Interviews: SUNBEAM OVERDRIVE

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Progressive Metal/Alternative Rock band, SUNBEAM OVERDRIVE from France. 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?

« Sunbeam Overdrive » is a song from one of Tom’s former projects, about speed racing records established at Lake Bonneville (Utah, USA). « Sunbeam » is one of the car brands that were involved, and « Overdrive » hints at the blinding sun reflecting upon the endless horizons of the salty lake.

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

We all grew up listening to bands like Tool, Soundgarden, Rage Against the Machine, Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, David Bowie, Meshuggah, Fu Manchu, The Beatles, Devin Townsend, Deftones, Porcupine Tree, Down, Corrosion Of Conformity, Dillinger Escape Plan, Chevelle, Filter… So it felt pretty natural for us to express ourselves through music that blends the richness and sophistication of prog with the savage tones of 90s alternative rock.

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

Basically, Bruno and Karim met Tom when they went recording at his studio with their respective bands at the time, and Laurent has been around for a long time in the professional music scene of France’s South. So we all knew each other before the band was formed, and Tom picked the other three members because he thought they were the right choice when Sunbeam Overdrive was created.

4. Each band member's favorite band?

That’s definitely not an easy one, but game on: Tom could say Pantera, Karim goes for Alice in Chains, Bruno picks Meshuggah, and Laurent adds Black Crowes.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Our inspiration may be autobiographical, philosophical, or political more broadly, yet we wouldn’t label ourselves as an « activist » band. Let’s say that we use our music to channel strong emotions that we sometimes struggle to deal with, and whether through the music itself or through the lyrics, our greatest achievement is to know people can sense and share the same feelings.

6. Where was your last gig?

In our hometown of Marseille, south of France, with our homies from Kvark (instrumental prog metal)!

7. Where would you like to act?

Everywhere we can and everywhere we can’t. Nothing stops Sunbeam, and we’re on to bring our Mediterranean sun wherever they need it: the UK, Germany, Netherlands, Scandinavia, you name it!

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

Wherever we go when we die, we’d love to find Chris Cornell and David Bowie for a tasty jam.

9. Whom not?

We’re confident we could make any feature with anyone really cool, even the most unexpected!

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

Not really, or maybe a freaking long time ago… but one thing is for sure, be it for stage fright or more generally musical and stage performance: practice is good but there is no better training than hitting the stage time and time again until it becomes your own playground. Also, Tom loves playing barefoot because it makes him feel like he’s in his room… so maybe that could help beginners with stage fright!

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

Well, we kind of gave that answer earlier in the interview, but here are another few: Gojira, Karnivool, Mastodon, Periphery, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Car Bomb, Alter Bridge, Sleep Token…

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

Nothing’s weird to a metalhead…

13. What do you think of your fans?

Our fans have been consistently supportive, even before we released any music, they believed in what we were and what we were planning to do. So now we are on our way to adding new fans to share our music with!

14. What do you think of our site?

A well-fed music news website with a wide audience; covering several genres with interviews and reviews: that’s how a music site should look like so keep up the good work! Props for the possibility to navigate through specified sections such as countries, genres, track-by-track, behind the artwork, etc.