13 Questions with Shi

Shi - 死

Shi - 死 are metal-monks who have served at the Temple of Weed and Riffs and returned home to teach by example the ways of Doom. Their live shows are metal meditations with dark fuzz, rolling bass lines and growling vocal emissions. Reportedly, their drummer utilizes drums and cymbals.

Bob from Shi - 死 was recently agreeable to filling out a 13 Questions interview for me. Knowing they're a personal favorite of many local metalheads, I was looking forward to his feedback and getting some more insight into what this group of headbangers is all about.

You can catch Bob and the boys in Shi - 死 at Highlands Tap Room for Terrifying Tap-O-Ween on Thursday Oct 31st, sharing a stacked bill with Bazookatooth (Nashville), Louisiana Lot Lizards (IN) and The Hell You Say (Louisville). You can also often catch these guys out enthusiastically supporting other local acts around town. If you spot'em, giv'em a "Hell, yeah!", a fist pump, and some horns for me. 13 Questions with Shi - 死 ...

1. What's the story with your band name?

I took 3 years of Japanese in High School, and when coming up with band names I wanted something simple; death is a universal experience, and so it just sorta fell into place to go with the root of “death” in that language.

2. How long have you been together in the current configuration?

I’m fairly certain the current configuration with Jayce on guitar debuted at Louisville is Dead 2017 at Art Sanctuary

3. If your band was an egg laid by an animal, which egg laying animal laid you?

A monotreme Hog-Dragon hybrid

Shi - 死... low-key supporting the scene.

4. What are your top 5 bands, ever?

The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Herbie Hancock

Is it lame to say “life”? I’m going to say “life” and beer.

5. Would you rather be a working musician in the era of social media and over sharing, or a working musician in the era of wooden computers?

While it’s definitely true that saturation is only getting higher and higher, we’ve never had better tools to succeed than we do today.

6. What are your biggest musical influence(s) and why?

Is it lame to say “life”? I’m going to say “life” and beer.

7. Your fans: brooding nodders or 'bow throwing maniacs?

brooding maniacs

8. Stage rig rundown?

Each guitarist is currently running into a Peavey Classic 50 410 Combo with a 412 Extension Cab; our bassist is using a Sunn 1200s, and our drummer uses drums and cymbals, sometimes a cowbell if he doesn't forget it at home. Pedal talk would probably necessitate a separate feature (nudge nudge, wink wink).

ON: *finger pistols your way*

9. Is your zen spot the studio or the stage?

We are never zen, we’re all just a big bundle of nerves and anxiety. Closest to that would be when eating Taco Bell after a show though.

10. Would you rather fight a 1 grizzly bear sized hamster, or 100 hamster sized grizzly bears?

If we are set on fighting, the latter - we’ve got the size advantage. However, befriending a grizzly-sized hamster would be even better!

11. Tour van stops for gas. You go inside and buy 1 beverage, 1 snack, and 1 random thing. What are they?

Coffee (AM) or soda (PM), something from the roller grill, candy.

ON: Roller grill... Bold move, Bob.

12. Would your 15 year old self like your music?

Most likely not. 15 year old me was firmly rooted in nu-metal and starting to branch into metalcore. I didn’t enjoy stuff in the doom idiom until after college.

13. Favorite Louisville band that you are NOT in?

There are too many to list, but a few would be Blind Scryer, Stagecoach Inferno, Bowels, Isolation Tank Ensemble, Bad Wires, Volcandra. How could anybody pick just one when there are so many stellar artists across a litany of genres here in town!?

FIN