of their single Perceptions any day now, and an EP to follow shortly after, the band is soon to unveil their distinct sound and style to a wider audience.

 

Taking elements of progressive rock as well as the heavier elements of metal and combining those with theatrics Acolyte have created something fresh and unique.

 

Singer Morgan-Leigh Brown recently answered some questions for Rock Support to shed some light on the band’s creative process, her musical influences and the practicalities of guiding all aspects of what is required from young bands into a well-planned path for success.

 

 

For someone who hasn’t heard Acolyte, how would you describe your band?

 

Jason (bass guitar) recently said in another interview that this question always feels like trying to describe what colours are like to someone who has never seen before. We really are quite different and so many people tell us we sound like all sorts of other bands. We would say: Porcupine Tree mixed with Pink Floyd mixed in with a little bit of COG and Tool.

 

 

How did the four of you come together as Acolyte?

 

Frank, Jase and I were all friends a long time before we started this project, each of us in other bands at the time. We have always liked the idea of progressive music and all enjoy heavier soundscapes. What we wanted to see on the aussie circuit was something progressive and strong, melodic and theatrical whilst still in your face. The addition of a big female vocal to this project has added something very unique I think that sets us apart from others in the same and similar genres.

 

 

Who are some of the bands who have influenced you, and how do you go about taking these influences and turning it into something of your own?

 

I think vocally I am very influenced by diverse front persons. Growing up I loved listening to what Clint from Butterfly Effect brought to the table. Kenny from Karnivool undeniably is also an amazing vocalist along with heavy weights such as Mike Patton. Now that we are writing and creating our own sound I find more and more that I am influenced by an individual’s performance persona if I am already impressed with their vocal abilities.

 

 

What was it about music that inspired you to pursue it as a career?

 

Being classically trained I love how diverse music is and what it does for people. There is music for every mood and every feeling. As a musician you can portray each mood with vocal content, overall tone and sound. Music is all consuming if you immerse yourself in it. I think it was during my first lead role in a musical theatre production at the age of 16 that I learnt the power of connection that can be made between the crowd and the performer. From then on I have been sucked in; it’s my drug for sure.

 

 

Where do you draw inspiration for your lyrics? Would you consider the subject matter to have a serious edge, or are they light hearted?

 

I generally write about what most would construe as lighter subject matter. Many of the lyrics in our earlier tracks have been taken from content matter involving my youth and fictional stories, although there are instances where I write about adult content and more mature subjects. Mainly I try not to make the lyrics so obviously about any one thing specifically.

 

 

How important is the use of social media to the band?

 

It is so valuable. You just need to be on everything and be connected to everyone to give you the best chance to be heard. Foot advertising is becoming increasingly more effective again also. The internet is just busting with so much random information that it can be hard to be noticed. Everything needs to be closely managed. We find the use of a band webpage to act as a hub for all information and social media links is a great tool.

 

 

In this modern world musicians need to be more than just great performers and songwriters. There’s a need to know about promotion, financing, legal aspects, etc. Does everything else required of young bands sometimes take away from the creative process?

 

It can take a lot away from the process. I think when you are starting out you need to focus on writing and getting some great songs together. We spent the most part of 6 months or so just writing and practicing, then 6 months of building an audience and gigging. We feel like it is time now to focus on the business side of the band. If you try to do everything at once without help I cannot see how you could succeed. There is just too much to do.

 

 

The debut single Perceptions is out soon with the debut EP to follow. What can listeners expect from these releases?

 

They can expect absolute quality and will experience so many different epic soundscapes. Each track on the record stands strong and proud on its own while staying true to the ACOLYTE sound we are becoming known for. For the EP we wanted to give fans the best of everything we are about right now, epic, strong, melodic, theatrical and a well resolved overall sound. Perceptions is one of the heaviest tracks on the record so we decided to lead with it but we are as excited about any of the others and cannot wait to share them.

 

 

It’s no secret that studio time costs money. How does Acolyte finance recording costs?

 

As discussed, it’s important to focus attention on certain aspects of a band’s career at any one time. When we decided we were going to record this EP it became the absolute priority. We made sure all of our parts to every song were written well in advance and all financial aspects were planned and tabled. If you put a lot of time into planning nothing is out of reach.

 

 

It must be a difficult and disruptive time at the moment to be losing your drummer Peter MacDonald just before the release of the EP. How much does losing a member affect the dynamics within the band?

 

When we were signed to Cohen Management LA late last year we all spoke about what each of us wanted to do with this opportunity. We knew very early on that Pete needed to immerse himself in other obligations and passions of his going forward and we completely support that. It was important to us that he was still featured on the EP as he was such a massive part of making us the band we are today. This EP basically is a collective of our work over the last 12-18 months so it just wouldn’t be right to hear someone else’s work on there. We absolutely miss him but we hope that the next band member will help shape our sound further for the next record.

 

 

Are there any bands you’d like to tour with?

 

There are so many, but for where we are at right now, I would have to say Aussie boys Karnivool.

 

 

What advice would you give to young musicians wanting to follow music as a career?

 

Speak to people; learn from what other bands are doing well, build networks. Most importantly plan! Just plan everything well ahead of time. Look at where you are now and make a goal for where you would like to be in 12 months or 5 years from now. What do you need to achieve to get you there? It is extremely hard work, very competitive and time consuming. If you make the decision that this is going to be a career and not a hobby you have to be prepared for the pressure and work.

 

 

Is it a good time for young bands in Melbourne at the moment? Are there more people coming out to shows?

 

As long as you have the chops and you put time into promoting your shows, people want to go out for a good time. “Melbourne” the boys and I still call the “band mecca”. It is the place where all the best want to come and play so if you can be heard here you’re ready to start touring to see what the rest of Australia thinks. If you don’t take time to promote and do basic PR people aren’t going to just turn up to your show they need to know that it’s on.

 

 

What would you like to achieve in the coming year with Acolyte?

 

We would like to play a support tour with an idol of ours. We look forward to the prospect of developing our sound further here in Australia and in America. Most of all we look forward to getting our music out there and building our fan base. We thrive on stage and are really looking forward to touring the EP.