Interview: White Bison

White Bison's music is murky and brutal, occupying a stark, yet nuanced soundscape all its own. Moody three-part harmonies accompany a rumbling rhythm section and roaring guitar lines. It's progressive and inventive, but the trio is one of the least pretentious or flashy bands to call Buffalo home. They've released one EP and only played a handful of shows, so to cut through the mysteriousness, we e-mailed a few questions to drummer/vocalist Ben Hayes and bassist/vocalist Kevin Di Lucente Jr.; they e-mailed us back.

BuffaBLOG: What has the band been up to lately? Any shows or recordings on the horizon?

Ben Hayes: We have been writing songs and hoping to record sometime in the year 2012. We have a Mohawk Place show on Jan 21st, Mr. Goodbar on the 27th or 28th? We also are playing New Years party at Rochester Armory with Velvet Elvis, and Abandoned Building Club.

Kevin Di Lucente: When we're not writing new material, or rehearsing, we're typically making as much mirth as possible. We're all drooling over the possibility of pressing a vinyl. Time will tell if that is possible. Either way, 2012 will see a full-length album from us.

BuffaBLOG: All of you have played with other bands around the area for a while. What are the best and worst things about being a musician in Buffalo?

BH: The best part is there are so many great local bands to play with. Buffalo/Western NY has this dirty nasty blues infused rock scene that a lot of places don't have. The worst part is we need more venues to play at, love the ones we have but need more.

KD: Best Things:

Camaraderie amongst bands

Inspiration in all forms

Chicken wings

Worst Things:

Separation amongst bands

Lack of inspiration

Chicken wings

BuffaBLOG: White Bison plays some pretty progressive rock, with unconventional song structures and complex time changes. Is this a natural result of you three coming together to write, or do you strive to make the music more challenging?

BH: This is a little of both. I think a lot of music we listen to, and are influenced by is sort of unconventional so in that way some of it does come naturally. It also stems from us continually pushing our selves to progress as musicians and songwriters and to try to separate our sound from others while balancing that line of complexity while not losing the groove or the soul/feeling of the song.

KD: We don't try to hard to be anything, or write in a certain way. We just play what we like to hear our instruments do.

BuffaBLOG: With such heavy music, listeners might consider you pretty bad ass. I'd like for our readers to get to know your softer side, though. When was the last time you cried?

BH: Last time I cried was when I didn't save the cat from question 6.... turns out it was Garfield.

KD: I can cry on demand. Don't believe me? I'm crying right now...

BuffaBLOG: What was your favorite stuffed animal when you were little (or, who knows, still)?

BH: A bag of broken glass.

KD: I never had a favorite stuffed animal, but I did have this bizarre compulsive behavior associated with them. I would line various ones up around the perimeter of my bed in the same order each night before I slept. This was done to ward off evil spirits...

BuffaBLOG: If you had to choose whether to save a puppy or whether to save a kitten, would you choose to save the puppy? Or would you choose to save the kitten?