Article by Jade Davis and Dustin Perry
November 1st, 2021
A few days ago, Dustin and I had the pleasure of interviewing a Virginia native band that swept the Blue Ridge Rock Festival off their feet this past September. Below is a little insight into the world of Artusha.
Photo credit: Mary Yeager
1. Where you all from? Are all of you based out of Richmond? How did you meet?
David: Right now we're all based in and around Richmond. Our studio is just outside of Richmond. Me and Caylon are Brothers and grew up learning instruments together and we met Brian through school. We met Kent through some other friends I believe. Ironically we've all played together before as early as 20 years ago. Crazy stuff how we all ended up here! Haha
2. What inspired or compelled you to want to play music for a living?
David: It's been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. We all have a shared goal and interest in music and we would all love to jump out of bed everyday and make a living doing this. With time and focusing your energy, just about anything is possible!
3. Who are some artists you would attribute your career to? What music encouraged you to want to start Artusha?
David: Me personally, I grew up heavy on Metallica and it progressed from there to Korn, Fear Factory, Lamb of God, Gojira and more. We all share some of those influences, but collectively we all take inspiration from all kinds of music in general. I knew I wanted to start a band back when I had friends starting bands like Brian, for example. So after a few bands or so, Artusha was born!
4. What is the one band yall would love to share the stage with more than anyone?
David: I'm gonna go with Metallica. There isn't a bigger name in Metal for me and I admire their love for what they do and their work ethic to tour the way they have all these years. It would be a true blessing to throw down on their stage.
5. Does the name of the band hold a special meaning to you? It's a neat name, what's it's origin?
David: Take the word Artist and Musician and scramble the letters. BAM, I got Artusha. Might sound simple, but the meaning is deep for me because those two words carry a lot of weight.
6. The creative process of writing and composing songs is a very difficult task. What helps the band get through the process and make amazing music?
David: It usually starts with a riff and the band helps with the vibe in the process. It's easy to make or break the vibe creatively. For example we had a great writing session last week. We all put our phones in our pockets and took an existing riff set and started mapping it out. Kent had already started writing some lyrics and melodies for it and once we mapped it out in a couple of hours, we recorded it on Brian's phone with an external mic for better quality demo audio. Boom, we have a song 80% of the way completed and almost ready to record in the studio. It's amazing working with these guys.
Photo credit: Mary Yeager
7. What is the most challenging thing about being a band in 2021, and what has been the most rewarding?
David: It was definitely the uncertainty of everything with the pandemic. Making sure we focused on the health of our families and tried to plan ahead the best we could.
8. I (Jade) got to see you guys play at Blue Ridge Rock Festival this past September and it was amazing. Did you guys have any difficulties with the Festival as far as preparation, travel, booking, etc.? How hard was it to get on the roster?
David: We had a great experience with BRRF. The crowd was amazing and super receptive. From crowd surfing to the pit, a lot people may have heard of us, but never seen us, but the crowd went for it and so did we!
9. A random one, What's the hardest thing about truly learning to play the guitar. I (Dustin) have recently started playing my self and get discouraged when i can not do something good. But i refuse to give up.
David: True story, I go through the same thing on guitar. Was trying to learn a lead lick from a song the other day and couldn't get my fingers to work with me. haha So it can get frustrating. It goes like this tho. Just keep trying. Do it in a fun way and don't get mad or upset when your unable to keep up with your playing. We can learn anything, just takes time. Keep playing it and before you know it you will be able to handle it like you've been playing it for years.
10. What's next for the band? Any other tours or big shows coming up?
David: We have one show left as of right now for the year in PA with Neverwake. Looking forward to that. Past that we're hitting the studio this winter and stoked to release new music soon. We're booking for next year now, so more news on that coming soon as well!
11. Do you have any advice to any artists out there who are trying to get noticed?
David: Get your ducks in a row. Find your sound and don't be afraid to invest in yourself. There's a lot of bands out there and artists, but consistency is key and be cool when it comes to working with other bands and artists. Build a solid support group for your band. From the members, to friends, to management.
12. How do you feel about the rock music community today, does it give you hope or does it terrify you?
David: People often reject what they don't understand. Luckily, we all understand Rock music and that's a great middle ground for us to all come together and have fun and learn more about one another to be more compassionate and open minded. Live free out there and we will see ya soon!
We would like to thank David and Artusha for taking time out of their day to talk to us. Look for them on YouTube and Spotify!