ABBEY APPLE - ORYX
Name: Abbey Apple
Band: ORYX
Duties: Drummer, plus help with making flyers//booking shows
Oryx is a two piece doom/sludge band based out of Denver, CO that originally hails from Las Cruces, NM. This band is the product of it’s two driving forces – Tommy Davis (guitarist/vocalist) and Abbey Apple (drummer). I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Oryx perform plenty of times when they lived in the southwest. Before Oryx was a band, I had seen guitarist/vocalist, Tommy Davis play with his old band Shang-A-Lang countless of times. After the dissolution of Shang-A-Lang, I saw his new band, Oryx, and was honestly blown away by the contrast in music that was being played. It was heavy and crushing and obviously sonically different than what I had last seen with Shang-A-Lang. A wall of sound that was solid, loud and would carve a crater into my chest every time I saw them. And this was coming from only a two piece band! It was also during this time that I first met the drummer of Oryx, Abbey. Impressed by not only the fact that she could keep the rhythm section on lock down but that every moment on the drums was filled with energy whether it was a charged movement or a subtle one. Over the years, besides watching Abbey drum, I have also seen her graphic designs sprawled on flyers for shows around El Paso/Las Cruces/Denver. If you like bands such as The Body, Thou, and Sleep - this sludge duo will fit right into your playlist. Here’s my interview with Abbey.
Goofy
Sunflower seeds or peanuts?
Honey roasted peanuts, yo!
Robocop or Terminator?
Terminator all the way.
Last movie you saw in theaters?
I saw The Witch; fantastic film! Even though a lot of people hated on that movie, I thought it was a breath of fresh air in the horror genre.
What are the odds that the Colorado Avalanche will make it into the playoffs next year?
Not lookin’ good.
Favorite post-show beverage?
Whiskey.
Last time you went roller blading?
Hmmm… when I was ten years old?! It has been way too long.
Would you rather open up for Black Sabbath or Sleep?
Black Sabbath!!!
Personal
What’s the funnest / most memorable show that you have played?
Most memorable show was at Crust in the Dust Fest in 2013. It was a metal/punk/grind fest out in the middle of a forest in Grants, NM. The whole fest ran off of a generator and everyone camped nearby. Metal in the woods…what more could you ask for?
What’s the weirdest / most out of place show that you have ever played?
The weirdest show we ever played was in Salt Lake City a couple years back. We show up to the venue and the owner didn’t even remember that we were booked there that night. Also, there was only two bands playing, us and this horrible ska band from Mexico. They ended up playing for over an hour to maybe five people in the audience. It was like watching a train wreck. We felt so out of place! It was one of the shows where you contemplate just leaving and not even playing haha. I think we only played like three songs that night. Definitely a weird experience.
Besides Oryx, have you played in any other bands?
I played in a punk band called Epidemic when I was in high school. We had no idea what the hell we were doing and we sounded terrible, but hey, it was fun! It was my introduction to playing drums. Then fast forward to four years later and I picked up the drums again when Tommy wanted to jam some metal riffs he had been sitting on. After that day, Oryx was born.
Anyone that has seen Oryx knows that you are a loud band. Do you use ear plugs?
I try and use ear plugs when I play, but I could be way better about it.
You and Tommy, the guitarist/vocalist of Oryx, recently moved from Las Cruces to Denver. What are the biggest changes that you have seen after moving?
The biggest changes we have seen have to do with the scene itself. In Cruces/El Paso the metal scene was a tight community, but it was small. Here in Denver, I can’t even count how many metal bands exist, let alone doom metal bands that are similar to us. It’s wild. That means there’s more of a competition to get on the bigger shows and at times it can feel less inclusive than the scene that we were used to in EP. That being said we have met a lot of rad people here already that are in great bands and overall, we love living here. Moving here also meant we would be closer to Colorado Springs, which has one of the coolest venues I’ve ever seen, called the Flux Capacitor. The people involved with the shows there remind us of the DIY community that we love in EP so it’s always a blast to go and play there.
Has the change in altitude affected you in any way?
Not that I’ve noticed.
Favorite drummers in the doom/sludge genre?
Definitely Bill Ward from Black Sabbath. Chiyo from Noothgrush. Beatriz from Holly Hunt. T.J. from Inter Arma. Not necessarily doom or sludge, but Tyler from Yautja/Mutilation Rites is a huge inspiration; the dude rips on the drums!
You create lots of art designs for Oryx / show flyers. Are there any particular artists (musical and design wise) that inspire you?
A lot of my inspiration will come from the bands I’m making the flyers for. Ethan McCarthy’s work is also a huge inspiration when it comes to digital design; he works under the name Bag Man and plays in Primitive Man/Vermin Womb. I like to mess around with different geometric shapes and symbols. I’ve only been working on creating show flyers for about a year now, so I have a lot left to learn, especially when it comes to working with tools on Photoshop. I’m currently working on my first t-shirt design for a band here in Denver! Keep your eyes peeled .
Oryx
When did Oryx begin?
2012.
Why was the band name, Oryx, chosen?
Oryx is a type of antelope that originated in Africa but they were brought to New Mexico for exotic big-game hunting ‘opportunities’. They stick out among the other desert animals and we related to that; we always felt like fish out of water when it came to living in New Mexico. It never truly felt like home. Oh and also they have black and white fur on their faces that kind of look like corpse paint. Metal!
Was the plan to always have it as a two piece with you and just Tommy?
In 2012, we had started out with a bassist, James, but he moved and we decided to try it out as a two piece. We’re still happy with it just being the two of us.
Hypothetically speaking, let’s say you were exploring the option of adding a bassist and a frontman and you could get anyone to fill those roles. Who would you choose?
Hmmm, I’d say no one, because we’re stoked on doin’ the two piece thang.
You just released a split with doom metal band Languish from Tuscon, AZ. What is next as far as putting out new material goes? EP, LP, split?
Recording new material in the fall for our next full length LP release!
You guys recorded a cover of “Dios Injusto” by Japanese sludge band, Corrupted, for the Languish split. Any reason as to why you chose this particular song?
It’s one of Tommy’s favorite songs and we decided to cover it. Corrupted is legendary and it was an honor to get their approval on us releasing it.
Are there any other songs that you guys cover or plan to cover?
None that I can think of. We’re just working on writing original material for our next album.
I have multiple questions on the video you guys released for “The Singularity”.
I am not too entirely familiar with witchcraft and dark spirits. What lead to that particular theme? Do the lyrics tie into the plot for the video?
It’s up to interpretation for the viewer ;)
How cold was it out there while playing?
Pretty fucking cold! Haha, that’s why I played in a hoodie. But it was worth it!
Where exactly did you film the video?
Colorado Springs.
Is the end of the video meant to be open-ended or clear cut? Did the guy that was running away live to see another day? Did the witch find some sort of magical object in the bag she was searching for? Sorry for my naivety but again, I don’t know much about witchcraft.
We left it mysterious, so that the viewer can make up their own ending. It’s more fun that way!
You had a short run of out of town shows lined up for June. Additionally, you now have a 7 week tour coming up this summer. This tour is called Immune to Light. What dates and where ate you playing? Any other information that you’re able to spill?
Yeah, we’re stoked for our upcoming tour. We haven’t toured for two years, so we decided to tour the country and make up for lost time. We’ll be on the road from June 30th – Aug. 22nd.
Here’s a list of our dates!
6/30/2016 Replay Lounge – Lawrence, KS
7/01/2016 PMD – Columbia, MO
7/02/2016 Springwater – Nashville, TN
7/03/2016 TBA – Memphis, TN
7/06/2016 Caledonia Lounge – Athens, GA
7/07/2016 Local 662 – Tampa, FL
7/08/2016 Kreepy Tiki – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
7/09/2016 The Atlantic – Gainesville, FL
7/10/2016 Shantytown – Jacksonville, FL
7/11/2016 Woodshop – Baton Rouge, LA
7/12/2016 Siberia – New Orleans, LA
7/13/2016 Hi-Tones – San Antonio, TX
7/14/2016 The Lost Well – Austin, TX
7/15/2016 Three Links – Dallas, TX
7/16/2016 The Sandbox – El Paso, TX
7/17/2016 Mods Bar – Tijuana, MX
7/18/2016 Merrow Bar – San Diego, CA
7/19/2016 Deth Haus – Las Vegas, NV
7/20/2016 Que Sera – Long Beach, CA
7/21/2016 Golden Bull – Oakland, CA
7/22/2016 Starlite – Sacramento, CA
7/23/2016 Double Treble – Portland, OR
7/24/2016 Highline Bar – Seattle, WA
7/25/2016 Obsidian Bar – Olympia, WA
7/26/2016 Wastelander Studios – Boise, ID
7/27/2016 Mutiny Café- Denver, CO
7/28/2016 Babe House – Laramie, WY
7/29/2016 Spigot – Lincoln, NE
7/30/2016 Wisco Pub – Madison, WI
8/03/2016 Shakespeare’s – Kalamazoo, MI
8/04/2016 New Dodge Lounge – Detroit, MI
8/05/2016 Skeletunes Lounge – Ft. Wayne, IN
8/06/2016 The Mothership- Columbus, OH
8/07/2016 Roboto Project- Pittsburg, PA
8/08/2016 Bug Jar – Rochester, NY
8/09/2016 Alternative Gallery – Allentown, PA
8/12/2016 Shred Shed – Philadelphia, PA
8/14/2016 Test Pattern– Winston Salem, NC
8/15/2016 Fox Manor– Asheville, NC
8/17/2016 The Hideaway – Johnson City, TN
8/18/2016 Highlands Bar – Louisville, KY
8/19/2016 Lost Cross House – Carbondale, IL
8/21/2016 The Elbow Room – Wichita, KS
This about wraps it up Abbey. Any last words?
Thanks for a great interview, Chris! Come visit Denver again soon!
Check out Oryx at:
end.
Chris
