I was never quite the musician. Even though I wanted to write a blues record, play the bass like John Entwistle, and give “Bonzo’s Montreux” a shot on the drums, I found out early on that I was much more interested in the business side of music. I felt much more at home writing about my favorite records, and giving local acts as much attention as possible. Besides, while my musician friends were writing riffs and making demos, I was studying the industry and seeking out new bands and genres to listen to.
One of the local groups that really inspired me to help promote DIY bands was the melodic death metal outfit Framework. After releasing In This Nightmare as Exorbitance, the band debuted their latest full-length, A World Distorted, in January 2014 under their new name, Framework. As drummer James Applegate and guitarist Andrew Pevny studied at Berklee College in Boston, they expanded to Massachusetts and Connecticut to play their material.
Recently, the band has been playing a couple of shows with former Arch Enemy guitarist Christopher Amott and his band, Armageddon. It is every kid’s dream to play music in front of a crowd with one of their heroes. With the amount of hard work and dedication these guys have put into their distinct blend of melody and killer riffs, they are witnessing everything fall into place.
The home of guitarist Andrew Pevny is where the band also spends their time writing and recording the vocals, guitars, and bass. I was able to visit Andrew as he was joined by bassist Chris DeBenedetto and guitarist Devin DeCicco. They talked of their influences early on, and how they developed their own unique sound. In addition, vocalist Glenn Ferguson was kind enough to take some time and discuss the band’s upcoming two-week tour with Armageddon. The guys of Framework also discussed what they have learned as a DIY band and what tools have been beneficial for them. Check out what they had to say below:
You guys released A World Distorted last year. What was that writing process like?
Chris DeBenedetto: Usually someone gets an idea for a riff that could be anywhere from five or 10 seconds, to even a couple of minutes. From there, we would just share it with each other and give our opinions. It is definitely easier to write with another person in the room.
Devin DeCicco: Exactly. They hear things that you don’t. Which might be the best way to take something in a different direction. It is always better when we are in the same room because spontaneous things may happen that you just can’t plan.
Where did you end up recording the album?
Andrew Pevny: We recorded the drums with Eric Rachel over at Trax East Studios in South River, NJ. The guitars, bass, and vocals were all recorded here in my house. It was then mixed by Kevin Antreassian of Backroom Studios. He did a great job on the record.
Your music has been available digitally on your Bandcamp page. Do you have physical copies as well?
CD: Yeah, Bandcamp is great because it is convenient. For the digital file, we are using the “Name Your Price” feature because some people may not care about the disc or insert or anything like that. We also have physical copies available on CD Baby.
Glenn Ferguson: Through that, our album is available worldwide. We sell physical copies at our shows too.
AP: And we stock about a handful at a time over at Vintage Vinyl. A World Distorted is also available through the Google Play Store, Amazon, iTunes, and Spotify for streaming.
What band or bands have influenced your style of playing?
AP: As far as when we first started playing, I would say it was a mix of Arch Enemy and At The Gates.
CD: What was that one song that was very Arch Enemy-like?
AP: “Awaken The Soul.” The demo for that one was actually titled “The Arch Enemy Song” (laughs).
DD: I feel like we are moving away from that a bit, consciously or unconsciously. I think the influence changes all the time. It doesn’t always have to be metal either.
AP: Yeah, like funk music for example. It’s kinda cool to see if you could squeeze that stuff in metal and have it flow.
CD: Even in the bridge part to “Essence Of Greed” it’s got that Latin feel, which is a bit of a curveball. And then it goes right back into the heaviness of the song.
DD: That’s the main thing. Can we blend all of these different things that influence us together and still maintain that metal sound that we love?
You guys are going on tour with Christopher Amott and his band Armageddon. How did you first get in contact with Chris?
AP: When I was studying at Berklee, I had a project where I had to get into contact with someone in the music industry, or the field that I had wanted to get into. Chris actually responded back to me in about an hour. We got to talking on Skype and he wanted to give a listen to our music, so I sent him a link to the album. He liked us and we continued to stay in touch.
Is that what led to this tour?
AP: Well we booked a show in Connecticut a little while back and I asked Joey Concepcion, the guitarist in Armageddon, if he wanted to play the show because I knew that he had a solo project and he is from the area. He emailed me back and said, “Chris said we’re good.” I had no idea he was going to ask him (laughs). So one night he texted me and asked if we wanted to go on the road with them.
How are you prepping for two weeks on the road?
AP: Our drummer James is still in Boston, but we are all practicing to drum tracks so that when he joins us, we are all good to go.
CD: We get together and practice about every week or so anyway, so we are just continuing to tighten our live act.
DD: It is more logistical than anything else, really. It is mostly where are we going to sleep, eat, and is the van ready to go? Just to make sure all of our ducks are in a row.
Have you learned anything from prepping for this tour?
AP: Well, we have learned some things from just doing shows and booking for this tour.
CD: A lot of it is just being careful. There is no barrier or buffer between us and any mistake we make. There is no guy we call to fix it, that’s all on us. We are all going into this tour with the mindset that money isn’t necessarily the priority. We are prepared to pay and go on tour. If something comes back for us, it works out.
AP: Yeah, you can’t put a price on the experiences that we will have.
What tools have helped you guys in terms of booking shows, promoting your music, and prepping for this tour?
CD: We have an electronic press kit, which is basically a place to centralize all of the stuff about us as a band. We would send it out whenever needed. We also have a website that acts as a home base in a way. It allows quick access to all of our info and social media sites.
AP: In terms of getting bands and letting people know of shows, there is this one guy who runs a local metal Facebook group for all 50 states. When I was looking for bands for the show in Philly, I found the Pennsylvania metal group that he runs. I posted the show there and got a couple of hits off of that.
GF: Social media helps. Interacting with fans on our sites as well as meeting fans at the shows has gotten our music out to new listeners. For the NJ, NY, and PA shows, I’m going to post and hand out fliers in the areas where the venues are located.
AP: As for the tour, we are using a company called Greenvans for travel. If something happens with the van, they will come out and help you. They also have a bunch of sponsorships that we could get through them.
I noticed you guys posted a preview of a new song recently. Anything else in the works that you could talk about?
GF: Yes, new music! We can’t discuss all of the details just yet, but we have a concept in mind. All of the songs are going to be based on how humans have disconnected from the natural world, our history, and how we try to find our place in it all. We are working on some big things!
Framework will take the stage with Armageddon at Roxy And Dukes in Dunellen, NJ on Feb. 12. They will then make their way to The Legendary Dobbs in Philly on Feb. 13. The final show in the area will be at Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn on Feb. 19. A World Distorted is available now. For more tour dates and information, go to enterframework.com.
