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- Hi guys, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?
We have been great! Really excited about our upcoming album, Pre-Code and even more excited that we just released our 3rd single, “The Innocent One.”
- So your new single “The Innocent One” draws inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps, taking the classic innocent-man-on-the-run narrative into a fuzzed-out alt-rock anthem. What about that story resonated with you enough to become the foundation for this song?
I love old cinema, especially Hitchcock films and the style, feel, and way of the world during these times. I was going through a mini Hitchcock binge when I stumbled across The 39 Steps. There’s just something cool about being on the run and trying to piece things together to find your way out of a bind. It puts you in the position to think and act in ways you would never ordinarily do so.
- How did you translate the cinematic tension and paranoia of The 39 Steps into the song’s thick riffs, pacing, and overall atmosphere?
I wrote this song through more of an adventurous lens. A lot of the other songs on the record are in your face rock music. This one builds a bit differently. It rocks but also has a dynamic energy that floats through intense moments but also complimented by a lighter chorus.
- “The Innocent One” has this great and strong cinematic quality, but at the same time it still feels rooted in the directness of rock ’n’ roll. How did you balance those more expansive, visual ideas with the immediacy of a guitar-driven track?
Honestly, that’s just how I’ve always created. I am a lover of rock music and films. The marriage of those two things comes naturally. I aim for all of my music, whether influenced by films or just stories, to have a cinematic quality to them.
- Cover Zero draws from a wide range of influences, including The Beatles, AC/DC, Queens of the Stone Age, and Black Sabbath. How do those artists inform your songwriting, and what do you think each influence brings to the band’s sound?
The songwriting of The Beatles is unmatched and insanely influential to not just myself but most musicians I know. The rocking energy of AC/DC is my all-time favorite. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love that band. The hard riffs and cool time signatures of Queens of the Stone Age and Black Sabbath are an influence on the heavier side of things. All that combined, plus some others, and you get the ingredients of Cover Zero’s influence.
- Tyler, as the bandleader and songwriter, how do you typically begin building a Cover Zero song? Does it start with a riff, a lyrical idea, a visual concept, or something else entirely?
For the most part, my songs start with a riff. I usually have the music written first. That comes most natural to me. Then I look to what’s going on in my life to see what I’ve been interested in lately and that’s where the lyrics start.
- “The Innocent One” was co-produced and mixed by Ben Green, whose work includes Bartees Strange and Fairweather. What did Ben bring to the track, and how did his approach help shape the sound you were looking for?
Ben is awesome. We have a really cool working relationship. He does a great job at bringing my demos to life and always has cool ideas throughout that add a lot to the tracks, whether its sound shaping or exploring new pedals. Not to mention he gets an amazing sound at his studio, Ivakota.
- With Eric Lagg handling the mastering, how important was it to preserve the song’s fuzz, weight, and rough-edged character while still giving it the clarity and impact of a modern recording?
Eric is a true professional. He understands the style and usually nails the master in a short amount of time.
- Cover Zero emerged from Washington, DC, a city with a rich and diverse musical history. How has the DC scene influenced your development as a band, whether through its musicians, venues, or broader creative community?
DC has a great history of punk rock. There is definitely a punk attitude/element in the music we play. Also, I’ve had the fortune of meeting some cool musicians int he area who share a love for rock and guitar.
- The song’s “innocent man on the run” premise can be read as a thriller narrative, but it also opens the door to themes of suspicion, fear, and being misunderstood. Did you approach the lyrics primarily as storytelling, or is there a more personal interpretation behind them?
I approached these primarily as storytelling. Though these themes are present in my life at times, I like to lose myself in fiction. This song is a strong example of that. I went to film school and have always loved making movies with my friends growing up so I find a combination of cinema and music is where I like to live.
- With “The Innocent One” out now, what does this single reveal about where Cover Zero is headed, and what kinds of sounds or stories are you hoping to explore next?
Cover Zero will always be about music with energy and narrative. Those two things are what make or break entertainment for me. I just want to make music that I love and hopefully others will resonate.
Listen to “The Innocent One” now.
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