Interviews: Anthea

This is a new interview with the Symphonic Metal band Anthea from the USA. Check out the entire interview and give them a follow on their FACEBOOK PAGE. 

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

Funny enough, Anthea was never intended to be a band. I (Diego Valadez) just wanted to record some songs that I had written for fun. So I invited some of my long-time musician friends to a studio and we put together a short EP. I didn’t want to just use my own name as the name for the project so I decided to create a fake band name. As a fan of Greek mythology, I just took the name Athena and moved some letters around to create Anthea. I actually didn’t realize at the time that Anthea was a fairly common woman’s name. It was our drummer (Peter Vasquez) who had the idea to put together a permanent band lineup and start performing those songs live under the new band name.

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

We’re all fans of all kinds of music, even beyond metal, but we all have a passion for the more melodic side of the metal world. Power, symphonic, melodic death, etc. We also love movie scores by composers like Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman, John Williams, and so on. The kind of symphonic metal that we make is really an amalgamation of all of the music that has influenced us throughout our careers. 

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

Yes, we’ve actually known each other since we were teenagers for the most part. Peter Vasquez and I (Valadez) played in a local power metal band called Ice Storm when we were both 14. We played house parties throughout Los Angeles for all 4 years of high school. Another band that was big on the local scene, one which we would play many of the same parties with, was a melodic death metal band called Harpokrate. The two guitarists of that group were none other than Anthea’s Juan Pina and Marcos Mejia. We did have a different bass player in the early days of Anthea but things simply didn’t work out there. We posted an ad on Facebook that we were looking for a new bass player and Eric “EJ” Guerrero immediately stuck out from the crowd because of his similar musical influences. We invited him to audition and were amazed not only by his abilities as a bass player but how naturally he fit into the group personality-wise.

4. Each band member's favorite band?

Diego Valadez: Nightwish

Juan Pina: Evergrey

Marcos Mejia: Children of Bodom

Eric “EJ” Guerrero: Rammstein

Peter Vasquez: Hangar

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Inspiration can really come from anywhere. Life moments, dreams, history, poetry, science, movies, you name it. Usually, the music comes first. Lyrics are usually then either a reflection of what I was envisioning when writing the music, however, sometimes the idea of the lyrics changes entirely if the music ends up giving off a different feel than I originally intended. Really, I just try to let things happen naturally.

6. Where was your last gig?

We just performed at the Viper Room in Hollywood, California this past weekend as we’re doing this interview. It was such a fun gig with some amazing newer bands including Novareign, Through the Oculus, Vintersea, and Graveshadow. We were so glad to be able to play at that historic venue again, probably for the last time as it is scheduled to be demolished later this year from what I understand.

7. Where would you like to act?

There are so many countries that we would love to go to but without a shadow of a doubt, one day we would love to perform in Japan!

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

Personally, the first concert I ever attended as a fan was Sonata Arctica in Anaheim, California. I feel like things would come full circle if we one day were to share a stage together.

9. Who not?

Anyone who’s an asshole.

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

I remember always being terrified before going on stage for my first few years of playing music. My leg would shake uncontrollably, sometimes for the entire set. Eventually, I started to get more and more relaxed and realized that, although I always strive to put on the best show possible, hitting a wrong note once or twice isn’t the end of the world. It’s totally natural to feel nervous before going on stage, but always remember that the feeling of getting to perform the music you love for others is one of the greatest feelings in life, and is well worth feeling some jitters in the beginning.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

So many! Iron Maiden, Metallica, Nightwish, Sonata Arctica, Children of Bodom, Kamelot, Angra, and so on and so on! I can go in-depth but then we’d be here all day!

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

How to be more of a Disney princess. I tend to get along well with animals, and sometimes post them on my Instagram story. I wish I had some advice but it really just feels natural. Just be kind to the critters.

13. What do you think of your fans?

Everyone that I’ve met has been great! I truly believe artists attract what they put out to the world, and we always try to spread messages of positivity. So far, all of the fans that we’ve met have been some of the kindest, most down-to-earth people out there!

14. What do you think of our site?

I was actually looking through your site and I noticed that you have a lot of info and interviews from bands that I’m both familiar with, and that is completely new to me! As someone who loves discovering new bands, I think it's great!

15. Something to add?

First, thank you for having us! To those reading this, we hope you check out our new album Tales Untold. If you’re into something theatrical, cinematic, and melodic, it might just be up your alley! A wish takes flight!

Rockshots.eu | Antheametal.com | Facebook.com/antheametal | Instagram.com/antheametal Album pre-order CD - https://bit.ly/TalesUntoldCD Vinyl - https://bit.ly/TalesUntoldVINYL