EMQ’s With ΩЯRΑ
EMQ’s With ΩЯRΑ
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with Greek Progressive Metal band, ΩЯRΑ. Huge thanks to their guitarist, Peter, for taking part.
What is your name, what do you play and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
Hi, I am Peter. I play the Guitars in ΩЯRΑ, as well as the keyboards. The band was formed in the fall of 2019. We were previously in other bands and projects and have co-existed in some of them throughout the years. So, we kept in contact and when it came down to finding new members for ORRA we knew where to search. Our main goal was to form a different type of a band than the ones we were involved with in the past. A more open-minded, focused group with an artistic freedom, a different mentality and ability.
How did you come up with your band name?
The name “ΩЯRΑ” is a paraphrase of the Greek word ΩΡΑ (time). It is written with two Rs, one looking to the left and the other to the right, symbolising the past and the future.
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
We come from Greece. The Metal/Rock scene here is diverse. Greece has built a strong and established extreme Metal scene. And there are also some individual cases of good Rock-Metal acts and bands here and there, but it takes more than that to establish a scene because the majority prefers mainstream and folk styles of music. A lot of musicians on the other hand prefer to copy, complain, or criticise, instead of taking time into crafting their own art.
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)
Our debut album “Unbounded” came out on April 14th and it is distributed digitally in every major platform through Distrokid. A physical, limited-edition release is scheduled later in 2022. We are happy and proud of this album. We believe a lot in this, and we think that there are many people out there that will share our enthusiasm. We also released 2 lyric videos for ‘The Revenant’ and ‘In Pulse’, which are songs that are featured in the album.
Who have been your greatest influences?
Our inspirations are not limited only to music. It may be a painting, a tragedy, a statue, a monument, a movie, an architectural design, art or even life in general. All things that are governed by rhythm and harmony and can be transformed into music. So, every influence could be beneficial when used positively.
What first got you into music?
Many people ask us this and I think it was music itself that got us into music. We found our way through it to express ourselves.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
Oh, there are too many to mention. Probably a combination of those being the most influential to us. It is a big list.
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
Download, Wacken, Sweden Rock, Hellfest Open Air,Reading etc. There would be a killer line-up in many of these and we could watch it for free.
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
Money. Nowadays, it is even weirder.
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Take care of yourselves. Stay focused and don’t let negative people waste your time!
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
Oh, this is tough when you have such powers…I don’t know. I should not bring anyone back. It would disturb the balance of nature. Or I would use this ability to bring back an innocent child, not a spoiled rock star.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
What I enjoy most is simply that I have the chance to continuously listen to music which is the most important part. Also, the reward of the creative process. I don’t hate anything about music itself because it is a big part of my life, my choice and an extension of myself. What I dislike mostly, though, is the fact that most people assume that being a musician or an artist is not a decent way to “make” money. And this is because they are compromised.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
Maybe the fact that many consumers or companies can’t value music. They want to use it but don’t want to pay for it., which infects artists trying to live off making music. People need to recognize value, or else they will have to live in a new world order in which art is no longer an option.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
Can you pick just one, really? You are not making this easy on me, Hehe… Ok I will give you 3- Judas Priest “Sad Wings of Destiny”, Black Sabbath “Heaven and Hell”, and Scorpions “Tokyo Tapes”.
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CDs, or Downloads?
Vinyl! Hands down!
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
We hadn’t had the chance to perform in front of an audience with ORRA yet so I can’t answer this.
Of course, playing live is something we did many times in the past, but this was with other bands or even classical orchestras and ensembles.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
If we had not gotten into music, we would be involved in some other forms of art, or simply enjoy music as listeners. The arts can be self-contained, but at the same time can be combined and interwoven with other art forms.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
I haven’t thought about this. I think a mix of people could be interesting. So, I would choose people with nothing in common, a combination of scientists, artists, historical figures, different perspectives, origins and opinions on the table. I could cook, watch or take down notes.
What’s next for the band?
Our plans about ORRA remain unchanged, that is to reach a point where we would be able to, at this point and time, balance our dreams with some realistic goals, whether it is about composing new material, live performances etc. We are also working on new ideas for a future release.
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
For updates, you can follow the band on social media:
on Distrokid: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/orrar/unbounded
on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ORRA-band-101574509134682
on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0p_Nh9zOLp9Lh4Bl5MLSQw
on Bandcamp: https://orraband.bandcamp.com/album/unbounded
or you can contact directly with the band via email: orraband@hotmail.com
Jaffa Cakes! Are they a cake or a biscuit?
Ha-ha. They are biscuit-sized cakes, actually! (this is the best answer yet- Ed)
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Thanks for the interview. It was really fun. We hope you like our album “Unbounded”. We believe a lot in this, and we think that there are many people out there that will share our enthusiasm.
Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this interview, unless you have the strict permission of said party. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
