We recently had the chance to connect with Evan Whitford and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Evan, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Maintaining a physical media collection of films. Mostly boutique releases like Criterion, Arrow Video, Vinegar Syndrome, Shout!/Scream Factory, et cetera. I’ve collected Blu-Rays since I was a kid, and over the years more 4K UHD and DVD titles. Even if collecting films is more niche than mainstream these days, I believe it’s far preferable to rely on streaming for your media needs. Most streaming libraries like Netflix maintain a completely uninteresting catalog of titles. They also depend on corporate loyalty through subscription models, many of which have racked up in price over the years simply because consumers became far too dependent. Many of my favorite works are incredibly difficult to stream anywhere, especially more transgressive and experimental titles. As of the past bunch of months, I’ve tried to upkeep the quality of my collection by sacrificing just a bit of the quantity. I’ve been incrementally upgrading to 4k UHD as they’ve become more available, though still having a Blu-Ray included is still super important to me. I’ve sold a lot through eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and even outside my college’s cafeteria. I find that I’m able to feel far more relaxed just by fixating on titles and releases. I really think streaming will backfire on the world even more significantly than it already has.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I started a project called Suspended In Cobwebs after my high school punk band Psychoward disbanded shortly after COVID. We’ve had some rotating member lineups, but at the end of the day it’s been centered around my songwriting, compositions, vocals, and guitar chops. I’ve always felt like my favorite types of music has been underrepresented in the modern day mainstream, so a lot of my music directly responds to that. Probably my most important belief is that rock music should mimic the narratives of cinema and embrace the creative and unpredictable. I’m fed up with over-polished predictability, shallow lyricism, and general politeness. I want Suspended In Cobwebs to demonstrate to the world that there is never a shortage of creativity in contemporary rock music. I’ve been developing the debut Suspended In Cobwebs LP since COVID. It’s hard to predict when it will be completed or released, but I intend for the final product to push the boundaries we collectively didn’t realize were in place.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
When I was in Psychoward I played a really horrible show at the Whisky-A-Go-Go on the Sunset Strip. Their model for treating artists is incredibly exploitative, and honestly should be illegal. Most local artists know this, but most concertgoers seem to not be aware. In order to get a show at the Whisky-A-Go-Go, bands agree to purchase an allotment of tickets to sell to their close friends. I swear that this model is a legal pyramid scheme.
It’s incredibly easy for small bands to overshoot what they could sell, as we did. Sure, many amazing and legendary artists have played at the Whisky, but their business strategy is convincing you the past is their present. They don’t really have an organic music scene, and haven’t since the late 1980s once they implemented the pay to play model.
Ultimately, Psychoward played a packed crowd of concertgoers that saw seeing our set as a chore. We made no new fans, had our set cut short, and were mixed awfully.
After that show, I gravitated towards shows with a DIY model. Coming out on top should absolutely be possible, for bands big or small. These days, I might argue that bands should avoid playing venues if they can. There’s more offbeat places bands can play at that usually result in more exciting DIY shows. Have a friend with pool? Play there. Know a neat view on a hiking trail? Figure out how to generate power and play there. The world should be your stage.
What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
Playlist culture. Anyone that tries to convince you getting on playlists is the key to modern musical success is probably trying to sell you something, such as submission credits. When the Pig Debris EP was released, I made an effort to get the tracks playlisted. Ultimately, I don’t believe any of this led to a lasting impact. To nobody’s surprise, AI has only made this whole fiasco worse. Artificially generated playlists are more and more common, and so is artificial engagement. Feedback from these services is also worthless, especially when you have no idea who is giving the feedback and if they actually like similar music as you. I yanked Pig Debris from Spotify a few months back. Why were they running ICE recruitment ads? Why have they donated more to AI military tech than the artists that get the public to pay for the company’s service? Why is the Spotify CEO richer than any musician in history? The public needs to recognize that one of two companies shouldn’t be in charge of the entire medium of recorded music.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
If something is still in the public consciousness after hype dies down. Hype through advertising campaigns can be misleading, which is honestly why award shows are especially hard to trust. Impact can’t be judged within a few months of release, let alone one year. I believe it is far more likely for a work of art to be panned upon release and find acclaim once the public eventually understands its intention. It’s hard to tell what’s going to stick, but artificial hype can deliberately trick you more times than not. Let’s take Spider-Man: No Way Home for example. Is anyone talking about the impact of that film after the over the moon hype that all of the live action Spider-Men were going to be onscreen together? Not really, because in the grand scheme of things it didn’t really do anything radically new. It convinced viewers it was valuable. bagged their money, and moved on. In short, you can tell if you’re mentioning work’s quality and innovation if time has passed and it has still held your interest.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I don’t think anyone has been particularly successful at telling me what to do, unless I am actively wanting to hear it. I probably wouldn’t be a writer of music of all things if I was up to just fitting in to the societal puzzle. I always interpret that I’m the one who has to lead, in order to see what I truly wish for. My perspective is too specific sometimes, and I often end up explaining my perspective to my collaborators as opposed to finding people with already similar perspectives. At the end of the day, my individuality is my most prized asset.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://suspendedincobwebs.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suspendedincobwebs/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Suspendedincobwebs?mibextid=wwXIfr&_rdr
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@suspendedincobwebs
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/suspendedincobwebs
- Other: Bandcamp: https://suspendedincobwebs.bandcamp.com/album/pig-debris
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@suspendedincobwebs?_t=ZT-8w8W02vrCUE&_r=1Contact: [email protected]
