Interviews: The Unobstruct

In this new occasion we had the great opportunity to interview the Metalcore band The Unobstruct from USA. We have nothing more to say than enjoy this interview and like their FACEBOOK PAGE.

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

The original name of our band was “Invert The Skies”. When Scully, our vocalist, joined the band back in 2013, it took a couple of months before he brought to our attention that he didn’t exactly like the name, and we all agreed! So, we brainstormed for a while. Chuck, our guitarist, liked band names beginning with the prefix “un-”, such as “Unearth” and “Underoath”. AJ, our drummer, liked names beginning with “The”, like “The Parallel” and “The Afterimage”, and Scully thought that the word “obstruct” had a nice ring to it. One day, AJ found a compromise, suggesting, “What about 'The Unobstruct'?”. Within a few weeks, we reached an agreement. Hence, we are The Unobstruct. Track 8 off our upcoming album is titled “I.T.S.” as an ode to our former band name.

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

Scully was introduced to rock music at an early age, listening to bands like Van Halen and Metallica. Around 2009, bands such as August Burns Red and Parkway Drive caught his attention, and he’s loved the genre ever since. AJ and Chuck reunited once college was over, discovering that they both still had a passion for metal and hardcore music. We all grew up listening to heavy music, and it continues to inspire us.

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

AJ and Chuck have been close friends for the better part of the last decade. Scully didn’t enter the picture until 2013.

4. Each band member favourite band?

AJ's favorite band is Motion City Soundtrack, but these days he listens to electronic artists such as Fractal and Seven Lions. However, he still enjoys bands like Being As An Ocean and Veil of Maya. He is definitely the most diverse music listener among us! Scully's all-time favorite band is actually Fall Out Boy, but he is a huge fan of artists like Born of Osiris, Within the Ruins, and Counterparts. Chuck's favorite band of all time is In Flames, but currently he has been jamming out to Veil of Maya, along with his present favorite, Circle of Contempt, a metalcore band based out of Finland.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

We get all kinds of musical inspiration from our surroundings, influenced by whatever we find particularly interesting. Whenever we write songs, we always try to “go for something”. We'll listen to music together for hours and then get to work, figuring out what kind of story to tell. When we get inspired, we get writing!

6. Where was your last gig?

Our last gig was at “Theives Grotto”, a small and secluded basement venue in Boston.

7. Where would you like to act?

All around the world. We’d love to be able travel the globe and play our music for as many people as possible. But, for now, we’ll play wherever we are permitted! We always aim to bring the party, and so far our crowds have been exceptional, showing us that maybe we have some grip on what bringing the party is all about.

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

Playing alongside the heavy-hitters of this genre, such as Born of Osiris, Veil of Maya, and Periphery, would be a dream come true. Also, all of us have recently become huge fans of a band called Conquer Divide, so we’d love to share the stage with them as well.

9. Whom not?

...we have yet to meet anyone that we don't want to play with!

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

Obviously it varies from person to person, but overcoming stage fright is essentially a matter of being comfortable in one's own skin. Worrying about being loved or hated is counterproductive. What really matters is the performance. We’ve found that the less we think about the performance, the better we perform. Nothing is more important than the present, we might say.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

We've been heavily inspired by artists like Veil of Maya and Beyond the Shore, as well as local acts like our friends in Pathogenic.

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

My license and registration. Pretty sure he was a cop.

13. What do you think of your fans?

We love our fans. It is quite difficult to maintain any kind of project in heavy music these days, so any support that we receive is responded to with love and appreciation. Our fans are our family and friends, and so we always try to make sure that our fans receive as much from us as we receive from them.

14. What do you think of our site?

Metalcore and hardcore music continues to grow, despite many remarks to the contrary that you may see on the internet. However, we are still very aware of the downsides. Promoting heavy metal music can get frustrating, because it doesn’t appeal to the mainstream at all. That is why the folks at Breathing The Core are so important to us. BTC is fostering the development of new talent, a service that is desperately needed for up-and-coming bands in this genre.

15. Something to add?

Our debut album “Monolith” will be available on Bandcamp on April 12^th, 2016. “Monolith” will then be available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Google Play, and Xbox Music on April 19th. You will also be able to stream the album on our YouTube channel. If you are interested in seeing what we are up to, you can like us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnobstruct