Interviews: Skies Turn Black

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Metal band, Skies Turn Black, from the UK. 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?

George: It comes from a track by UK band Malefice, who we were super in to, back in the day. They have a song called “As The Skies Turn Black”. It really was as simple as “that sounds cool, let’s go with that!”

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

Jamie: For me it was when I got my hands on Trivium’s album Ascendancy. It came out when I was 10, and it completely blew me away.

Xander: My introduction to metal was actually through meeting Jamie. As a classically trained Pianist, my only experience of the genre was the Nickelback CD my Mum listened to religiously (which was sick). I was fortunate enough to be educated.

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

Jamie: I met George the day he came to audition, at that point I knew of him, but only as a friend of a friend. We knew Danny from uni, but only got close to him when he joined the band in 2014. I knew Rob and Xander for a couple of years before they joined, and had known for a while that they’d be a great fit, and they’d been introduced to George and Danny at several of our gigs before they were hired.

4. Each band member favourite band?

Jamie: Dragonforce

George: Avenged Sevenfold

Xander: Symphony X

Danny: Rush

Rob: Dragonforce

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Jamie: Often the first thing that happens with a new song is George or Xander will come to me with a basic idea, like a riff of a chord sequence or something. I’ll then play around with it for hours and hours, often into the early hours of the morning until I’ve developed it into a more fleshed out song. It’s been great having more people part of the writing process this time around.

6. Where was your last gig?

Jamie: Our last gig was at The Parish - Huddersfield. It’s definitely my favorite venue to play in, the owners are great to work with and the crowd’s always brilliant. They’ve relocated since lockdown, and I can’t wait to see what they’ve done with their new building.

7. Where would you like to play?

Jamie: I’d really love to play at any of the big festivals in the UK or Europe: Download, Bloodstock, or Wacken, in particular, would be awesome.

Xander: I wanna tour Japan, dude. The metal scene seems really cool over there, and I think we’d go down well.

8. Who would you like to support?

Jamie: A big one for me would be Dragonforce, they’ve been a favourite of mine for so many years now, and I think we’d do a great job of warming up a crowd for them.

Xander: Yeah I agree, they also tend to tour smaller, more intimate venues which I love playing in.

9. Who not?

Rob: Someone really big like Metallica or Iron Maiden because support bands rarely get a chance to shine amongst the crowd with them.

Jamie: Yeah I agree, you see some younger bands get treated awfully when they’re supporting larger bands, I think sometimes fans can get pretty elitist towards them.

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

Rob: Yes, a little. Get a beer down you, make sure you’re feeling the buzz and wear some dope stage clothes. Makes me feel powerful!

Danny: Choreograph your set so you know what you are doing and when, the more well planned your set is, the more comfortable you will be feeling on stage til the point you don't even think about it

George: It’s very important to practice setting up. Knowing exactly what you need to do to prepare for the set, knowing where plug sockets are, what gear you are using, where you are going to stand etc goes a long way in relaxing you into the gig

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

Jamie: In terms of writing, it’d have to be Avenged Sevenfold and Dragonforce, the two bands are quite different but I love both of their styles, and their composition influences mine immensely. As a guitarist my biggest inspiration is Jeff Loomis, of Nevermore. He taught me a lot about technique, but also about proper phrasing and musicality.

Rob: "Follow the Cipher" and "Brothers of Metal" are some fantastic inspiration for me and my current tastes and playing. 

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

Jamie: Nothing too crazy, but definitely the weirdest fan experience I’ve had was getting recognized at Bloodstock and asked to sign stuff. This was before our first album was out, and we weren’t playing the festival. Turns out he’d been following us from our gigs around the Manchester area for a while. It was definitely a shock to be recognized so far away from home.

13. What do you think of your fans?

Our fans are awesome. There’s nothing better than playing a show and having the whole room scream the words back at us. Songs like No Place Like Home are always great for that.

14. What do you think of our site?

You’re doing a great job of promoting younger bands, we really appreciate everything you guys do!

15. Something to add?

Make sure to check out our new single “The Silence” on September the 18th!