We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful 7 Headed Swan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with 7 Headed Swan below.
Hi 7 Headed Swan, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
From my earliest memories, melodies have whispered themselves into my ears like bone induction, like a scene from a movie playing out in my mind. During my kinder years, I fancied myself a vessel of unparalleled imagination. Oh, how I delighted in the notion of being a waterspout of boundless creativity. Little did I know that the Truth, like a symphony building to a crescendo, awaited its grand reveal. Following a series of enigmatic encounters, I could no longer dismiss these melodies as figments of my own making, for they were gifts bestowed upon me from realms in dimensions that don’t catch the light. The songs, the sounds, and their stories—they were whispers from worlds beyond our own, entrusted to me, the fortunate conduit. And so, since that juncture, I have ventured upon an odyssey of attuning my senses to the subtle symphonies of the unseen.
Music, in its purest form, serves as a conduit between humanity and the divine. The ancients understood that the very utterance of words and the resonance of names held the keys to unlocking timeless knowledge. They recognized that harmonies woven into incantations had the power to unravel cosmic Truth. The pronunciation and vocalization compose an intricate symphony of syllables, the blood of enchantment in a petit danse.
Yet, there exists a profound distinction between hearing the songs in one;s head and the ethereal process of relinquishing control to the spirits, allowing them to manifest through the artist. My bandmate, gXus a.k.a. OPTIONistGOD, characterizes this experience as phantasmic possession, an intrusion upon his being. In contrast, I embrace it wholly, like a snake-handling zealot speaking in tongues.
Prior to experiencing this profound surrender, I had struggled to believe in the unseen, the intangible. But now, as I weave actual songs from the magick melodies that grace my glean, a veil has been lifted, revealing a tapestry of gods and beings that surround us, even if our mortal eyes fail to perceive them.
7 Headed Swan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Once, there was a boy who was told by everyone he was a demon. His family fervently insisted that he possessed the blood of cruel monstrous beings and everywhere he went, his presence was met with disdainful glances and biting remarks. One day, driven by a longing to find others like himself, the little boy ran away. Under the ghostly glow of a full moon, he ventured into the depths of the night, his heart fluttering with trepidation and hope. Just like the abyss stares back, he found a band of demons making merry just outside the line of sight of mortal eyes.
“The demons, recognizing a kinship in the young boy, greeted him with open arms and fiery grins. They embraced him as brother and invited him to partake in their mischievous revelries —spooking the sisters of St. Lazar’s as they ever so innocently plucked poppies by Potter’s Falls or weaving impossibly intricate stories of intrigue that they then whispered into the ears of the schizos at the Bitter Creek Home for the Mentally Restless. Yet, amidst this newfound camaraderie of spectral brethren, his thoughts inevitably wandered back to the family he had left behind. The little demon boy yearned to feel loved, something no creature with demon blood was ever allowed to feel.
Then, a fateful day arrived when he learned of a remarkable tree atop the mist-laden mountain at the very end of winding Fairview Road. This was no ordinary tree, but a perpetual pyre, a radiant blaze eternally illuminating the obsidian night. Its bark never charred, its branches never withered, its golden flames always dancing on the petals of its bloom. The Tree knew the answer to every question that could ever be asked as its roots drank from the wellspring of Knowledge. One could ask it anything, any question at all, the Tree would always answer truthfully. Consumed by curiosity, the lonely little demon boy resolved to seek out this arboreal oracle. He yearned to know if he truly had the blood of demons coursing through his veins, if redemption from these sins he had never committed was even possible. What was this aching force that burned so brightly inside him in such abundance if it weren’t supposed that by his very existence, he wasn’t supposed to feel?
I’m a composer and a vocalist, and I believe that music is the Burning Bush. Through it, I seek Truth,
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
While engrossed in the creative process of crafting the upcoming ABANDONspree album, gXus found himself yearning for a well-deserved sabbatical. It was during these days of introspection that the Spirits bestowed upon me a collection of songs unlike any before—compositions brimming with violence and raw intensity, a profound departure from the familiar voice that had channeled through me over the past seven or so years. The songs poured forth, a torrent of emotions captured in impromptu recordings at the hallowed grounds of Backward Dog. I was eager to unleash them upon the world, a magnificent sonic middle finger to the gatekeepers of the music industry – every deep breath, every distant dog bark, even the loud revving of traffic from the nearby 5 freeway would remain. I would drench it all in distortion and do some frequency shifting, I intended to leave no space for anything except the possible semblance of drums. And, to complete this rebellious opus, I’d adorn its cover with delicate flowers—a juxtaposition of beauty and defiance. The liberation I felt was palpable.
However, the Spirits interjected, “Starling, darling, no. This is a concept piece.”
Luckily on that very evening or perhaps the following day, gXus made his triumphant return. (Dear readers, I implore you to utter that line aloud. For if only written in his distinct stylization, the whimsical charm of my words may otherwise be lost in silent reading. To the uninitiated or those acquainted solely with his moniker, OPTIONistGOD or even Jaye, to one overhearing me speak of his name on a daily basis lacking other context, it might paint a peculiar picture, not unlike a reformed evangelist, incessantly extolling a literal savior.) Back to my little narrative, gXus materialized with an aura of adventure surrounding him, his once flowing dark locks now transformed into a defiant mohawk. He carried with him a fragment of what seemed to be a mastodon tusk, or some similarly awe-inspiring artifact and barely had a moment to step inside before I inundated him with my symphony of barking breathy tracks.
Without hesitation, he discarded all distractions, and a radiant halo seemed to materialize above his head. With an innate familiarity, he began to accompany each song on his guitar, as though he had played them a million times before drawing from the melodies that would’ve otherwise remained hidden almost like an induced ripening. Because gXus often projects a whimsical, almost cartoonish persona, the depth of his genius remains unbeknownst to the masses. If his true brilliance were to be unveiled, he would undoubtedly command astronomical riches. Or such revelation might also invite the envious or threatened to plot against him with nefarious intent. I certainly catch myself basking in the glow of his unique creative light… I’m sorry. I forgot the question I was answering.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
I don’t think society would have to look after any one special group, artists or otherwise, if we would just let ourselves stop being lied to and divided. If we, as society, collectively shed our complacency stop pretending we’re all ignorant to the malevolence trying to destroy humanity by playing us against one another and twisting us each to constantly embody our own most horrible and ultimately destructive traits. As a society, we could only play “but I was tricked” for so long, and that time is over. The era of feigning ignorance is behind us. Our grandparents and perhaps even our parents may not have grasped this truth, but there isn’t a single person alive today who fails to recognize it. Pretending we’re blind, repeating the lies and obediently conforming to the quo isn’t going to save any single one of us when the clouds part and the trumpets sound either.
As a small child, during storms when thunder rattled the house and lightning illuminated the sky as if it were a sunny day, I would get so scared. My mother would try to calm me by telling me lightning helped her irises grow and bloom in a perfect shades of violet. Electricity – not unlike the electricity that animates our bodies. Society calls it power. Truth is also power. We must acknowledge the Truth: All we have is each other. Nobody is gonna come save us. When we force ourselves realize this, we will harness the Power, and then as a society, we will wield it (and we will) to grow an ecosystem where everyone shall thrive.
Contact Info:
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