Interviews: Subterranea

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Rock/Metal artist, Subterranea, from the 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?

It was a bit of both. I wasn’t really deciding on the name for too long. And it is a bit of a fusion between my interests in chthonic mythology and folklore associated with the underworld and IQ’s song “Subterranea”. I wanted something that would reflect my music ideologically and conceptually, so in a way, me hearing IQ blazing from my friend’s car is what gave me the final push.  

2. Why did you want to play this genre? 

This is an interesting question. I didn’t really “choose” the genre, genre kind of choose me in a way. I am a multi-instrumentalist and producer/audio-engineer, so I am familiar with a broad range of different arrangements and genres. Myself, I kind of exist in this strange space in between industrial and progressive metal (I used to be a promoter for electronic music and prog rock/,metal), yet my music is something completely different and does not reflect either very thoroughly. I guess my music and it’s genre expression is really a manifestation of me as a person and my interests/preferences and influences rather than me just deciding which genre I want to play in.

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

I sort of still don’t know myself very well ;) After I formed my solo project, it became a source of me exploring my own world in a sense, and it’s definitely a process. Some of the people I had a pleasure to play with live on a couple occasions I knew from the local scene.

4. Each band member's favorite band?

I am a solo musician, and I do everything, so I will just choose my top five: Chelsea Wolfe, Alcest, Opeth, Myrkur, Storm Corrosion.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

This is a very complicated process. I don’t get my inspiration from the same sources all the time. Sometimes I am inspired by my musical influences, sometimes I can be inspired by certain mythological or historical concepts or ideas, sometimes I create music as a response to someone’s music, and sometimes I create music to express my emotions. I generally am trying to reflect with my music on ideas I find resonant. My latest song that is still not released was inspired by me listening to Marillion’s Brave and imagining what it would be like if the character of the Brave would write the album from the perspective of her inner world rather than the perspective of her life (how Marillion imagined it).

6. Where was your last gig?

Tokyo, Japan. It was fantastic.

7. Where would you like to perform? 

I really wanted to play in Germany, but not sure if I still want to. I definitely like playing in remote places if I can. Returning to Hawaii would be amazing.

8. Whom would you like to perform with? 

Chelsea Wolfe, Opeth, or Alcest.

9. Whom not? 

I don’t have a black list, but any neo-nazi band would be there if I had it.

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

I might have had a couple of nervous episodes here and there, but I have been performing since I was 6 years old, and I used to lecture at the university, so I can practically sleep on stage if I have to. My tip would be that people who watch you play take you as you are with much less expectations and pressures than you put on yourself. It is hard to distance yourself from your mind on stage, but Nail Gaiman once gave this advice in his speech “Make Good Art”: if you have to do something and you find yourself unable to, imagine yourself to be someone who is able. That’s how I imagine myself sometimes to be Mikael Åkerfeldt or Diamanda Galas. Does wonders to your performance.

11. What bands have inspired you the most? 

There are a lot of inspirations; some of them are in sound, other - in concepts, and some - in lifestyle and musical goals. My more direct influences (when it comes to the sound) vary from Alcest (blackgaze) to Nightwish (symphonic metal), Diamanda Galas (I don’t hold back vocally very well) and Igorrr (production, genre fusion, operatic avant-garde singing). When it comes to inspiring musical concepts, it’s Opeth, some Steven Wilson, Porcupine Tree, Storm Corrosion, Marillion. When it comes to production or instrumentation it’s Camel, Dan Swano (Moontower, Witherscape). There’s a lot of influences, and they are intertwined with each other in surprising combinations and fusions.

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

I do not live a typical rock’n’roll lifestyle, so I don’t have any crazy stories. Besides, when you happen to be a woman solo musician, you get even less crazy stories. I had people stare me down, I had people trying to hit on me in hilarious ways, but those stories aren’t as much “weird” and “quirky” as they are harassy. So, to answer your question, for the most part, I have very respectful fans and I am very grateful.

13. What do you think of your fans?

I love my fans! :D

14. What do you think of our site? 

I love how the site is designed (pardon me, I am a UX Engineer by trade), which is better than 80% of the music sites that are out there, plus I love how diverse your content is - anywhere from Death Metal to Hard Rock.

15. Something to add?

Thank you for having me over!