After the release of the single " Just Like That " by Spells and Curses , we had the opportunity to interview theRave , a New York...
After the release of the single "Just Like That" by Spells and Curses, we had the opportunity to interview theRave, a New York-based artist and the mastermind behind Spells and Curses. Known for seamlessly blending elements of rock, alternative, and electronic music into an evocative and immersive soundscape, theRave has earned a reputation for captivating melodies, pure lyricism, and electrifying live performances.
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| Photo by Alice Teeple. |
With a growing global fanbase, Spells and Curses has captured the attention of listeners around the world and continues to reshape the landscape of modern rock.
Here’s the full interview!
- [accordion]
- How did "Just Like That" come about? What was the inspiration behind this song?
- - In all honesty, it all came out of an exercise in trying to get out of my comfort zone as a songwriter. I like doing things to enter an altered state of consciousness when writing, and in this particular case I was at the tail end of a three day fast. I find you think and express your ideas differently than you normally would otherwise. It's like when you use a different tuning on a guitar to write a new song, but in this case, it's a different tuning for your brain and nervous system.
- Is there any personal experience or influence that played a key role in composing this track?
- - Yeah, definitely. Without getting into too much detail, I’ve had moments where I held onto something too tightly, only to watch it slip away before I could even react. That feeling of being blindsided but also knowing, deep down, that it was inevitable is what shaped this song. I feel like I didn't explain what the songwriting exercise was before, but I can now because it ties in with this question, and in terms of influence sonically, it's quite a funny story. So I was never really a fan of The Beatles; it just never really did anything for me. One night on a long road trip with a friend of mine who is a Beatle fanatic, we turned on the Beatles station on Sirius and I asked him to give me an education on the Beatles so that I could appreciate them. It was a 16 hour drive and an education I did receive; I learned how they were important, brilliant, also quite fortunate, but also hard workers. I now had some songs of theirs that I can point to as favorites. I would study their way of composition and figured I'd try my hand in that style, and I think musically, "Just Like That" is an attempt at that. It's definitely more of a Paul song than anything, or at least my take on a Paul song. But I recall when tracking the vocal for the bridge, I wasn't attacking the notes quite like it needed. For whatever reason, I decided to do my best impersonation of Chris Cornell. All my failings in that attempt result in whatever you hear my voice doing on that song.
- Do you have any special message or something you’d like your listeners to take away from this song?
- - I guess just to remind them that it's okay to feel their emotions sometimes, even if it means wallowing in it for a minute. If you’ve ever felt like the ground was ripped out from under you, this song is really kinda for you. It’s okay to feel lost for a while. It’s okay to miss something that’s gone. But eventually, you have to stand up and move forward—because life doesn’t stop, even when you want it to. Step by step, you gotta move on.
- What part of "Just Like That" excites you the most to share with your fans?
- - Honestly, the way the song builds, particularly with the vocals. It starts with this moody, almost hypnotic energy, then grows into something massive. It’s one of those tracks where you can feel the emotion intensify with every section. The bridge is probably my favorite part; it’s that moment when everything hits at once with these massive call-and-response background vocals interplaying with the main melody. That took a whole ten minutes to write and record because it was just what happened/came out that day.
- Is this song part of an album or EP? Can we expect more music soon?
- - Yes, it’s part of a bigger body of work I’ve been crafting over time. I’m rolling out a series of singles that will eventually form a double album. The idea is to let each song breathe on its own before bringing them together as one full experience. So yeah, there’s definitely more coming soon. I've been giving my supporters on my Patreon a taste of new songs before the rest of the world though.
- Do you have any special plans for the release, such as a music video or live performance?
- - Well for the past 2 years, I've released a new song and music video every 2 months, and this track is no exception. I've got a pretty cinematic music video setup for it as well. What's cooler is that we're gonna be announcing a summer tour soon and it'll be the first time touring in Europe in June. Last year we did Southeast Asia which was such a blast. The coolest thing has been taking these songs on the road and fleshing them out even more, not only with a soundscapey approach, but just really being selective about the venues we play to match and even augment the vibe. One of the spots we're gonna perform at in Portugal for example is this old school Portuguese guitar store!
- Is there any direction you’d like to take your music that you haven't explored yet?
- - Honestly, yes. I’ve been toying with the idea of an instrumental guitar record; something that blends the technicality of Steve Vai with the atmospheric depth I usually handle. I don't know if I'll do that though, realistically speaking. There's a part of me that loves singing too much, but who knows. But I know that I do want to push the boundaries of my production style by making crazier sounds. I think I've done a good enough job at crafting solid productions, but I want to make music that makes me uncomfortable. I have a few ideas in mind to test out, so hopefully we'll see sooner than later.
In this article, we would also like to express our gratitude to theRave, Spells and Curse, and the band's press team for generously offering their time and consideration for this interview.
