DJ Pixie Interview Cower,Hounds From Behind a Pillow
26th May 2025As the dust settles from the stage after Cower Hounds’ most recent auditory attack.
They take time out to speak to us about all things music.
This group, being power hungry, embodies the definitive spirit of stoner rock, hits you like a hammer’s blow.
With distorted guitar riffs that churn like a micro earthquake laying heavy foundations.
We delve into the band’s latest release and the live filming.
Hi guys, thanks for taking the time out to speak with us today!
‘Sea Sick’ live was released on the 7th April. What inspired you to shoot a live video, rather than going into a studio and producing one?
The main reason is the costs involved with hiring a professional. We have always made our own music videos, it’s cheaper and it also gives us another avenue to express ourselves artistically. That’s not to say, given the opportunity,y we wouldn’t jump at the chance to work with a music video producer.
The other reason is we have a lock-up studio, and part of that, we are trying to form a collective of bands we can offer extra help to. One of the ideas was offering live recordings and videoing bands to do live broadcasts in the future.
The live videos we have edited gave us the opportunity to try different things out in preparation for future productions.
Was this to showcase the spontaneity of your shows or to connect more directly to your fans?
In a way yes. The live sound and images give the listener a better feel for our live shows for sure. With the addition of some visual effects, we wanted to keep interest there for the viewer. The idea is it’s kinda halfway between a straight-up live performance video and a produced music video.
How did you handle the technical aspects, such as lighting, sound synchronisation during the live filming?
The room itself is decorated and has lighting to replicate a live gig set up.
We have stage lights. Smoke machine. Strobes, etc., some clever placing of static cameras and a couple of friends helping us with some moving free cameras allowed us to video all 3 of us whilst we played through a take of the song. Shout out to DJ Millabong of Brum radio and to Mark Burden for their assistance.
Did you encounter any technical difficulties?
Yes. Many. I’ll keep it short.
Firstly, we actually had 3 more camera angles. One was not good enough to use. The other 2 files were lost due to an error on our part in sending files to each other.
Practical things when filming, like trying to have free cameras moving around while not getting in the way of each other or the static cameras. This meant some clever cuts as they moved about were needed in editing.
Syncing up the music track and the video recordings was not too difficult as what you hear is what we filmed being played.
Visually lining up the cymbal hits with the audio track was the trick.
The close-up shots of Paul singing were a bit trickier to sync, but we got there in the end. Bands like yours have shared stories of adapting to such hurdles whilst filming by using multiple camera angles to capture the crowd’s energy as well as the bands, and also ensuring the audio remains crisp.
Did you have the opportunity to use multiple camera angles? How did the videographer decide upon the setup?
We decided that at least 3 angles were to be used. What we had to hand were 3 iPhones and 2 borrowed cameras.
Limited by the room layout, it just took some time and imagination to figure out the best approach.
How did shooting the video affect your performance style, and what emotions did you want to convey through the footage?
First, the idea was all about the feel or vibe of the live footage. We wanted a retro vibe, a 90s chaotic feel. Like the cool shows that used to be on TV. Such as ‘The Word’ or an MTV late-night show.
The bright colours. The free-hand camera style is loose and shakes.
We just had to make sure to play with a bit of added energy to make it visually more interesting while being confident and conscious of the fact that we were recording.
We do feed off the crowd’s energy live, so the result is somewhat tamed down to what you may see on stage at a gig.
Emotionally, we wanted people to just see us doing what we love to do. That magic of finding 2 or 3 or however many other people you can do something together that you enjoy.
To create and have fun while doing it is something special. It’s kinda us just having a blast making a loud noise that we hope people like.
When watching live videos of bands playing, you can usually see the thrill as soon as the band hits the stage.
What I want to know is how you felt beforehand, knowing you were doing a live video, were you nervous?
If it were a live broadcast, then it would be different for sure. We had the luxury of being able to do many takes if required. So that instantly took the pressure off.
We ran through the track without video recording to test levels on the mix, etc., then we played a couple of sections to check cameras, and then just went for it.
Did you feel the video came out as you had hoped?
Yes and no. So it did in the end.
Losing the footage from the other 2 cameras was a problem. We were almost going to redo the whole thing.
4D, our bassist, decided to have a go at salvaging what we could, and with the editing and FX added, it ended up good enough to capture the feel we wanted.
What advice would you give to other bands planning their first live video shoot?
Think about choosing a song you’re comfortable playing. Practice it like a dog with a bone. Then concentrate on getting the sound right first. You need to use a studio setup for that. Don’t just put a mic in a room and record the room sound.
The video can just be a couple of static cameras and some basic editing between those angles as long as the sound is good.
Do you think it’s important for bands to rehearse regularly before they go into filming, to get their stage set and dynamics down to a fine art?
Absolutely. We rehearse 2 times a week on the same days each week. Every week where possible if we are busy gigging or not. If you’re well-rehearsed, you can fine-tune things for sure. Also, you can be ready to jump onto any short-notice gigs too.
What’s next for the band? Have you got any gigs lined up for summertime?
So we took our eye off the ball when it came to bookings this summer, to be honest. Partly down to trying to record an album and other things happening.
This summer, we are playing mostly short notice and providing cover for some promoters we know if they have cancellations, etc. It’s working so far, and we are having gigs offered to us regularly.
While we look to book gigs where we can still.
We have been self-managed and self-produced for years, and it’s time we stepped up our promotion and push to get out there more.
We love to play. We’d love to tour. We’d love to play abroad. We’d love to play any summer festival slots. We will play the smallest oddest venues or the biggest stages in the world if we can.
The big thing to change is that we will be working with management and hoping to get the help we need to do those things.
We need someone or some people who want to help us build our fan base and gain us exposure. Which brings us to thanking you for your interest and passion for promoting upcoming bands through your interviews, reviews, and photography.
You Rock.
We do try
We do try
We appreciate you taking the time to speak with us!
