West & Ward Take On The Battlefield
“West & Ward”
Images © Earthmark Photography
There are several layers in the story of what we saw in 1966. Bruce Wayne & Dick Grayson may have been the alter egos of Batman and Robin, but digging deeper, Adam West and Burt Ward were telling us a story with their unique spin.
Our region's musical West and Ward are Elijah Cross & Macy Leonard's alter egos, or perhaps those of Leonard & Cross. Their identities may be masked in their performance name, but they give away their thoughts in performance and text.
Like the characters in any superhero plot line, Macy & Elijah recently faced their own challenges as they took the next steps in recording their music, with monetary support coming in via the Kickstarter platform. Although ten percent of Kickstarter campaigns never receive a single pledge and over 60% fail to reach their goal, West & Ward earned financial support from 114 backers averaging just over an impressive $100 each.
Let's get them on record as they face the Creator Five questionnaire.
1) Musicians build off of those that came before them, but this pair took a broader approach when asked about influences.
Macy Leonard: "I'm most inspired by young people in their medium who are doing everything for themselves, putting their real selves out there, and making an impact."
Elijah Cross: "Anyone who has managed to overcome limitations, either external or internal, to become a force in their field of work."
Pressed for those musicians and music, they did have answers.
EC: “Elton John's "Someone Saved My Life Tonight," plenty of Aimee Mann tunes, and many, many others.”
ML: “"I'll Believe in Anything" by Wolf Parade; "Suzanne" by Leonard Cohen.”
2) The music fan typically hears or "sees" the end product but not the journey and process to get there. What misunderstanding have they most often seen?
EC & ML: "The process known as "comping" in recording music in the studio is something not discussed much. Most people probably assume the vocal performance they hear on their favorite songs were done in one sitting, but in fact, and especially these days, it's actually multiple performances being combined and presented as one. The Grammys awarded for vocal performance should probably give additional credit to studio engineers!"
Image © Andrew T. Smith/Visual Realia
3) Tell us about your workspaces.
ML: "I don't have a desk. Is that unusual?"
EC: "I have a four-eyed Grimace. I will not elaborate."
4) Both of these answers may be unusual, and that's not the only quirk they were willing to share. So now, the critical part of the interview — what are their pet peeves? What foods provide the "yech" response
ML: "When people crack their knuckles."
EC: "I often have to take off my left sock before going to sleep at night because it just doesn't feel right. I know people are going to think this is a joke."
EC: "I keep convincing myself that THESE rice cakes will be different!"
ML: “Mashed potatoes, just because people think I'm weird for not liking them.”
5) We'll wrap up where we started, with a serious side, where there's nothing unusual about personal challenges. The two often come back to centering on strong mental health supports, showing this concern in and outside of their lyrics. (Editor: Listen to "Battlefield," my favorite of their works, shared above.) Their advice is fitting in and out of their (and our) art.
ML: “Do your art for yourself before anyone else, and the people who are meant to respond to it will.”
EC: “Make sure you put your real self into what you do because that's what people won't be able to find anywhere else.”
While Leonard & Cross are not superheroes, perhaps the musical powers of West & Ward will be mighty instead.
For more on mental health resources:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Institute of Mental Health
Read more about West and Ward:
https://www.witf.org/2022/04/04/witf-music-west-ward/
And find their home on social media:
https://www.facebook.com/westandward
Music videos shared from Mosiac/WITF Music:
https://www.youtube.com/@WITFMosaic
West & Ward, Image © Earthmark Photography
All works copyright West & Ward, Earthmark Photography, Mosaic, and/or Andrew T. Smith.