EMQ’s With Maitreya
EMQ’s With Maitreya
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with Canadian Progressive Metallers, Maitreya. Huge thanks to their Guitarist, Mark wylie, 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?
Mark Wylie here from Maitreya, I fulfill guitar duties in the band. The band started formally in 2016 and we released our debut self-titled album in 2017. We spent the next 4 years playing shows in the local Toronto area, refining our sound and live show production which culminated in the 2021 release of Hyper Reels. In 2023, we went through our first lineup, bringing on Brandon Pellatt on drums. We spent the year working through the new material that became the Auxesis EP, which will be released on October 11th, 2024.
How did you come up with your band name?
In the classical literature surrounding the name/meaning, Maitreya translates to ‘future buddha’, a world teacher akin to Christ, Krishan, Buddha, and others. All the members of the band shared an interest in the areas and studies of spirituality, mysticism, and philosophy, we felt it was an inspiring concept to embody our musical and lyrical subject matter.
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
We are from Toronto, Canada – more specifically a city in the surrounding area called Oshawa. There’s a thriving metal scene here, which I think is pretty rare. Bands like Protest the Hero and Crown Lands are from the area and they’ve been making some big waves in the past years.
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)
Our upcoming release, Auxesis (October 11th), is an exciting new chapter for the band. Auxesis is a Greek word that translates to growth, and that seemed like a fitting concept to summarize the new evolution.
The band’s new material leans into more fusion/jazz elements, there’s slightly more emphasis on the ambient or ethereal textures. That being said, there’s still a strong focus on the contrasting heavy elements of what we do. I think the balance and blend comes across in the two singles we’ve released – The Traveler & Still Motion.
Who have been your greatest influences?
Pat Metheny, Allan Holdsworth, Bela Fleck & Kurt Rosenwinkle are big for me in the jazz world. Synyster Gates, James Hetfield, Paul Waggoner, and Paul Masvidal are notable in the metal world.
What first got you into music?
My older brother started playing drums in the formative teen years, he had great taste in music during the 00’s which exposed me to bands like System of a Down, Billy Talent, Green Day etc.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
I’d love to work with Will and Jim from Koan Sound – they are an electronic music duo that creates beautifully lush soundscapes and amazing bass textures. They did an EP called Intervals Above that blends in guitar work with the dubstep/neurofunk-type stuff they are known for.
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
Hellfest would be pretty surreal, I’ve spent many hours watching the Gojira live performances, and their sets there have always been the pinnacle of the metal experience.
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
One light lights us all.
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
I’d bring back Ravi Shankar, I would have loved to see him perform somewhere like the Monterey Pop Festival in the late 60’s.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
I love most being in the moment during a live performance when all the pieces come together and you are creating an experience larger than yourself. I’m not a huge fan of the social media presence side of things, but that’s the name of the game at the moment.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
Streaming royalties.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
“Language” – The Contortionist
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
The best gig is usually always the previous gig. They say you are only as good as your last gig.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
Something with Yoga maybe. Perhaps in another life, I could have been a Swiss chocolatier.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
The surviving Beatles, the current American president, the homeless fella down the street, and your mom.
What’s next for the band?
Auxesis releases on October 11th, and we’ve got our hometown release show on October 17th. We are releasing an instrumental version with a jazz trumpet called Auxesis: Reiterate on November 8th. We’ve also been working on new tunes for some 2025 single releases.
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
A Roll, final answer Regis.
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Thank you Ever Metal for featuring the band and supporting our music!
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 both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
