Strains - Interview

Hey, Breathing The Core fans, here we bring you another interview of the Metal/Hardcore band Strains from Belgium, so here you can see and give a like to his FACEBOOK PAGE. We have nothing more to say, so enjoy this interview!

1.Where did you get the idea for the band name, you planned it or came out just like that?

It took a while for us to find the band name. All members came up with ideas until we had a big list with potential names. We just wanted something short and simple, a name that’s easy to remember. ‘Strains’ doesn’t have a special meaning to us, we just like the sound and visual aspects of it.

2.Why did you want to play this genre?

We all grew up listening to heavy music, so we just wanted to play heavy stuff. Some members of the band started out in a rock band about ten years ago, it all evolved from that point.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

Most of us know each other from our childhood. We all live in the same small town, except for our guitar player. He joined our previous band about two years ago. Knowing each other for this long is a very strong aspect about our band. We started playing music because we’re good friends.

4. Each band member favourite band?

That’s a tough question! It would be Architects, Tesseract, Amenra, While she sleeps, Meshuggah, Bane, Northlane, ... Just to mention a few.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Because we’re a fairly new band, we don’t have a big repertoire yet. Our debut EP ‘Redefine[d]’ tells the story of a serious accident our vocalist had in 2007. The lyrics embody emotions he was faced with while being hospitalized for over four months, as well as his struggles and uncertainties during a long-lasting rehab. Each song is a different part of the story, which makes it a pretty strong and personal concept.

6. Where was your last gig?

Our last gig was at the album launch of our good buddies from ‘Moments’. They live close to our hometown. The same evening we played a show in the western part of Belgium, which was a really fun show!

7. Where would you like to act?

For now, our main goal is to tour Europe as much as we can to get our name out there. Of course it would be sick to go overseas one day, but now our main focus is Europe. Who knows what could happen, right?

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

Basicly every decent band in the alternative scene. It would be sick to tour with one of our favourite bands.

9. Whom not?

Bands who suck.

10. Any of you has ever suffered from stage fright? Any tip for beginners on how to beat that?

It’s a normal thing, especially when you’re just starting out. We’re pretty much used to it, because we play together for a while now and we never play in front of huge crowds. I would suggest to just practice your songs until everything is solid. Because when you play solid live, you will automaticly get confident. It’s normal to be a little frightned before a show. But if you’re prepared, the weight will fall off your shoulders when you play the first note.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

One of that bands is definitly While she sleeps. We dit a little tour with them with our previous band, just before they became a major act. It was so cool to see how hard they worked to get where they are now. On the other hand there’s Parkway drive. If you’ve seen their films, you probably know what I mean. Non stop touring, sleeping outside, having fun, ... That’s how it should be.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

We’re a small band, so we don’t get many weird questions. We met a few people who wanted our autographs in the past. It’s not really weird, but it’s very uncommon for us. Don’t get me wrong, we’re flattered when someone asks us to sign stuff!

13. What do you think of your fans?

We love every single one who takes the time to check us out and listen to our music. Our band would be worthless without these people. It’s awesome to see that our material gets a warm welcome in our own country and other places around the world.

14. What do you think of our site?

Sites like ‘Breathing the core’ are unbelievably important for underground bands. Everything that gives a boost to the underground alternative scene is a good thing. Keep supporting up and coming bands, and keep the scene alive!

15. Something to add?

Thanks for the interest in interviewing us, we really appreciate it! Also a big thank you to everyone who reads this and takes the time to check us out. We recently released our new single ‘White chains’ of our debut EP ‘Redefine[d]’, which comes out june 30th on Famined records. Feel free to share it if you like what you hear!