Corners of Sanctuary Interview

CORNERS OF SANCTUARY 1. Please introduce yourselves and tell us what you do in the band? Hey everyone, we are Corners Of Sanctuary. My name is Mick Michaels and I play guitar in the band. The other members include Sean Nelligan on drums, James Pera on bass and Frankie Cross on vocals. 2. How did you girls/guys end up coming together as a band? Back in 2010, James, Sean and myself were working on a short lived reunion project with a band called Seeker. We played with in the late 80's. During that time, Sean and I started talking about writing some new material, going back to our roots with the music. So that's what we did and Corners Of Sanctuary started to take shape. 3. Do the core fans of the band have a particular song they really seem to have latched onto? "On The Hunt" has become a real favorite with the fans. Playing it live, Frankie get's the audience to sing along during the chorus. 4. What is the concept behind the name of your album, "album name", what does that mean? Our current full-length is titled "Axe To Grind". To us it's an attitude about facing what is bugging you head on, kind of like taking the bull by the horns and running with it. The theme of the album follows that sentiment - facing fears and overcoming them, staying focused and overcoming distractions. 5.Who is producing "album name", and what has the experience been like so far? I was fortunate to be involved with producing "Axe To Grind". We like to keep things in-house. We definitely have an agenda with the music and the sound and feel we can best serve our own interests to achieve what we are looking for. Producing the album take you further into the creative process. You gain a deeper understanding of the material on so many levels. 6. When fans come to an "name of the show" show, what kind of show can they hope to see? Fans can expect a hard-hitting, head-banging show.When they come to see Corners Of Sanctuary live. It's classic Heavy Metal with a modern adaptation. Each song just keeps the place electrified. 7. Are you girls/guys generally considered to be a good live band? We've been told we do a pretty good job =] We are definitely heavier live than on the albums. However, it has designed that way. The albums are one listening experience. Live is a whole other beast. 8. Describe your typical fan. I don't think that we have a "typical fan". Which is cool! That means we are making connections across a larger plain. There's room for everyone in the COS Nation. 9. What's the biggest show you have played so far and how did it go? This year we had two actually. The first was this past May when we opened for Anvil at the Reverb in Reading, PA. It was awesome and the place was electric. The crowd really took us. The second was in July when we played at the Trocadero Theater in Philadelphia. Both shows were explosive. The crowd fed off of us and we fed off the energy of the crowds. We did a live recording from our show at the Trocadero which is now available for download. 10. What's the worst experience you ever had while out touring with the band? Sadly, there a more than we like to admit but that is part of the game. It is not uncommon for the out of town band to get bumped around a bit with time slots, however they don't tell you this until you are already in and set up. But we always make the most of it and give them a great performance. Once we traveled to a show that included a couple of touring bands on the bill - we wound up being the only band to show. The plus side was that we got to play a much longer set - so we were both the opener and headlining act. 11. When you're out there on the road, do you have an agenda to connect with people? We definitely stay connected through social media while playing out - posting photo's or short messages. We also work in some radio interviews to promote the shows. This also helps to break things up when traveling. Most of the time you can find a merch table at the shows, so this gives us a chance to interact with people as well. 12. If you could put together the "perfect tour", what bands would you pick to tour with and why? Part of the dream is to tour with Judas Priest and Accept. Both of those bands are huge influences on us individually as well as a band. They are our roots. Playing with them would validate this whole crazy ride. 13. What's your favorite band of all time? Mine personally would be Judas Priest. James is a big AC/DC fan. Sean is into Dio. I really don't know about Frankie. He's bit of a private guy. 14. What is your favorite album or song that you can't stop listening to right now? I love Judas Priest's - "Stained Class" album - thats the album I aspire to make. And "Beyond The Realms Of Death", I can listen to that song over and over again. Lately though, I have been in a KISS phase, the original line up from the 70's. There is something raw and adventurous about the music and mythology of that time. 15. What are your hopes for the future regarding "name of the band"? The goal is just to keep making music and have fun doing it. With all the other stuff involved, it can often become overwhelming. Focusing on the music and it's power keeps us wanting to do our best and share what we have created with others. Besides that we was currently working on a new album. 16. Where do you see yourselves in 10 years? Wow, 10 years is a long time in this business...I believe we hope to be finishing up another world tour with a couple of months off before heading into the studio to record the next record. Sounds good to me! But for now we are just going to keep on doing what we are doing and enjoy it for what it's worth. 17. Where are ya from? We are from Philadelphia, PA. Except Frankie, he is from Scranton, PA. 18. Who is the primary writer of the song lyric's? Sean and I share alot the lyric writing. Both of us are always jotting lines down. We present what we have to one another and there are always tweaks with the arrangements once the lyric's are placed with music. That's normal. So if I write the lyric's, which was the case with the "Axe To Grind" album, Sean works the majority of the vocal arrangements. Then during recording, I throw in a twist here or there to add to the overall mix. But so far it is a formula that is working. 19. Do you prefer indoor or outdoor while playing? That's a toss-up. Outdoor shows have an energy all their own. The openess creates a freedom as if you are playing to the world. Indoor shows create more of an intimate setting and most of the time you can't beat the climate control. 20. Ultimate stage fantasy? What would you most want to happen? Ultimate stage fantasy would be like the inside gate photo of KISS Alive II - explosions, drum set on a 30 foot riser, the building lights, a confetti storm - that would be exhilarating. But I'd settle for a great show at Madison Square Garden. 21. What is your talents? I like to draw and design. James has the gift of gab. If you need something, James can get it for you - he can talk his way through anything. Frankie does a great impression of a baby crying - almost surreal. And, Sean is a helleva dancer.