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Interview with Staytus – Disease of the Mind

by Joshua (J.Smo) Smotherman May 24, 2022 12:00 pm Tagged With: Arizona, composer, grunge, industrial, Rock, singer, songwriter, United States

Staytus-Disease of the Mind

Have you ever questioned the “Staytus” of your mind? Composer and vocalist Staytus will soon be unleashing her debut 13-track album, Disease Of The Mind, a seismic first strike on the goth/industrial scene, where she sings about heartbreak, despair, resentment, and reality slipping away.

Staytus is sharing three singles that set the tone of the immersive album. She wrote, sang, produced, and recorded Disease Of The Mind, as well as played every instrument on the record. Built on elaborate synth-scapes, with distorted, warped guitars, and pulsating beats, the album’s industrial soundscape takes you on an emotional catharsis.

Staytus worked with Grammy-nominated music producer Adam W. Berg for Disease Of The Mind’s final mixing and mastering at Manifest Music, a state-of-the-art music production facility in Santa Monica, CA, that offers artists the ultimate sonic experience. Abrasive and aggressive, the production of the album reflects the uncomfortable turmoil of the material. Staytus meshes dark, poetic lyrics with visceral vocals that demand you feel her anguish and pain.

In this interview spotlight, I chat with Staytus about the debut album, future projects, adapting during a pandemic and more.

Full Q&A along with links and music below.

Where are you from and how do You describe your style of music?

I was born, raised and live in Scottsdale, Arizona. My style of music is nu-goth, which combines industrial rock and grunge rock elements. My musical inspirations span across a wide variety of genres, too.

How did you get here? As in, what inspired or motivated you to take on this journey through music and the music biz?

I think there were many omens throughout my life which told me I was destined to be a musician. I remember my grandmother’s house in Kansas had a basement with a piano and I would just play it and practice for hours. Creating music has always been really fun for me, as well as a therapeutic experience.

How does your latest project compare/contrast with your previous release(s)? Were you setting out to accomplish anything specific, follow a specific theme, or explore different styles of creation?

Before I went into industrial rock, I was actually an experimental EDM producer for a few years. It was very easy for me, but I decided I wanted to challenge myself musically. I wouldn’t necessarily call “Disease Of The Mind” a concept album, more of a musical journey where I could share my inner thoughts and struggles.

Name the biggest challenge you faced as a creative during these unprecedented? How did you adapt? How have you kept the creative fires burning during all this?

I think the pandemic was sort of a wake-up call for me to start learning as much as I could. I was learning everything music-related from YouTube tutorials to college assignments to getting advanced Pro Tools certifications. The pandemic also gave me more time to practice and create without any distractions.

What was the last song you listened to?

Year Of The Rabbit – Rabbit Hole

Which do you prefer? Vinyl? 8-tracks? Cassettes? CDs? MP3s? Streaming platforms?

I used to collect CDs and MP3s of my favorite songs when I was younger. I even had a Discman that I would carry around. Now my focus is geared toward streaming platforms like Spotify because music is so easily accessible on there. My dad also gave me a vintage record player a few years ago, so I’ve enjoyed listening to vinyl as well.

Where is the best place to connect with you and follow your journey?

Just listen to my music. It paints a very vivid picture.

I really appreciate Your time. Anything else before we sign off?

I’m already working on my second album. The working title is “Wasteland For Broken Hearts” and it’ll be a sequel to “Disease Of The Mind” that I’m releasing this year.

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About Joshua (J.Smo) Smotherman

Joshua is a Music Business Consultant currently serving as COO of Unlimited Sounds, a boutique publishing admin & consulting firm based in Sacramento, California. He also serves as COO of Pac Ave Records. He is an archivist via Indie Music Discovery.com, co-founded with C Bret Campbell in 2011 in Manchester, Tennessee. He is also a Father of 3 and an all purpose Jedi... but before any of this, he was and still creates as an indie/DIY artist. Connect on IG. Read full bio.

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