Interviews: SPELL

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Progressive Rock/Metal band SPELL, from Canada. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

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

We traded ideas back and forth for a few weeks in 2013 before ‘SPELL’ suddenly came to me as I was falling asleep. We knew it was perfect, and I was very surprised to find it unused. I immediately trademarked it!

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

What genre? Haha. We grew up on heavy metal and hard rock, but we listen to all kinds of music now – progressive, psychedelic, motown, blues, soul, jazz, classical, ambient, punk – you name it, we have it on vinyl! We call ourselves ‘hypnotizing heavy metal’ because we felt that nothing else quite fit. 3. Did you know each other before the band was formed? Cam and Al are brothers. We met Graham through the local music scene a few years before starting the band, and after 13 years of playing together (we started in 2007 under a different name), we are now a brotherhood of three. 4. Each band member favourite band? Impossible to say. We listen to so much different music all the time. Growing up, Cam and Al were completely obsessed with Iron Maiden, and Graham had a similar obsession for Rush. Nowadays, our favourite bands change every time we change the record! 5. Who or what inspires you to write songs? This is the most important question of all, isn’t it? If I knew the answer, I’d bottle it and make my fortune. We listen to a lot of music, spend a lot of time in nature, read a lot and travel as much as we can. I don’t know where the inspiration for specific melodies and moods in our songs come from, but I’ll often wake up in the middle of the night with an idea in mind. I couldn’t say where they come from – I can only imagine that they are gifts from beyond, from the subconscious, or from some more powerful force outside of myself. All I can do is capture them to the best of my ability. It is a great privilege to receive gifts like these and I treat them with the utmost of respect.

6. Where was your last gig?

Our last gig was in Vancouver with LUCIFER on their West Coast America tour. We were supposed to play more dates with them, but the Americans wouldn’t let us across the border. We have no criminal records or restrictions of any kind, and we had all the right paperwork with us – they just don’t like rock bands I guess.

7. Where would you like to act?

Where would we like to perform, you mean? Well, our European tour for this summer had to be cancelled because of the virus, so we’re trying to reschedule it for next summer. We’re looking forward to playing the Euro heavy metal festivals!

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

So many bands – we’d love to tour with our fellow Canadians FREEWAYS, SMOULDER or BLOOD CEREMONY, or our American friends IDLE HANDS. We loved touring with LUCIFER – European bands are great!

9. Whom not?

Haha. I won’t name any names… but we don’t like touring with very young bands who have no self control and get wasted drunk and go home with different girls every night. We’ve been on the road and partied hard for years. We have our vices, but we also like to perform our best. When certain bands have to make a big yelling, vomiting spectacle every night, it’s just selfish and egotistical. If you get sick on the 4th night of tour, you can’t put on a good show for those who paid to see you.

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

We still get the pre-show nerves, it never really goes away. If you’re confident in your music and rehearse enough, it’s usually OK. If you play a show and there’s a part in a song that makes you feel particularly uncomfortable or self-conscious, it’s probably because it sucks. Take it out.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

That’s a huge question. We each have thousands of records in our collection and listen to music all day everyday. In our early years, we were very inspired by bands like Judas Priest, Accept and Triumph. More recently, we’re listening to a lot of diverse music. Here is a list of some of Cam’s favourite albums at this particular moment:

Nina Simone - High Priestess of Soul

Fleetwood Mac - Future Games

The Devil’s Blood - Come Reap

Wishbone Ash - Argus

Beatles - Rubber Soul

Kate Bush - Hounds of Love

Genesis - Selling England By the Pound

Rush - Moving Pictures

Strawbs - Grave New World

Neu! - Neu!

King Crimson - In the Wake of Posiedon

Kraftwerk - The Man Machine

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

Some fans ask for weirdly personal items, like the plastic fork I ate dinner with, or the beer bottle I drank from. Why do they want these things? I don’t get it, it’s not about me, it’s about the music.

13. What do you think of your fans?

We’ve met so many great people on the road! People have treated us with great kindness and respect wherever we’ve gone, especially in Europe. It’s incredible. We can’t wait to get back out on the road again and meet more people.

14. What do you think of our site?

I hadn’t heard of it before. Didn’t know there were so many different kinds of ‘core.’ Which one are we?

15. Something add?

Yeah – listen to our new album! Sit down and listen to the whole thing. Twice. It will grow each time and you won’t regret it. There is magic in that music and you’ll know when you’ve found it.