Crimson Moon: How did the band get started?
Todd: SEVEN FEDERATIONS formed out of the ashes of my old project, IMMUNE SYSTEM that I started while living in the UK. SEVEN FEDERATIONS sprang to life after a period of relative non-activity with IMM SYS. Honestly, I felt like I had painted myself into a corner with that project and I was becoming completely uninspired. So I did nothing. For a long time. But (and this sounds like some P.R. nonsense) but SEVEN FEDERATIONS literally occurred out of a dream. I was in the downtown area of some major city, standing in a building about half way up, looking out the these huge windows. Suddenly, everything was dead quiet and a giant military bomber flew between the skyscrapers at my eye level. In the dream, I asked someone next to me what this was all about, and this person said, “Oh, we’ve been expecting this; it’s the Seven Federations.” And that was it. The name stuck and it’s been almost constant music activity for me ever since. Actually, the little story of the dream is buried at the end of the song “Szygyzy” off the first record.
Crimson Moon: What kind of music do you play?
Todd: SEVEN FEDERATIONS is almost entirely fairly hard industrial rock, although there are some musical Easter eggs in there.
Crimson Moon: How has the band response been?
Todd: The response has been great when people have taken the time to listen, but it’s so difficult now. Attention spans are idling right around ZERO. And it’s very difficult to cut through all the noise these days. When Spotify is reporting that around 60,000 new tracks are being uploaded EVERY DAY, you know there’s a quality-control problem somewhere. But that’s the state of play. I do what I can.
Crimson Moon: Introduce the band members.
Todd: Hi. I’m Todd. 🙂
Crimson Moon: How many albums/CD’s have you released?
Todd: Two E.P.’s (“The Arrival” and “Holy Orders”) and three singles.
Crimson Moon: Tell me about some of the songs on the latest CD?
Todd: The latest CD would be “Holy Orders.” It’s just as heavy as “The Arrival” but possibly a bit more fun. The opening track, “Chaosstar,” sets the tone straight out of the gate, as it’s heavy but full of almost pop hooks. I’m a sucker for a hook.
Crimson Moon: Who writes the music? Lyrics?
Todd: I write and produce everything. It’s a one-stop shop. But I have a fantastic mastering engineer in England named Jules Siefert. He’s absolutely been a secret weapon for me. He’s done work with all the big names in this genre and he rules.
Crimson Moon: And where do the lyric ideas come from?
Todd: Well, “The Arrival” was a concept record. (Who releases a concept record as their debut, I know.) That record had a gnostic storyline, so all the lyrics dealt with that idea. But “Holy Orders” was more varied. Truthfully, those lyrics came from a dark or painful place. And I either turn them into something positive . . . or not. They will mean something different to everyone, so I’m very careful never to tell anyone exactly where they came from for me.
Crimson Moon: Has the Covid Pandemic impacted the band at all?
Todd: Not in the slightest.
Crimson Moon: What is the music scene like where you guys are from?
Todd: I’m based in Fargo ND. The last time I checked it was mostly Americana jam bands and a handful of excitable, young punk bands. And God Bless! I’m just old, a bit jaded, and mostly spend my time on the back porch with a shotgun.
Crimson Moon: Who are some of your musical influences?
Todd: Buddy Rich, Nine Inch Nails, The Carpenters and Ministry.
Crimson Moon: What is the band like when you play live?
Todd: Seven Federations has not played live and may never play live.
Crimson Moon: If you weren’t in this band would you still be involved in the music industry?
Todd: I don’t know that I’d be in the music industry, but I would definitely be involved in the Arts. I would probably be a writer, since I’ve always done that and actually have an English degree from a university here.
Crimson Moon: As a musician what advice can you give to fellow musician just starting out?
Todd: Oh boy. First, if you play an instrument, I would say PRACTICE NOW, while you’re young and have the time. Woodshed HARD. Sweat and bleed to hone your craft. Because, eventually, life happens and you won’t have that time anymore. And be prepared to sacrifice everything for your Art. If you love it, this won’t even be an issue.
Crimson Moon: What does the future hold for the band?
Todd: A new record, probably in late Fall. And possibly aligning with a record label, but we’ll see what happens.
Contact them at:
https://www.facebook.com/sevenfederations
