The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: Ross Ferguson of Owls & Eagles

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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

I like to think of my self as a music maker, I’ve always enjoys the layers you can create with sound. You don’t need to be an amazing musician, you just have to have an ear for what you think sounds good, figure out how to make that sound, find someone else to make it with, and voila, you have yourself a band. Music has always been a part of my life, from when I was a kid going through my parent’s record and cassette collections; to discovering punk and metal for the first time, that’s the first time I remember really listening to music and thinking “…that’s only four chords, I can do that!”. I performed in plays and performance pieces in school as often as I could, so the passion to be a stage musician was born. I find getting along with most people pretty easy, so I don’t think I’m too difficult to be in a band with. It makes a huge difference when all the members really gel and being in a band with your closest homie makes it easy.

Describe your first musical memory.

I remember piano and bagpipe music from very early on. My parent’s music collection was very eclectic, but the intro for Money for Nothing by Dire Straits blasted through Walkman speakers at as loud as you can handle is something I will always remember.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

Touring Canada with Dayglo Abortions in our hardcore project Citizen Rage. It gave me a whole new respect for touring musicians, especially those DIYers like us. Holy shit the driving hours and grunt work, but the most rewarding musical experience of my life to this date.

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

I went down a Qanon rabbit hole during the pandemic. I’ve never trusted the government, wherever I’ve lived. I’m not saying they’re all bad people, but there’s too much chance for corruption with all the closed doors shit they do, and they are only accountable to the corporations and not the people and don’t get me started on the unelected groups that run shit behind the scenes. Short story long, I lost it at a jam going on about baby eating satanists probably lol and was called out, told to step back and look at who I was becoming. It was an interesting time for me personally and I’ve become a little more relaxed in my opinions since then.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

Anywhere you want. King Gizzard and the Wizard Lizard showed me that as long as the music is good, the fans will accept pretty much anything, regardless of genre. That feels like artistic progression to me, not being held to a specific style or sound, exploring different tones and shapes of sound is exciting to me and naturally leads your forward as a musician.

How do you define success?

Being happy with who you are, what you have and where you are, however you define that.

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

Nothing comes to mind. I thought of many things I wish hadn’t happened, but I don’t regret seeing them, that is besides every shit movie someone I care about made me watch.

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

I’ve always wanted to build a house. Create a dwelling and live in it seems like such a basic human ability, it’s a shame most of us are so far removed from the process. If we paid a bit more attention, it might become more equitable and affordable.

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

To make people feel or evoke an image or story without direct physical interaction.

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

Growing old with the love of my life and watching my grandchildren grow up.

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Owls & Eagles, “Enlightenment”

Calgary-based sludge rockers Owls and Eagles will make their debut on June 1 through Moments Records with the narrative album, Patience Vol. 1. You’ll find the first single from the record, “Enlightenment,” streaming on the Bandcamp embed below, and if you want to skip over the rest of my blah blah and just hit up the audio, I won’t be offended. I get it.

For those sticking around, a bit of context. Owls and Eagles is comprised of vocalist/drummer Mark Russell and guitarist/vocalist Ross Ferguson. Russell is the founding frontman of the crossover hardcore outfit Citizen Rage, whose latest EP, called simply Black EP and the band’s sixth such short release named for a color — in 2017, they put out five of them: Red, Blue, Yellow, Green and Pink — was issued in 2020. Making his first appearance in Citizen Rage on Pink was Ferguson. And he wasn’t the only swap-out in the band during those years either.

Now, Citizen Rage are still active — they’ll play 2023’s The Electric Highway festival alongside Sasquatch, Black Mastiff, La Chinga, and others. Indeed, Owls & Eagles will play as well. All of this is to tell you that it’s probably fair to call Owls and Eagles a side-project, but as “Enlightenment” informs, it’s more than enough of a stylistic turn from the other band to make sense as its own thing. The six-minute-long track starts minimal and slow, a creeping intro with vague echoing whispers spoken over, unveiling its crunch-toned nod of a groove at 1:19 with a riff that reads like a declarative sentence. It comes on, sets up shop, and the roll it begins holds for the duration.

Russell and Ferguson share vocals in the verses and chorus, complementing each other not so much in harmony or direct call and response, but in dueling shouts into the proverbial void that remind a bit of Sweden’s Cities of Mars if more prone to a bit of barking by the finish. Their two-piece configuration gives an edge of rawness to their sound — producer Jamie Kovalsky at Prohibitor Studios also helmed Citizen Rage‘s Black, so there’s another thread linking the two bands — but that suits the sludgier vibe well and the echo on the vocals allows a sense of room to permeate just the same. It’s not a huge giant lumber, but neither is it in any danger of not getting the point across.

I haven’t heard all of Patience Vol. 1 as yet and honestly I don’t even know if it’s done, but “Enlightenment” came my way and I dug the groove and thought you might too. Simple as that. You’ll find the song and a bit more about it from the band below. Hope you enjoy:

Owls & Eagles on “Enlightenment”:

Our story starts with Patience realizing her home has become poisoned by hate, greed, and corruption. She makes a choice; she chooses to leave this place she has called home since birth. For once in her life, she sees everyone for who they really are, liars, cheaters, destroyers, killers of the land, pure evil at its fullest. She leaves and never turns back.

Produced and engineered by Jamie K at Prohibitor Studios Calgary. Artwork by Tannis Paige. Scheduled to release June 1st 2023 on Moments Records.

Owls & Eagles are:
Ross Ferguson – Guitar/Vocals
Mark Russell – Drums/Vocals

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Owls & Eagles on Bandcamp