A Chat with The Silver Doors (17.04.24)
Sitting at the peak of a rollercoaster brimming with anticipation before the thrashing rush of frenzied chaos, here you will find The Silver Doors. A swirling frenzy of psychedelic rock, blues, indie-rock, punk and much more, listening to the US-based lads is the oddly comforting terror of that rollercoaster ride. Formed in 2022 by Alex Cox (vocals and guitar), Brett Kent (vocals and bass), Bryce Alberghini (drums) and Justin Lawrence (violin), The Silver Doors are unlike anything you’ve heard before – they’re the band you never knew you needed. We speak with Cox about their self-titled debut album, go-to shower songs, music inspiration and much more.
OSR: Cliché but how did The Silver Doors come about? What drew you all to music and this project?
Cox: Alex here! I’ve known my bandmates for a long time – either from past projects or just knowing each other in the scene or from living in town. We came together and started seriously writing for this project in late 2022. We were searching for the fourth member and wanted something a little more unique, so I called my friend Justin who played violin. He was instantly into it and we all hit it off!
OSR: What inspires you to create music?
Cox: I get inspired by everything. Life, family, channelling emotions, other musicians, it could really be anything. My family initially inspired me to play music. My dad and brother are both drummers so they really got me into it from a very early age…basically birth.
OSR: You recently released your debut album The Silver Doors. What can you tell us about it? Is there a backstory or theme to the album?
Cox: There are no major overarching themes per se, and that’s an interesting question in our case since the songwriting comes from multiple places and not one person. It was recorded in two parts from late 2022 to mid-2023. I can’t speak for Brett (bass, vocals, songwriting) but I typically form songs from past experiences, emotions I’ve felt or am currently feeling, etc, so the themes that I’m bringing to the table just involve my personal experiences. But the songwriting in this band is very collaborative, with everyone putting their thought, emotion, and intention into it.
OSR: What do you hope people take from your album?
Cox: I try to have no expectations of that, but I will say that I hope our album is a good reminder that there are still analogue rock bands in 2024 making “guitar music” and that we have an excellent and diverse scene here in Asheville, NC. But I have no idea about what people may take from the album – we did our part by writing and recording these songs, so our only hope is that it reaches the people it’s meant to reach!
OSR: If you had to introduce a new listener to your music, which song from The Silver Doors would you recommend and why?
Cox: I would probably recommend ‘Losing Hand’ or ‘Legwork’. Both are songs that flex our different muscles so to speak – leaning into dynamics, different textures, different feelings. ‘Legwork’ was one of the songs that truly came about from an improv jam at practice, so that one is a good example of flowing creativity for us.
OSR: What makes The Silver Doors a unique band?
Cox: The first thing is the violin. Justin is an incredible violinist and has one of the best ears ever – he can hear a melody once and play it back perfectly. He also is a reference point for our direction; he’ll often be the one to ask “Are we getting across the emotion we are intending to get across here?”
The second thing is probably the collaborative songwriting. Certain songs may originate with one person, but everyone shapes the song in their own way. So the result is that all of these songs reflect our pretty diverse influences. Brett comes from more punk and garage rock, Bryce and I from blues and psych, and Justin from everything from soul to bluegrass to rock to electronic.
OSR: Random questions: Like the banning of dancing in Footloose, can you imagine a world where music is banned? What do you imagine that world would be like?
Cox: Pretty bleak, but like with anything else I would imagine there would be an underground. People making and sharing music under the radar like pirate radio. And other forms of creativity may flourish as well.
OSR: What is your go-to song to belt out in the shower?
Cox: I’m not much of a shower singer but lately it’s been ‘Light of the Morning’ by Band of Skulls.
OSR: What is your go-to song to serenade someone with?
Cox: ‘Vanishing Point’ by Alexandra Savior maybe?
OSR: What can we expect from The Silver Doors in the future?
Cox: Hopefully more music, more shows, more of everything.
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Cox: Stay hydrated and be kind to one another!
Many thanks to Alex Cox for speaking with us! To find out more about The Silver Doors, check out their official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
