Silver and Spectrum
"So, Johto and anyone fortunate enough to catch us abroad, this is DJ Ben coming to you live from Goldenrod City!" The deejay spoke into his microphone, gazing at the two men and woman across the small studio table. The two men were poised and prepared, though the tiny woman nervously twirled her bright silver hair as she tried to compose herself. "Now I've been waiting a long time to conduct this interview, and I'm sure most of you have waited quite a while to hear it, so let's jump right on it, shall we? I present to you all, from the incredible Olivine City, Silver and Spectrum. We have Heimdall Erickson, Shannon Kiwi and Smoke Stack with us today. First off, thank you all so much for coming."
"Thanks for bothering to have us, Ben. It's been too long since we've been here." Shannon replied, smiling widely at his former fellow deejay. "Something like four years, I wager."
"Yep, the time flies when you're out conquering the world with all your best friends." Heimdall chimed, his rich baritone undoubtedly overpowering the speakers of anyone listening. He heeded Ben's signal to back off from his microphone. Interviews were always tough for Heimdall, as he became excited easily when talking about his music, and his thundering voice could be detrimental to sound systems everywhere. Then again, that would be part of his gig as a musician.
"Yeah, Heim. Stop trying to destroy all of Johto with that huge voice you have." Smoke jabbed, thankful for an opportunity to break the ice. Heim sneered but made no verbal response, save a sharp exhale.
"No respect, I tell ya, no respect!" DJ Ben assumed, bringing about a round of laughs. "Anyway, I know it's been close to a year since the record dropped and you all shipped out on tour, but could we talk about Silver and Spectrum for a moment? Give me some of the ideas that spawned this project, if you will." The three of them puzzled for a moment as if he'd asked them to tell him the meaning of life.
"Hmm... Well, as I recall, Kiwi and I were getting tired of always playing really heavy music, and even more so we were sick of being around it nonstop. The Vengeance of Cubone's Mother was having some issues at the time as a whole: we were tired from touring, we missed our loved ones, and all the circumstances were causing us to argue a lot, so we decided to take time off." Heimdall began.
"Yes, Crimson was distraught at hardly ever seeing Veronica, and Heim and I saw a bit too much of our significant others if we're being honest. It was taking its toll on all of us... so we all went home for awhile. Fuchsia and her brother Azure caught up and visited their family in Sinnoh, Vermillion went to see her siblings in Hoenn, and I assume Clover locked himself in a small room with Veronica for an undisclosed amount of time..." Kiwi paused to laugh at the sound of his own words. "Heimdall and I had been writing side material for the last few weeks of our last tour, so we had a meeting to see what we could put together. The first decision we made for this new project was NOT to write heavy music."
"...and the first song that came about was the heaviest thing we'd ever written!" Heim continued, to more laughter. "It was something we wrote years ago, long before we both lived in Olivine, far before Vengeance. It was a brutally heavy tune called 'District Twelve' that we'd based on a book series."
"Yeah, this thing was, like, The Incredibly Deadly Seviper heavy." Smoke injected. She was certain their friends would enjoy the shout-out. She could already hear Johnny screaming 'SHE SAID OUR NAME!' at his speakers, probably out for his morning jog scaring people with his enthusiasm.
"Anyway, we wrote it into a softer tune, and before long we had a few others, at which point we needed to decide on a name for this project."
"So how did the name Silver and Spectrum come to light? Is there some sort of significance to that?" Ben asked between sips of a tasty Lemonade. Smoke nipped at a Leppa Berry, knowing she wouldn't be saying much during this section of answers.
"Smoke didn't jump into this project until much later, only long enough to lend extra ears while we were mixing the record, so for a long time, it was just the two of us. As we thought of a name, we wanted to give some sort of nod to our homeland, Johto itself, so we went delving into regional mythology. Heimdall was born and raised in Olivine City, and West Johto is watched over by Lugia, the patron Pokemon of the Sea. I came up in Violet City, and East Johto is protected by Ho-oh, the patron Pokemon of the Sky." Shannon began. Smoke produced a picture of the project's album art, her imagining of the two Pokemon in question. A silver bird with the features of a dragon and a rainbow-colored bird flying in a circle, similar to a yin-and-yang symbol. "Yes, all accounts of Lugia tell that its feathers are bright silver, and those of Ho-oh mention its seven-colored wings and down. So we took our name from them, Silver and Spectrum." Ben took in all the information, interested to no end in the very ideas the two men had presented. A burning question soon left his lips.
"The band name almost sounds like two people's names, so has that opened you up to questions of that nature? Have any fans approached you to find out who is Silver and who is Spectrum?"
"I think the only questions like that have been 'There are only two names, so who's the third one?'" Smoke jested. "To which I answer 'the Protector of the Ilex Forest' and just watch them scratch their heads. Seriously, you'd be surprised how few people know the myths and stories of their own region."
"Well, sweetie, not everyone is obsessed with Pokemon and myths like we are," Kiwi noted, winking at his dear friend. "But yeah, Ben, we've caught questions like that a few times, but most people know us when they see us as 'those two dudes from Vengeance' so they keep the question to themselves."
"So, you mentioned that the main goal was not to make heavy music, or at least to make not-as-heavy music."
Heimdall scratched his recently shaven face. Cutting his hair and beard was a decision he'd made between tours for Vengeance's first and second albums. So his incredible beard-ness and long blond locks were no more; he now kept short, close-cropped spikes and shaved his face regularly. "Yeah, but as it turned out that gave us a bit too much freedom. We wrote more material than we could ever release, so we eventually decided on the best eleven or twelve songs we had. Thing is, we noticed that they were all written about stolen concepts. Hence the album title." He gave a chuckle.
"We basically wrote about stories that have inspired us, but we put our own spin on them. Like, we might focus on a character that was dealt a particularly bad hand. Coheed from the Amory Wars for instance: he was tricked into murdering his own offspring, and what he thought he was preventing happened anyhow. So 'Choices' was about how we figured he felt. 'District Twelve' was from the point of view of a citizen of Panem, the world within that book series. Basically, the twelve districts manufacture resources for this Capitol that oppresses them, they starve while the Capitol citizens stuff themselves until they vomit, and worst of all they demand that two youths be sent from each district to kill each other in a colosseum every year." Shannon added, twisting a strand of his dark auburn hair in one hand.
"We wrote music to fit the lyrics the best we could, or vice versa. We took a lot of inspiration from The Prize Fighter Inferno, the side project of the frontman of my favorite band. He uses a lot of acoustic guitars, synthesizers and the like. We just used all the instruments that we don't really get to utilize with Vengeance. Synths, off-kilter percussion implements, even strings. I played cello on 'Semblance', and Kiwi used a kalimba on a few songs."
"Basically you were playing Mad Scientist in the studio, and you happened upon some things that worked out." Ben mused, the two of them nodding at that. "Alright, we have a couple songs to play, so you guys can hang back for a moment. We'll be back with Silver and Spectrum, folks, right after 'Counting Petals' by the Vile Plumes!" Shannon squeaked loudly at the mention of his most favorite band, hurting Smoke's ears. "Seriously, remembering when to cut to commercial is the worst part of live interviews. I wish we could just record them and air them later."
"They're no fun that way, though, Benny! Remember when I almost had to interview myself?" Kiwi reminded him, making him laugh.
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"So, you said before that Vengeance was having issues and needed time off. Was that meant to be a hiatus, or did that just sort of happen?"
"I would say the latter. Shannon and I didn't expect to write an entire record and ship out on tour. I hope no fans of Vengeance hate us or anything." Heimdall answered. "In case they do, Vengeance is writing again, and I think our new music will be a billion times better." He cheered. That remark was certain to please their listeners.
"Yes, looking back I think this was best for all of us. We've all come back stronger for this time off, and seeing our families helped to ease the pressure. A little rest was what we needed." Kiwi added with a grin. Smoke nodded.
"The few times that I saw them, these two looked ready to fall apart, and Clover looked as if he might lose his mind. Fuchsia could hide the fatigue well, and Vermillion would sleep from the end of one gig to the soundcheck of the next one." Smoke noted.
"So, if you don't mind, could you elaborate on those aforementioned 'issues'?" Ben asked. The three of them fell silent for a moment.
"Heavy music can take a toll on the body. Thrashing your instruments can hurt your wrists, wear out your fingers, and drums. Sweet Lugia, the DRUMS! There's a reason that all of Vemi's spare time she spent unconscious. I don't think Fuchsia ever had any voice problems, aside from uncooperative weather and a shortage of warm beverages." Heimdall opened, awkwardly breaking the silence. "She runs around the stage like a madwoman, though, so that can tire you out."
"On a deeper level, being tired of the touring and the music itself began to make us tired of each other." Kiwi mused. "I didn't even want to see Fuchsia after shows because she was hyper and I was drained. We hardly ever had any time alone, which is not a good thing for a couple like us." He paused to glare at a chortling Heimdall before he continued. "Also, Crimson was getting tired of being so far away from Veronica. He would show up to shows just as soundcheck began, and left as soon as he tore his gear down if time permitted. There was one gig where he overslept and missed the whole thing. Seviper happened to be at that show, so we got Johnny to pinch-hit for us. Clover begged our forgiveness, and the next gig he was there before any of us."
"Vermillion and I had similar things going on. She wanted to see her folks, namely her brother and sister, and I missed my people back in Olivine. We had the alone time, though, but all we did was lay around. We usually go do cool junk when we have time to actually go see a city we're stopped in, but that had stopped for some time. I guess the music life had done us in, so we needed a break. We needed time to live our own lives, away from the insanity of the tours." Heimdall sipped on his Soda Pop, one infused with Rawst and Pinap Berries, giving an 'AHH!' as the flavor flooded his senses.
"So there wasn't any animosity for one another, just a mutual hatred for that place in your lives, so to speak. And you say that things are better now?" The two men nodded at Ben's question. "I'm glad to hear it, and I can't wait for new music!"
"Thank you for saying so, Ben. That means the world to us." Heim replied.
"So, Heimdall, during Vengeance's second tour, you were even busier than the rest of the band. At that time, you were also working with Shania Berries to create a mixtape of Johto's local music. What was that like?"
"Gods..." The large man exhaled briskly. "Working with Shania again after a few years of hardly even seeing her was certainly an experience. Getting to know her bandmates was wonderful, especially Cherry and Sylar. Cherry can play pretty much anything with her drums, though she's not keen on using too much kick-drum. Sylar can do ANYTHING with his guitar, and the guy has some real pipes. Coffey was fun to jam with, too; he plays bass almost like Dennis Thorn. He's much better company, though." The whole room burst into laughter at that.
"We sort of divulged from the original purpose of the project and made a few covers together, under the name Beacon Academy. We played songs from an anime we all loved dearly. Anyway, the Johto Mixtape. The initial idea was to get one song from a number of the bands here in Johto and compile them to show all the world how much talent there was... is in this region. We realized, though, that there were only a handful of bands with the talent and the willingness to be on the mixtape. So, after painstakingly scheduling a number of get-togethers, we called the bands in to record one original song and one cover. The covers were a group effort, with all of us from Vengeance and the Razz Berries helping out. Piercing Veilstone even came to help out, which was pretty satisfying. Those broads have more talent than they know what to do with, I swonny."
"Talk about a good problem, right?" Smoke mused.
"Yeah, and it basically turned into a bunch of jam sessions with all these different people. Dearest Misty, the Great Sea, Here There Be Dragonite!, Secrets Beneath Tohjo Falls, everyone. It went over so incredibly well that we almost had to tour behind it!" Kiwi mentioned. "After the fact, the Vile Plumes cursed us in an interview because they weren't notified of this incredible gathering of musicians, and later they helped us to fund the Goldenrod Festival. All these bands played an enormous concert in the City Square, and I'd bet my life that everyone in Johto came to see this show, and anyone that could not was watching it on TV or listening on the radio."
"Yeah, Mary and I did interviews and such at that show. Every building in Goldenrod was closed up for that show." Ben replied with a grin. "What was your favorite part of that show?"
"Mine was all the musicians hanging out with us regular folk." Smoke answered. "That's why I love local music. They don't act as though they're inaccessible."
"My favorite part was seeing the Vile Plumes play the same show as a tonne of my friends and loved ones." Kiwi mused.
"The best part for me was when Shania and I jumped on stage with the Incredibly Deadly Seviper to play an extended cut of 'The Ancients' Secrets' with them. Seeing Johnny in full-on frontman mode was great, hearing Shania play her bass that way was magical, and being onstage with Blackberry Vines and Lemon Berries was breathtaking. They've come so far since our days in The Two Towers." The smiles across the three musicians' faces lit up the small studio room.
"Smoke, what exactly is your involvement in this project? I know you aided in the mixing of Stolen Concepts, but what other aspects of Silver and Spectrum can we attribute to you?" Ben asked her as she finished her Leppa Berry.
"Well, I mostly assist them with artwork and such, but I also manage their live sound. Not everything you hear at one of their shows is being performed live, as a lot of their music contains far more than two instruments. While they try to play as many parts as they can to satisfy their audience, they can't do it all. So, I basically round out their live sound, either filtering in instrument tracks or actually grabbing a shaker or something." She shook the small egg in her hand, grinning at the sound it made as the sand inside it shifted around.
"Yeah, it's fun to watch her when she plays the egg. She's always so into her performance that, looking at her, you'd think that the performance could never happen without her." Heimdall told him.
"Speaking of performing, before you guys leave, could we get a song? I'd love to hear one." The three bandmates looked at each other for a moment.
"What do you guys want to play?" Heim asked.
"How about the new song? 'The Last of Us'?" Smoke suggested. Her bandmates nodded, DJ Ben gave a formal announcement to the listeners, and the song began.
When I woke up in this world I thought I'd lost my mind
Could I truly be the only one left of my kind?
The humans were done in by some sort of fog.
My only companion is a magical dog.
The creatures of disaster lurk about the land
Beings of darkness, earth and wood, rocks and sand
Apparently, this lack of humans isn't something new
In the waste of a great war, I have found the land of Ooo
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This land needs a hero. Its people cry for help
No one else has stepped in, so I volunteer myself!
Take up my sword and scour this land destroying evil to win
The last of all the human folk, the human boy named Finn.
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A kingdom made of candy run by a fair princess
Those she has created tend to make things a mess
A man deep in a tundra whose senses have long left.
A people made of fire in a kingdom that teems with death.
The daughter of a demon who longs just to have fun
Wizards left and right with every magic under the sun.
It seems my dog and I have our work cut out for us
In this world of awful things, a hero is a must
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"Well, that was breathtaking!" Ben exclaimed as he clapped for them. "Well, there you have it, Johto! Silver and Spectrum! Thanks again for coming to talk with us, and thanks for that song."
"Thanks for having us, Ben! We can't wait to come back!" The three of them told him as they left the studio. The Olivine Cafe would be their next stop; Volcano Burgers were half-price today, and they would not miss that for anything.
"You guys said our name in that interview!" They heard as soon as they crossed the door to the outside city. A purple-haired man and a much taller one with pale yellow hair hugged the three of them tightly. Blackberry Vines, the blond one, had spoken.
"Johnny heard it, but he couldn't stick around to thank you. He sent us to carry the message." Lemon Berries told them, brushing his purple hair out of his face. The three of them and the couple talked a few moments away before exchanging goodbyes.
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((A/N: The idea of Silver and Spectrum is based primarily on The Prize Fighter Inferno, as The Vengeance of Cubone's Mother take more than a few nods to Coheed and Cambria. Also, the song is a nod to Adventure Time, which I have completely lost touch with, but I mean to get back into it one of these days. I don't remember what exactly inspired this story, but it was fun to write. Catch ya next time!))