Here's an interview that I did for a website that is no longer in business. Since the information in this one is still fresh...and I really like Sariah Bishop's music, I decided to post this because I don't let my articles die.



Be sure to add Sariah to your friend list. Her MySpace page is listed at the bottom of the interview. Thanks...and enjoy!



DARK SHADES OF SARIAH BISHOP

By: Paul Autry



I'm not really a fan of gothic or industrial music. However, when I heard Sariah Bishop's debut release, "Mute Malevolence," it became an instant favorite. I was blown away. I can't explain it. But, there's something magical about this album. I was so impressed after that first listen that I requested an interview and, a few days later, I was on the phone with Sariah Bishop. Her music really lit a fire under me and I was thrilled beyond words to be able to talk to her one on one for a few minutes. She was really friendly and it was such a pleasure talking to her that I forgot all about trying to be a professional. I got right into it as soon as the tape started rolling and here's how that conversation went. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.



Paul Autry: How would you describe your style of music?



Sariah Bishop: Well...I've been placed in the gothic/industrial industry because of the content of my lyrics and the way that everything is orchestrated and formatted. So, that's what I would say it is.



Paul Autry: I'm not really a fan of gothic or industrial music. However, I was blown away by your release. There's something magical about it. You have a rock edge, which is something that I can really appreciate. I also feel as though it's a very dark album. Would you agree?



Sariah Bishop: Yes, that's acurate.



Paul Autry: Is there a reason for the darkness?



Sariah Bishop: Uh, for me, it's just first nature. It's present. No matter what I sing, what I write, how I twist something, it would always come off like there's this gloom about it. Sort of like a dark shadow that dwells over me.



Paul Autry: This is your first album, right?



Sariah Bishop: Yes.



Paul Autry: Was this your first time in a studio?



Sariah Bishop: Yes.



Paul Autry: What was that experience like?



Sariah Bishop: As with anything, you learn as you go along. It's totally different than performing live. In the studio, everything is more structured. I had to get over certain pet peeves that I have and, whoever I was working with, they had to guide me along the way. I'm a beginner. I'm fresh. I'm kind of green and that's what makes it really exciting because I am learning. I don't know everything.



Paul Autry: How long did it take to complete your album? Was it easy or was it a long, drawn out process?



Sariah Bishop: No, it was not an easy process at all. Finding the right producers, the right players, everything. That took a lot of effort because not everyone could play or pull that off and that's something that I found out. That's when Michael Harold came into play. He helped me create the foundation for "Mute Malevolence" and Julian Beeston came on and completed it.



Paul Autry: Are you happy with the finished product?



Sariah Bishop: I am my worst critic. I listen to it and I'm like, I wanna go back and do this different, make another remix or whatever. So, I need to just step back from it and let it be what it is. The whole creation of it...it caught me at a moment in my life to where I won't say genuine. I was very flawed. I was broken. I was torn. I don't wanna take away from that. At this point in my life, I still carry some of those elements. But, not like that. So, I sort of wanna stay true to the mode that I was in and if it was flawed, as in like me as a person, my personality, or how I brought it to the album, I wanna stay true to that.



Paul Autry: What's the meaning behind "Mute Malevolence?"



Sariah Bishop: Well, the meaning behind it, it translates "silent hatred."



Paul Autry: Towards?



Sariah Bishop: It's not so much as what it's towards, it's what I carry. All those unfit things or comfortable moments that I let wither away. Like all the hurt, betrayal, the pain, all the things that I've endured or were bestowed upon me that I just kind of, okay, whatever, it supressed me so far that the only way to come out was to come up. I was so far down, I couldn't go any farther down. That's when I started to come up and I started to speak because I was sort of a mute and that's sort of how the "Mute Malevolence" came into play. It was because I didn't speak a lot. When you don't speak a lot, people tend to dump a lot of stuff on you, thinking that's a weakness. But, it's actually a strength. So, it's kind of my way of coming out, growing, getting rid of those things that really didn't need to be there in the first place.



Paul Autry: I'm still getting into the lyrical concept of your album and I get the sense that there's religious overtones that flow through the songs. Are you a religious person?



Sariah Bishop: No. I'm not a religious person. I am a spiritual person.



Paul Autry: What's the difference?



Sariah Bishop: Well, I don't belong to any organized book religion, which are constructed by man. You do the ritual. You go to church every Sunday. You're in the choir. Know what I mean?



Paul Autry: Yeah.



Sariah Bishop: That's man made religion. You follow the rules. I know the rules of that. But, I don't belong to that and I wouldn't label myself as being religious. But, I am spiritual, meaning that I do notice the things of this world and they have followed me for some time. For me to deny that the spirit realm is not real would be very ignorant on my part because I've seen too many things since my youth up until now. You're gonna think I'm insane.



Paul Autry: Nah...I kind of believe the same way. I wouldn't consider myself a religious person. But, I do believe there's something after this life because, you know, you grow up, you think, you feel, you learn...and to think all of that goes away when you die, I can't buy that because, if that would be the case, it would make life seem kind of pointless.



Sariah Bishop: Yeah. I agree.



Paul Autry: How long has your album been out and how has the public reaction been towards it so far.



Sariah Bishop: It's been out since October and it's either you hate it or you love it. There's no middle lane for me. I've gotten both reactions. Some people love it, which is cool. Then you have other people who, I don't know, have a pet peeve or the pre-judge it because of whatever. Oh, she doesn't look exactly goth. But, yet her music is goth. Wait, wait, wait...she's too pretty to be goth. I realize that certain people pre-judge or they hear it and then they...you know what I mean?



Paul Autry: Yeah.



Sariah Bishop: I've gotten both avenues. I've also gotten a response from the christian community. Some people have recieved it. Then I have some people who are like, that's devil's music, you're evil, you're around evil, you need to get out of that...and I'm kind of like...WHAT??? It's like, you don't live my life.



Paul Autry: Yeah...christians seem to have an opinion on everything.



Sariah Bishop: (laughs) Yeah. I'm not pin pointing anything. But, that's that whole religious pre-judgement everything. If it's not cookie cutter perfect like you said it should be, it's wrong. But, you know, life is all about choices, there's really no wrong or right. We have free will.



Paul Autry: I agree with that. Now, how's your live experience? Does the music change in a live setting?



Sariah Bishop: Well, my live show...I have a band that backs me up when I play out and, pretty much, live is a lot like the album, except you're getting a live version of it. There's certain things that you can't play live. So, we would have to use a track for that and the band will play the things that they can play. But, there's certain things that we just can't duplicate live and get that same sound. It's raw and true to my emotions. Not for show. I wanna be real with what I bring to the audience and to the viewers. When you come to see a show, you're not coming to see an act. You just wanna see, okay, wow, this is a cool artist, I like the album, I like the songs, I would like to see a performance. So, I try to bring the audience into my world, my mind, my thoughts at that moment when I wrote that song, the emotion that I was feeling. You know, what's the thought behind the words when I wrote it.



Paul Autry: There's only seven songs on this release. So, when you perform live, is there any other material that you do, like covers, or is it all original?



Sariah Bishop: Everything I do at this point is original.



Paul Autry: That's a good thing.



Sariah Bishop: Yeah.



Paul Autry: Another question...and this seems to be a big thing with me...what are your thoughts on file sharing?



Sariah Bishop: Well, I feel that if it was limited...say, each artist had a limited amount of downloads that they would give away for free, that's kind of like promoting. You give away free samples anyway. Just don't take advantage of that. Don't abuse it because, then, you're taking away from the artist. We would have to pay the price.



Paul Autry: What do you hope to accomplish with this release?



Sariah Bishop: I just wanna stay true to what I'm doing and who I am as an artist. Hopefully, this will open the door for me to something greater.



Paul Autry: Is is too early to ask about your next release?



Sariah Bishop: No. I'm always writing. I'm always recording. I've already started working on my new album. It still has the dark, moody undertone. But, it's more vibrant because I'm in a different mindset right now. My life is totally different now than it was back then.



Paul Autry: I was gonna say...you sound like a happy person.



Sariah Bishop: Well, things are actually great right now. But, I don't wanna lose what brought me here. I don't wanna lose what carried me here. So, that will always be a part of me, no matter what kind of music I do.



Paul Autry: Okay, going back a little, how did you become involved in music. I read somewhere that you were a model before you were a musician. How did you go from that to music?



Sariah Bishop: Writing, music, that was even before I started modeling. I got into it for extra money, to help pay the bills, what have you. It also helped to fund my album. But, I've always been a musician. I don't look at myself as being a model. I worked as a model, I'm a former model. But, that's not where my heart is. Music is where my heart is and that's how it's always been.



Paul Autry: Do you play any instruments?



Sariah Bishop: I'm learning. I haven't perfected anything in any way, shape or form. But, I'm always learning and that's what I like about it...because I don't have everything down and I don't know everything. The door's open for me to learn and I am learning.



Paul Autry: What instrument are you leaning towards?



Sariah Bishop: Piano and guitar.



Paul Autry: That's a good combination. Now, would you be interested in a record deal or are you happy being an independent artist?



Sariah Bishop: Well, I'm not gonna shy away from a record deal if it's the right deal.



Paul Autry: What are your influences?



Sariah Bishop: Pain, hurt (laughs).



Paul Autry: And you say that with a laugh. That's a good thing I guess.



Sariah Bishop: Well, it's kind of funny because that's the story of my life. Whatever works. Artists that I've related to in the past are, of course, Nine Inch Nails. Nina Simone. Her lyrics are just...oh, my God! The pain and the heartbreak that she would portray through her music...I was like...WOW!!! Concrete Blonde. Those are my three main influences. My lyrics, they just come. It's not even a matter of thinking. When I start writing, it all comes out and explodes. It is what it is. I try to stay true to what's coming out. I'm not thinking, okay, is this gonna be popular, will they really get this, will it sound weird? I am weird. So, for me, trying to make something that's weird perfected, it would be crazy. So, I just let it be what it is.



Paul Autry: When I listen to your music, I get a sense that you're a very visual artist. So, do you have a video or anything where people can actually get to see you?



Sariah Bishop: Currently...it's funny that you would bring that up...I have a video for the song "Anything" and I'm working on one for the song "2000 Sins." Visuals are very important. I'm doing it on my own, there's nothing perfected and I like what I'm doing because that means there's always an avenue for me to grow. When you see my video, the work you'll see is coming in a pure, raw form from an independent artist.



Paul Autry: Well, I think I have enough to work with here. So, before I let you go, could I get your final comments?



Sariah Bishop: If you're into my music, you can look forward to new material coming out soon. You can look forward to seeing me come to your town. Look me up. Come out to see a show. Talk about me. E-mail me. Be sure to check out the website and share. I like it when people share their thoughts with me.



Paul Autry: Okay, cool. Well, I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me today. It was a real pleasure.



Sariah Bishop: Thank you.



http://www.sariahbishop.com

http://www.myspace.com/sariahbishop