The Spider Accomplice

Over the last three years, the fabric of music has revealed plenty of amazing artistry, as well as snarled weaves that are destined to fray and break. The thread that has proven most interesting to me is that of The Spider Accomplice. A band that I was turned on to the way such things always happen, by an earlier collaboration with a member of a band who I had a slight infatuation with at the time, the odd way of arriving with the band's first EP was rewarded as fate when the results were heard. On the first two installments of the "Los Angeles" trilogy, The Spider Accomplice made music that resonated with me, stuck with me, and established themselves as one of the most exciting new bands in quite a while. If they were already scaling such heights, what can the next step bring?

The Spider Accomplice gives us more with this closing chapter of their trilogy. More what, you ask? More of everything. "The Dichotomy" is bigger, bolder, more dramatic, and more beautiful. To borrow an image from the first EP of the cycle, if The Spider Accomplice started out as a brightly colored caterpillar, they wound themselves into a cocoon of stunning silk in the middle, and now have emerged as a butterfly too vibrant to possibly be real. The colors look like a fiction created by artists working on a vivid canvas. Bands grow, they evolve, but the process is usually slow and subtle. The Spider Accomplice says to hell with that, and before our eyes has transformed themselves into a band that has fused the visceral and the artistic.

We got our first taste of this (pardon the pun), when they released "Swallow" on Christmas. One of the best songs of the year (#3 on my list), it showed the band's sound getting tighter, brighter, and more textured. That feeling carries over to this EP, which site as a fitting crescendo to the "Los Angeles" story.

Everything we loved about the band before is still here, Arno's inventive guitar work and VK's passionate vocals and lingering melodies, but there is more added to the mix. They trade in some of the Offspring-style punk influence that had been felt for something more grand, and you could say more mature. "The Dichotomy" features strings, pianos, more guitar solos, and a weight that feels bigger than anything they have done so far. From the opening call-to-arms that introduces "The Fall Of The Copper Queen", straight through to the wrap-up of "Epilogue", we get sounds that rival anything Muse has done to become as big as any band on the planet.

You can never figure just where the band's sound is going, which makes them exciting to follow. There's plenty of alternative rock propelling them, but there are drips of modern pop/rock, symphonic rock, and even 60s psychedelic pop that twist and turn, often within the same song. So often we hear bands get complacent once they find a sound that works for them, never deviating from giving their fans what they already expect. The Spider Accomplice challenges themselves, always seeing what else is possible. That's how they get from "Calico Concrete" in 2015, to "Bromelaid" in 2016, to "End My Life" now. With each release, they dig deeper into themselves, and we get to go along for the ride to learn what lies under each layer.

It's not often that I don't find myself saying, "but", yet that's where we are, because the only gripe I could find isn't even a gripe about this EP. My lone disappointment listening to these tracks is that one song they introduced as an acoustic performance last year isn't included. A more minor complaint might not even register on my mind.

I feel like I've been saying this with each release, but this EP feels like a shot across the bow of modern rock by a band more deserving of airplay and acclaim than any household name. I can't listen to the swell of strings and VK's voice wring the drama of "End My Life" without imagining the song filling a massive venue. Perhaps the irony of the title, "The Dichotomy", is the comparison of how many people will hear this music versus how many should and need to.

I have been cheerleading for The Spider Accomplice from the start, because I have believed in them and the music they have made. "The Dichotomy" doesn't just pay me back for the faith I have placed in them, it makes a statement that The Spider Accomplice is the biggest little band in the world. This is absolutely stunning.

*Editor's Note: The three EPs in the "Los Angeles" trilogy, if compiled into a single album, would be a favorite to be album of the year. - Bloody Good Music

From the east they came- so says the biography for epic Los Angeles act The Spider Accomplice! If the bright hair didn’t initially catch your eye, this rock group’s catchy lyrics and beautiful melodies sure will. Frontwoman VK found herself in the city of angels from Philadelphia, and guitarist Arno moved to the west coast from Finland- all of which led to the honorable opportunity for RockRevolt’s very own Anabel DFlux to interview the two about the band’s fun at NAMM and the upcoming EP.



RockRevolt: Hey there! Thank you so much for chatting with me today, how are you?

VK: Excited! There’s a lot going on for the band right now that we can’t wait to share!

Arno: Hi! I’m great thank you! Lots of fun at the photoshoot! Couldn’t be happier!



RR: I hear you were at NAMM just recently- can you tell me about your performance there?

VK: We had a great time; we endorse Lizard Spit products and they asked us to perform in their booth. Arno and I played a few acoustic songs, and, as luck would have it, my rep Andrew Swift from Stagg/EMD was right across the aisle! He grabbed a cajon and sat in.

Arno: Good times at Lizard Spit booth! We played few songs and people’s response was great. Always nice to be on stage.



RR: Let’s chat endorsements! Who are you endorsed by currently?

VK: Stagg/EMD has very graciously given me several guitars and a mandolin, and Lizard Spit has provided us with an array of their instrument cleaning products.

Arno: We are endorsed by Lizard Spit Music Care Products currently.



RR: Any tips for aspiring musicians?

VK: Listen to your gut and don’t take advice from anyone if it doesn’t ring true to YOU. So many people think they have the answers, but they only have THEIR answers…yours are for you to discover.

Arno: Listen more. Sometimes you can compose better without your instrument in your hand. Take notes, and try to get those sounds and chords from your head to come alive. Well thought process is half done!



RR: Both of you found your ways to each other from all over the world. How did this happen?!

VK: I believe that you come to LA to find your band and leave LA to find your fans. We all came here to pursue our artistic dreams and ended up in a previous band together. It became pretty apparent that the three of us were on the same wavelength and wanted to create our own unique brand of rock, so we formed The Spider Accomplice.

Arno: We all were in the same situation; we were ready to leave the past and take a leap. LA is a massive city, and good connections are vital.



RR: What do you enjoy most about the Los Angeles music scene?

Arno: Lots of great talents and amazing musicians everywhere. Competition keeps you on your toes.



RR: To reel it back into your current music, a little birdie told me that you are in the final stages of tracking your new EP. What can you tell me about the upcoming release? What was the conceptual process like?

VK: The new EP will be the final installment of the Los Angeles Trilogy. The lyrical themes are all double-faceted— they speak about current societal issues, while at the same time reflect the personal struggles and revelations of our fictional protagonist, Bromelaid.

Arno: It will sound big, sonically. It’s the end of one story and has lots of emotions. I will be proud of this one forever.



RR: What about the recording process? How did you enjoy it?

VK: This time around we didn’t do a traditional ‘block of time in the studio’ process; we each recorded remotely, and it allowed us to work without hourly cost constraints and put in as much time as we each saw fit. Arno really spearheaded things by recording the guitars, bass, etc. on his own equipment; Justin recorded his drums on his own, and I recorded vocals at Bill Metoyer’s studio with him, then we sent the whole lot to Glasgow, Scotland to be mixed and mastered by Matte Black Audio. Colin, the engineer, also handled our single ‘Swallow’ for us, so we were excited to work with him again.

Arno: I recorded my parts at my home studio, and that gave me freedom to spend time on sounds and scapes. But working by yourself is hard; you need to be objective, bring results and put 100% feeling in a song. You have to push yourself, and throw away mercilessly just ok sounding tracks and start again. “What would the best producers do?”



RR: Why did you pick your newest release “Swallow” as the single? What do you want fans to know about this song?

VK: ‘Swallow’ really, for us, encapsulates the current cultural climate on many levels. But it also is a cautionary tale for the individual….you can only swallow so much poison before it’s in the blood and nothing can be made right again.

Arno: We had composed lots of acoustic music earlier the year, and we wanted to show that we hadn’t forgotten rock, and it was the best way to end the year, and also it was a sign of another beginning. Take a listen, it’s good tune!



RR: Do you have a favorite song off of the record otherwise?

VK: For me, Epilogue is my favorite form the EP. Lyrically, I think it conveys an idea that I’ve been extrapolating from my experiences over the years, and I hope it offers some comfort and truth to listeners.

Arno: I’m proud of the quality of the songs on this one. Maybe the first one!



RR: What attracted you to play in your musical genre?

VK: I don’t really think about genre. Our music incorporates so many different styles and sounds that I don’t know if we even really have a label to put on it. Which is fine with me. We just try to make good music.

Arno: Great musicians and good songs inspire me. Always compete with the best and learn from them. That’s just the most fun!



RR: Favorite thing about performing on stage?!

VK: Seeing people sing along…seeing them smile or cry….those moments when I can see that the words meant something to them.

Arno: When band is tight and well rehearsed, the feeling must be like catching a good wave in Malibu:)



RR: Tell me about some of your unique merch!

VK: Our logo is an electric pink spider, designed by Gogo Melone, and all our shirts and hoodies are practically glowing with it! But we also have adorable pink handmade spider keychains with blue rhinestones on their bellies that people love.

Arno: We have these adorable tiny sewn spiders that VKs mom made. Hopefully soon that will be her new dayjob (or hire others for that matter).



RR: Any last words for fans before we conclude this interview?

VK: We’ve been very fortunate to have loyal supporters who have stuck with us through a lot of changes and we can’t wait to get on the road again and play for them all!

Arno: Thank you fans!! Your support is vital for our existence. Hopefully we’ll deliver with our new music! We’ll do our 100% to keep you here! - Rock Revolt Magazine