Road Crew Magazine
Music Magazine with News, Reviews, Photos and Video

When I turn on the radio, I expect to hear the likes of Nickleback, Seether, Theory of a Deadman, and Saving Abel.  And while I like these bands, there's times that I want to step away from today's mainstream sound and hear something that is original, with a message and with a purpose.  I achieved this upon the discovery of the band Carbon 9.

When you listen to their music, you're not going to hear anything about a Bad Girlfriend or too hot to handle sex.  What you will hear and experience is a road to personal discovery wrapped in brilliant lyrics and songwriting.  Music that steps out of the mainstream, music that takes it to a higher level.

But in order to appreciate the music, you have to understand the driving force behind it.  You have to understand where the musicians are coming from on many different levels.  I was able to correspond with Carbon 9 lead singer Stacey Quinealty through email for an interview that takes a deeper look at not just the music of Carbon 9, but of the band and this amazing vocalist/songwriter as well.

Lis: How did the band members meet and come together as a collective group to form Carbon 9?

Stacey: Carbon 9 met and was created while the members were working as performers at Universal Studios, Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA.

Lis: How did the band come to be called Carbon 9 and what is the meaning behind the name?

Stacey: Carbon 9 stands for the following: Carbon is the basis of all organic life on planet Earth, the # 9 is the highest single digit known to man, Carbon 9 = “Living your life at the highest possible level”.

Lis: What 1 word would you use to describe C9?

Stacey: Good question! The answer would be “INTERNAL”, referencing the inside of the self.

Lis: Describe the songwriting process for C9.

Stacey:  I usually create a basic programmed sequence that establishes the foundation of energy that I am going for within each song. Darwin will then create the guitar parts from this point and we will add bass and drums in an effort to stay true to each member. When we are happy with the basic elements, I will then arrange the song to flow in a way that will allow me to get my point across from an emotional position. The final step is to write the lyrics and melodies. Ass backwards I know. It ends up being a very complex process, but works best for us. Every now and then we are lucky and it will work in reverse.

Lis: Although each track feels to be a story within itself, when I listened to The Bull in it's entirety, it felt as each song were a chapter, making up a greater story, somewhat like what
Queensryche did with Operation Mindcrime. Was that the intent with this CD? For the listener to take a journey from the first track to the last?

Stacey: Excellent insight you have! Each song is a day in the journey of the album. This was intentional and occurs on each of our records. I believe that life is a journey and everything we do should follow this simple template, this simple concept. The idea is to always move forward, and the only way to accomplish this is to follow your path in the accepted direction.

Lis: How did you come about choosing to cover Danzig's Mother?

Stacey: Danzig’s Mother was chosen because it was the only song we came across that we could completely convert into the style of Carbon 9, yet at the same time stay true to the original.

Lis: When I listened to Mary Mannequin, the first thing that I thought of was fans of different artists who tend to live on those artists myspace pages, leaving comments and sending messages to them with the hopes of being noticed. (myspace stalkers..hehe)
Where did the idea and inspiration for this song come from?

Stacey: Mary Mannequin is about a guy that falls in love with a mannequin in a shop window. This is actually a metaphor referencing your statement perfectly. It is about people living in a fantasy world and completely ignoring the reality. It is about convincing yourself of the importance of the insignificant, for to only give value to your own thoughts.

Lis: I noticed that you use the imagery of butterflies in a few of your songs. Does the butterfly have a special significance for the band, or for you individually?

Stacey: The butterfly appears in all my work. It is not intentional, but is channeled from my mind to paper as the ultimate representative of accessible hope of a living creature being able to transform into perfection. An achievement that all forms of life can obtain if we decide to approach a simplistic method of thought.

Lis: I know that all of the artwork and imagery on The Bull was designed by the band. Do the symbols on the band's logo have specific meaning in relation to the band?

Stacey: Wow, you really do notice the details. The icons do have significant importance within the Carbon 9 mainframe. They represent the senses of the being in relation to the value of connection within the human spirit. I could elaborate on this, but it would equate to a book in length.

Lis: How has your personal life and life influences evolved your music over COTM and The Bull?

Stacey: First of all, I love your questions and appreciate the fact that you respect and acknowledge that C9 is more than just the music. I would like to think that my personal life and life influences have evolved my music from COTM to THE BULL, but the truth is it was the opposite. My lyrical writings are my diary, and the evolution of each album significantly influences my life. As I write things down and convert them into songs, I am able to move past these occurrences and therefore continue to grow in a forward state of being. Of course my emotional position at each given moment tailors each song and completes each album, but it is the act of expression that enables me to accept myself for who I am and move to the next level, or as I like to say, “Allows me to open the next door in my hallway of life”.

Lis: Do you have plans for another acoustic show with the possibility of releasing and "unplugged cd or video"?

Stacey: We are always discussing the next acoustic show, but as mechanical as our live show is with the use of advanced technology, it is the unplugged show where our fans truly see the depths of Carbon 9. We can’t wait to release an acoustic version of our systemaddict live show.

Lis: I saw mention of upcoming tour announcements. Will this be a nationwide tour?

Stacey: We are in the process of negotiating a worldwide tour, so that all of humanity can experience and grow with Carbon 9.

Lis: Besides music, do you have any other hobbies or deep interests?

Stacey: Unfortunately, outside of music, my other hobby is music. I am always in the studio writing, producing, and recording. I say “unfortunately”, because I often wish I had other interests, but I just don’t. A good game of Call of Duty does however, help to clear my mind.

Lis: What is something that you want our readers to know about C9?

Stacey: I would love for people to know that this higher level in which we speak of is obtainable. It is a mental state of being that can only be accessed on an individual basis. Freedom exists first from within, and is then achieved by applying these
thoughts to your actions.

Lis: What is your view on games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band? Do you think that they are tools to inspire people to pick up an instrument, or do you think it becomes an easy substitute for the real thing, causing people to just become addicted to a game and
not the pursuit of music?

Stacey: I actually think it is one in the same. I refuse to believe that a video game will allow me to be a musician or deter me from doing so. If music, art, dance, etc… is in your soul, nothing should prevent you from pursuing that avenue. However, I do feel that the games may create an access point that will allow the individual to experience music in ways that he/she may not have the opportunity to do so otherwise. Therefore the game will be an inspiration. I do believe that the styles of music heard in these games will determine the future trends to follow. Given this, these games will and do shape society as a whole, but probably not so much on an individual basis as we may like to think.

The original release date for C9's  The Bull was targeted for February 24th, but has been pushed back to March 10th, but you don't have to wait to experience the diversity that is Carbon 9.  You can check out their music on myspace and facebook or stimulate you sense of vision as well as that of hearing by checking out their videos for My Friend and Mother.  Be sure to visit C9's official website for other interviews and news releases as well as great photos and images.

I'd like to extend a a huge thank you to Stacey for taking the time to answer my questions, giving us greater insight to this scintillating band that is Carbon 9.