Interview with Alexx Calise and Dennis Morehouse of Sound of Cancer

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Interview with Alexx Calise and Dennis Morehouse of Sound of Cancer

by Mike Martin

Posted on December 1, 2011

A while back I was able to interview Alexx Calise, a great young singer out of LA. and I loved what she was doing. Normally her sound is power pop, almost along the lines of Joan Jett. She contacted me a few weeks ago wondering if I wanted to check out her new project The Sound of Cancer. Sound is a collaboration between Alexx and drummer Dennis Morehouse. It was almost a shock when I heard the music. This is what Dennis and Alexx had to say!

DM: How did Sound Of Cancer come about? It’s a pretty good story I hear.

AC: Well, it wasn’t our original intention to form a band actually. Dennis initially approached me for some help on a song that he’d been writing for an indie film called “In My Pocket”. We found we had really great chemistry and enjoyed working together, so we decided to write some more songs for licensing purposes. Eventually those songs became “No Vampires in Gilroy”, (our first official SOC song was “Darkarnival”, which we originally wrote for an indie horror film) and since we were both Cancer signs, we decided to name the band Sound of Cancer.

DM: Is this project a one off or can we expect more material and maybe a tour from SOC?

AC: It’s definitely a project we’d both love to continue on with past this record. The chemistry is just too good for us to not continue making more music

together. We actually have a few songs that didn’t make it in time for No Vampires, so they’ll be on album number two.

As soon as we have the means to tour SOC, we’ll definitely hit the road. It’s just difficult to effectively tour two projects at once. So we’re exploring other avenues of promotion for SOC. We think SOC’s music would be fitting for film and TV, so we’re concentrating on getting our material licensed as much as possible.

DM: This is such a change of direction for Alexx in sound. Was it harder to write being out of the comfort zone?

AC: It was a change of direction in sound for me, but I wouldn’t say I was writing out of my comfort zone. I just have 2 different sides. I feel like I can do things in SOC that I wouldn’t be able to do with my solo project, and vice versa. For example, SOC is a bit more expressive and contemplative than my solo project, whereas AC is more in your face and aggressive.

One thing remains true with both projects though: both have pop sensibility. While SOC may be a little more on the art-rock side, it never skimps on hooks and melodies.

DM: You picked a perfect day to release the album. Did you choose Halloween on purpose?

AC: Actually, we did. The music is a bit on the darker side, so we figured what better day to release it on than Halloween?

DM: Where did the concept for No Vampires come from? Like I told Alexx, it would make for a great movie sound track, like a much darker "Water for Elephants".

AC: Funny you mention “Water For Elephants”--we were actually watching another Robert Pattinson movie (bet you can’t guess which one) while we were driving back from Gilroy, California. Dennis turned to me and said, “I bet there are no vampires in Gilroy”. I thought that would be the funniest (and most contradictory to our sound) title for an album ever. It also reflects our stupid brand of humor.

For all of you who don’t know this, Gilroy is the garlic capital of the world. I’ll let that one marinade with you all for a minute ;)

DM: I love how the intro to Darkarnival really sets the moodfor the rest of the album. You don't hear a tuba very often in rock. Where did that come from?

Dennis: We wanted to create the feeling of a dark carnival as the title suggests, and what carnival would be complete without a Tuba?

DM: I can hear a lot that would make good radio on the album, are you getting any love from the indie stations yet?

AC: Thanks Mike! We haven’t pursued that route just yet with this particular project (we’ve been really busy with my solo project), but we will in the upcoming weeks. We’re pushing the licensing side of things right now and just signed some deals with a few different companies that will help to place our music into film and television. That seems to be the best route to go these days for artists because it gives them maximum exposure.

DM: Dennis, how does SOC compare to some of the other bands you have been a part of?

Dennis: It really doesn't. I have had the pleasure of playing in some great bands with some amazing musicians and I'm so thankful for that opportunity. SOC though, is my dream band. It is the band I always wanted to play in and now I do. SOC brings together my favorite parts of all the music I've been a part of making, and bands I grew up listening to.

DM: I know a lot of the indie bands out of Portland. Who should we be listening to out of L.A.?

AC: To be honest, we’re always holed up in the studio working and making music (and we’re hermits too I suppose), so we don’t get out too much, but there are some really great bands we have come across lately that are definitely worth checking out. One is Sabrosa Purr (myspace.com/sabrosapurr), and the other is Fat City Reprise (myspace.com/fatcityreprise). Both have exceptional talent and put on amazing live shows. If you ever get a chance to see either live, you’ll undoubtedly be blown away.

For more info on Alexx Calise, Dennis Morehouse, or Sound of Cancer visit:

www.alexxcalise.com/

www.myspace.com/alexxcalise

www.dennismorehouse.com/

http://soundofcancer.com

www.facebook.com/soundofcancer

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/no-vampires-in-gilroy/id473360653