The Extraordinary Contraptions are a steampunk-styled anachro-rock band hailing from Atlanta GA (USofA), the folks behind this outfit were kind enough to answer some questions we put to them...
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Sepiachord: Who/What are the masterminds behind The Extraordinary Contraptions?
David: The Extraordinary Contraptions are singer/keyboardist Sharon Burdick, who portrays Ms. Sephora Bostwick; singer/guitarist Alexander Stadler, who portrays Aelus Kristoff von Stadberg; and singer/bassist David Tyberg, who portrays Prof. Dimitri von Stadberg. Although none of us claim individually to be a mastermind of anything, perhaps it could be said that we collectively constitute a mastermind, though there's no telling which one of us has use of said mastermind at any given time. The remaining Contraptions just kind of stand around slack-jawed and drooling while one of us is using all of our combined brain power. We were told this was pretty normal for musicians.
Alex: Sometimes, our intern Ashley Leckwold gets in on the act as a dimension-hopping apprentice named Liesel Hindmann and we just took on Tony Bush/Teodore Birchard to pick up where the seemingly irreplaceable drummer Kevin Guthrie/Corbin Welch left off. Overall, we are a bunch of geeks, nerds, non-xenophobic people that like to challenge ourselves and play dress up. It's fun!
SC: All of the musicians in the band "play" characters, does this mean there's a theme or meta-story that flows through your work?
Alex: There is a meta-story that has been hinted at within the work, within a comic that has been on hold and within the structure of some upcoming videos. It's nice and juicy, so stay tuned!
David: Indeed! Each of us has developed a persona that exemplifies the sort of person we each could have been if we existed in this steampunk/neo-victorian/alternate-history timeline we're developing. The central theme of the band revolves around Ms. Bostwick's "Temporal Biresonator," a device that allows travel through time and space, though due to its experimental nature, exact control of when/where a traveler ends up remains a mystery. This has landed Ms. Bostwick and the cohorts she met shortly after her first jaunt (Aelus, Dimitri and the recently departed Corbin) through the aether into all kinds of hijinx. Stay tuned for more on the meta-plot as we release the companion material for our upcoming new album!
SC: When and how did the The Extraordinary Contraptions come together?
Alex: David and I came together years before to play together, but there were complications. After getting over that "failure", we decided to just enjoy jamming some, and then Sharon joined in. Kevin was a friend of David's and he basically hopped on the bandwagon once he heard the music, possibly even before. He gave us 4 years of awesome drumming, which is on the 3rd album, by the way.
David: Alex, Sharon, and I dubbed ourselves The Extraordinary Contraptions and begin to craft a string of smart, pop-oriented rock songs with a sci-fi/geeky twist (which would eventually become our debut album, Inappropriate On Purpose). While live audiences were sparse at first, we sustained ourselves on authenticity by writing and performing about what they knew and felt: the weird stuff. It took about a year before we realized that our geek tendencies were something to celebrate rather than hide. It was around this time that Sharon and I were discovering Steampunk. A chance meeting with Robert Brown of Abney Park at Dragon*Con 2008 resulted in the steampunk musical luminary stating, "With a name like The Extraordinary Contraptions, you have to get into steampunk." After such a hearty endorsement, I suggested the band incorporate the specific exploration of the steampunk genre and subculture into the band's creative vision. That's when Kevin asked, "Will I get to dress up like a character from Firefly?" From there, the ideas just began to flow.
SC: Your website describes the band as "steampunk rock", why steampunk?
David: Because we like it. It inspires us. It's captured our imagination. It's been a fantastic creative vein to mine and so much more of a satisfying creative outlet to incorporate costumes, props, a storyline, and gadgets into our musical journey. This fantasy we're helping to create feels far more real to us than being four slobs in tight jeans and t-shirts trying to look and sound "cool." We feel our scientific-romance aesthetic much better communicates who and what we're really about. Furthermore, the steampunk ideals of DIY, excellence, and repurposing sit far better with us than paying more money for disposable culture and pandering to a low standard. We're constantly honored and humbled to be performing for audiences of a similar mind about such things.
Alex: Steampunk became attractive mostly to David and Sharon for the band, because they were already playing around in the genre. The reason we hang on to that is probably manifold. More than anything, I think we like the people we've met within the movement. They're good people, overall, positively-minded. We are probably more truly anachronistic by many of the more "proper" designations given by the people who've deemed themselves the steampunk elite, the ones claiming to be in the know. They ultimately want to define it on their own terms, but I think a lot of the contributors, participants, artists, appreciators of steampunk are just too open to let it get pigeon-holed quite so easily. I think these are people who want to be accepted, we accept them and they accept us. It's grand, really.
Sharon: Steampunk inspires and captures the imagination with its infinite what-ifs. It dreams big and encourages us that the epic is not only possible, but within the reach of our tools. It's a forum to explore both the light (inventions, mad science, progress, utopia) and the dark (apocalypse, betrayal, oppression, destruction, dystopia) without sliding completely into bubblegum pop or emo over-seriousness. It's maybe the only box we could all agree to fit in.
SC: Which of your numbers would you say has the strongest steampunk story-line?
Alex: That is a difficult question. We all have our own part to play in the overlying story, but the combination of Dimitri's and Aelus' past are probably the driving force behind most of the plotlines for the music. There are definitely more interesting things to come- I mean, hell, we ARE time travelers, after all. Sephora's character is the basis for that, so it's crucial but her enigma has not been quite as revealed. Perhaps, just perhaps, she likes it that way...
David: Our storyline is quite intertwined. We hope to make this more clear as we roll out the companion material for our upcoming 3rd album in the next few months.
Sharon: Although most of our songs include at least a hint of the fantastical, members of the audience seeking clues to The Contraptions' adventures could listen to "Downfall," "Thorngauge," "Crystal Glass," "Burn," and the forthcoming "Hinderscipe Lament" and "Prelude to the Nocturnis."
SC: Most other steampunk related musical acts work in a lot of pre-modern or world instrumentation, why do you stick with the classic rock line up and song structure?
Alex: Okay, let's be clear about this. At least as far as I am concerned, steampunk belongs to those who would love it and contribute to it. We do definitely more rock, but most or our songs are also ballads and we are not above doing more pre-modern work, particularly with some of the other artists you speak of in your question. We've shared stages, dinner tables and fans with these people, and we'd love to mix it up. That, I believe, is a great deal of what the spirit of steampunk imbibes.
David: Because we decided to explore steampunk on our own terms. We're not copycats. We respect our friends/colleagues too much for that. The only "standard" for steampunk we hold ourselves to is one of quality. For us, steampunk is about striving for excellence, jumping back to an earlier point in time to bring about a brighter future than what we've wound up with, so we won't be backing down from our ideals, especially not to follow some perceived trend.
Sharon: Besides, nearly everyone playing in the genre is electrically amplified anyway, so what difference does it make if we use electrified instruments? Plus, we put on a sweet acoustic show with acoustic guitar/double bass/accordion or melodica/hand percussion, so clearly the songs transcend the instrumentation, which is the whole point of our fusion style.
SC: You recently lost a drummer, how do you think that will influence your sound?
Alex: Oh, man. The painful, necessary question. It will absolutely affect our sound. However, that having been said, we're picky. We didn't just settle when we took on Tony. We agreed that whoever came aboard this ship would have to qualify to do so, and they'd better be packing some awesome amongst their towel and copy of the Hitchhiker's Guide. We are committed to moving forward, and we were looking for someone who wanted to take it to the next level. That’s Tony. Overall, it will be amazing. Period.
Sharon: We definitely do not want it to change our overall sound and spirit, but moving forward with songwriting we need to learn the strengths of our new drummer, and probably push him past his comfort zone!
David: Every musician has a personal style they bring to an ensemble situation. Happily, Kevin is completing drum recordings for our new album so the songs will be released exactly as they've been intended from their inception. As for the future, there's no telling how Tony will help our sound evolve. But rest assured that our sound is going to continue to grow and develop while respecting our existing catalog.
SC: You have two recordings under your belts: 2009's "Inappropriate on Purpose" and 2010's "Scratch the Aether", how did your new release differ from your first outing?
Sharon: We have developed a tendency to stretch our musical abilities to the limit with each new set of songs. We love to improve our virtuosity without losing the danceable and fun attitude we portray on stage.
Alex: Our newer release was more ambitious, more focused and on a deadline. Also, for those who don't know it, I had broken my arm and had my elbow dislocated during the middle of writing and recording the songs for Scratch the Aether. It was likely the worst year of my life, and then after I'd healed and had everything recorded, I wound up having to mix the entire album in 10 days for a deadline that had been set. We're talking 10-14 hours a day to complete this. It was an effort of will. The 3rd album will have an easier deadline, one that allows for more artistry and perfection, shall we say?
David: From heartache, to broken bones, several changes of residence, technical difficulties, recording in multiple locations, and a crazy completion deadline, the StA sessions were just a slog. We feel the sound of the record accurately depicts the tumultuousness of this time in the band's career. Listeners should definitely expect something different from our upcoming third record.
SC: How frequently do you play shows? Is there a vibrant steampunk scene in Atlanta?
Alex: We aren't quite touring nonstop, but we are working on it. Obviously, the shows have diminished due to our need to spend time in the studio, but we plan an auspicious 2012. Be ready!
David: Lately we've been performing less so we can focus on crafting the new album. Normally, we perform several times a month around the southeast and do at least one two-week tour each year where we travel further afield and play just about every night. We plan to significantly step up our performance schedule in 2012 to support the new album.
Meanwhile, there is an enormous steampunk scene here in Atlanta. Between us, Penny Dreadful Productions, Doctor Q, Outland Armor, The Steampunk Chronicle, Emilie Porman Bush, and many others, there's a ton of world class steampunk artists, makers, authors, journalists, and creators of all stripes floating about metro Atlanta. Together, we galvanize and support quite a vibrant scene. Many of us have used Dragon*Con (which you simply must attend if you haven't yet) as a means to meet up and organize, resulting in the inception and burgeoning growth of D*C's Alternate History programming track. We also put on an all steampunk convention here in Atlanta called Anachrocon.
Alex: Yes, there is a strong community, but we can't overly saturate this area. These people want events, big ones with teeth! Ultimately, we work toward partnerships with people to bring the best whole shows to the table. We love conventions, and Atlanta will get its healthy dose of ExCon's this coming year.
SC: As steampunk is a DIY culture, what are you folks doing to build a stronger retro-future community where you live?
David: We work with many of the luminaries mentioned above to present events of interest to the steampunk-inclined. We attend and host various maker events and parties where the community comes together to work on various steampunk-type projects. We help spread the word about steampunk to mainstream media sources (check out Dimitri's interview in this PBS report on steampunk culture in Atlanta). If we're not performing, we'll even volunteer to pitch in and work at steampunk events in whatever capacity we can be most helpful. Doctor Q's last Artifice Club event featured Sephora and Dimitri tending bar the whole night. We believe in this community, and it keeps us busy.
Alex: Um, well, we more likely are building a cleaner, smaller carbon footprinted community. We do aspire to bring more of the genre into our home. It's more about the networking with me, personally, bringing people into the community. I leave the visuals, largely, to those better qualified...sometimes.
SC: What secret nefarious schemes do you have up your sleeves for the future of The Extraordinary Contraptions?
Alex: World domination! Mwah ha ha ha!!! Well, a tour across the pond would be nice, wouldn't it? An acoustic album, perhaps? More videos, not just live footage reposts. We've got some gems, but can't give it all away here. Got to keep a little mystery in our lives!
David: Step one: Complete new album, including music videos and fancy new web site.
Step two: Tour heavily
Step three: Stuff that's too top secret to share right now but we promise will be awesome
Step four: Success!
SC: Any final words of advice to aspiring musicians out there?
David: I can boil it down to one word: Persevere. The folks who are further along than us in the DIY music scene are so because they've been working at it longer than us. We're barely four years into this game. We've been extremely pleased with our success to date, but we know we have a long way to go before anybody quits their day jobs for good. Keep at it, follow the music, and make sure to keep it fun. There's no reason to put yourself through this if you don't love it.
Alex: Don't ever stop! Keep music in your hearts! Get a contract, or at least get it in writing. Don't be afraid to be yourselves, or people far sillier than yourselves. Have an angle, and just keep at it. Write, sing, play, record, market and repeat! And good luck.
