Grand Designs – Graphic designers showcase – Rock Sound – pt1

What makes designers tick, where do they get their inspiration as well as tips on how to break in to the music apparel design scene.

After reading Gomedias articles about the music apparel industry, in there last post they listed 10 designers within this design industry, seeing there inspiring works i decided to do some more digging of my own to find more artists like these.

The music industry produces some of the best designs from stickers to CD covers and posters, so i found right under my nose in Rock Sound Magazine some interviews with some of these designers that produce some great work in my opinion, each having a unique style and influence.

Below I have scanned in 6 of the interviews with these designers from the magazine, i cannot take any credit for any of these works or interviews, but thought it may help those people looking for some interesting reading on what makes these designers tick and a source where these designers can be found, in every issue of rock sound magazine they interview a different designer each month so be sure to check them out.

Download all PDF Interviews:

Grand Designs – Set 1 [Size 7.5mb]

Pat Graham & Melanie Standage

Worked for bands such as Modest Mouse, Tortoise, The Make-Up, Against Me! and more

Pat Graham and Melanie Standage are responsible for a host of iconic artwork intrinsic to music, both as individuals and as a team.

Article Information

• Web: 96gillespie.com
• Interviewer: Rachel Kellehar
• Rock Sound Issue: 95
• Download PDF Interview: issue-95 [Right Click - Save As]

Interview Questions

1. How are the design world and the music world connected?
2. What are the most important aspects when you are designing for a band
3. Are there any artists that you admire in terms of designing album artwork?
4. Can you tell us about some specific pieces or artwork that you’ve worked on together?
5. Do you think the digital age has changed the nature of photography and dseign?
6. Youre working on an against Me! photography based sleeve at the moment can you tell us a bit about that?
7. What advice would you give to young designers who want to get into music related design?

Dave House

Worked for bands such as Dartz!, The Steal, Satori, Hundred Reasons, Cadillac Blindside, Capdown, Get Cape Wear Cape Fly and more

Singer / songwriter, punk rocker artist and designer, Rock sound meets Dave House to discuss music, art and the role of DIY ethos in the world of design.

Article Information

• Web: iknowdavehouse.co.uk
• Interviewer: Rachel Kellehar
• Rock Sound Issue: 96
• Download PDF Interview: issue-96 [Right Click - Save As]

Interview Questions

1. Have you studied design or are you self-taught?
2. What elements do you believe are necessary for a striking design?
3. What triggers you creatively?
4. Tell us about one of your favourite pieces you’ve done
5. What’s the money like working within the arts / music industry?
6. Do you think that being part of DIY underground scene has had an effect on the way that you work as a designer?
7. What are you working on at present design-wise?

Aaron Turner

Worked for bands such as Botch, Aerogramme, Cave In, Isis, Jesu, Knut, Pelican, Converge, Zozobra, Big Business, Lotus Eaters, Oxbow and more

When he’s not busy blessing our ears with some of the finest noise you can hear via his label Hydra Head and band Isis, Aaron Turner is also a dab-hand designer.

Article Information

• Web: isistheband.com
• Interviewer: Darren Taylor
• Rock Sound Issue: 97
• Download PDF Interview: issue-97 [Right Click - Save As]

Interview Questions

1. How do you come up with the concepts for your designs?
2. If you could collaborate with any other artists who would you choos and why?
3. What’s your favourite piece of artwork you’ve done and why?
4. How much time is spent on creating artwork for your releases?
5. How much involvement do the bands have in the process?
6. Ever thought about doing art full-time and abandoning the musical side of your career?
7. What advice would you offer budding designers looking to follow in your footsteps?
8. How do you feel about music downloading, is it killing the designer?
9. Who are your design heroes?
10. What designs are you working on at present?
11. When’s that coming out then?

Shepard Fairey

Worked for bands such as The Smashing Pumpkins, Interpol, DJ Shadow, Flogging Molly, Black Eyed Peas, Mission of Burma, Queens of the Stone Age, The Flaming Lips, Modest Mouse, The Cult, Black Sabbath, Slayer, Unsane and more

Shepard Fairey has a posse and you’d better believe it, Rock Sound joins his crew to discover what happens when art, music and politics collide.

Article Information

• Web: obeygiant.com
• Interviewer: Rachel Kellehar
• Rock Sound Issue: 99
• Download PDF Interview: issue-99 [Right Click - Save As]

Interview Questions

1. Has music played a role in your development as a designer?
2. How did you get involved with the new smashing pumpkins record?
3. What’s been the project that’s excited you the most?
4. What artsist have influenced you in terms of your design development?
5. Rumour has it you’re doing a big exhibition here in the UK later this year?
6. Do you have any advice for aspiring designers?

Vince Ray

Worked for bands such as Stray cats / Brain Setzer, The Damned, Demented Are Go, The Meteors, The Yo-Yos, The Reverend Horton Heat and more

Rock Sound delves into the fantastically filthy design mind of rockabilly stalwart Vince Ray.

Article Information

• Web: myspace.com/vincerayandtheboneshaker
• Interviewer: Paul Raggity
• Rock Sound Issue: 100
• Download PDF Interview: issue-100 [Right Click - Save As]

Interview Questions

1. Which demon is most powerful in you, the artist or the musician
2. Do you think rampant technology helps or hinders an artist?
3. What kick-started the style you are most known for?
4. What did you learn from your years in art college?
5. At what point did you decide to make artwork your career?
6. What role does a designer play in rock n roll?
7. So how does a Vince Ray masterpiece come into being?
8. Was your initial intention to focus on the music industry for your work?
9. Whats’ next for you as an artist and a musician?

Seldon Hunt

Worked for bands such as Isis, KK Null, Pelican, Neurosis, Stephen O’ Malley, Architects, Bossak, Melvins, Peeping Tom and more.

Rock Sound meets the widely admired, much mimicked Seldon Hunt to discuss his rise to design prominence.

Article Information

• Web: seldonhunt.com
• Interviewer: Darren Taylor
• Rock Sound Issue: 101
• Download PDF Interview: issue-101 [Right Click - Save As]

Interview Questions

1. How did you first get involved in designing record covers?
2. What happened after that?
3. How would you describe your particular style?
4. How do you feel about the new breed of designers mimicking your particular style?
5. Some of your more recent work ventures into the realms of photography, why?
6. Have any bands not been in to the artwork you’ve created for them?
7. Now that you’re an established name in design, how does that affect the way you waork?

Download all PDF Interviews:

Grand Designs – Set 1 [Size 7.5mb]

Author of this post: Max Stanworth

Iam the creator and editor of Design Shard, I created this blog to post my inspirations, work and free resources that I hope others find interesting too. See all posts by: Max Stanworth