Cantharone is a metal band. What does that really mean? Not much. In this day and age anything is possible, and while some are skeptical as to what that truly means, Cantharone welcomes it with an open mind.

The band formed in 2010. Finding their sound as an aggressive trio, they began writing a conceptual album about a werewolf. Two years later they added a second drummer and guitar player, daring to create a bigger, more explosive sound. 

In 2012, on Halloween, they released their first EP, The Hunting EP, at a house show in Saint Paul, Minnesota. In the months leading up to this event, they filmed a music video for the title track, “The Hunting” at the same house, which was also released that Halloween. 

The band then hit the road, playing throughout Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. In August of 2013, they organized and put on their own music festival called Canthrammer. The festival brought together local metal and outlaw country bands in a benefit for Wounded Warriors, a local charity for veterans.

Since then the band has changed once again. After two members left they added a new bass player, one of the drummers began playing guitar, and the vocal approach has totally changed. The newly-made 4-piece metal band has been writing new material since January, and will continue to challenge the limits of metal as we know it.

Though going through many changes, Cantharone has never skipped a beat. When faced with challenges, they take them head on and create something new and exciting. They are not a band to pass up. They are an unstoppable force of metal and they are here to stay.

    Falcon Heights consists of Minnesota-based producer and singer/songwriter Justin Buck, guitarist/wilderness survivalist Tanner Britton, cellist Dr. Carlynn Savot, DM-Awesome, and drummist/sensei Adam Gordon. Falcon Heights’ music is defined by its catchy pop hooks, soaring vocal and string lines, and deeply poetic lyrics. Throw in a splash of ambient sounds and electro-pop beats and you have a sound uniquely Falcon Heights. 
   Falcon Heights is an endeavor that has been years in the making. Justin Buck began his musical career in the early 2000s with his first band SomeOne Else. The band’s hit My Destiny was enjoyed by all 4 members of the band, and their 1 super-fan Mike. Tragically SomeOne Else was unable to sustain this mediocre level of success and disbanded shortly after. 
   Justin’s subsequent solo project, Providence Lost, seriously impressed his mom but didn’t resonate with a larger audience. The project did plant the seeds that would later grow into several songs on Illusions & Chimeras. “It is always interesting to look back on past work,” says Buck. “Providence Lost was a failed idea, but without that project I wouldn’t have a number of Falcon Heights’ songs. I can trace melodic ideas back to songs I wrote as Providence Lost, and even back to SomeOne Else.” Though inspiration can be traced back earlier in the decade, the creation of Falcon Heights was ultimately the result of events occurring in the year 2009. 
   September of that year marked the beginning of Justin’s 3-year tenure at McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul, Minnesota. New beginnings would meet bitter endings as 2009 culminated with the breaking of what would prove to be an emotionally traumatic relationship for Buck. He says of his experience, “2010 ended up being one of the most painful years of my life. The fallout that followed the end of this particular relationship scarred me in ways that took years to recover from. I reacted by burying myself in my music. I resurrected old song ideas and gave them new life. I lived in the studio and crafted my skills. I was emotionally scarred, but I had a newfound purpose.” The end result was Falcon Heights’ debut album Illusions & Chimeras (Wait & Hope). The album is the story of Buck’s experience as he picked up the pieces of himself. 
	Illusions & Chimeras was independently released in 2012. At the time of the release, Falcon Heights was still officially a one-man band, though the album reflects the creativity and capability of the collaborating musicians. In particular, violinist David Sutton’s work on the album helped to craft the sound of the band. Buck and Sutton continued to play together on and off through 2012 and 2013. 
   Those years saw the comings and goings of other musicians and instrumentations until settling into its current roster. Tanner Britton, Adam Gordon, and Carlynn Savot joined Justin to finally create a cohesive unit. The band spent 2013 and early 2014 putting together a live set along with rearranging the existing music to utilize the new members and give the songs new life. 2014 has also seen the beginning of a new EP. Falcon Heights hopes to begin releasing new music by the end of the year.
 	In addition to creating some great new music, Justin wants to continue to spread a message of hope. “I want to use my experiences to help others. While I wrote Illusions & Chimeras (Wait & Hope) I felt locked in a prison in my mind. I didn’t know how to deal with what I was feeling until I wrote about it. Writing my music allowed me to rationalize my emotions, and ultimately find myself again. I was able to sift through the shame and embarrassment and realize that there was nothing wrong with me for feeling the way I did. I truly believe this. There is nothing wrong with someone who admits their feelings and emotions. I measure that person by the way they react. I went through an emotional hell that was made even worse by the realization that much of it was self-induced, but I don’t regret any of it. I am a better person because I dealt with what I was going through, and without this experience there would be no Falcon Heights. I want to show people that there is always a way out no matter what you are feeling. You may just come out on the other side a better person.” 



“Why did you write this song?” This is something that Justin Buck asks every artist that he works with. He doesn’t ask who or what the song is about, but why it was written. His goal as a producer is to get the artist back to the moment in which the song was written and re-capture the emotion that created the song in the first place. Even though he is familiar with many recording/production techniques and often utilizes them, he believes that music is about more than that. Music, to Buck, is more than slick production tricks and making gold records; it’s what emotions sound like.

Justin Buck grew up in Oakdale, MN. He attended the University of Minnesota and received a Bachelors of Science degree in Architecture. After graduating he worked as an assistant manager for both Hollister Co and American Eagle Outfitters. He spent nearly two years in the retail management field before deciding to return to school and pursue a degree in Music Production at McNally Smith College of Music.

Justin has been passionately building his resume as a Producer/Engineer since he set foot at McNally. He has worked with a roster of talented artists including: Dawes, Mason Jennings , Girls, Cults, Crimes, Kara Laudon, CRYPTIC, Small Town Anthem, the Andres Prado Quintet, and Jack McNally. Summer of 2011 he worked at The Pearl Studio in Northeast Minneapolis. While there he expanded his knowledge deeper into the analog world. The Pearl greatly values vintage recording techniques, and the experience afforded Buck the opportunity to expand his knowledge. In the fall of 2011, Justin began working for Minnesota Public Radio. His job is to assist in on-air recordings for 89.3 The Current. The position has given Buck the chance to learn the world of radio, how radio operates, and how these recordings differ from other studio recordings.

In addition to producing, Justin is a talented singer/songwriter. He has had his music featured on Chill Out, an acoustic compilation from Quickstar Productions; and has performed at various locations around the Twin Cities including the Varsity Theater. He is currently in the process of producing a full length album for his new band Falcon Heights, in which he is also the lead singer and guitarist. The album is called Illusions and Chimeras and is due to be released Spring of 2012. Illusions and Chimeras is a concept album centered around a passage from The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas that reads, "There were only chimeras and illusions; but for real love, for true jealousy, is there any reality except illusions and chimeras?"

Justin Buck has a wealth of experience both in and outside of the studio that has shaped him into a great producer and engineer. Not only is he skilled and knowledgeable with the equipment that he uses, but he is mindful of the music being created. The question “Why?” is something that permeates into everything that he does, and the end result is a product that is heartfelt and real.


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