Doomed Confessionary: Jackie Frank Russell III & Steven Graff (Exosphere)
Exosphere is a psychedelic sludge metal band hailing from the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois.
They are currently gearing up to release their sophomore full-length album »Autonomy« on August 2nd, 2024.
Exosphere are Jackie Frank Russell III (guitar, vocals), Steven Graff (guitar, vocals), Henry Edwards (bass) and Bill Kaszubowski (drums).
Can you say a few words about your band?
JFR: Exosphere is a sludge band most days, but we started the band as a way to play into our respective doom and thrash idols. We’ve been playing out and recording the last six or seven years now around Chicago – along with the greater Midwest more recently – and the sound has evolved with us to become something that’s hard to pinpoint genre-wise, but is undeniably heavy and unique to us.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
SG: I’d definitely have to say reaching/finding your audience. There’s such an oversaturation of musicians in this day and age, and pairing that with all the paywalls social media implements just for your audience to see your content, it’s rough.
What can you be most proud of so far?
JFR: This album we’re releasing August 2nd, titled »Autonomy«, is definitely the one. Some of the songs on this thing are close to 6 years old, and taking that time to hone in on the sound and get all the right personnel to create the best possible musical product has made for an insane LP that I’m glad to have our name on.
What was your biggest regret?
SG: Definitely taking a break from live shows to focus on our first album back in 2019. It seemed like the logical thing to do so we could just nail down all the songs we needed to record, but then covid happened in the middle of it, and that extended our live show hiatus by about a year and a half longer than we initially planned.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
JFR: Probably that show with NEST where my car got jacked in Chicago. That’s gotta be the worst cost to profit ratio of any show I’ve done, but NEST are sick so it’s worth it.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
SG: Probably how active it is. Pretty much any day of the week you can find 5+ decent shows going on in the city.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
JFR: We’ve been big on Warning, super emotional doom metal bordering on slowcore. White Suns and Arab On Radar have been some satisfying noise we’ve been inviting into our ears too. All these bands make noises we haven’t yet, and we love listening to music that broadens our horizons.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
SG: I was once told to only work with people who believe in what you do because anyone can do minimal effort work, but if they like what you do and believe in it, you know they will do their best for you. That piece of advice has stuck with me harder than anything else in my life.
What are your guilty pleasures?
JFR: Charli XCX probably released the best album of the year this summer. Y’all better not sleep on it.
Can you say something more about the music scene in Chicago / Illinois?
SG: Not sure there is much to be said aside from if you’re a fan of heavy music, Chicago is a place you need to stop by. We got everything from hardcore to doom and cybergrind, there’s truly something for everyone here.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
JFR: We’re out here in the Midwest playing whatever shows need that sludge 🙂 DIY life, so stay tuned with our socials and you’ll know exactly when they pop up
What are your plans for the future as a band?
SG: We are always writing and looking for a good show to play, so our plans are more of the same. Write, release, and kick ass at shows. But hopefully in the future we can get to do it all on a bigger level than we are now.
How can people best support your band?
JFR: Come to a show, buy a tshirt, stream the music, all the usual stuff. But I have a unique request. If you can, as »Autonomy« releases the 2nd of August, listen to the music by yourself where you can let it wash over you. These songs are fun and energetic, but they have waves of emotions and euphoria that hit different when you allow yourself to sit with it.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
SG: Vitamin B12 is a lot more important than people think it is because it keeps your blood and nerve cells healthy, so make sure to eat a little bit of organ meat every now and again to stay in the best health you can. And also buy our merch!
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well