ETHOS – AN IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION WITH THE GROUP

ETHOS – AN IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION WITH THE GROUP

By Ralph Beauchamp

Ethos are a dynamic five piece based out of Atlanta who have just released their new EP titled An Eye For An Eye. The group consists of Austen Earp (vocals/keyboards), Kuyper Cummings (guitar), Matt Palopoli (guitar), Nick Riggs (bass) and Tribb Robison (drums). Their sound defies categorization. EthosThe use of powerful guitar riffs, demanding vocals and exotic soundscapes creates a sonic explosion of enormous proportions. Their songwriting is overwhelming and their gorgeous arrangements deliver a deep ferocity.

Ethosrecent effort, An Eye For An Eye, is a true testament to the band's bold musical explorations. All five songs capture the hard melodic goals of the band. “Begin With the End” is brash with bright vocals and an avalanche of propulsive licks. Robison's drums whistle with fervor. The musicianship is relentless. In addition, the track flourishes throughout. “Holy Water” is a sonic beast with muscular textures and cinematic vocals. The song is both dramatic and sparkling with mysterious rhythms.

The next three songs make up the “Archetype Suite”. This sprawling saga showcases his brilliance Ethos. 'The Suites' exudes a strong sense of orchestral theatricality by introducing characters and narratives cloaked in interesting compositional themes. Fearless majesty turns to pensive stillness as Ethos explores songwriting with dynamic persistence – and as their name suggests – demonstrates their ability to create a dynamic listening experience.

Ethos was kind enough to sit down with AMP for this in-depth discussion.

AMP: Can you give our readers a brief history of the band?

ETHOS: Austen and Matt met at university and started dating Ethos in 2009. They co-wrote the first two singles from our debut album, “Vessels” (2012), and then recruited Nick and Tribb. As a four piece we wrote and self produced our first full length album. Matt took a break from the band sometime in 2014, but committed to completing the recordings on our second full-length, “Shade and Soil” (2017).

Kuyper Cummings, frontman and lead guitarist of the Knoxville-based band Cerulia, stepped in and contributed to the recording process and became a full member. Matt rejoined the band in 2019 and we started writing the material for “An Eye for An Eye” as a five piece in 2020. This, of course, is the short version of our story – there's some touring, an acoustic EP, and some single rooms hidden there.

AMP: Your music spans many genres and styles. How would you describe your sound?

ETHOS: It's always hard to pin down, and it really depends on the song, but we're mostly in the modern alternative rock realm, with a lot of prog influence, metal tendencies, and often an emphasis on piano-driven compositions.

AMP: Your new EP is An Eye for an Eye. Can you give us some information about the release?

ETHOS: The process of all this work started in 2020. At first, we were sending files back and forth remotely, but eventually we were able to get back into the studio together and work in person, where we really thrive. Like all our previous releases, it is a highly collaborative process that is sometimes frustrating but also beautiful. Our motto is “Try it anyway”. The EP also continues with three more parts of the Archetype Suite, which is a sci-fi/fantasy musical concept that started on our last release and will continue.

AMP: How does your creative process work?

ETHOS: Historically, many of our songs started on the piano and were presented to the band as a whole, or created entirely during a jam session based on a guitar riff. Over the past few years we've sent a lot of ideas back and forth remotely before the 5 of us get in a room and hammer out details. When everyone is excited about something, the ideas flow effortlessly and that's kind of our litmus test that we're on to something. It's highly collaborative and no matter where the idea starts, once the group captures it the song takes on a life of its own.

AMP: In today's music scene, there seems to be a sink or swim mentality. Does this type of realism have any effect on the band's movement?

Ethos: I think it's important to define up front what success looks like as a band. For us, we love the music we make and it's brought us together like a family – we've all been friends for years and have been making music together since 2009. We want people to hear our music and we certainly make an effort to do that but at the core of the band we have a love for music and each other and we want to be honest in our writing. This makes our music sound the “icing on the cake”.

AMP: What kind of themes do you incorporate into your songwriting?

ETHOS: There are many musical themes throughout our work, especially in the Archetype suite. Our signature sound is very vulgar, almost reminiscent of the romantic era of music. Progressive, heavy, piano. Austen is also a great lyricist and incorporates a lot of textual painting. his work is very poetic and often existential. You may have science fiction, self-reflection, themes of doubt, revelation of greed and corruption, love, betrayal.

AMP: Where do you get your inspiration from?

ETHOS: Inspiration may look different for each of us, but apart from the obvious musical influences and trying to improve our craft and break new ground with each new release, we all have great interests outside of music such as film, art and the literature that certainly sparks ideas. Sometimes it's everyday experiences and introspection

AMP: Is there an album the band wishes they had written?

ETHOS: We all have specific albums that are hugely important to us, of course, but a few that we all agree we'd love to write about include Karnivool – Sound AwakeMusa – Exemption and Soundgarden – Too unknown.

AMP: What do you want your fans to take away from your music?

ETHOS: When we started Ethos, our main goal was to make our listeners “feel” something. We wanted to make music that we liked and we like to write stuff that you don't hear every day. The ancient Greeks believed in the power of music to affect the soul, hence the name “Ethos”. Ultimately, we want people to enjoy it, be challenged by it, and take their own listening journey.

AMP: What's next for Ethos?

ETHOS: We have started working on new music and continue to explore different musical avenues and push boundaries. So far there's been a lean towards more atmosphere and simpler song structures that introduce complexity into harmony, while the next material The Archetype Suite will continue with heavy piano sound and more orchestral and theatrical elements. We also hope to get back on stage at some point, but no shows are scheduled yet.

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