By Bex Carlos
The band Highly Suspect releases their 5th album today, As Above, So Below. The anticipated album tour begins on July 24th in Memphis, Tennessee. That show and the following two cities,
St. Louis and Chicago are already sold out. I had the opportunity to chat with Rich Meyer, the bassist of the band, about the album, the esoteric, and what we would tell our 15-year-old selves. Rich and I begin the conversation chatting about Mexico:
RM: I haven't been to Central Mexico. But I have been to Cabo a couple of times and I have also been to the Yucatan. I went to Tulum, and to Chichen Itza, and Chetumal. It's one of my favorite places to go. I haven't gone there at a professional capacity. But I really do love Mexico. We had some festivals booked earlier this year. We had to cancel them. I had an injured pinky finger, lot better now, but I had to take several months off playing. Cause I broke this tendon right here motions to hand had to wrap it. I had to spend several months like that. So we weren't able to play the Mexican shows actually because of me. I also wanted to let you know we have a song on the upcoming album called Mexico, and it's about Mexico. Johnny wrote the lyrics about what he imagines Mexico to be, as a place that he really wants to go to at some point. He has never actually been to Mexico, and that's kinda what the song is about. About how badly he really wants to get there.
BC: It's a magical place. Every day I feel like is an adventure here. And speaking of creating things. You have been making music for the better part of, what, 20-some-odd years?
RM: Yeah.
BC: Do you have a specific song where either, you were the one who took the lead on that? Or, what you contributed to it that made you feel like, Goddamn I am a rockstar?
RM: I actually don't feel like I am a rockstar.
BC: Really?
RM: I'm just a musician and I have found myself in this position of, in a band with people I feel like are rockstars. I don't really view myself that way. I don't really like to get fucked up, I don't party, I'm not up all night, going out and being social and stuff. I kinda more so stick to myself, I live in Nashville and I do have friends here. And occasionally I'll go out and do stuff. But for the most part, I just kinda like hang out at my house. I like to work out, I like to play video games, I like to read books, I like to shoot guns. I just do all sorts of solitary activities. And the people that I view as rockstars are always like, going out and being social, and like doing things with other musicians, and like doing lots of drugs, and getting fucked up all the time, and like being a big personality on social media and on the stage and having lots to say, and being a main character if you will. And I just don't feel like I am that at all. But to answer the first part of your question, there are a few songs in our discography that I pretty much wrote and performed completely by myself. And I do sing a little bit, I'm able to do songs by myself. There is a song called Arizona, on MCID album. And there is another song on Midnight Demon Club that's called Wild Eyed Son, and I did those songs by myself. But they don't make me feel like a rockstar.
BC: Really?
RM: They really don't.
BC: When is your birthday? I have to ask you that.
RM: May 2nd.
BC: You're a Taurus.
RM: Yeah.
BC: The thing about Tauruses that I really love. I call them the Snorlax of the zodiac. Ya;ll like to be comfortable, you like to eat good food, you like to be in a space that feels comfortable to you, no nonsense, I am who I am. And obviously that comes from the fixed sign and also it's an earth sign. I don't know if you resonate with that.
RM: Yeah, Yeah. I mean I 100% relate to that. I spend a lot of time with my dog, I spend a lot of time with my girlfriend, I talk to my family members a whole lot. I'm an investor, I like to trade stocks, crypto, and precious metals. I don't really have enough money to get into the real estate game. But I have always thought that was interesting. I'm just not like a rockstar, what you would think a rockstar would do. I don't really do any of that stuff.
BC: Lately I have been thinking so much about public personas. Because, Paris Hilton is someone who fooled everyone and made us feel like, oh she is this dumb person. But it's all a character, and it's so wild to see her sometimes where she can turn it on and off. Some people have that ability they can be very private people, while also simultaneously showing a lot of themselves or at least this catered image. But like there is people who create that don't even wanna deal with that. Everyone's different and everyone creates for different reasons. We talked about astrology a little bit, are you someone who believes in the esoteric or are you more of a hard logic guy?
RM: No, like I am definitely a very pragmatic person in practice. But my girlfriend, reads my tarot. She has me pull a tarot card every once in a while or she'll do a reading and I'm always like this is interesting I can actually see how this relates to my actual life. I've never heard anything about Tauruses I didn't related to. Yeah, I have always thought it was interesting and stuff relating to my zodiac sign is pretty legit. I definitely fit the bill of a Taurus, absolutely.
BC: I just find it all super fascinating. Do you mind if I pull...
RM: Do you wanna do mine? Go right ahead.
BC: Perfect. Let's see, tell me when I am just shuffling and moving them around.
RM: Uhh, that one.
BC: Ok, perfect. Ooh, so we got the Magician card reversed. So the Magician is part of what's the Major Arcana, so it's part of the life journey, coming to terms that might be obstacles, just your creative process, your life, what have you. And this one is saying that maybe at times you are someone that maybe has a lot of creative ideas but its how to execute them, like that might be something you want to work on or see if your communication style with your creating is difficult. Because what this is giving is, you have very much been able to create and do the things that you wanna do but, and this also kinda resonated, you might be like we'll I'm not a rockstar. But maybe your Joe Schmo on the streets is like that guy's a rockstar and I feel like sometimes it is that imposter syndrome when you are around people that you think are so much more ahead or talented even just like your colleagues are very different than you, so you can't always relate. But I think you might wanna dig deeper to your creative attributes and the thing that you bring to the table. Because I think sometimes when we don't give ourselves the space to create in a way that feels really like authentic and maybe a little bit scary, it holds us back. Does that make sense? Does it resonate?
RM: Yeah, 100%. I have music in my head almost all of the time. And whether it is a song I am familiar with or I haven't heard about in a long time. I'll have to put it on, a song that I haven't listened to or thought about in years. It will just like randomly pop up and I just have to listen to it. Or sometimes I'll like make up a whole thing. It's almost always good, I've never invented a song in my imagination that I thought sucked. What's difficult is taking that song from my imagination and turning it into a real thing. I've managed to do it a handful of times in my life. But like, I would say 99% of the songs I have imagined just kinda went back into the ether. And I wasn't able to use them, or recreate them.
BC: So it's interesting that you mention that because I have been very obsessed with this theory of life. There have been so many different instances of one person will have an idea for something, maybe even create an outline for like a book or something and then for whatever reason, they got busy or couldn't focus on it. And they stopped. Years later they might meet someone who actually finished the book. And when you compare them the characters might be similar the storyline might be similar. The fact that this happens a lot, kinda just makes me feel like ideas are like living things and if we can't give it the opportunity to bloom it finds someone else who can.
RM: I have heard plenty of artists like David Bowie and the Beatles, talking about how we don't actually write the songs we receive the songs and then we transpose them into the physical world. And I always resonated with that, that makes perfect sense to me you know. The song already exists and you're like an antenna, and you are like receiving the message as an artist. Easier said than done.
BC: Giggling
RM: It's a very difficult thing to do.
BC: Very much so and with any type of group project, music especially. I feel like when everyone else is in the throes of it and maybe you aren't there, you're kinda the burden or the one dragging it along. You know your bandmate Johnny had some thoughts about the last album that you did. And I wonder if there are ever times where, as the person who is watching your bandmate critique and have these opinions of your work that you have all put together. Do you feel like people should speak candidly about their art and when they are unhappy with it or is it something we should hold back and put that energy into the next project?
RM: I think it's totally fair to be honest how we feel about what we've created. That's an important part of the process. We have to be honest with our art moving forward as well. We're all like super excited about this new album. Everyone that worked on it, everyone who was a part of it, is excited about it and that is a really good thing and we're all grateful for that. The last two albums we have all really suffered in the creation. There has been a lot of experimentation, there has been a lot of internal struggles. Basically the issue was we weren't able to work together. Without pointing fingers or getting into specifics we weren't able to collaborate on the last two records and it really shows. I think that the first two albums are great, they are really good. And MCID and Midnight Demon Club are like ok. They got great songs, sure, I think for the most part they don't have the sauce that the first two albums did. And it's just because we weren't working together and on this new album, I took a stance. If we're not doing this together, if we're not working together as a team, we're not doing. I'm not going to release more music that isn't us collaborating. To me, it's obvious that's what the people want and what sounds the best. If we're not doing that, then it's not happening.
BC: Again a group project, which is what a band is. You really do need everyone to be on the same page to allow their influences and what is speaking to them to all collectively come together. Otherwise it's just a modge podge. You've been with the band since the beginning, I used to work at 105.7 The Point. You were one of our Hoho Shows one year and then you did Pointfest the year after.
RM: Yeah.
BC: That album came out in what 2015 was your debut.
RM: I think it was 2015.
BC: Yeah, so I don't know how often you go to St. Louis. Do you remember anything that particularly stood out when you were there?
RM: I've been to St. Louis, a lot. I definitely noticed first few times that I went to St. Louis that there is like a local pride. Most St. Louisans are quite proud of where they are from. There is a lot of comradery there more so than in other places, I would say. That's like really cool. That's what I took away from the place, was that people who live there are really stoked about St. Louis. Where as there are lots of people who live in Los Angeles that are like, "OMG Los Angeles SUCKS" and it's like ok well this is where you have chosen to live though. Why do you hate it so much kinda thing. People have love hate relationships with where they live, but I think there is a lot of people who live in St. Louis who just love it.
BC: There is a lot of bang for your buck there. You're totally right, people from St. Louis we love St. Louis. I miss it, you know it's home. But that contention that people have for cities and other places, I think we have that in St. Louis but we're more like, only we can criticize it. But the reason I mention St. Louis and everything is because, Pointfest; the music scene that it does have there. Whether locally or even on a larger scale it is super supportive. And I have gone to shows everywhere, and I am always so impressed with the love that St. Louis has for the musicians that do come. Because a lot of people they thing it's a city to fly over on the way to Kansas City or Chicago. Love that you have some positive things to say about my hometown. I'm really thankful for your time. The last question I have, I am a big be the person you needed when you were younger. If there is one piece of advice you could give your 15 year old self right now, what would it be?
RM: Buy Bitcoin. Literally, if I had the opportunity to tell my 15 year old self one thing. That would be it.
BC: Alright...
RM & BC: Laughing
BC: Thank you again for just chatting with me for a little bit. I know ya'll have new music coming out soon. When can we look forward to that and do you have a favorite song on the album that you want us to know about?
RM: So the album becomes available on July 19th and I want everyone listening to this to listen to Plastic Boxes. Thanks for having me.
Check out Highly Suspect's latest album, everywhere you find music.
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