The Cranberry Merchants- Talks To Us About The Bands New Single Forbidden
Intro
The latest single by the Cranberry Merchants is here! The Rock Duo out of Atlanta, GA is most known for their eclectic mix of music and fun videos. Their songwriting has won 2 International Singer Songwriters (ISSA) Awards, 3 World Songwriting Awards, and numerous other recognitions from radio stations & independent music orgs from around the globe.
The enticing new single, “Forbidden” by The Cranberry Merchants is a haunting exchange between an alluring temptress and the resistance of her captivated victim. In a backdrop of gothic-funk and synth-wave, this age-old tale of forbidden fruit draws the listener in for bite after bite.
I catch up with Dianne and Steve to talk about the new single among other cool things
Enjoy The Listen
Interview
Hello The Cranberry Merchants, welcome back to Fanbase Music Magazine, for the purpose of this interview can you briefly tell us where each band member is from and what got you into music?
Steve was born and grew up in Indiana, in a suburb of Indianapolis. Dianne was born in Washington D.C. and grew up in one of its suburbs in Maryland. We both initially got into playing music as teenagers, simply as fans of our favorite bands and mimicking their styles. But we each didn’t really start writing until after we met in college, while attending The Art Institute of Atlanta. We were both in their Music Business program, and during the last 6 months of it, started dating and eventually married. And the rest is history!
You are a two-piece band, how do you manage to make music that is good without any other people playing instruments?
We both play multiple instruments, Steve primarily on bass and guitar, Dianne on drums and keyboards, and both doing some vocals. So together, it makes us more like a 6 piece band. That coupled with the magic of multi-track digital recording gives us the means to write and perform as a full band on our recorded songs. Having a home studio makes it that much easier to do it ourselves and take our time doing so besides.
When you write music, can you explain the process of how a song comes together, from writing the lyrics to recording the track in the studio?
The process actually varies from one song to the next. It usually starts with a riff that gets built upon and the mood of that music tends to often dictate the subject matter of the lyrics. While we used to write a complete arrangement before recording, lately we’ve found ourselves putting together arrangements in segments while we’re actually recording. Digital recording allows for us to be a lot more experimental in trying out which instrumental parts work best with one another, and can often drive us towards what comes next.
Okay, let’s talk about the new track Forbidden, what is the track about and how did you come up with that song title?
This song is a great example of the mood of the music dictating the subject matter of the lyrics. It started with the simple 3-note chord progression that the synth is playing in the verses. We thought it sounded kind of dark and mysterious, like someone was keeping a secret, but also had a bit of a sultry feel to it too. So that gave us the idea for it to be a song about forbidden fruit, so to speak. The song is about a woman trying to lure a man away from another commitment by tempting him with all of the passionate things they share, that his current relationship doesn’t give him. The man really wants to give into this, but resists because he knows it would be wrong.
How long did it take to write and record the track?
While small bits and pieces of the song actually came about while we were writing “Radioactive” last year, they were shelved at the time since they didn’t fit that particular song. But once we began working on the new song in earnest, it only took us about a week to write and record it, and about another week after that to tinker with the mix and mastering.
Dianne, your vocals are amazing on the track, have you done anything different since you last put out music when it comes to recording your vocals?
Dianne: Thank you so much! That really means a lot, considering this is indeed new territory for me. I’m really not used to singing the softer, more melodic vocals like in this song, so it took some experimentation on my part, just trying different ways of delivering the verses for the recording. I wanted the verses to sound alluring, but maybe a little bit twisted and naughty too. The technical means of recording the vocals wasn’t really very different than on other recordings, but the singing technique was definitely a step outside of my comfort zone. So hopefully that’s a sign of growth! lol
Steve, you also sing on the track, especially during the chorus, I noticed you changed your voice to a sort of robot kind of voice, what was used, and how did you create that sound?
Steve: It’s not really intended to sound like a robot, as such (which would REALLY change the meaning of the song, lol!). But we did lower the pitch of my voice electronically a bit as a dramatic effect to sound kind of like a foreboding inner voice, telling the male character not to be drawn in by the temptress. If you’ve ever seen the animated Disney version of “Beauty & the Beast” we were actually somewhat modeling it after the voice of the Beast, since it has a very carnal masculine sound to it.
Can you tell us what instruments were used on this track and who played what?\
Dianne plays the synth and drums on this track, though the drums are a mixture of sequencer and live drums. She is also singing the vocals in the verses. The rhythm guitar in the verses and the guitar-like solo in the bridge are actually played on the synth as well. Steve is playing the bass throughout the whole song and the rhythm guitar in the choruses. He is also the vocal in the choruses.
The track’s art work is very interesting, how did that art work come about and who designed it?
Dianne does all of the cover art for our singles and EPs. We occasionally use elements from royalty-free photo studios, which was the case with the “Forbidden” cover, but with some original alterations to the coloring, lighting, and composition. It basically depicts the age-old tale of Eve tempting Adam with a piece of forbidden fruit from the Garden of Eden.
When you release a new track, do you feel nervous or relieved on release day?
A little of both. Because we are always trying out new things with our music, we’re always a little apprehensive about how well it will be received. We have to be prepared for the fact that not everyone is going to like everything we do, but are also relieved once a song begins to get a bit of traction on internet radio and charts. But honestly, the most relief comes when we’re fortunate enough to get the approval and support of our fellow musicians, who understand the mechanics of the music.
What is next in the pipeline for the band?
Not quite sure yet, as we actually have a few irons in the fire right now. There’s been some hints from a few fellow indie musicians on some possible collaborations, though because of varied schedules, there’s no firm timeline on any of those projects as of yet. We’ve actually been toying with the idea of working on one or two country songs too though. And of course, we’ve always got a few CM rock originals on the back burners at any given time too.
You also have a radio show, can you tell me more about that?
Our radio show “The Beat” airs every Tuesday at 6pm EST on CBJRadio.com. Most weeks, it’s a themed show, where we choose a topic, such as our recent “Spring Show” where we play two hours of songs about flowers blooming, springtime weather, spring break, etc. But about every 3rd show we do an all-indie show where we showcase the new releases from our indie friends and other great artists we hear on indie radio. It’s a chance for us to play the music that we’re fans of!
Thank you for doing this interview, can you give us your social media links?
Yes! Here they are:
Social Media
