Interview: Anthony Brand of Cultivated Mind Discusses His New Album "No Quarter For Thieves"

We connected with Anthony Brand, the Hampton Roads, VA area based founder of reggae, dub, jazz, and blues project Cultivated Mind, for an exclusive interview to discuss his recently released album “No Quarter for Thieves”. During our conversation we got a chance to pick Anthony’s brain about several topics, including a breakdown of the process of recording an entire album on Garageband, his introduction to reggae music, the music scene in the Hampton Roads region, and much more.

After reading our Q&A with Anthony, be sure to connect with Cultivated Mind on his website and social media, read our in-depth review of the “No Quarter for Thieves” album, and vibe out to it yourself on Spotify.

What was your initial introduction to reggae music? Was there a specific reggae artist or band that caught your attention and inspired your creativity?

Reggae is definitely my main art form, though I do like a lot of different music styles. I think the ability of reggae to be blended with other genres is one of the main reasons I really got hooked early on. My parents listened to some British Bands like The Police and The Clash, who had experimented with reggae, and I was introduced to Bob Marley and Steel Pulse through my parents as well, though they were not what you would call massive reggae fans.

I got into punk and ska in my early teens from visiting two uncles who were heavy into classic punk and two-tone, and then was introduced to dancehall artists like Capleton and Sizzla in my senior year. Back then there were actual music shops with a "Dancehall" section and you could go pick up new music from Jamaican artists and international dancehall artists.

As I entered the world of education and faced other new life obstacles, I started listening to Vaughn Benjamin of Midnite (Rest in Power) and still consider him my lyrical hero. His music is timeless. I also like some of the American reggae bands like Groundation, John Brown's Body, and The Expanders, two of which I've been lucky enough to see live.

How did you get started as a musician? What was the most difficult instrument for you to learn?

My mother bought me an acoustic when I was 15, and I've been obsessed ever since. Trumpet, however, is the most difficult instrument I've had to learn so far, and I am FAR from mastering it.

Congratulations on the completion and release of your album "No Quarter for Thieves". Tell us what you are most proud of with this project, and what the title means.

What I am most proud of with this project is the lyricism and experimentation. I didn't try to write anything to please anyone, I just dove in to my personal struggles head first and put them to music. Concerning the sound, this is one of the first efforts where I used predominately real instruments, and I learned to play trumpet for this album (though I’m still pretty rough and by no means a professional horn man yet).

I also used a lot of blues, spaghetti western and flamenco elements on this album that were not on previous works, which hopefully blend well with the old school roots reggae rhythms on most of the tracks. Jahvin Purnell (Baritone/Melodica) and Mark Kohlman (Tenor/alto) also really help to make the album groove harder, and the horns throughout the album are one of the highlights I think.

The title refers to People in Power as well as people in our own lives abusing our good nature and taking honest, hard-working people for granted. It is more of a statement of standing one's ground in the face of corruption than anything else.

From start to finish, how long did the album take to record? Also, tell us about the process of recording an entire album on Garageband, especially with so many different instruments.

Seeing as I was in a bit of a rut financially, I went with Garageband (as I have on most of my other albums and EPs) and a single Shure beta 58 A to record everything, even drums. This took about six to seven months of recording, mixing and mastering, with drum mic positioning being a real headache due to the limitations.

I layered the instruments usually starting with piano, drums, and bass, then mixed from there. Once I had a good Idea where the structure, transitions, and vocals were going to be placed on each tune, then the Sax guys (Mark and Jahvin) came in to lay their parts. Once all the ingredients were there, I spent about half the 7 months mixing/mastering.

Digital kick drums were overdubbed to fatten the drum tracks, but instruments were often left with only light compression and limiting on their individual tracks; I figured if things were going to be a bit raw, maybe leaning into that aesthetic more was the way to go.

I like older styles of music typically, especially when it comes to reggae and Latin music, and while it made things a bit rough around the edges recording it this way, it also is hard to completely pinpoint in what era the album was made sonically at times. This isn't necessarily a bad thing to me, and I think it gives the album a little character.

Describe the music scene in the Hampton Roads area for your specific type of music. Are locals there supportive and are there a lot of venues available to perform at?

The Hampton Roads and Virginia Beach reggae scenes are really starting to boom; for years it was a bit of a scramble for reggae artists in particular. However, I think people are starting to hear the spiritual and intellectual power of roots music and are not longer seeing it as a "seasonal" thing.

People in the area are extremely supportive, and our friends/family/fanbase, who call themselves "The Cultivators," have been a very positive force in getting the music out to folks. There are groups and companies like VB Reggae and Vintage Rootz Wear that help local artists stay connected and promote shows, Festivals like Big Bear, Second Sundays and Chesapeake Bay Reggae Fest that help to promote Hampton Roads Reggae Acts, and venues like Chicho's Backstage and The Bunker that have been pivotal in giving upcoming acts a platform alongside national ones. I'm definitely excited to see Southeastern Virginia's musical family grow in the future.

With the "No Quarter for Thieves" album now released, what are some of your goals musically for the remainder of the year?

My goals are currently to continue touring and producing new music. I have another album in the works set for release this summer with modern production and a dub version of the album as well.

I plan on filming some kind of video to go with each tune, and am taking my time on this project to make sure it comes out proper. My other goals are to improve at trumpet, as well as pick up some new production skills as I work on the new songs.

Read our review of the “No Quarter for Thieves” album

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