Modern Rock

INTERVIEW WITH EMPIIRES

INTERVIEW WITH EMPIIRES
BY Stephanie Stephens

Dallas, TX hard hitting, hard rocking, energy driven sensation EMPIIRES are coming in strong with their latest single and video for ‘THROUGH THE FLAMES’. Fire riffs, hooks that pull you in with ease and the catchy melodic nature that slides in and out of the track just confirms these guys are going to be excelling in the music community in no time.

They are putting excitement back into the game of music bringing a unique approach of blending modern metal and hard rock soundscapes with groovy melody and ear catching choruses and dynamic, killer guitars that will pull you in and will leave you content to stay and enjoy.

I had a chance to ask the guys about how the band became to be, what the process is for songwriting and found out some fun facts about the members. Enjoy!

Q: I’m so excited to have you guys a part of the East Coast Romper, I pride myself in helping people get to know up n coming bands and you guys have such a catchy, high energy and relatable sound that I can’t wait to promote the hell out of you. So, on that note tell me How EMPIIRES became a band and what each member brings to the overall sound of the band?

A: We all knew each other and have worked together in some capacity prior to this band. We started talking about writing and that led to working on some ideas. The next thing you know, we’re making demos. Each member of the band has their own strengths but I think it’s the chemistry of the four of us together that makes it work.

Q: Being from Dallas, TX; how has that inspired you guys as musicians and just your look into the world of art in general?

A: There are lots of rock and metal bands from Texas so it’s an inspiring environment to be in as a band.

Q: You have a special spelling for your band name; can you tell me the reasoning and what the band name means to you?

A: We were looking for something to make the name stand out. Our graphic artist friend showed us a couple of logos with this spelling and thought that looked cool.

Q: Your newest single ‘THROUGH THE FLAMES’ is addicting. I have had it on repeat since I got introduced to it. How was the writing process for it? And was it a fun song to write because the sound makes me feel like there was hi-energy and a lot of positivity when it was all coming together?

A: Thanks for checking it out, it’s always great to hear someone tell you that they connected with our song. We did have a good time writing it! The riff and the lyrics worked well together live and we were hoping that would translate in the recording process.

Q: Along with the track being just badass, the lyrical content shines with overcoming obstacles in life. How do you guys pick subject matter to write about and with a song like this does it feel cathartic when it’s written and you listen to what you came up with?

A: The lyrics and the story just kind of wrote itself about fighting through adversity. We were thinking most people could identify with the feeling of going through tough situations.

Q: If you could look back on any song the band has written and take a lyric, you’re proudest of that you wrote, what song would it be from and what is the line?

A: I think we’re really proud of the chorus in ‘Through the Flames’. It tells the story of why we can’t walk away from situations even when they are really tough.

Q: Another single you guys released prior to this new one is a song called ‘LOVE OR HATE’, a darker side of the band. Do you guys pride yourself on being diverse in your sound and if so, how do you know when to pump the brakes about being overly diverse or does it not matter?

A: We’re always trying to write the best song that we can and not repeat ourselves. We write a lot of different songs and see which ones make it through the process that a band goes through with new material. It’s kind of like a dating show, the ones that stick around make it!

Q: In your opinion what makes you really go insane? Love OR hate?

A: I think they both come with their own level of insanity, just depends on what part of the process they’re in!

Q: With the singles doing well have you guys thought about releasing a full album or EP or do you feel that singles are the way to go in this day and age of rock music?

A: We’re thinking about creating some type of package once we have enough singles to put that together. Whatever format that’s on, we just want to make our music available to the listener.

Q: Mentally how did you guys deal with the chaos we all endured the last year and half and how does it feel now that life for the music world is slowly coming back to normal?

A: We dealt with it by focusing on writing and recording. We knew things would get back to normal at some point and wanted to be prepared as a band to go out there and kick some ass when it did.

Q: Have you spoken about touring and if so any hints or info you can share with the public?

A: We’ve been playing shows and talking about doing some touring. We’re just looking for the right situation and will probably have something put together for this fall. Looking forward to getting back out there on that level!

Q: What is one thing about live shows you feel will be the hardest to get the rust off personally for you?

A: Pacing ourselves and not getting too excited from the beginning of the show. That was the hardest thing about our first few shows. We’re ready to go out there and slay it because we’re excited about what we have to deliver.

Q:Three fun facts that people may not know about the band or band members you would love to share?

A: We worked on a TV show together. Toured in other bands together. Have written and recorded together for film and television.

Q: What inspires you guys when you think about the fans of EMPIIRES and has there been one highlight from a fan interaction that stands out for you?

A: When anyone tells you they identify or connect with your music, that’s really cool. Probably the best ones are when people tell you that they put on your music for workout motivation or to deal with a tough day.

Q: Anything I missed touching upon you guys are working on you want to share before we end this? (Plus, I just want to wish you all the best of luck, you have something really motivating and powerful in these tracks I heard)

A: We’re working on a video for our next single release, looking forward to that and playing more shows! We want to thank everyone who helped us put out our music and the people listening. Thank you all!

CONNECT WITH THE BAND:

‘Through The Flames’ (Official Lyric Video)

Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Stephanie Stevens and East Coast Romper, and has been released to Ever Metal on this basis. 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.

INTERVIEW WITH S.A.M.

INTERVIEW WITH S.A.M.
By Stephanie Stevens

Welcome to the world of S.A.M. (SAVAGE AFTER MIDNIGHT), a band that came storming into 2019 with a ton of fire and intention. “11:59” was the EP that drove the band into the ears, hearts and mouths of the rock world. With singles like ‘10 FEET TALL’ and ‘UNLEASH’, songs that penetrated with so much melody, elaborate groove and vocals that made you understand what diversity is! It was no wonder this band was gaining a fanbase at a powerful rate!

Just about the time that an explosion for the band was on the edge of hitting, a pandemic of the world hit and everything came to a standstill. The members of S.A.M. didn’t let this hinder or halt them from continuing to interact with fans and grow the bands fanbase more! They also created and, when I say creating, they did an outstanding job as they worked with friends Jack Fowler of Sleeping With Sirens and the one and only Danny Worsnop of Asking Alexandria to put together a new single that not only blows away their older work but showcases the strength in songwriting and growth this new band is achieving on a daily basis. ‘REMEDY’ fires on all cylinders; intricate, ballsy, energy packed and melodically enticing, It’s a track that’s addictive. This Memphis quintet is ready to hit it even harder in 2021 and I am absolutely stoked to be part of the mix supporting them for their future.

I had a chance to chat with band member JT about future tour plans, the new EP they have in the works, how ‘REMEDY’ took shape and the fun they had making the action packed video for the single.

Q: Welcome new fans of your band into the world that is S.A.M.! How did you guys form and what makes your band members stellar people to work with?

A: What’s up everyone, we always love adding new members to the S.A.M Fam! We formed a number of years ago and have evolved through a few different name changes through the years before settling on S.A.M. This current line-up of the band is pretty awesome! Most of us have a long history with each other from playing in various bands around Memphis – so it’s been pretty smooth to transition into this latest version of the project.

Q: You had some massive momentum going before Covid hit with your amazing EP “11:59”. With all the hype with the release did that keep you guys energized and positive during quarantine or was it an emotional time for you all?

A: Thank You for the kind words on “11:59”! Yeah, we kept positive through the pandemic, despite the pause in touring. We took the time to take stock and write a ton of new material with a killer group of collaborators! I think it was emotional in the sense that no musicians had the chance for over a year to connect with their live audience. That part was certainly challenging.

Q: During 2020 did you stay active on social media to stay close with fans? Or did you take the downtime to focus on making new music?

A: A little of both, the entire world had plenty of time to sit at home and do nothing, and we tried to stay as active on social media as we could. I think the hard part was we had nothing to promote – so at times it can be difficult to stay connected.

Q: The new single ‘Remedy’ is brilliant! How did the song take shape in your mind and how did both Jack Fowler of Sleeping With Sirens and Danny Worsnop from Asking Alexandria come into the fold?

A: Thank You!!! We’ve been blown away at the response ‘Remedy’ has gotten and we’re truly grateful. Both those guys are family to the band, so putting those collaborations together was actually sooth despite the pandemic. They both did such a killer job making the song what it came to be.

Q: With having both Jack & Danny work with you on the song – how did that change the creative process for S.A.M. and what was the biggest thing you learned from working with them?

A: Our process is a bit different and really works for us in the sense that none of the band ever gets too personal or territorial with the writing process, in fact we ADORE having other people come in and contribute to our music. We think that it adds to the diversity and growth of the band’s sound. As far as what we learned, we learned Danny can sing his ASS off!!! And Jack absolutely rips when push comes to shove. It was crazy how naturally that song came together!

Q: Most people ask band members what motivated them to be in a band. I want to know what motivated you or inspired you to compose and write songs? And do you feel you grow in knowledge with every song you create?

A: We’ve always been inspired by the song writing process in general. I think in the beginning stages for any songwriter, you call upon personal experience to create the song. Many years ago, we changed our approach to songwriting, and started writing based on characters of a story rather than what’s happening in our own lives. We found that approach has opened up a whole universe of concepts we can touch on now. Of course, you’ll always derive material from personal experiences, but we don’t feel as tied up with that as we used to.

Q: Lyrically with ‘Remedy’ what do you hope people take away after hearing this track?

A: To cut out those toxic people in your life that bring no joy, and serve no purpose other than to hinder your personal growth.

Q: Another cool aspect of your band is the amazing videos you put out. Do you feel making videos is as important as songwriting?

A: It’s certainly a different art form, it’s strange because you never want to assume that your version of the song means the same thing to every type of person, you always want to leave the door open for fans to create their own experiences and interpretations of your music…I think that’s part of the magic in art. With the video to ‘Remedy’, we swear Shi & Danny just wanted an excuse to make a 4 minute action film!! 😉

Q: How did making the ‘Remedy’ video test your creativity? How fun was it having Danny onboard for it?

A: Wayyy too much fun! The making of ‘Remedy’ didn’t necessarily test our creativity like a normal video concept would, I think it was more that we wanted to capture the essence of the moment. Danny and Shi were in the moment and doing things on the fly. I think that’s why the video came out so well, it was natural and just flowed.

Q: You have an EP in the works for later this year – how would you compare the vibe of it to “11:59”?

A: The vibe is different because we’ve grown as a band and as songwriters. We think we’ve also taken the production to another level. We’re excited to share more as the year goes on – because it shows the natural growth of the band.

Q: Being in Memphis/Nashville – have you been able to play locally yet? I’m sure you’re excited to get back to playing live!

A: Other than a live stream show we did for Amazon Music on Twitch a couple of weeks ago, we haven’t yet. But we hope to soon.

Q: Will you be touring in 2021? Any hints on who you may tour with?

A: There’s a lot of discussions in the works – but we can’t make any announcements just yet. Follow us on our Socials so you can see when we’ll be coming to your town! I think it’s safe to say that in 2022 we should be back in full swing again on the touring front.

Q: Any special words to your fans and the new people who will be hearing ‘Remedy’ for the first time and becoming fans?

A: Check out our stuff, and connect with us everywhere – we always love hearing from the fans. Be sure to go listen to ‘Remedy’ on Spotify and all the other streaming platforms. Most importantly – Keep your heads up, we’re almost past this Pandemic mess. Thanks everyone!!

CONNECT WITH THE BAND:

S.A.M. feat. Danny Worsnop – ‘Remedy’ (Official Music Video)

S.A.M PR Photo - Credit Matt Bender @TheBenderMatt — Photo by Matt Bender @TheBenderMatt

EMQ’s with DEAD DEFINED

EMQ’s with DEAD DEFINED

Hi everyone! Welcome to our new EMQ’s interview with Toronto, Ontario, Canada based Modern Rock solo project, Dead Defined. Huge thanks to main man, Craig Ewan, 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?

Of course! Dead Defined was formed in 2018 and is a Pop/Rock/Industrial project. It’s instrumentally written and sung by myself, Craig Ewan. It is produced and engineered by Mike Dmitrovic of Voodoo Records Canada. It’s more or less an amalgamation of all my favourite styles of music focused into one project.

How did you come up with your band name?

The band name actually comes from a dark place but the music is actually quite positive, ha. The origin of it stems from questioning one’s own mortality. I’d been watching too many documentaries at the time about assisted suicide in the critically ill and elderly and the question I always asked myself was how does one define death? It’s a bit morbid I know, but Dead Defined had a better ring to it than any other descriptive pairing of words, haha.

What country are you from and what is the metal scene like there?

I’m born and raised Canadian. I live about 45mins Northeast of Toronto, Ontario. Sadly, we don’t have much of a metal scene in the Toronto core as a lot of the better known venues have been closing due to Covid and poor attendance. One province over in Quebec is where there’s a better known Metal scene. They hold ‘Heavy Montreal’ every year and have a massive attendance when doing so. A lot of bands from my area tour to play that festival and book their gigs through Quebec on the way back home.

What is your latest release (Album, EP, Single, Video)

My latest single release is entitled ‘Ignite’. It’s a bit of a step out of my comfort zone as it’s a bit of a genre bender. I wanted to bend the mould of my typical four-on-the-floor percussion driven rock anthems and push the boundaries when it came to the sound and style of this tune. I like to show diversity in my writing as Dead Defined is my own solo project. I now have that freedom to do so and having that freedom to experiment by dipping into different genres is really what I love to do as of lately. You never know what the end result will be as long as you are willing to try.

‘Ignite’ (Official Video)

‘Today (Official Video)

Who have been your greatest influences?

I have way too many influencers to list and most come out subconsciously through writing music, but I’ll name a few of my favourites! I grew up listening to the late 90’s, early 2000’s commercial Hard Rock scene. American Hard Rock/NuMetal was a huge part of my musical influence even if that doesn’t transpose to my own style of writing. I do take a few things here and there idea wise, but try to compose music that’s more relevant for today’s listener. Growing up it was bands like P.O.D., Sevendust, Staind, Korn, Creed, Alter Bridge, Nirvana etc.

These days I’m all over the map when it comes to new music and ideas as it’s so easily accessible and easy to find daily. I listen to anything from Top 40, Country Rap to Chill Lo-fi and Instrumentals.

What first got you into music?

I got into music like mostly every other Rock’ n Roll musician I know. I wanted to be the cool Rockstar everyone idolized haha. Once you grow up a bit after playing copious amounts of Live shows and going through financial struggles, reality sinks in and you realize it’s more about the passion for the actual music and hard work than just wanting to be the ‘Cool’ guy. That inflated ego dies off pretty quick once that sinks in and either you love to do it or you don’t. Thankfully, it’s my passion.

If you could collaborate with a current band or musician, who would it be?

I’d love to collaborate with rock guitar icon Mark Tremonti. (Alter Bridge, Creed, Tremonti) I started playing his guitar riffs when first learning to play guitar and writing songs. His writing style has had a massive influence on my own music over the years. I’ve followed his career since I was a teenager and to this day, I’m a fan and always will be.

If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?

Wacken Open Air in Germany. Although my music isn’t as heavy compared to most bands that play that festival, I’d love to play on one of those stages. The sheer number of people and size of that festival has to be a sight to see. From what I hear the Germans are quite the crazy crowds as well!

What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?

I’ve actually never received anything weird from my fans surprisingly haha. I do still find it flattering when asked for a hug or autograph but thankfully I haven’t received anything too awkward in return.

If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?

Keep supporting independent artists. It’s now tougher than ever to continue recording and promoting our music as live shows are still on hold in Canada, as of now. I know some states have opened up in the USA but here it’s still going to be awhile. We aren’t even allowed to cross the borders yet. Our main source of income was the live scene but with Covid putting a stop to that we have to rely on mainly merch sales as streaming platforms don’t pay much for artists.

If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?

Chris Cornell. I wouldn’t say he was my main influence when it comes to rock music but he definitely had an impact on my style and writing. I try to promote mental health awareness through my music and seeing as he died by his own hand is a sad reminder that even if you’re at the top of your game and famous worldwide we all have inner struggles. We are all just human.

What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?

To be a bit specific, the best part of being a musician is the rush of adrenaline and pure energy from performing a live concert. There’s no other euphoric high that gets you there. The downside to that is the comedown after is just like any other drug. A lot of musicians get caught in the ugly cycle of addiction because of it. Getting used to the highs and lows of your body’s endorphins after a great show or a crappy one is not for the weak. It takes quite a while to adjust to it and stay on the straightened arrow, so to speak.

If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

This sounds kind of like a cliché artist answer I’m sure, but if the start of free music services like Napster or Spotify were never invented that would have been great, ha. The pay out of streaming compared to hard physical sales just does not compete anymore. Music isn’t all about money and profit, but to keep making music at a high level and performing it takes a certain income to maintain consistency which is almost impossible to do with how much streaming platforms pay out.

Name one of your all-time favourite albums?

An album that comes to mind that’s killer from front to back is Breaking Benjamin – “Phobia”. I definitely used to have the CD version of this and I don’t think it ever left my cars CD player, ha. To this day it’s a go to album for working out or inspiration when writing my own music.

What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?

Speaking as an artist, anything but downloads haha. Sadly, reality is most people stream or download music for free these days and rarely want to spend money on new music.

What’s the best gig that you have played to date?

One of my most memorable gigs was with a previous band of mine years ago. Sadly, the club doesn’t exist anymore, but it was a 2 stage venue. One small stage floor room which was kind of hidden away at the back of the club and one larger stage which was the main stage. This story is a bit of an ego booster haha My band was booked to play the smaller stage of the 2 in the back of the club. There were also bands playing on the main stage that night as well. From what I remember as our set got underway was the room starting to just fill up with more and more people until they couldn’t let anyone else in. Apparently as us and another band on the main stage started playing, a promoter that was watching their gig popped in to see ours and I guess really liked us so he stole the crowd from the main stage and funnelled them into our gig. Haha. It was a real ‘Rockstar’ moment for us all at the time as we mainly depended on foot traffic and word of mouth to drive ticket sales as social media wasn’t even a thing at that time. Quite a memorable one.

If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?

If I weren’t pursuing music as my overall main focus in life, I’d probably end up being a Meteorologist. What? I know right? To be frank, weather is another passion of mine. Specifically violent weather like Tornadoes and Hurricanes. Maybe one day I’ll be a Weatherman?!

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?

Michael Blakey, Elvis Baskette and my 3 Standard Poodles…Haha, I know that doesn’t count but hey they’re good conversationalists. As for the other 2 actual humans, feel free to Google them.

What’s next for the band?

Plans for the future are to keep on the same path as I’m on. Spiritually and emotionally. I find I write best when I’m not in my head as much. I like to take time to pursue other hobbies and passions other than music 24/7. If I obsess about it, I find it zaps my creativity. The nice weather in Canada is now approaching so I like to get out and free my mind so to speak.

What Social Media/Website links do you use to get your music out to people?

I try to focus mainly on Instagram as of now but utilize Facebook and TikTok as well. As for streaming I’m on all of the major platforms Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud etc. under ‘Dead Defined’.
www.deaddefined.com/
www.instagram.com/craig_ewan/
www.facebook.com/DeadDefined
www.facebook.com/DeadDefinedOfficial
www.tiktok.com/@craig_ewan
www.open.spotify.com/artist/4JhsozqHaCW7SlKGKaysXF
www.youtube.com/channel/UC9heJOPHswZyf5_fbKJYhSw

Jaffa Cakes? Are they a cake or a biscuit?

Is it bad I had to Google what a Jaffa Cake is? Haha. I don’t eat much sugar! But I’m going to have to say biscuit on this one.

Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?

I have just dropped brand new merch for the 1st time on my website. It’s pretty exciting to be able to create new ideas on items being sold directly through me. It’s another creative outlet I can have fun with. I hope to design and sell new designs and products, 1-2 times a month, shipping Worldwide. Please have a look and hopefully it’s something your fanbase and readers will be interested in. www.deaddefined.com/store

Thanks so much!

Much Love, Craig Ewan.

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.

EMQ’s with THE LAST ELEMENT

EMQ’s with THE LAST ELEMENT

Hi everyone! Welcome to our new EMQ’s interview with Netherlands based Modern Rock/Metal band, The Last Element. Huge thanks to vocalist, Jasper, 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?

We are called The Last Element; I am the lead singer of the band (Jasper). We started a while ago, Jan and Robert already knew each other from previous musical endeavours, later on they found Jasper and Noah and The Last Element was formed!

For each of us it just fitted like pieces of a puzzle, the sound, the style, it all came together.

How did you come up with your band name?

It came out that way! We were searching for a way to explain the driving factor behind our band, our music has always been very close to our hearts, we write about things that really matter to us, but that we believe also really matter to a lot of people. We were searching for a way to explain what could combine the elements of hardship, love, trust, friendship and perseverance. That’s when we decided all of these combined could be seen as: The Last Element – When we are together, we are stronger!

What country are you from and what is the Rock/Metal scene like there?

We are from the Netherlands, the metal scene here is decent! We’ve got some real cool bands, but it’s not exactly mainstream. Luckily, the big metal bands are coming over a lot, so the scene will never be dead!

What is your latest release (Album, EP, Single, Video)

Our latest release is called ‘The Devil’, a dark and gritty rock/metal song about how the negative voice in your head can influence and shape you. Pushing away the safety you know and filling your heart with loneliness, but even though things might seem dark, try to wake up the angel instead.

The song has been performing well! We got on multiple big Spotify editorial playlists and radio stations really love to jam it! So, we are really happy about that.😊

‘The Devil’ (Lyric Video)

Who have been your greatest influences?

That would be life, simple as that, a lot of emotions arise daily. When I write lyrics it’s always inspired by real life events that I go through, some I’ve been through and some are happening, but mostly I just write what pops up in my head. I need a pen and paper to clear my head, screaming and singing it all out of my head when I record. In the end it’s something we all face and we all have different ways of expressing what we feel. I’m sure a lot of people can relate to the lyrics, cause honestly, it’s not about me…it’s about you.

Of course, there are many bands we love that influenced us as well, but it’s never the biggest driver!

What first got you into music?

For me personally it’s hard to remember, both of my parents are musicians so I’m sure that had to do with it. But at the age of 6 I started to listen to bands like MM, RATM, Nirvana and I decided that I wanted to become a rockstar…yeah pretty naive, never did I know that it would take sooo much work! But yeah, from that point on I wanted to play instruments and later on I decided to give singing a try.

If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?

For sure, Bring Me The Horizon, love what they are doing, they got a huge sound and so many fresh ideas, I think it would be amazing working together!

If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?

All of them? 😊 Don’t know, there is not one, there are many. Rock in Rio would be massive, Download would be Epic, Wacken would be sick and the list goes on.

What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?

Nothing is weird, it’s all sweet and coming from a good place. So not gonna name and shame anyone 😉! I mean it’s a big compliment right that someone takes the effort.

If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?

Believe in yourself and find the beauty in the things around you.

If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?

Hmm I miss Chester man…so yeah, would love to see more Linkin Park stuff and concerts.

What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?

Writing songs, simple as that, it’s so great writing a song and then it slowly comes to life, each time coming closer to what you had in mind. Then when it’s done, that’s just an amazing feeling. I hate the selling yourself part, it’s not really me, I just want to let the music speak for itself, not approach it as a business.

If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

A more open and fairer marketplace, it’s still pretty difficult for emerging bands, it’s hard to get your music to the potential fans.

Name one of your all-time favourite albums?

Pff, there are so many, but I really keep on loving “Mechanical Animals” by MM or the self-titled album of Slipknot. Both are on replay all day without it becoming a drag. I just keep singing and screaming along.

What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?

Downloads, I mean that works best for me, don’t have any physical media anymore.

What’s the best gig that you have played to date?

We had a very cool support act for Skillet, it was great, sold out and such a blast.

If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?

Well, we’re not making a living off music, so we all have jobs! For me I have my own company, tutoring business! Got a lot of cool teachers working for me and meeting a lot of nice people along the way. Helping out kids making steps and finding out their strengths. I love it!

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?

My friends always, but if you mean celebrities then…yeah, I don’t know, I’m not into the whole starstruck thing, I just love music and would love to meet a lot of musicians out there.

What’s next for the band?

We are working on our next release, ‘Cut It Off’, just a little more time and we will release it. just dotting the i’s ! It’s gonna be such a massive track, with that we have a cool new vid coming, a new improved logo, better artwork, new band pictures and a lot more. So yeah, a lot is happening.

What Social Media/Website links do you use to get your music out to people?

To name a few: Spotify/YouTube/Facebook
www.open.spotify.com/artist/7L9ieGr5a3eLcVo9fvVipB
www.youtube.com/c/thelastelement
www.facebook.com/thelastelement.net

Jaffa Cakes? Are they a cake or a biscuit?

Haha that’s British right? Hmm, hard to say I think I only ate them a couple of times long ago, but I would lean towards cake…hope I didn’t step on toes!

Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Sure, first off, thank you for reading, for the interview and all the support so far!

Shout out to us on info@thelastelement

We also got some cool merch you can inquire about 😉!

But yeah, it means the world to us to connect with fans so reach out to us and we’ll get right back to you!

EMQ’s with BREAKTHROUGH EVEN

EMQ’s with BREAKTHROUGH EVEN

Hi everyone! Welcome to our new EMQ’s interview with Atlanta, Georgia based Modern Rock/Metal duo Breakthrough Even. Huge thanks to brothers Josh & Zach Turner 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 Josh and I play guitar for Breakthrough Even. We play modern metal/metalcore. We got started way back in 2012 and initially started as a five-piece, went down to a four-piece, and are now a duo consisting of myself and my brother Zach. So far, we’ve released two EP’s: “The Step That Lies Ahead” (2014) and “Legacy of Dreams” (2015) as well as four singles.

How did you come up with your band name?

Zach originally came up with the band name. At the time he was a big fan of an anime called Bleach, and in the soundtrack for that show was a track called Breakthrough Even. We all thought it sounded cool, so we stuck with it!

What country are you from and what is the Metal/Rock scene like there?

We’re from the United States. Overall, metal seems to have taken a backseat here in terms of popularity, but there are still so many amazing bands finding their own way and taking advantage of the industry’s current climate to change what success looks like for bands and artists in this genre.

What is your latest release (Album, EP, Single, Video)?

Our latest release is a single titled Requiem. We featured the incredibly talented Christina Rotondo (Adelyn) on it. The instrumental was all tracked at our home studio while Christina recorded vocals at her place. We were stoked to finally release it as we had been sitting on an incomplete version of it for three or four years!

Who have been your greatest influences?

We’ve had a lot of different influences but I think the one that has stuck around the most is Linkin Park. Not necessarily in how we sound, but with how we approach our songwriting and our attitude towards our music in general. Recently, bands like Monuments, Northlane, and Thornhill have been huge influences when we think about what direction we want to go.

What first got you into music?

When we were younger – I’d say around 12 or 13 – and first discovered heavy music, we were constantly watching music videos of our favourite bands and always really enjoyed how absolutely badass these people looked and the spectacle, imagery, and storytelling that came from their music. Chevelle was a big one alongside Linkin Park. I specifically remember Linkin Park’s video for “Pushing Me Away” and Chevelle’s for “Vitamin R” both inspiring us to start learning how to play guitar and drums. I initially wanted to play drums and Zach wanted to play guitar, but when it came down to it, we ended up swapping!

If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?

Collaborating with a current band is too daunting at the moment, but I think another musician we’d love to work with is Jonny Craig. We think he’s an incredible vocalist and would love to feature him on a track one day.

If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?

Josh: Probably Wacken! Just because it’s always been my favourite to observe as a fan.

Zach: Honestly, I always thought Ozzfest was a really cool gig!

What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?

Fortunately, we’ve never been gifted anything we’d consider weird!

If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?

That you don’t always need a message.

If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?

Josh: This one is unfair. There are just so many incredible musicians that have gone too soon. I think if I absolutely had to pick one, I’d say Chester Bennington.

Zach: Yeah, definitely Chester!

What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?

Josh: What I most enjoy about being a musician is just having the ability to express my artistic/creative side. It’s an itch that always needs to be scratched and I find if I’m not working out ideas or releasing those ideas out into the world then I start getting restless. What I hate is the constant self-doubt and nit-picking that comes along with creating something. We’re always in a state of self-reflection when it comes to our music and so we’re almost hyper critical of every single thing we do related to Breakthrough Even. When it comes time to release whatever it is we’re working on, it can be extremely difficult to let go as we’re always wanting to make sure it’s the best it could possibly be in that moment.

Zach: Literally what he said.

If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

Zach: The industry? Man, I’m not sure I would change anything. It’s a good time to make music because of how DIY it has become. Yeah, not having a label means the ground work and promotional aspect is harder and can be expensive but I mean independent artists are getting more and more visibility because of the different platforms available and I think that’s cool as fuck.

Name one of your all-time favourite albums?

Josh: Dream Theater’s “Scenes From A Memory” is definitely a top 3 all-time favourite beginning to end. It was my introduction to concept albums, and I remember it absolutely blowing me away. I wouldn’t change a single thing about that album. The music, the production, the story, the artwork, it’s all perfect in my opinion. I also have a huge amount of sentimentality attached to it because it defined a good chunk of my life. I discovered it when I started taking my guitar playing more seriously, and I remember it inspiring me to practice as much as I could and to also learn about recording and mixing.

Zach: Linkin Park’s “Hybrid Theory”. It changed music for me and is timeless. Just a lot there for me personally.

What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?

Josh: We both generally hold the same view on this. It’s never really mattered much to me. I think I’m too young to really appreciate cassettes, and even with the resurgence of vinyl’s popularity I haven’t gotten into that either. I still really like CD’s because that’s what I mainly grew up with while getting into music, and I remember there being an inherent value in being able to hold an album in your hands, to look through the liner notes, lyrics, artwork, and being able to more easily appreciate the work that went into all of it. I still dig that. Despite this, at the end of the day streaming is just way more convenient in terms of how accessible it is, and the fact that it’s not taking up a ton of space on a bookshelf or something.

Zach: Streaming is cool and all but there’s just something about opening up a new CD and getting a whiff of that fresh CD case smell. Shit be hitting different.

What’s the best gig that you have played to date?

Our best gig was actually our last one as a full band. It was back in 2018. We opened for All That Remains at The Masquerade here in Atlanta, GA.

If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?

Josh: That’s tough. It’s hard to imagine not doing music. Zach and I both do videography work on the side, so I’d probably lean even more into that.

Zach: Yeah, I’d have to save we’d more than likely be leaning into another creative pursuit. Honestly though, I have no idea, that’s probably really bad!

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?

Zach: 5 people? This is a good question. I legit can’t come up with 5 people I’d desperately want to invite. I guess think of the 5 most famous people and it’d be them. You know…I just want to ask Jeff Bezos what it’s like having a bottomless pit for a bank account and I’d most likely just straight up ask for a cool few mil. Couldn’t hurt, we got music that needs funding.

What’s next for the band?

Zach: We have a playthrough of our latest single on the way, new songs in the works and are hoping to get some content out here soon!

What Social Media/Website links do you use to get your music out to people?

Zach: You can find us on all social media really. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and even Tumblr!
www.facebook.com/breakthrougheven/
www.breakthrougheven.bandcamp.com/
www.instagram.com/breakthrougheven/
www.twitter.com/breakthroughevn
www.breakthrougheven.tumblr.com/

Jaffa Cakes? Are they a cake or a biscuit?

Josh: They’re biscuit-sized cakes. I googled it.

Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?

To anyone that supports us or has even given us a listen, THANK YOU! Super grateful. 😊