Performing at the music venue The Note on East Market Street in downtown West Chester is a musical artiste of rock, The Electric Boa.
Experience “a laser beam fired at point-blank range” when the band takes the stage, for its sound is raw and artful rock.
Electric Boa bassist Greg Cornwell gave The Quad the inside scoop and stamina behind the band and what to expect at the show.
“We embrace our musical influences and throw them in a pot and mix it up, and out comes us. We don’t try to hide that,” Cornwell said.
The band members include Higgsy on vocals and music and lyric writer, Johnny Dee on drums, Joe Fortino on guitar, Morten G.P. on guitar, and Cornwell on bass.
They describe their sound as a melting pot of art. Many artists from different genres have stimulated the sound of Electric Boa from David Bowie and Chris Robinson, Motley Crue, Nikki Sixx, to Willie Nelson.
“We cheat on rock n’ roll with other stuff. If it’s cool, it doesn’t matter what kind of clothes you put on it,” Cornwell said. With front man Higgsy writing thoughtful lyrics to a vocal melody that fits his own style of voice, it makes the songs focused with a strong vocal melody. Higgsy envelops a sort of androgynous front man figure that relates him to Bowie and creates an interesting, gripping atmosphere of sound.
Their music is guitar oriented, with chords and hooks that the musicians want to hook the people.
“The lyrics are reflective, like Bob Dylan, Dr. Seuss, and Nikki Sixx had a baby and that baby was our music,” Cornwell said.
The band’s first album “Candy Coded Cyanide,” under the band name “The Electric Boa” was released last November. Songs for their next album, which the band hopes to release next year, are in production.
“Ink in My Skin,” released on the album “Candy Coated Cyanide” is a love song that pulls at listeners’ heart strings, which make them want to laugh and cry at the same time; the audience can really connect with the uncut lyrics.
Other shining songs are “Ma’ Lawd” for the lyrics and “Heavy” for its instrumentals and hard-driving guitar solo.
“‘Heavy’ is ironic, because it’s actually a somber song but gives me goosebumps every time I hear it,” Cornwell said.
The Electric Boa, whose name just sort of happened but is partly a birth of David Bowie, has the presence of pure representation– they get on stage to show themselves entirely. They arouse an audience ranging from baby-boomers to young children and strive to make their songs stick in the minds and hearts of the people who hear them.
“My 6-year-old son walks around the house humming the tune of the intro song on “Cyanide” called “Sissy.” He does it out of the blue, and it makes me feel so good. Our goal is to corrupt children,” Cornwell jokes.
Most importantly, the goal is for the audience to make their own interpretation and connection to the music. One song can hold three or four different meanings and they all will make sense.
The Electric Boa show is on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 8 p.m. at The Note. Tickets for the show can be purchased online or at The Note for $10. Come and embrace the sounds of The Electric Boa, “where every line and chord is as cinematic as a David Lynch film while astoundingly pure in heart-felt love.”
Elizabeth Knode is a student at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. She can be reached at EK755213@wcupa.edu.