Interviews: Rogue Awakening

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Hard Rock/Alternative Rock band, Rogue Awakening 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 did it just come out like that?

It’s a funny one as lots of people think it’s a Star Wars reference which wasn’t intentional! I think we liked the idea of a rogue, someone who is likable but a bit of a wrong ‘un. Then the Awakening part was linked to how the band started in lockdown and how a lot of people had been on this treadmill of just existing and not really questioning their life choices and whether they were happy or not. Then COVID happened and everyone’s normal life stopped and although it was not great in most ways it did allow some people to breathe and maybe change where their life was headed.

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

Well as you can probably tell from our older material we started out as hard rock but with this new release we are definitely in the Alt metal genre. A big change was Jordan coming into the band; he previously drummed for Bleed Again so has some serious metal pedigree! We love the hammering drums and chugging riffs but the core of our sound is Kimberley’s beautiful, soaring vocals.

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

It’s a real mix! Tom and Kimberley met a few years ago by chance as they used to live in the same street. Ollie and Nick have been friends since school and started their first band together. And finally, Jordan is Kimberley’s nephew!

4. Each band member's favorite band?

There are so many! All of us have quite different tastes in music all the way from Kate Bush to Cannibal Corpse! But I think this means we get a really interesting mix of ideas and influences in our music. We all take an active part in the creative process which is great as there isn’t a huge pressure on one individual and also means there is a variation to our songs depending on who came up with the original idea.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

It’s hard to pin it down to one thing. We all take an active role in songwriting which means our songs are all a little different depending on who came up with the original riff. But it’s great watching a song appear and become this tangible thing. Kimberley has a theory that all songs exist in the ether and it just takes a certain time for people coming together to find them and turn them into something real.

6. Where was your last gig?

Our last gig was at the Carlisle in Hastings. We were supporting Sacrilege which was amazing as they are one of the big NWOBHM bands and they were awesome and also really nice guys. Hastings has an amazing music scene at the moment and there are loads of exciting new bands coming out of there.

7. Where would you like to play?

The list is long and distinguished! We would love to play one of the big metal festivals like Download or Bloodstock and we are working hard to make that happen. We also love The Concorde 2 in Brighton as we’ve seen loads of great acts there and it’s an epic venue.

8. Who would you like to support?

Again there are so many! We love the strong female groups coming up in the UK like Vukovi, Marissa and The Moths, Wargasm. But we’d also love to support some of the legendary bands we grew up with like Skunk Anansie.

9. Who not?

No one springs to mind!  I think we’ve learned to approach live music with an open mind. There are a lot of bands that are not our genre but are amazing live and totally captivating.

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

I think we all have to a certain extent. A bit of nerves are good as it shows you care and gives you that energy you need on stage. In terms of beating it you just have to practice the hell out of your live set! You need to know the songs super well so you can relax and put on a show rather than just standing there playing.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

The list is massive! We all love Halestorm and Alter Bridge as we saw them live and their stage shows are unreal. We are also big fans of Spiritbox and Sleep Token as they have just blown the scene apart with really amazing but unique sounding music.

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

Kimberley has been asked for some interesting things by fans that we probably can’t repeat here! But often people just want to chat about the show or our music which we absolutely love.

13. What do you think of your fans?

Our fans are at the core of what we do and we love them. It’s so humbling when someone you don’t know comes to a show because they’ve listened to our music and wanted to see us live. Or when someone happens to be at a show we are playing but then becomes a fan and buys merch; it’s literally the best thing!

14. What do you think of our site?

We love Breathing the Core! You’ve supported us in the past and it’s so important to have somewhere that unsigned bands like us can get exposed to metal fans. So thank you for being awesome!

15. Something to add?

Just thanks again for chatting with us and a reminder to go and stream our new track Bloodflow out now. It’s an absolute beast of a song and we know you’ll love it!