The Envied is an American alternative rock band with electronic music undertones and progressive sound. Based in Huntsville, Alabama the band is comprised of Lead Vocalist/Guitarist Mark Joseph and Drummer Michael Gabriel. Their debut single “Crash Test Mannequins” was released August 15, 2020. In January 2022, The Envied released the band’s debut music video for their second popular single “Gondola Ride”.

“The Envied” name stems from the idea that humans are the envied beings of angels, due to the love that God has for what was made in His image.

The band was formed in 2018 and in May 2019 it was officially launched under the name “The Envied”. Since its foundation, the group worked on written and composed material, inspired by true events or philosophical thought processes. When the title “Crash Test Mannequins” was released in 2020 it kicked off the new beginning. 

The dynamic duo Mark Joseph and Michael Gabriel met years prior in 2013 and shared similar music interests. Mark reached out to Michael for drum work in the newer music and then the duo merged to form “The Envied”. 

The band reached commercial success in USA and Europe with the release of  “Gondola Ride” in 2022.  The Envied was named the “Best Up & Coming Band” in 2022 by NY Elite Magazine, landing the front cover and “Best New Artist” by NY Glamour Magazine. 

About the Band Members

Mark Joseph is a gifted multi-instrumentalist (guitar, bass, keys, vocals), having shown his skills as music composer,  producer, and performance artist. At the age of five, Mark and his family moved from Germany to North Carolina. He spent his early teens and 20s in Savannah, Georgia and has previously lived in Nashville, Tennessee and Los Angeles, California. In the summer of 2001, Mark moved to Huntsville, AL, where he currently resides. 

As a songwriter, Mark Joseph has written impressive tunes ranging from punk and metal music to electronic dance music and R&B. In 2013 Mark began producing electronic based music under the artist name “Black Swan White” after previously performing with a different rock band. During early 2018, Mark had developed rock based music alongside the electronic music he was composing. 

Michael Gabriel grew up in Puerto Rico and began drumming at an early age. At only 5 years old, his mom bought him his first drum set, and he’s been playing drums ever since. Michael’s music career began at the age of 15 as a drummer for the local church band and a garage band he formed with his military private school buddies while living in Germany. Michael’s rise to fame came in his teen years, performing live at a popular television talent show in Germany. After returning from Germany in 2008, Michael moved to Los Angeles, California, and then to Nashville. While in Nashville, Michael was a frequent collaborator with rock and roll and blues musicians, earning him a fierce reputation for his creative style, showmanship, and innovation.

In 2012, Michael Gabriel joined the Christian band “SONS” (aka Sons of God) for three years, until the band split ways. When “SONS” disbanded, Michael stopped playing drums, sold his drum set, and moved to Huntsville, AL. A few years later he met Mark Joseph, who shared his music ideas which reignited Michael’s love for music.

NY Elite Interview with The Envied’s Lead Singer Mark Joseph and Drummer Michael Gabriel

NY Elite: Congratulations on your newest single “Gondola Ride.” What was the inspiration for this song? How would you say that it compares to anything else that you have released?

Mark Joseph: I’d say this song is inspired and based on true events. It’s different than our other tunes in that it has a more sexual theme to it. It really paints a graphic image in your mind, while including that what’s happening isn’t necessarily the right path you should be taking. It’s like choosing to do something you know is wrong. Which isn’t something I really stand for, but these things happen often to us.

NY Elite: When will the MV be released and who was part of the artistic/creative team? 

Michael Gabriel: The video was released January 15th, 2022. We were able to work with a cool group of creatives by the name of Cinepros. I think the main guy running the show, Alex Gibson, had a good eye for what we wanted to bring to the table and came with some good ideas as well. We appreciated that RJ was the camera guy and he killed it with the camera. He knew exactly where to be. Lindsey Patillo was nice enough to open up her riverside cabin to give us the atmosphere we were looking for. We learned she has a big reach in the city, so we were grateful she gave us some time in her home.

NY Elite: Do you have plans to release more new music soon and a full collection of new songs?

Mark Joseph: Yeah, actually we are looking to release an EP album early spring with some songs that we haven’t shown the world yet. From there we’ve got some pretty good ideas of what we’re gonna with the new material that might take some people by surprise. 

NY Elite: How did the idea of “The Envied” come about? 

Mark Joseph: Finding a band name is pretty difficult to begin with. You always want to make sure you aren’t using someone else’s brand, also that it’s something that is timeless. I think envy is a driving factor in the motives of people. When thinking of all the types of people that are envied, I started to wonder who really is worthy of being envied? I think what stuck was when it came to the idea that angels envy humans due to them being created in God’s image. When searching online for brands in general that might already have been using the name, I couldn’t find anyone using it. So, it made sense to use the term “The Envied”. We are the envied.

NY Elite: How do you feel that this band has grown through the years? What has remained the same?

Michael Gabriel: I’d say we’ve grown a lot as people, we’ve been through a lot. You know we’ve also made it through a huge pandemic and came out un-scathed. We’re really excited for a new year. As far as what’s stayed the same, I would say nothing has stayed the same… been through a lot these last couple years. We’re a little wiser now, a bit stronger. I’d say we’ve evolved. I’d say we’ve morphed into something beautiful, but even still, we are right in the middle of it. We never stop growing as people

NY Elite: Mark, can you walk us through your creative writing process and music composition? Do you write together or separately? What is the first step in your music-making process?

Mark Joseph: Well, the first step is usually a concept. It could be an experience or a thought process on a topic. If it’s not that it’s usually an audible hallucination that I can’t get out of my head. I tend to jot down the idea, or record a snippet of something and I’ll show it to Michael. I get his thoughts, his ideas and from there we move forward.  Michael and I get together to play the melodies in order to elaborate some of these ideas. For me when I’m writing these songs a lot of thought goes into the melody and the type of vibe it emits. In a way I feel the instrumentation has a story of its own apart from lyrics sometimes. We even have a song recorded in 432Hz tuning for a specific reason, but I won’t get into that right now.

NY Elite: Where do you think you are all happiest- in the studio recording new music, on stage performing or elsewhere? 

Michael Gabriel: Both, we love playing live. It’s kind of a blur and super electric. It’s almost like a drug when you’re buzzing. Really euphoric. In the studio is where we can be free and create so it’s really nice to have those times.

Mark Joseph: I agree! There’s definitely something to be said about creating something from nothing, presenting it to the world. Especially when people really enjoy it.

NY Elite: What musicians/artists have really been inspiring you all since you first started making music? Who would you still love to work with? 

Mark Joseph: That’s a big question. I’d say for me I grew up listening to 80’s new wave, 90’s electronic music, and then evolved into Punk music. A lot of European musical influence for sure. From there things really took a turn when I started paying attention to Nine Inch Nails and Tool. When I listen back to some of the songs I’ve created I definitely hear influences from a lot of those styles. If I had to pick an artist to work with at least one time, it would be either Trent Reznor, or Maynard James Keenan. I think Trent is an amazing composer, and Maynard has some amazing concepts.

Michael Gabriel: I feel Underoath was a big influence in me pursuing music and becoming what I was. I feel like the way Aaron Gillespie drums and his passion, and the way he lost himself behind the drums was kinda what drew me into their sound. From there is where I probably first decided to take drumming seriously. I was about 15 and that’s when I really decided music was a part of me. I didn’t have a drum set until when I was older, so I used to drum on my pillows listening to Underoath. I really liked the passion behind their lyrics and their music.

NY Elite: What have been some of your favorite shows and venues lately? Any touring plans set yet for 2022? 

Mark Joseph: The two venues that come to mind that I always enjoyed going to are Marathon Music works and Basement East in Nashville. We really haven’t been to a show in a while because of the pandemic. Me and Michael did get to see a band called Nothing But Thieves, that was really cool. That was a good memory. We don’t currently have any tour plans for 2022 right now. We’re getting ready to release the EP album on all platforms targeting early spring. There’s a lot of new material that we’ve already started working on that might just surprise some people.

NY Elite: What do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people continue to take away from your songs? 

Michael Gabriel: Hopefully we are able to bring some kind of relief. You know music is freeing, even for us. Music is medicine. We hope with our sound, when people come to our shows or listen to our music, they get some kind of relief from their daily struggle. There’s so much going on in life right now that people need an escape, and music is definitely that for us.

Mark Joseph: I agree with Michael a lot, on that. I think the message of these songs will vary to people. Some of it is up for interpretation to the listener, and some of it is pretty clear. All in all, the content is intended to relate to the listener in a manner that they know they’re not alone in this human experience. Just like the music we make, life is a journey.