Interviews: Setraline

In this new occassion we have had the opportunity to interview the Melodic Metal/Metalcore  band Setraline, from UK. Check out this band and give them a like on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

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

The band name came from a brainstorm between band members and our management at the time. We liked how it sounded, and the fact that 'Sertraline' is anti-depressant was cool too - as we hope our music has the same effect!  

2.Why did you want to play this genre?  

We all draw inspiration from various different metal subgenres. We also have infuences in pop, rock, classical and jazz. We wanted to create a sound that makes people go 'woah, I haven't heard anything like this before'. It keeps things interesting for us as musicians; we always look for opportunities to challenge ourselves. Most of all, this area of metal is immensly enjoyable to write and perform!   

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

Mike and Hendo met through previous local band 'Blue Origin'. Mike met Tom whilst at uni studying music, so when we were recruiting a new guitarist, Tom was first choice! Lizzie didn't know any of the lads before joining Sertraline - she responded to an online advert for a singer. A lot of our meetings were pure chance so we've been very lucky!    

4. Each band member favourite band? 

Mike: This question is way too hard! Monuments or Katatonia 

Hendo: DOWN 

Wilson: The White Stripes. They just did it for me as a kid and still do it for me now! 

Lizzie: At the moment it's probably Northlane or Pvris  

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs? 

So many things! Events in our every day lives probably provide the biggest volume of material. Sometimes we need to vent if we're feeling angry, upset, or happy of course! Music is always the first outlet we choose. We always feel inspired if we attend gigs or festivals as punters too.  

6. Where was your last gig? 

Our last gig was at Rock'it Bar, Tamworth. A new venue for us and we got such a warm welcome, it was insane! Great atmosphere and great people - definitely check it out if you're in that neck of the woods!    

7. Where would you like to act?  

We'd love to play some massive festivals, and abroad too.  

8. Whom would you like to feature with? 

Mike: Monuments, Katatonia, QOTSA, TesseracT, Marmozets, Muse - they would all be sweet! Hendo - I'd love to do a feature with a massive orchestra; ever since watching Metallica do it with S&M and now BMTH, I think it would be really epic. 

Wilson: All of Mike's choices plus Northlane, In Flames and Intervals. And the Coachella hologram of Tupac. 

Lizzie: Ditto with Hendo's orchestra comment, that's the dream! BMTH's show at Royal Albert Hall gave me shivers, and that's just from video clips I've seen. If we ever had arrangements like that made for our songs, I can die happy.  

9. Whom not?  

Mike: Five Finger Death Punch or Avenged Sevenfold. They just don't tickle my pickle! 

Hendo: Olly Murs, I just think he's got a really irritating face. 

Wilson: I found this really hard! I'd have to go with The Ordinary Boys. For some reason my mind was cast to that infamous 'Never Mind The Buzzcocks' episode where Preston acted like a bit of a nob. I'd just hate working with someone who can't take a joke! 

Lizzie: Any of the 1D boys...just not a fan!  

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

Wilson: Yeah, from when I started performing at around 15 right up to now. In the early days, waiting to get on stage I'd be nauseous, hoping the thing got called off. On stage I'd have a completely dry mouth, my hands would freeze and it was physically exhausting. I'd come off stage feeling like I'd been hit by a truck and pretty crestfallen that I was so anxious about something I was so passionate about. I'd just keep pushing myself on stage. I knew it was something I wanted to do and it was worth being mowed down by a metaphorical truck every night. There have been a few ways I've tried to dea l with it.  The first was alcohol. Terrible idea. Felt like a king, played like a jester. I searched everywhere for advice. Tried all the breathing exercises. Tried changing my mindset. It certainly isn't an overnight fix. In the end it came down to practising the pieces until I knew them inside out, pre-stage preparation (knowing where leads are, that they work, settings on your amp are correct, new strings etc... you can get quite 'OCD' about the mental checklist) and the final push was to rid my mind of the constant worry of making a mistake and enjoy the bloody gig. 10 years on and I can finally see an end to the nerves. It's such a refreshing feeling and in this past year I've begun to really enjoy performing with very little stage fright.   

11. What bands have inspired you the most? 

Lizzie: Forever Still (DK). We toured with them in 2015, it was their first time in the UK but you could tell they had a really loyal, ever growing fan base. They had scraped every penny together to self release their own records, print their own merch, manage themselves and tour overseas. I spoke to Maja (vocalist) quite regularly last year and we'd often compare daily band life struggles! Now they're signed to Nuclear Blast Records, touring Europe with Lacuna Coil and I'm sure even bigger things are to come! It's so inspiring because stories like that prove that hard work really does pay off!    

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

Lizzie: Someone once messaged me on facebook and asked me to take a picture of myself 'just as you are now' so they could have it as their screen saver. Bit odd.  

13. What do you think of your fans? 

Lizzie: They blow my mind! It still feels crazy that anyone other that us chooses to put our music on in their car, on their phone or whilst they're chilling out at home. Words can't explain how I feel when I see someone in the crowd singing the lyrics at a gig. The passion that our fans have for music is amazing and we wouldnt be anything without their support!   

14. What do you think of our site? 

It's great! Easy to navigate and all the little music/video players dotted around are really intriguing. Favourite section is the 'Upcoming Tour' page. Always interesting to see what other bands are up to around the world.  

15. Something to add? 

Following on from the above, we're heading out on tour ourselves in February! We'd really love as many people as possible to come check out the new stuff! 

Fri 3rd Feb - FUEL, Cardiff 

Sat 4th Feb - The Facebar, Reading 

Thurs 9th Feb - Trillians, Newcastle-upon-Tyne 

Sat 11th Feb - Bannermans, Edinburgh 

Fri 17th Feb - McLeans, Pentre 

Sun 19th Feb - Slug Fest, Wharf Chambers, Leeds 

Thurs 23rd Feb - Bootleggers, Kendal 

Fri 24th Feb - Star & Garter, Manchester (supporting Illustr8ors) 

Sat 25th Feb - Scruffy Murphys, Birmingham 

Fri 3rd March - The Underground, Stoke-on-Trent 

Sat 4th March - The Bronx, Carlisle  

We'll be promoting the new EP and will be joined by some amazing bands! Cheers guys :)