Interviews: AFTERTIME

We have had the opportunity to interview the  Cinematic Metal band AFTERTIME from the USA. 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? 

Brad: At first we were testing a couple different names, trying to find something that fit. We wanted a name that was fitting without being overly complicated; something that was easy to remember. During that time the word "aftertime" was found. We weren't completely sold on it as a name, until I made the first version of the band logo using it. Once we had that, we knew it was the right fit.

2. Why did you want to play this genre? 

Chris: From when I learned guitar to when the band formed, I went from classic rock, to 2000’s emo stuff, to modern metalcore, to symphonic metal. I could never predict my next evolution, but I’ve never been disappointed! 

Sarah: I was actually brand new to Symphonic Metal when I joined AfterTime. Up to that point, I listened to a lot of different stuff. My metal knowledge only came from the "Screamo" bands I enjoyed. But I also had a huge love for video game and movie soundtracks. At one time, I studied to be a video game composer. So when I heard the orchestral elements involved with Symphonic Metal, it felt like the perfect blend of my favorite genres! 

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

Brad: Not really, Chris and I met in 2011 only a few months before starting to write music together. We met AJ the following year when he auditioned to be our drummer. I knew of Sarah from college, but we hadn't really spoken. We found some video of her singing and asked her to join in late 2014. Lucas is the newest addition to the band. He auditioned to be our bass player in early 2020 and joined shortly after.

4. Each band member's favourite band? 

Brad: For the past couple of years my favorite has been Leaves Eyes. 

Lucas: Beast in Black. I don’t think they have written a bad song yet. 

Chris: It depends on the genre, but for symphonic metal, Epica has been at the top of my list for a while now. 

AJ: My favorite band of all time is Slipknot. I was raised learning from the drum patterns of Joey Jordison. May he rest in peace. 

Sarah: As a musician, it's hard to pick just 1 favorite band, but I always keep coming back to Nightwish.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs? 

Brad: In our music we find inspiration through stories and the art of storytelling. For our last full-length album "The Farthest Shore" we created a world of adventure that takes you from the first song all the way to the last. We were inspired by the ocean and sea-travel. We pull inspiration through mythology and history as well. 

AJ: I love music. Everything from playing drums, to audio production. Creating a new song or playing live on stage creates a feeling that I cannot explain.

6. Where was your last gig? 

Chris: Our latest gig was right here in Minneapolis at The Cabooze. We played with Seven Kingdoms, Aether Realm, and Plague of Stars. It was a great show, but Unleash the Archers, the touring headliners ran into issues getting across the US/Canada border and couldn’t make it.

7. Where would you like to act? 

Chris: We’ve never been too picky about any specific venue we play, but our goal is to play more shows farther from home, and into other countries as soon as we can! We have been asked many times when we are coming to the UK, Germany, Canada, and many more. We can’t get there quite yet, but hopefully soon! We have so many awesome fans to meet!

8. Whom would you like to feature with? 

Chris: We have gotten the opportunity to play with some awesome bands like Epica, Delain, and Hammerfall to name a few. But we'd love to play with all of them again, but we're still hoping to play with Nightwish, Within Temptation, Kamelot, Battle Beast, and any of our other favorite bands. 

Sarah: Its a personal dream of mine to record a cover of Phantom of the Opera with Tommy Karevik (from Kamelot), haha. Maybe someday!

9. Whom not? 

Brad: We don't have a blacklist of artists that we wouldn't work with. For us, the collaboration just needs to make sense. When it comes to having guest musicians we take a step back and make sure that this person(s) makes a good fit and the music is better for having another musician there.

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

Lucas: I used to get massive stage fright before shows. I would get nauseous and extremely anxious. My trick was to always eat chicken strips before a show because it would help settle my stomach. 

Chris: I’ve always been very uncomfortable in front of crowds. Whether it was speaking or presenting in front of an audience or on stage, I’d get shaky in my arms and voice. I’m still not a great speaker, but I’m definitely far more comfortable on stage than I used to be. I noticed that as soon as it was time to play, I had to play. Once I started focusing on my instrument, the shakes would go away. After 6 or 7 shows, I started seeing my anxiousness as excitement rather than nervousness and I was able to see the crowd as encouraging.

11. What bands have inspired you the most? 

Chris: We take a lot of writing inspiration from Epica, Delain, Leaves Eyes, but I personally like to pull from bands I've listened to for a long time like All that Remains and Avenged Sevenfold. 

AJ: Listening to multiple bands in other areas of metal has helped vary my drum playing throughout writing new songs.

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

Sarah: Luckily we haven't run into many weird interactions so far. I guess the one that comes to mind is when we were on tour in 2019. We played a show in Eugene, OR and there was someone in the crowd who was definitely under the influence of something. He kept heckling us as we were setting up and talking nonsense. At one point he said something like "Together we will all be one forever" and it sort of became a joke for us for the rest of the tour. I do hope that person is doing alright though.

13. What do you think of your fans? 

Chris: I respond to many of the emails we receive from our fans and I've only ever had great exchanges with them! When we're playing a show they're always very polite and wait patiently for their chance to get an autograph or talk with us. Our fans are amazing people who help us do what we do and we can't thank any of them enough!

14. What do you think of our site? 

Sarah: Music journalism sites are so important to helping a band reach new audiences. It feels like there aren't as many around as there used to be, so we appreciate everyone we connect with! I particularly enjoy your "Behind the Artwork" series as I love learning about the story behind album artwork!

15. Something to add?

Sarah: We're excited to release our EP, Infinite Legacy on November 5th! You can already find the music video for the title track on youtube: https://youtu.be/lylaIEQVRoU