We Feed Alone, the alt-rock project of Eric Straton, recently unveiled a new single/music video, “What Burns Beneath,” highlighted by potent percussion, layered with droning elements that pulsate with energy, contributing to the song’s unique ambiance.
Raised in a musical family environment with a father who owned a music store, Eric Straton was immersed in music at a young age. Initially drawn to guitar, he switched to drums when he was 14 years old.
In 2005, Straton played with The Pop Culture Suicides, a band formed by guitarist Zim Zum from Marilyn Manson’s group. This fueled their interest in the industrial music field and was greatly influenced by Straton’s strict and orchestrated style of drumming. We Feed Alone was formed in 2010 with Doug Wagner, followed by writing, recording, and releasing a self-titled album.
The music video reveals a visual journey that mirrors the dreamy and surreal feel of the song. The video takes viewers through states of consciousness, transitioning from darker to brighter atmospheres. Shot during recording sessions, the video captures the essence of the song’s creation, focusing more on the music’s vibe rather than the lyrical content.
Tattoo.com spoke with We Feed Alone about the song’s genesis, the evolution of the band’s sound, and the creative process.
What inspired your new single/music video, “What Burns Beneath?”
The instrumental part of ‘What Burns Beneath’ began as a challenge from a friend to record a drum beat for a Kanye West song called ‘Hold My Liquor.’ That idea didn’t go anywhere, but the beat started becoming its own thing where we found interesting instrumental parts to work with it. Doug Wagner wrote vocals that tell a story of fated love. Two souls eternally bound, to find one another both in the living world and the afterlife. Inspiration was personal and later developed through historical study of the ancient Aztec legend of Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl.
What do you want viewers to take away from the video?
The video includes a lot of raw footage of recording the song. So hopefully it provides a feeling of being in the moment of creating the song.
Who directed the video and where was it shot?
The video is edited together with video sections from a combination of raw recording footage and additional planned footage to make the imagery more complete. This video is self-made.
Who is in We Feed Alone and which instrument do they play?
We Feed Alone is currently an independent project which includes collaborating with open-minded musicians. In this song, Doug Wagner and myself (Eric Straton) wrote, recorded, and mixed the song. I contributed Drums, Bass, Guitar, and Mixing, while Doug contributed vocals and bass. We worked with Ryan Earnhardt (Creative Sound Lab) for engineering, mixing, and video consultation.
Did We Feed Alone’s sound evolve naturally, or did you deliberately push it in a certain direction?
Our sound is a very natural evolution. Many times, it’s hard to explain where the sound comes from. It feels like it could be accidental at times, or perhaps it comes from the subconscious. There is something special about listening back to a song that we created and feeling like a listener rather than the creator. There is definitely something there in ‘What Burns Beneath’ that we almost can’t take credit for.
How did you get started in music?
I grew up playing music. From before I can even remember I could strum basic guitar chords. My father owned a music store, and I took guitar lessons as a kid. It was in my early teens that I started playing drums and that’s what I really connected with. Playing in bands and creating music began in junior high and it’s in my blood.
What inspires your writing? Do you draw inspiration from poems, music, TV, or other media?
I listen to a large variety of music and I’m always looking for something new. A lot of times I’ll get inspired by a small element of a song and it sparks an idea. I also listen to recording and mixing podcasts and find inspiration there. I’ve gotten into building audio gear which has its way of inspiring me after completing a build I want to use.
What can you share about your writing process?
The writing process often begins with a drumbeat and then some sort of guitar or bass is added to it. It happens the other way as well starting with a guitar riff. It’s really great when you have two independent thoughts, and they somehow end up working with each other. After that, more layers and parts are slowly added together, with the vocals typically being the final piece.
In your opinion, which music artists are killing it right now?
I think Puscifer is absolutely killing it. I find it so inspiring to see what the whole band is doing and just amazed to hear what Maynard has done throughout his career.
I was absolutely blown away when I heard ‘Something To Believe In,’ and ‘Eat The Acid’ by Kesha. I wouldn’t have ever called myself a Kesha fan or listener, but I was shocked when my wife shared it with me. Really cool stuff and some of the best new music I’ve found.
What is your definition of success?
Finishing a song that is worth being proud of and releasing it is success in itself. Beyond that, connecting with people who genuinely enjoy the song is all we could ever hope for.
What’s next for you?
There are two new singles getting finished up, and plenty more in the works. Working in the realm of completing singles and releasing them as they are ready makes sense to us at this time. Being an independent artist and completing the whole process on our own is a lot of work, and it’s worth celebrating each song as they are completed.
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