EMQs with NightWraith
EMQs With NightWraith
08/13/2024
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with American Death Metallers NightWraith. Huge thanks vocalist Benjamin Pitts 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 my name is Benjamin Pitts and I do vocals/guitar for NightWraith! Spy (drums), Igor (guitar), and I formed the band in 2016 because we were all good friends who had been active together in the Denver music scene for a long time. Igor and I previously played in a band called Vimana, Spy and Igor had played in a band called Kitezh, and I and Spy had toured together with a death/grind band called Rottenness. We had all been playing fast & technical Death Metal for a long time and were ready to write songs that were more rock-influenced and musically advanced. We didn’t want to have any preconceived notions about what our genre should be and just wrote music that was original and unique. After we wrote a few songs together, we recruited our long-time friend JJ to play bass. Shortly after that, we released a demo and played a handful of shows before releasing our 1st proper full-length album in 2019. Our sophomore release ‘Offering’ included the addition of Caleb Jose Tardio on keys/synth. Our 3rd album ‘Divergence’ is our strongest material to date, brought in our producer Jacob St Amand on bass, and is coming out on 9/13/2024.
How did you come up with your band name?
Spy came up with the band name and it is a character in the game/novel ‘The Witcher’. The band doesn’t have much to do with that character though, we chose it because it sounded cool and wasn’t previously taken. We scoured the internet and it was amazing that the name hadn’t been taken, so we claimed it!
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
We all live in Denver, CO, USA which has a vibrant heavy metal community. I remember back in the day when we were trying to build a heavy scene and host heavy shows, the only big name from here was Cephalic Carnage. Now, we are home to many successful bands like Khemmis, Primitive Man, Wayfarer, Havok, and Blood Incantation to name a few. I’m also in another Denver band called ‘In the Company of Serpents’ and we’re currently writing our 4th full-length album.
What is your latest release?
Our latest single is a song called ‘Whispers of Dragonflies’. The song really showcases our musical range and has some sections that are in the rock fusion realm. It probably has the most clean guitars and clean vocals of any song on ‘Divergence’, and features a guest flute solo performed by our friend Kelly Schilling from the band Dreadnought. We made a video for this single as well, and got to film it in a beautiful performing arts venue called the Newman Center which is part of the DU (Denver University) campus. Spy was working there as a sound engineer and an event fell through last minute, giving the venue an unexpected dark day. So we formed a small crew and outlined the shots with only 3 days’ notice and pulled it off!
Who have been your greatest influences?
Our band ranges in age and cultural background, so we have a very wide range of influences as well. Obviously, we do this for our love of heavy metal and were always inspired by bands like Judas Priest and Sepultura. But we truly love everything from Venom to Pat Metheny, Carcass to Deep Purple, Metallica to Pink Floyd, Nuclear Assault to Rush, Napalm Death to Thin Lizzy, Cannibal Corpse to Journey, Merciful Fayte to Porcupine Tree, etc.
What first got you into music?
I got into the local punk rock scene in Denver at an early age. I started playing music with friends around age 14, started playing shows by age 15, and fell in love with all of it. I gravitated towards the DIY punk scene because it was unlike any other activity available to me. In school, I was surrounded by intolerance, ignorance, and conformity so when I started going to shows, I made an instant connection with the punk community. People were friendly, encouraging, intellectual, and outspoken in their support for things like LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, and animal rights. I was attracted to the ideals of the punk community, knowing that there were people out there who wanted to make the world a better place through music.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
I wish my improv chops were a little better than they currently are, but I’d love to collaborate with some more experimental/psych-rock groups like The Ocean, or Elder. For ‘Divergence’ we got to collaborate with some musicians that I already look up to, so I feel like I kind of already scratched that itch. Especially working with Andy from the Nightsweats and Joey from Wayfarer – who are both top-notch players!
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
I’ve always wanted to play Roadburn in the Netherlands, it’s always such a cool lineup every year. I actually got to play the O-13 in Tilburg one time, filling in on vocals for a death metal band called Enemy Reign. It was a super cool experience and we did a handful of shows around the Netherlands, but I’d love to go back!
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
I was delivered a piece of vegan cake recently for getting a fan on our guest list, that was pretty cool. Might not be considered weird, but any time someone brings food for the bands it is amazing. However, one time I was served a comically large plate of raw carrots and celery as my ‘vegan meal’ on tour. It was in Mexico so I know options were limited, but I kind of felt like they were just fucking with me!
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
First and foremost, thank you for supporting NightWraith! It’s pretty amazing how we have grown from a few dudes jamming in a warehouse to releasing our 3rd album. I would probably expand on this by saying: “You are a beautiful work of art growing in a place where individuality is seldom cherished. Always stay true to yourself no matter what, that is what gives us the power to fight for what is truly important – family, friendship, and art.”
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
Randy Rhoads – he was such an innovative player and the dude died way before he got to reach his full potential. Obviously, there are a lot of innovators that left us way too soon, but RR is definitely at the top of my list for this question!
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
Music is the only outlet I connect with that lets me manifest an idea into reality. I can nurture a collection of riffs, and over time it grows into a fully developed song. I love the process, the evolution, and the different iterations of refining the same idea into perfection, it’s truly a special thing. I hate that it is so difficult to make a proper living as an artist. I work a tech job to pay the bills when I would much rather be focusing on art 100% of the time.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
I understand that with self-publication comes self-promotion. But I don’t agree with labels/promoters that only use social media activity to measure a band’s success. There are so many other factors involved, and sometimes it feels like the quality of the product is an afterthought to the Spotify metrics. I do appreciate that there is a lower barrier to entry though, back in the day you had to jump through a million hoops just to get your music heard by anyone.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
Propagandhi – “Today’s Empires Tomorrow’s Ashes” blew my mind when it came out in ’01 and it totally still holds up today too. Any time I hear it, I get that feeling like it’s me against the world, and the music is the key to everything. You know what I mean?
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?
I’m a vinyl guy, but also collected CDs from about 1995-2005. Growing up, I had to work a part-time job, save my money, and then ride my bike to the nearest record store just to buy an album. Sometimes I would buy things before ever hearing them, only because I had seen a band’s name in an album’s liner notes. This gave me a sense of ownership as I was finding out about bands, I felt like had discovered them and knew about something that no one else did. Downloads are convenient, but don’t give me the same feeling I get from physical media – they feel kind of sterile and less important in a weird way.
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
It’s hard to define ‘the best’ but a couple of years back, we got to open for Orbit Culture in a small club. It was a sold-out show and the crowd was super hungry for some heavy music. We played really well and got an amazing response from the crowd. It was a great position to be in because it was just a room full of eager ears, all we had to do was perform honestly and they loved us! The pay was terrible though haha!
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
I refuse to think that I would just be another employee, and cog in the machine. I love hiking and backpacking so I feel like I would have spent more time exploring the US and other countries. I probably would have leveled up my mountaineering skills, and possibly gotten into climbing if I were in better (non-musician) physical shape.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
Leonard Cohen because I’ve been getting into his catalog more in recent years. George Carlin for his brilliant comedic energy. Nikola Tesla because he was one of the most creative thinkers to exist in more modern times. Frida Kahlo because she was a total badass. And Mike Scheidt because I met him a couple of times and he’s great – I’d love to have his grounding perspective in any conversation!
What’s next for the band?
‘Divergence’ comes out on 9/13/24 and we have a bunch of shows to support the release. We’re also planning a west-coast spring tour in 2025 so be on the lookout for that. Aside from pushing the new album as hard as we can, we are slowly working on a new single and a Rush cover, but I can’t say too much more about that right now.
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
Time for a very British question now. As an alternative to the humble sandwich, is the correct name for a round piece of bread common in the UK either a Bap, a Barm (or Barm Cake), a Batch, a Bun, a Cob, a Muffin, a Roll or a Tea Cake?
Ok I answered this without looking it up, and my work colleague is from the UK so I’m channeling his energy right now. I think it’s either a Bap or a Bun, but I’m gonna say Bap. Let me know if I got it right!
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Just that I appreciate you taking the time to chat with me and spread the word about our new album! It really is the best possible album that could have been made right now, and I really hope people enjoy it. Take care and keep doing what you’re doing!
Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
