Shadows Bright is a 5 man fistful of classic metal, with crowd-thrashing, head-banging energy. This young Owen Sound crew began like most bands… 3 brothers with a passion for music, joined later by 2 more; Mike and vocalist Charles, who explains “Each member is one of the five elements and the band could not be without one.”


This tight-knit group started playing with Supernova last year, grabbing the fan favourite Wildcard vote in Break Your Band 2009, and returning to take first place in the recent Owen Sound Band on the Run event.

Now Shadows Bright is planning to take on a full tour, hoping to hit Canada and maybe LA in the coming year. Before they head for the big time, Supernova sat down with the members of Shadows Bright to see just how these young musicians fit into the rapidly changing indie metal scene.


First, can you introduce your band members?

Charles: Shadows Bright is a family consisting of three blood brothers (Jake/Slick, Jeff & Harley Webster) and five brothers illuminated in shadow (Mr. Mike Bloomfield and myself). Each member is one of the five elements and the band could not be without one.

Why 'Slick'?

Slick: It's an old nickname from when I was first learning guitar back in high school. More than a few people used to say I was pretty "slick" at playing guitar so I kept it as a nickname. I basically feed off of Harley's vibe. We have similar guitar stylings which is why it is so easy to play with him.

What is the history behind Shadows Bright?

Harley: Most of us are brothers… Charles was in a band with me previously and I was having some trouble singing and playing all the songs, so Slick thought we should get Charles to sing and we called him up. We had to get a bass player in a hurry and Charles said he'd get his buddy to play; so that's what we did and it's workin’ out pretty good.

How would you describe your band’s sound?

Charles: There are things in this world I can do, but oddly enough one of them is not to answer people with any sort of clarity when they ask me about the band's sound.... I'm not exactly sure, lol...
but what I can tell you is that we sound a hell of a lot like Shadows Bright.

Slick: Our sound is Metal. We try to bring out different emotions when we are making music. Most bands focus on solely writing the songs and rush production of the instrumentation. Some, because I believe they are afraid to challenge themselves on stage. They play easy chords with no fear of messing up on stage. I have always been a believer that practice makes perfect and if you enjoy listening to metal, why would you compromise what you like by making it easier? I want to create music where people can feel the energy from. People can feel your passion for music if it's sincere.

What is the most rewarding thing about being in a band?

Mike: Being on stage and seeing people rockin’ out.

Jeff: The most rewarding thing about bein’ in a band for me is, after putting in hours of prep/practice and sacrifice, if all goes well, you end up with a quality product that’s worth sharing with other people. I would say the second reward is the quality time spent with the band; we usually have a blast.

Slick: One of the most rewarding things is it has kept my family close together. Our father's side of the family were all musicians so we always wanted to be just like them. Winning the wildcard voting has been the most humbling experience for me because it shows that people all over the world who want you to succeed, are willing to help any way they can. We are very appreciative of all of our fans who have voted, especially when bands you are competing with send you a message telling you how awesome your set was, and sent votes to us as well.

Playing the Supernova shows have been very rewarding, and we've come across a lot of stand up guys. Bands like Global Exile, Hollow Point, and Eyetoke, have provided a lot of positive energy with both their words, as well as inspiring us with their music so we thank them as well.



How did your band find Supernova.com?

Slick: I found out about Supernova from a guy named Eddie who owns a bar in Owen Sound called The Harb. Eddie is very supportive of local music and often books SB to play there. He encouraged us to sign up… It was an awesome experience. All the bands are genuine about putting on a good show for the fans and I think it's a great way to present your band to an audience that otherwise would've never taken the time to listen to you. I think we have generated a lot of new fans playing the Supernova shows and I would encourage other bands to sign up because you can get some amazing gigs and hear some amazing bands.

Harley: I would tell people that if you’re in a band, you should do Supernova (shows) because you can play in front of new people and network with other bands and play in other places you've never been.

Charles: And they run sweet contests that have helped struggling artists to get the recognition they deserve.

Was there any particular moment or event that made you realize you wanted to pursue music full time?

Charles: If there ever was, it would have to be the first time I got on stage in front of a large crowd. I was terrified all the way up until I realized the people loved it and I was hooked; it's the energy of the people when they are into it. It's the closest I've ever gotten to a spiritual experience.

Harley: I was really depressed as a teenager cause I never thought I was good at anything, and I wrote this song and I was gonna leave it as a suicide note. But I was playing it over and over… then it hit me. THIS is what I should be doing. I'm trying my best to get this stuff out there cause there's lots of people out there that use their music as therapy - I am one of them.

What is the biggest challenge facing ‘new’ artists?

Jeff: In my opinion, it’s simply getting noticed. There are literally thousands of talented artists all clamouring for attention, and only room for a few at the top.

Charles: There are so many new artists and so few places such as Supernova to help them get exposure.

What other artists do you look up to?

Harley: Right now I really like Pantera. I've never really got into them before we did the Dimebag show and I had to learn it. The more I listen to it and read about Dimebag, the more I love it; he was just a normal guy doing his thing until he died doing exactly what I wanna do. Hopefully it won't happen to me though.

Slick: So many to choose from... Normally I would say Aerosmith because of everything they have been through and are still together but come on, holding auditions for a new singer? Just because Steven Tyler wants some time to do a solo album. He's been in the band since 1971, Joe Perry has done 3 other albums and IS touring to support HIS solo album, so why can't he let Steven Tyler be creative and do something outside of Aerosmith? What a Hypocrite.

In the genre of metal, there is one band that stands out now, more than ever: MEGADETH! Dave Mustaine is Metal! I had the honor of meeting him backstage at the first Gigantour in 2005 (below) and he is a stand up dude! He also had a tragic accident where doctors said he would never play guitar again. Through his own rehabilitation, he's still kicking ass better than ever. The newest guitarist, Chris Broderick is probably the best guitarist in the world right now.


So is there such a thing as ‘bad’ music?

Harley: I think that anything you make on your computer without using any real instruments is as fake as the message that most "bands/artists" in that category try to send. Let’s face it - not everybody grew up in the hood and not all of us are searching desperately for our long lost whatever.... we've all seen Titanic.

Mike: There certainly is bad music out there... rave music and Conway Twitty.

Jeff: I'm not sure there is such a thing as "bad" music. You can play music badly, but every type of music serves a purpose to somebody. Whether you like it or not doesn't make it good or bad; music is all about emotion. I might like a song when I'm in a good mood, but if I'm in a bad mood it might not hold the same appeal.

Slick: I try not to look at anything as being bad, because like I said before everyone likes something different. I would say something that is bad would reflect on a negative image or lyrics. Someone who constantly sings about killing, or breaking the law and someone who always refers to F' n some hoes, are things that people don't tolerate because we get enough of that B.S. on the news. A good song is made about usually a life experience or a good story to be told.

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An ambitious metal band with no shortage of musical opinions, Shadows Bright is looking forward to hitting more stages in the coming year to build their fanbase and spread their music. With Supernova stardom, studio recording time and international tour dates set in their sights, Shadows Bright is aiming to make a clear mark in the new indie metal scene.