By Josh Pettis, Contributor
[Photo by Joe Medlen]
Q&A with Patrick Budesky of Raw Canvas.

Your online presence right now seems pretty Athens-specific and live performance oriented. Do you have any music available for streaming anywhere, or any plans to expand to platforms like that? Or are you mostly focused on shows for the time being?

Patrick: We have no recordings as of yet, but we are recording a single near the end of the month and [it] will be posted soon after!

I know defining a band can carry a sense of pigeonholing or be a little problematic, but for those who haven’t heard you live, what can people expect as far as sound or genre? Do you feel as though the music you make and perform appears outwardly cohesive?

Patrick: Our music is tricky to describe because we draw from such a wide variety of influences. I suppose it wouldn’t be a big stretch to define ourselves as post-rock, math rock or midwest emo. But just one descriptor won’t totally do us justice. Our sound is dynamic and bounces around a lot. We like to write music that sounds distinct and sometimes rather outside the box. But we also want our music to be accessible enough for people to dance and jam out to.

Since Raw Canvas seems so show-driven, I’m just curious, how much do you enjoy performing? Is there ever a dominant feeling of the audience-performer relationship? How expressive does your art feel in this setting, and how do you categorize or understand your own music within this context?

Patrick: Personally, I love performing. I am proud of the music we write, and performing in front of a receptive crowd of people, whether it’s 10 of our friends or 100 strangers, is a very electrifying sensation.

Care to say anything about the music scene in Athens or how you fit into it?

Patrick: Athens is an exciting place to be a musician. There is a major, prevailing appreciation for the arts here that I have only experienced in a handful of small communities. Across the board, whether we’re playing at venues uptown or [at] DIY spaces, we always find receptive audiences eager to hear more. People just seem passionate for live music and having a good time. We’re so grateful for all the support we have received from fellow artists and the community at large!

Catch Raw Canvas’ performance at ACRN’s Battle of the Bands, Friday, Nov. 16 at the Union.