Supersism is a raw, visceral, rock band from Toronto, Canada. Supersism is best known for their distinctive sound: lethargic vocals, adrenaline fueled drums, groovy bass-lines and screaming guitars. The current lineup consists of frontman Michael Cheung (vocals, guitar), Nate Appleton (drums) and Paul Conroy (bass).

The band formed in 2018 when Michael Cheung and Nate Appleton began jamming together after a kijiji meet and greet. The band went through a carousel of bassists until finally adding Paul Conroy to the roster in the summer of 2019. Supersism is the sonic cocktail of one part Black Sabbath, one part Nirvana, one part Beatles and one part Black Flag.

Website: supersism.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/supersism/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/supersism
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe0lDnVLV8WIv5Z8JJU9oDw
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4XdLUAonQQsJrJarTZuWk2

*Lead singer/guitarist of Supersism, Michael Cheung interviewed.

1.) What elements and/or characteristics made you say to yourself that you wanted to do music for a living? Who are your influences/heroes/role models?

Music is probably one of the few things I feel a need to do. I’m always driven to create. And if I’m putting that much time in effort into something I love, I might as well try to make a living out of it. Because, well, I don’t want to starve.

A few of my role models would have to be David Lynch, Henry Rollins and Kurt Cobain. All of them work incredibly hard and all of them love what they do.

2.) If you could compare yourself to an already established artist, who would that be and why? If you don’t like to compare yourself, then music-wise, what separates you from other musicians?

I’d probably compare Supersism to Nirvana and Black Flag. There is a lot of rawness in both those bands that I really enjoy. Both bands sound human, you can relate to them. There’s the harshness and intimacy of Black Flag and there’s the enigmatic lyrics and pop hooks of Nirvana. I think there’s a good blend of both in Supersism.

3.) Everyone in life goes through adversity of some sort. Is there anything in your life that has any influence on the kind of songs you write? What is the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure on your path to becoming a musician?

One of the biggest struggles I face in my day to day life would probably have to be my anxiety and stomach pain. Sometimes its pretty inhibiting. At the same time, it fuels a lot of my music. I always wonder how much of an artistic impact it has on my art.

4.) How do you prepare yourself to write certain songs? What is your song-writing and recording process?

A riff or lyrical stanza usually comes to me while I’m on a walk or having a bad experience. The process of making music I find is extremely cathartic. It takes me about a couple hours to figure out the song structure and chords and then the band plays it over and over again until we have a finished piece. I usually end up improvising the lyrics for 95% of the process until finally adding fully constructed lyrics at the end.

5.) Unfortunately the music industry is full of talented individuals who just don’t get any recognition for their talent and/or hard work. What do you plan to do to make sure you stand out and get noticed?

There’s a lot of art behind Supersism. It’s probably a good 50/50 mix of visual art and music. A lot of this art derives from themes of macabre and spirituality. I think that’s a new fusion for people. I’d like Supersism to be a complete artistic experience.

6.) Would you rather be on a major label or would you rather stay independent? Why or why not? In regards to the music industry itself, do you think that the traditional music industry model as we know it is dead?

I think the end goal for the band is to be on a major label. That’s the telltale sign that you’ve made it big as a band. I enjoy being independent right now though, the band has complete control, complete freedom of speech, and I’m very fortunate for that. I hate restrictions and I hate being censored.

7.) How do you think the internet and social media affected the music industry and how musicians are able to market themselves? Social media is obviously an extremely important element in today’s world, especially when it comes to business, branding, marketing, etc. With that being said, do you think an artist will be able to survive in today’s music industry if they’re not social media savvy?

I think social media, when used properly, is a very great tool. It allows information to reach a wide audience very quickly without the big budget ad money necessary in the past. That being said, if you’re not media savvy, it could definitely be a big disadvantage as the majority of the western world has begun using social media in some form or another.

8.) Artists who try to make music for the general public and make more money are usually seen as “sell-outs.” Do you see it that way and if so, what do you plan to do to make sure your music stays true to your brand and make a good living at the same time without having to “sell out”?

People whose sole purpose is to make money off music should definitely be labelled as sellouts. Music is an art, and if you don’t have passion for the art you shouldn’t be making it. Find a job that’ll make you a lot more money, like a lawyer. There’s lawyers in the music industry too and I hate them just as much as I hate sellouts.

9.) Professionally, where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

In the next five years I’d like to dabble in as many artistic mediums as possible. Hopefully the band will release an album on a major label by then as well. That would be pretty cool.