Meet Evan Whitford | Vocalist/Guitarist of Suspended In Cobwebs

We had the good fortune of connecting with Evan Whitford and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Evan, what inspires you?
Music and cinema are my favorite art forms, so most of my inspirations typically derive from rock musicians and auteur filmmakers. Especially when they are pushing their craft through experimentation and ambition. Ever since I was about 10 years old, I became interested in cinema as broader art form. Many of my favorite filmmakers being Stanley Kubrick, Don Hertzfeldt, David Lynch, John Waters, Terry Gilliam, Peter Greenaway, Ingmar Bergman, and Harmony Korine. Although I don’t find myself to be a particularly talented filmmaker, I think the influence of cinema is rather prominent in my music. For example, on the new Suspended In Cobwebs EP Pig Debris, each song is designed to feel like a sequence of scenes like one experiences a film. Even when harmonic ideas glue together certain sections, sections are rarely repeated the exact same way.

Keeping up with discovering new works across these mediums are also essential to my creative toolkit. I draw influence from aesthetics and themes for lyrics, sounds, and dynamics.

Musically, I’m inspired by lots of styles of music. I mostly love music centered around the distorted electric guitar but my taste ranges through different types of music, and sub styles of punk, metal, rock, and pop. Some of the bands I believe helped shape my sound (as well as general favorites) include My Chemical Romance, Queen, Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Green Day, Cardiacs, Glassjaw, Metallica, Misfits, At The Drive-In, The Mars Volta, Primus, AFI, amongst many many others.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Pig Debris is the debut EP by Los Angeles’ Suspended In Cobwebs, which releases October 4th, 2024 across streaming platforms. The 4 song and 14 minute release was written, produced, recorded, and mixed by Evan Whitford (Psychoward) and mastered by Alan Douches (Converge, The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Misfits).

Suspended In Cobwebs was founded in 2022 by Evan Whitford, soon after the final Psychoward single release. Coming from the Los Angeles DIY and underground punk scene, the group has performed in a variety of intimate venues, including the Smell, Molly Malone’s, the Roy O. Disney Music Hall, Art Bar LA, Smash House Burgers, and Brewyard Beer Co.

Pig Debris is an eclectic blend of experimental, post-hardcore, pop, and various shades of punk and metal. Inspired by post-pandemic America and realized through rejecting current trends in rock, Pig Debris upholds individuality through it’s own chaotic, manic, and overstimulating methods.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love the movie theaters in LA, and that’s where I hang around the most. Stuff like the New Beverly Cinema, the Vintage Los Feliz theater, the Egyptian, the Aero, Vidiots, and the Vista are among the places I would advise checking out. I almost never go to multiplex cinemas anymore, because art house and repertory programming interests me more than current blockbusters.

Some LA restaurants I would recommend include Tam O’ Shanter, Philippe The Original, and Canter’s Deli.

Additional spots include Venice beach, the Santa Monica boardwalk, Disneyland, and The Smell.

Hollywood is worth seeing if you’re out of town, even if it is more for historical value.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Aaron Dean Bilbrey from the projects Daedalus, Watershipdown, Mall Culture, Find Brita, amongst many others. His diversity ranges from nu metalcore, Screamo, blackgaze, and lo fi bedroom pop.

Coney Island is a Boston jam band started by former Psychoward bassist and collaborator Jordan Left, who will be releasing music in the near future. I would advise readers to look out for that.

Some bands I’ve enjoyed performing with (both with Suspended In Cobwebs and as a solo artist) include Iris, Fünderguns and the Monkey King, and Microplastics. They all have music released right now.

I’d like to shout out the bay area’s Mordred, an innovative funk metal band I believe deserves some extra recognition for laying the groundwork for the nu metal to follow.

Lastly, RMS Vocal Institute Headteacher Søren Sedit has been my resource for all things screaming and singing for a few years. He’s by far my favorite vocal instructor I have ever worked with.

Website: https://suspendedincobwebs.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suspendedincobwebs/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Suspendedincobwebs

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwNCDT4qPvKabkTt2zkQZlw

Other: https://suspendedincobwebs.ffm.to/pigdebris
https://suspendedincobwebs.bandcamp.com/album/pig-debris