EMQ’s With Born Divided
EMQ’s With Born Divided
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with Canadian Melodic Death Metal band, Born Divided. Huge thanks to the band’s bassist, Tommy Demers, 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?
My name is Tommy Demers, and I play bass in Born Divided. I am one of the band’s main composers. We are a melodic death metal group that strives to incorporate as many different metal styles as possible into each song. Born Divided is made up of former members of Blinded By Faith, Kalter, and Moonlyght. We blend clean vocals and growls within fast, melodic music. At times, the sound becomes calm and progressive, building toward a final, epic climax.
How did you come up with your band name?
We had “Divided” in mind because of the growing division we saw among human beings becoming increasingly omnipresent. During a meeting to brainstorm the band’s name, I suggested “Born Divided,” which reflected the idea that division often originates right from the cradle. We all liked it, and we adopted this name for our band.
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
We come from Québec City, Canada, where the metal scene is very much alive. We’ve been inspired by several bands that found success here, such as Despised Icon, Kataklysm, Cryptopsy, Get the Shot, and many others. There are numerous local shows as well as international concerts that draw large audiences. The scene in Québec is vibrant and strong.
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)
We’ve just released our album “Chronicle of a Shipwreck”. It features 7 tracks, each with a distinct style—ranging from death metal to melodic death metal, from dark black metal to progressive. The songs combine growls and clean vocals, aiming to surprise the listener at every turn. At times, the music shifts into calm passages before erupting into sonic storms. In short, this album offers something for every taste.
Who have been your greatest influences?
My greatest influence is without a doubt Iron Maiden, as they were the band that most shaped me musically during my childhood. Today, however, the band’s influences are far more diverse, including Symphony X, Opeth, Dimmu Borgir, Haken, and many others.
What first got you into music?
My grandfather and father were musicians, and they introduced me to music at a very young age. My father taught me the basics of drumming, while my mother gave me piano lessons. Thanks to my family, I was immersed in the world of music from an early age. At the age of 10, Iron Maiden became my baptism into Heavy Metal—the beginning of an endless journey through the universe of metal music.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
I would love to collaborate with Devin Townsend, as he has a sense of composition like few other artists. He sets no boundaries when writing music and constantly pushes the limits of metal, alternating between aggression and passion. He is truly a genius of our time, much like the great artists of the past, such as Bach and Mozart. I would absolutely love to compose with him—and even have him as an official member of Born Divided… haha.
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
Our guitarist dreams of playing on the 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise. As for me, I would love to perform at HellFest and experience that festival as a musician. Of course, Wacken would be amazing as well, but for now, we’ll start by playing shows in smaller venues, with the hope that one day we’ll reach the biggest festivals. After all… it’s always good to dream.
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
We haven’t received any gifts yet since we’ve only played one show so far, but hopefully that will come!
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Thank you for your support, and above all, we hope our fanbase will grow day by day as more people take the time to discover our band. We know that today we’re swimming in an endless sea of great bands, but we strongly hope that ours will stand out from the rest and reach as many fans as possible.
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
I wish John Lennon could come back, and I’d love to know the songs he might have composed if he hadn’t been shot by a fool at such a young age. Together with Sir Paul, he brought everything to rock. Just imagine what he could have still given us if he hadn’t passed away so soon. Rest in peace, John.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
What I love most is composing music in my studio—spending hundreds of hours creating something I can be proud of. For me, writing music is also a way to relax, helping me disconnect from work and the stress of daily life. I also love performing live shows, but what I dislike the most is the business side of things: managing finances, finding money to invest in the band. Everything that takes me away from the music can feel tedious, because it steals time from creating the next album. Still, it has to be done, and within the band we work as a team to share those less enjoyable tasks.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
I wish there were more opportunities for beginner bands at major festivals. I also dislike the fact that emerging bands often have to pay to join a tour with a more established act. Imagine being forced to pay to play shows, when those shows already cost so much in gas and time. Still, we hope the road ahead will open quickly for Born Divided, and we are ready to face every challenge that comes our way.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
My favorite album of all time… I’ve had a different one at various stages of my life. At 15, it was “Cruelty and the Beast” by Cradle of Filth. At 25, it was “Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd. In recent years, it has been “The Mountain” by Haken. But it’s impossible to choose which one has truly been my all-time favorite.
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CDs, or Downloads?
I’ve always loved CDs, but right now I’m really enjoying streaming, discovering a thousand and one bands every week. Vinyl has made a strong comeback in recent years—and rightly so, for true music lovers. But I hope cassettes never become popular again… I used to hate fast-forwarding just to find the song I wanted to listen to back then.
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
With Born Divided, we’ve only played one gig so far—with Augury and Valfreya—so I have to mention that one. But with my former band, Blinded By Faith, it was the show with Cradle of Filth that stood out. I also loved our farewell performance at RockFest Montebello in 2018, sharing the bill with Rammstein.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
Fortunately, for now I’m not just a musician—otherwise I’d have a hard time feeding my children. I’m also a music teacher at an elementary school in Québec, where I teach music every day to children aged 5 to 9. I love my job, and I get them singing Golden Rock while slowly introducing them to rock—maybe one day they’ll end up listening to as much metal as possible. A funny fact: when I was a student teacher, that’s when I first met our drummer, Lucas Biron. He was in his final year of high school at the time, and I was his trainee teacher. Over time, we ended up playing shows together and eventually formed Born Divided.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
I would love to invite Devin Townsend, Nicko McBrain, David Gilmour, Danny Filth, and Cyco MiKo to have the ultimate influence party all at once. I would really enjoy hearing all their tour stories and the crazy experiences they’ve had since the beginning of their careers.
What’s next for the band?
We’ve released two music videos from this album: ‘Everything Comes to an End’ and ‘Chronicle of a Shipwreck’. In just one month, we’ve reached 100,000 views on YouTube. We are very proud of this video, directed by Paul Di Giacomo. Our goal is to play as many shows as possible to promote both this album and the band.
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
http://www.borndivided.com/ | https://www.facebook.com/BornDivided | https://www.instagram.com/borndivided/
Music Video – Chronicle of a Shipwreck – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LtUFyeaC-M
Music Video – Everything Comes to an End – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVkHsg6vkk0
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?
MUFFINS
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read about us and listen to our music. Reach out to us, and come see us live when we’re performing near your city. Thank you all, and thank you for the interview—it’s truly appreciated.
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.
