We talked with Gabe Crawford, well-known guitarist for many a local project, and new to the scene bassist, Laurent Duverglas, about their new band Eighth House. Their sound is described by Crawford as “Loud pretty chords, quiet vocals, dub bass, and slo mosh beats,” but you can hear them for yourself at their first show November 16th at New Brookland Tavern with Cathedral Bells, and Surf Rock is Dead.
“If there is a sound missing in your town, build it, and they will come!” – Gabe Crawford
JASPER: How did Eighth House come to be?
DUVERGLAS: I like to think of the story of how Eighth House came to fruition as almost like a true love at first sight kind of tale. I'd been playing bass for a couple of years by the time I moved to Columbia in July of 2021, but I never thought Columbia would be home to the kind of band I'd always dreamed of being a part of. Shortly after moving, I became enamored with the Cola queer, alternative, and music scenes. I first became acquainted with Gabe after I learned he designed the poster used to promote The Beautiful Neighborhood's Grunge prom, from then on it seemed as if out paths never failed to cross. I quickly knew him to be the guy in a million bands, something we still joke about, but also to be this really loving and genuine dude. One night we got to talking about music and we suddenly realized that not only did we have the same taste in music, we were both lovers of "the scene that celebrates itself" - shoegaze.
We formed our first lineup which included our wonderful lyricist and vocalist, Heather. The weekend after that, we had our first practice and a show booked at New Brookland Tavern for the 16th of November. Eventually we recruited the enigmatic multi-instrumentalist behind Cloud Repair, Richard, to join Gabe on guitar. Lastly, we were able to enlist the spectacular drummer from many Columbia bands including Gamine, Rugstain (Jenny) to join me on the rhythm section!
JASPER: Gabe, what sets Eight House apart from the other bands you are currently in?
CRAWFORD: It’s much different sound compared to the other bands I compose/manage because it’s almost completely new people working towards a different sound.
JASPER: Can you talk about all the bands/projects you are involved with?
CRAWFORD: Eighth House is the newest project at the moment, earlier this year I started Gamine with friends Cassidy Spencer and Shane Sanders and months before the original Covid Shutdown. I was asked to be in what would become Flippants by Austin Syms, which I now share with him, for the last few years I have played alongside Richard Wells in his Cloud Repair project, and I work with Kat Hammond in their Charlie Boy collective as well. Each band is sooo different, Flippants is punk band where I focus more on dominant 7th melodies and angular guitar devices, Gamine is where I compose with the bassline as the first layer with emphasis on minor keys, synth lines, and 80s Goth tropes, Eighth House is a space dedicated to alternative guitar tunings, different distortion textures, wandering chord progressions, and 90’s pop/rock sensibilities.
JASPER: How do you manage your time?
DUVERGLAS: Currently the band meets once a week to practice which is more than manageable for me as I devote most of my time to my PhD studies.
CRAWFORD: With a planner, pen, and ink. I am often late to things, but I plan my day as it shows itself to me, unless some event has been written in the planner first.
JASPER: What motivates you?
DUVERGLAS: I would say a culmination of things! The first being my band members and many others within the cola art, fashion, and music scenes. There are a lot of talented creatives in this city and being around them is like an ever-flowing stream of wisdom. Second, I spent so much time in my childhood obsessed with the music and art direction from a lot of video games. Heather and I most recently spoke about our love for the Silent Hill games but particularly their soundtracks. Akira Yamaoka crafted such beautiful testaments to industrial, drone, noise, trip hop, and alternative music with those games, they truly transcend the medium.
CRAWFORD: Columbia lacks certain sounds, we have plenty of stellar metal bands, cover bands, and folksy southern sounds, but we lack the current sounds of the underground, so I just fill in the gaps with the right people and live for the stage, I enjoy booking and the “always-go” lifestyle.
JASPER: What does your writing process look like?
DUVERGLAS: I will listen to a whole bunch of music that is explicitly reminiscent of shoegaze stylings and then start messing around on my bass until I come into any fun sounding basslines. When I first picked up my bass, I was still reeling off my utter infatuation with post-punk and can say that most of my influences come from that vein of musician. I don't know anything about music theory and though I'd like to learn it to enhance my playing, I also enjoy the ignorance I currently possess because I don't seem to be analyzing everything from a set framework.
CRAWFORD: Right now, I demo out most of a song and then give it to the band, it is filtered through the other members into the song that you hear, and I am only composing the chords and possibly the melody as well, with Heather our singer doing the vocals and words, Laurent also composing songs and pieces, Jenni creating the drum parts and Richard working with me to compose the 2nd guitar parts.
JASPER: What do you do when you are creatively blocked or just not feelin' it?
DUVERGLAS: I immerse myself in another world! I love reading novels and watching movies where the focus is on character-driven narratives. I seem to get lost in these movies where "nothing" happens, they in turn always inspire something be it a song idea, lyrics, or a poem.
CRAWFORD: Usually Reference listen, I go and wade in the world of music until the inspiration or drive shows itself to me again.
JASPER: Who are some of your favorite local artists?
DUVERGLAS: There are so many! I feel honored to share space in the Cola scene with artists and groups such as Gamine, Bones Hamilton, Opus & The Frequencies, Flippants, Rex Darling (who just released their first album - Living Room Diaries), Charlie Boy, Cloud Repair, and Death Ray Robin to name a few.
CRAWFORD: Hah! Not locals anymore unfortunately but Melon In was an amazing project that I got to work on, I love them as well as Cloud Repair, which is why I have Richard in the band. And of course, Stagbriar and the like.
JASPER: If you could write or play the soundtrack to a movie what would it be and why?
DUVERGLAS: This is such a fun question! What comes to mind is working for queer and shoegaze obsessed Gregg Araki to create yet another shoegaze-filled soundtrack for a movie of his. But I'd equally love for some academic to contract an album designed to test the effects of, say, shoegaze on animal behavior.
CRAWFORD: Been a huge fan of the film Legend (1986) and I have always really enjoyed the Tangerine Dream soundtrack for the movie, but I would love to take a crack at that.
JASPER: Do you have a favorite Columbia music moment?
DUVERGLAS: Definitely the first time I saw Flippants at the Museum of Art's Arts and Draughts! As an audience member, seeing Austin prepare a ladder on stage and a table close to the audience with a cake on it was bizarre. It wasn't until I saw him jump onto the cake from the ladder did, I understand what was happening. Further, seeing Gabe hop onto Brad's shoulders to finish the set was hilarious. I'll never forget that show!
CRAWFORD: There are a couple of Eras that I think on all the time, 2010-2015 was the Shredquarters/Queen Punx Palace/ era
JASPER: What are your thoughts on Columbia's art scene?
CRAWFORD: Columbia’s art scene, everyone knows everyone I think, as much as there are the different groups in town everyone knows everyone, and collaboration is so easy, I think.
JASPER: What could make the scene better?
CRAWFORD: Money haha, Money would make it better and by that, I mean infrastructure for art in Columbia, as well as more venues, and art spaces available to book at. There literally needs to be a venue that bridges the gap between the room size of Art Bar/NBT and The Senate.
JASPER: What advice do you have for other artists?
DUVERGLAS: It seems as if the biggest hesitation a lot of people have when it comes to creating, in this case, music is that they have no "talent". This may be biased coming from my punk and post-punk upbringing, but I don't believe one needs to be a classically trained artist to make something that moves people. So, if you make art and you're afraid to share it - please do! If you want to make art and are afraid to do so - please do! Your voice is unique to you, the world is ready to hear it.
CRAWFORD: If there is a sound missing in your town, build it, and they will come!
JASPER: As someone involved in lots of projects, can you offer any advice or thoughts to others hoping to start a band?
CRAWFORD: Find people who are just interested in the idea, look, or sound of the band and then just be ok with the music organically changing as you filter your ideas thru the others.
JASPER: What can we expect at the show on the 16th?
DUVERGLAS: Roughly a 30-minute set, we'll be playing one cover and four originals! But more importantly, we aim to foster a safe and inclusive space at all of our shows. We won't tolerate any harassment of any within the audience and will also be bringing noise-protecting earplugs for any who wants them!
You can follow the band on Instagram and buy tickets for the show online at New Brookland Taverns website.