Photo Credit: Vicious V. Photography 

Having a solid foundation will always help a band prosper, which is why there’s not much that can shake Sloth Fist. We kicked this off by talking about just that – the shifts in their lineup with their own, Eric Daniels. Soon enough though we peeled back the layers on this vocalist who leans towards the macabre side of life as we dug into ageism in music, cryptids, and more like Sloth Fist’s 2022 release, ‘Bombs Away,’ out on October 7th. 

Kendra: In the years you’ve been making music and performing you’ve gone from a few members to five, and while a lineup is never set in stone once a band starts – I am interested in hearing your thoughts on how you feel dynamics shift with new members when it comes to touring and recording. Is there a certain amount of time you feel it takes for the dust to settle until the newest addition feels like a perfect fit?

Eric Daniels: The intention when I made the band was always to be a five-piece. However, it can take some time to find the right people. We got lucky with the core group, in that the three of us – myself, Marc, and Raffa – have been here since the beginning. Every new person is of course going to bring in their own influences and styles, but this band was designed around that since its inception. A mix of styles has always been the goal. As for the ‘break-in period’, that can vary wildly from person to person. Some folks hit the ground running and just slide into things with almost no effort – some folks need some time to adapt.  

Kendra: It’s all been working thus far though and with that, let’s talk about ‘Bombs Away.’ You’ve noted that you went a bit darker this time around. I recently spoke to Nashville singer-songwriter Derek Hoke about his latest release and how it was quite positive despite the past few years. I found that impressive because it’s been grim. Do you feel like ‘Bombs Away’ is a direct reflection of the reality we faced since 2020?

Eric Daniels: I’ve always been a pretty macabre person. I obviously have moments of just being wild or silly (and there’s a little bit of that on this record as well), but I’ve always been drawn toward the dark and absurd. I won’t say the last two years are the only thing that took this record in the direction it went, but they certainly didn’t deter it either. But it’s not all gloom and doom, even though it can sure seem that way sometimes.

Kendra: Being a Black woman who grew up going to the likes of Warped Tour I could write a book about the sexism and racism in music, but not so much ageism which is why I was enthralled by “Too Old To Rock.” On one hand, we respect the hell out of older artists who’ve been at it so long but then we’re quick to turn around and disregard older people getting into music past a certain age. Why do you think society sort of looks down on following those rock dreams past a particular point in their life? 

Eric Daniels: I’ll preface this by saying I really meant for the tone of the song to be making fun of myself a lot more than whining about actually being too old, haha. But in all seriousness, I think society at large has kind of always had an obsession with the latest and greatest, which will always make the newer wave appealing to many. But at the same time, you do have a lot of people who are far more inclined to stick with what they know and reject modernity. Ultimately, I think it mostly balances out. We can’t live in the past forever, despite how comfortable it can be there.

Kendra: In 2020 you dropped ‘Mothman is Real’ and it’s funny. I’ve interviewed an author who wrote a love story based around Mothman, and a filmmaker who did a cryptid movie. So these creatures are sort of following me at the moment. Staying with that though, which cryptid do you think would be a fan of the darker, ‘Bombs Away’ and why?

Eric Daniels: I think the Dobhar-Chu would really be thrilled with it, however, Bigfoot says we need to calm the hell down.

Kendra: It’s time for a side note: With it being spooky season, I’d love for you to share your favorite movie to watch around Halloween – could be scary, funny, or a little of both!

Eric Daniels: I’m a big fan of ‘The Shining.’ I’ve always preferred more psychological horror stories over slashers and such. That being said, I also absolutely love stuff like ‘Zombieland.’

Kendra: Lastly, with ‘Bombs Away’ out now and a handful of dates planned for out west this fall, do you already have plans in the works for 2023 as far as touring is concerned? 

Eric Daniels: Fall got pushed to 2023, but we’re currently talking with some people and bands to do a couple of jaunts, and maybe even touch both coasts with any luck!