CLIFF & IVY ALASKA'S ONLY GOTH BAND

bio

Cliff and Ivy are Alaska's only goth band. Cliff and Ivy are a duo. They live in Anchorage, Alaska and are more than willing to travel anywhere for gigs. They are known for transcending the limits of the goth genre and pushing to the future. They use theatrics, poetry and interactive gothic/art/horror props to get the audience involved. Cliff and Ivy have performed live with goth, punk, metal and art/coffee house line-ups. They've done soundtracks for live theater and are working on an original score for an Alaskan horror film called Seven Bones.

Cliff and Ivy completed recording their latest album, CXI111, in Los Angeles and Alaska. They collaborated with Rikk Agnew (Christian Death, 45 Grave, Adolescents, DI, Gitane Demone Quartet), Gitane Demone (Christian Death, GDQ), Paul Roessler (Screamers, GDQ), Deb Venom (GDQ, Spirit Before a Fall) and Sky Lee Vague (SBAF) on 5 songs. These were recorded at Kitten Robot Studio in Los Angeles, produced and mastered by Paul Roessler. They worked with Brian Troisi (drums) for tracks recorded in Alaska. Cliff and Ivy have also recorded and toured with a 6 piece band (east coast and west coast). In 2013-2014, Don Bolles, (The Germs, 45 Grave, Ariel Pink) played drums with them and they recorded an EP- Springtide of Pure Reason. It was produced by KRAMER (Butthole Surfers, White Zombie, Ween, Urge Overkill, Low) in Connecticut. Cliff and Ivy have written and performed together for over 20 years. Their background includes playing in the local hardcore punk and goth scenes in NY/NJ, and northern CA. Cliff and Ivy's inspiration comes from art, punk, hardcore, old school goth and EBM, horror movies, no wave, industrial music, tribal music, current events and unwritten history. Cliff and Ivy have been compared to Dead Can Dance, Killing Joke, Ministry, and Siouxsie and the Banshees, and The Cure. Cliff and Ivy are currently played on WRSU, WFMU (Irwin Chusid show), WPRB, KRUA, KONR, KXLU Los Angeles, and internet radio, HardtoPortRadio Portland, GRRRevolution UK, WickedSpinsRadio.org UK, StenchRadio.com Austin, TX, Nightbreed Radio, WFKU NYC, Radio Free Joshua Tree, Palm Desert CA and on the Mick Mercer Radio Show UK.

They sound like is Siouxsie Sioux and Iggy Pop had a baby. They've been compared to Siouxsie & the Banshees, Sisters of Mercy, The Cure and Ministry. Current lineup: Cliffmonk: guitar, bass backing tracks, vocals; Ivy Silence: vocals; piano, synth; Drum backing tracks by Brian Troisi courtesy of Neanderthal Studio Previous releases and lineups: 2016 2015 2014 Springtide of Pure Reason EP: second release, 2014 on House of Extreme Darkness. 5 tracks, produced by KRAMER (Butthole Surfers, Ween, Galaxie 500, Urge Overkill, and more). Cliff and Ivy's recording and 2013 tour lineup included Don Bolles(drummer, 45 Grave, The Germs, and author)- featured on drums! CliffMonk- bass/vocals, Ivy- lead vocals, Stephanie Feris(Stephinfection): backing vocals, Scott Feris (Alaska Thunderfunk): guitar, John Erving Scott: keyboards (LA/Cali tour dates) , and Unfinished Symphonies: Keyboards (east coast tour dates). Springtide recorded the 2013 touring band with KRAMER at the helm, resulting in darkly delicious cuts of psychedelic experimental goth: perfect for road tripping to graveyards across the country. 2014 AK lineup: Cliffmonk: bass, backing vocals, Ivy Silence: vocals; Scot Feris: guitar; Stephanie Feris: backing vocals; John Erving Scott: Keyboard, synth; PJ Franco, drums. Equilux, their first recording, was released 2012 on All Ears Music. Recorded in Los Angeles, with12 tracks worth of amazing dark journeys. Equilux has CliffMonk on bass, guitar, mandolin, and vocals; Ivy on vocals, synth, keyboard, and piano. Produced and mixed by Ashley Witt. Equilux received great reviews and aired on college radio, charting on CMJ in New Jersey before its release.

compilations

Cliff and Ivy are on Volume 1 (January 2015) Volume 2 (March 2015) and Volume 3 (October 2015) of For The Bats, an international goth compilation to benefit the Tolga Bat Hospital in Australia. This is a great compassionate project, please do go download both volumes 1 and 2. You will enjoy all tracks and help the injured, sick and orphaned bats that these organizations care for. https://forthebats.bandcamp.com/

previous releases

2014 Release: Springtide of Pure Reason EP, produced by KRAMER (Butthole Surfers, Ween, Low, and more) with Don Bolles (The Germs, 45 Grave) on drums. 2012 Release: Equilux

interview

Cliff and Ivy

3/1/17

1. What was it that got you into goth and goth music from the start?

Cliff : Horror movies, punk rock and disability. I liked the old school horror movie look. Growing up on the east coast, part of my experience is being treated as an outsider for having a learning disability – dyslexia. I just think differently so I was always treated as an outsider at school. Now I know that dyslexia, synesthesia and adhd are connected with autism. Ivy: I've always been into powerful art and music. I liked 70's horror movies, vampires, witches, and the supernatural trends of the day like pyramid power and bending spoons with your mind. I've been called a witch since I was a child. I can see people's aura's and shadow people, and I have seen ghosts as a child. I liked the early hardcore punk scene and there were deathrock and gothic bands after that too. I grew up in a small town in south New Jersey so college radio out of Philadelphia was a big influence. About the only cool thing was a Rocky Horror group at the mall so I got involved and found some like minded people through that. These people were really into the Misfits, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Gun Club, the Cramps and Gary Numan/Tubeway Army at the time.

2. How did the two of you come to meet? We met at a Clash concert at Rutgers College in New Jersey, in 1984. We got to be friends and started a punk band called The Gout. We got close together over music. Ivy would ride her bike over to band practice at Cliff's house. We've been playing music together since 1984.

3. What are some things fans may not know about Cliff and Ivy? What sort of thing keeps you occupied in your spare time or day to day life?

Ivy: We have 2 teenage sons with autism so caring for them and communicating with them takes up a large part of my time. Our sons sang backup on “Blackflower Breakdown” (on CXI111). I like to advocate for people with disability as I also have a brother who experiences disability. I think alot about how people perceive the world in a different way and how much people pass judgement on others for being different than “the norm”. I have a Master's degree in Education. I went to art school before that and studied painting, drawing, sculpture and psychology. I like to write, draw, paint, sew costumes and make masks. I've had a few gallery shows in the past and have done work making props for theater and as a sculptor' studio assistant. I like to go shopping at thrift stores and pawn shops, and collect whatever catches my eye – art, jewelry, etc. I have a collection of metaphysical books which were acquired during the pre-internet days. I like to create interactive props like horror dolls and masks that involve the audience – I like to share my art this way on stage. I also love to read sci fi and watch sci fi movies, and I'm a big fan of Dune. I love bats of course. Did you know that Alaska has 5 species of wild bats? They are very elusive but they do hibernate in the winter and are active in the summer. We both do internet radio – we are DJs on wickedspinsradio.org (UK) and wfku.org (NYC) and we welcome mp3s submitted by bands doing any type of original music with a dark feel to it. Cliff: I do like comic books, crazy horror films and B movies. I have a small collection of horror and B movie posters. My older cousins had some movie posters from the 60s and I really liked those. I have a collection of old 8mm films. And comic books and record albums. I like the art in comics as opposed to the stories. As a dyslexic I was more interested in the visual storytelling. My favorite artwork is the comic book art that was influenced by surrealists , dada, and mystical studies.

4. Briefly describe each of your roles in the band or otherwise?

Ivy : I co-write, play piano and synth, I write all the lyrics, I sing, I create and edit audio files for backing tracks, and help with arrangements and rhythm ideas. I create the band art and logos. I don't generally play drums in this band but I have played drums for over 20 years so I can play drums in a recording situation or if we jam with other players. Cliff: I play guitar, bass, co-writer, arrangements, recording, producer, engineer.

5. Your music is thought provoking awe inspiring sensational or even pyschadelic taking you on a journey of the mind. Where do you draw inspiration from for such uniqueness?

What sort of set up do you have instruments sfx pedals etc anything special that helps you achieve such a deep sound atmosphere?

Ivy: I have synesthesia which is a sensory condition in which you mix up sound, touch, taste, color, texture, temperature, etc. Mine has to do with words; I can see words in color and feel them in color too. I choose them from a dictionary or other book based on color and arrange them into a pattern which then tells a story. Also, I can hear musical tones as colors that have shape. Song arrangements or choices of how to create a feeling are coming filtered through a visual image for me. The lyrics inform the song and they end up telling outrageous stories that may or may not become resolved. When we write songs we care very much about the craft of them, and how each part makes you feel. The lyrics are often eerie and seem to tell of history or the future, they sound kind of like Nostradamus. Whether there is any truth in it or not is up to the listener! It is definitely in the vein of dark psychedelic! I play a Yamaha digital piano which has good string sounds, and an M Audio Venom synth which has some great circuit bent sounds that you can manipulate. Paul Roessler produced CXI111 so the overall finished product is due to his genius at Kitten Robot Studio. I was fortunate to sing into a great mic there. Cliff: We've been listening to music for years – there is such great music all the time and you have to be open to it to be inspired from it. There's a theater edge to it – we are like a stage theater group too, as we do performance art in our show and bring that energy to it as well. Some of the songs – the guitar has alternative tunings. I use the devil's chord on some songs. I get inspired by the music itself.

6.Who are some of your biggest goth influences or other influences?

Ivy: Probably Siouxsie and The Banshees and Killing Joke are my biggest influences. I've been lucky enough to see both perform live a couple times. I also like The Prodigy, Gary Numan, and many more. I like that there are new bands working in this genre, like Gitane Demone Quartet, and A Bleeding Sky, also many of the traditional bands are still creating. I like goth because it can contain many different influences and in my opinion is the most open minded group of creative people – not so restrictive as far as the rules of music go. There's a lifetime of creating and discovery in this genre. I like Christopher Lee, the Mother Superior in Dune, Maleficent, Sweeney Todd, and Fantasia. Cliff: Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney, Christopher Lee, Killing Joke, The Misfits. Also Gang of Four, and many great hardcore punk bands from the old days. The great dance music and disco of the 70s – early hip hop was very close to puck rock and very DIY. Heavy dance music – hypnotic beats. The basic concept that music can transform you physically and spiritually . The idea that music is transformative – it can be subversive because music can change your life. Music creates culture. That's what we are trying to do here in Alaska.

7.What is the goth scene like in Alaska?

Ivy: Very small. We are and continue to be the only goth band. However I feel it is slowly growing. There are young people who are inspired to be themselves in the punk scene which includes goth and there are a few personas who do cosplay and cabaret performer with dark/gothic themes. Alaska is sort of known for always being ten years or more behind so there is a glut of '90s style metal bands and associated personas. There's been a loss of cool venues which hosted the artsy/new music culture of a few years back and a rise of places which are pay to play or will only book certain mainstream influenced bands. Overall people are less willing to take a conceptual risk and less knowledgeable of anything outside the mainstream. Which is why alot of what we do is “showing up”. Being “goth in public” is still a way to shake up the mainstream here, sometimes it's welcome and sometimes it's not. For example we've been kicked out of a festival for our music/persona, while performing, and we've been offered gigs when we are in a public space, because we stick out. Last summer we were offered a gig to perform at the graveyard for a history themed event. Marijuana is legal in Alaska so we are hoping that the culture will become more tolerant of creative music/sounds/art etc. There is a Hempfest here and some newer alternative festivals so we support them and it shows growing creativity. Cliff: It feels still like a wild frontier. People can be themselves and do what you want to do. Nobody really bothers you too much. If someone is goth people are usually pretty cool with it. Looking forward to the scene growing. Would like to do some more goth promotion here and host more shows, release more music on our label House of Extreme Darkness, and continue with our internet radio shows. I feel like “Johnny Appleseed” and a bit like Dr Frankenstein – we are planting seeds and nurturing a goth scene here. Trying to turn people on to music they may not know about with our radio show and our band. Because of the intenet now people don't have to just listen to commercial radio or what is being shoved down your throat. We get more of a world view. We have fans all over the world. People have heard of us internationally now – everyone is learning about Alaska's only goth band!

8.What is your favorite song of yours to perform?

Ivy – I like to perform “I Am I Am I Am” with our collaborators from Los Angeles – we recorded CXI111 at Kitten Robot Studio with Rikk Agnew, Gitane Demone, Paul Roessler, and Deb Venom (Gitane Demone Quartet) and Sky Lee Vague (A Bleeding Sky). This song was a jam, 20 minutes long, that was created in the studio. To play it live for an audience is magic. Cliff: Currently I like to play Monkshood Bloodshed on CXI111. I like the punk rock/deathrock vibe of it.

9.What can we expect from Cliff & Ivy in the year to come and on? Any comments or announcements events about C & I etc?

We will play and record in Los Angeles and area April 2017:

April 6 – Blacklight District Lounge in Long Beach CA with The Veins, and A Bleeding Sky April 7 – Hear us on KXLU with Stella – Straypop show CA April 8 – at the Redwood Bar in Los Angeles, CA with Gitane Demone Quartet April 9 – early all ages appearance at Ipso Facto clothing store in Fullerton CA April 12 – at Club Dingaling, Hyperion Tavern Los Angeles CA April 13 – live streaming studio show on You Tube, The Studio Venue, Burbank, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRWxMv0WiGI April 14 – at The Dollhut, Anaheim CA April 15 – at the Beatnik Lounge, Joshua Tree CA

We hope to play on the east coast/midwest in August. Those dates are TBA but the plan is to tour as support to an Italian goth band called Christine Plays Viola.

10.What are your touring plans for the U.S. or outside U.S. conventions etc?

Ivy: We hope to tour as much as we can given our resources. I would love to play in the UK, and Germany, we have fans in both places. We are trying to get resources to travel, it is expensive to fly from Alaska. Playing Wave Gotik Treffen in Germany is on my bucket list. Cliff: We want to play everywhere. Currently we play as a duo out of necessity but we would like to tour with a full band again.

11. Any comments on the current scene or world goth collective or any challenges you have faced?

Cliff: For us a challenge and inspiration has to do with being an outsider and not fitting with the mainstream. Ivy : We have been lucky to be on a number of international compilations, such as For The Bats I, II and III, At Sea Compliations La Danse Macabre 2 , and 33 Goth Bands You Should Know VOL 4, We have a great review of CXI111 in The Big Takeover, #79. I appreciate the diversity of music now and there are people doing some wonderful experimental work just on the desktop – witch house is still a thing and using noise and horror elements in music. We can truly say the goth scene is everywhere including the frozen north. We love meeting people from all over through our music and are so honored to be a part of this international scene. Links Video : In Your Hands New Blood Earth Spits Fire www.cliffandivy.bandcamp.com www.facebook.com/cliffandivy www.cliffandivy.com @cliffandivy cliffandivy@gmail.com bands can submit mp3s to extremedarknessradio@gmail.com for the radio shows

Cliff and Ivy are sponsored by Sony