Interviews: Ofnus

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Black Metal band, Ofnus 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?

This one took a fair bit of thought, as lots of good and inventive ideas for band names are often taken, and we wanted something short, memorable and fitting for the music that we could begin to build an identity around as well as make a prospective logo designer’s job easier!

Ofnus is the Welsh word for "fearful, apprehensive, scared", and we felt that this definitely fit the bill for us for the above reasons, as well as having that more abstract element as it isn't in plain English. Whilst we’re not the most steadfastly patriotic of folk, this did allow us a small tie to our heritage.

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

The fluidity and malleability of the genre are probably what drew us to it the most. The ability to express the full gamut of emotion freely, from intensity to beauty. We can be heavy, we can be melodic, and we have the opportunity to connect with the listener in a variety of ways and tap into elements of other genres whilst still capturing the musical nuances and tropes of Black metal. There’s an awful lot you can achieve with classical training within the genre, and that is a really appealing prospect for us to work within our vision as a band.

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

Some of us knew each other well and others just knew of each other. The South Wales underground circuit is fairly compact so we were all connected from having shared the stage at some point, and with the band having been built with a core tenet of involving capable, like-minded and motivated musicians, it became easy to just ask each other to get on board with the project rather than having to go through the arduous process of recruiting someone we didn't know which can often feel like a bit of a lottery.

4. Each band member's favourite band?

Alyn- Too difficult to pick just one, but Opeth is always a solid go-to! Ethan- Same conundrum, but in our genre probably Soul Dissolution Will- Same as Alyn. Opeth. Rich- difficult to choose but recently I've really been enjoying Shylmagoghnar and Falkenbach. I love the atmosphere they create and the fact I can close my eyes and feel like I'm not in the room listening to them, but I'm somewhere else. James- Has to be Imperium Dekadenz for me, great atmosphere and melodies through every release.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

We draw inspiration from lots of places. Nature, artwork, other musicians, literature, video games, movies - anywhere where a level of emotion can be drawn from the subject is an opportunity for us to find a spark to light a flame of inspiration with if you’re open to it. Then sometimes you just get lucky and a melody just finds its way to you out of the blue when picking up the guitar, so we don’t tend to follow any kind of structure for finding inspiration - just let it happen naturally.

6. Where was your last gig?

We recently headlined a Metal 2 The Masses quarter-final heat in Swansea for our 4th live show. Part of this was to traverse a bit more of our locale to get them familiar with us as a new band (albeit with experience under our belts) and also to promote our upcoming Bloodstock Open Air performance on the New Blood stage. They were a great crowd and we would love to come back.

7. Where would you like to act?

Mainland Europe is the goal, whether it's festivals or a tour. The genre we have chosen is somewhat saturated but it is very appreciated on the continent, and anything that gets us performing further afield and seeing different cities would be a real dream for us.

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

Ultimately we’re happy performing to anyone who is receptive to our music, but of course, there’s something of a wishlist of bands to perform with at some point. Fellow UK bands Winterfylleth, Fen, SAOR are amongst these as well as Soul Dissolution, Agalloch, Can Bardd, Imperium Dekadenz and our label-mates Grima. Many of these names have been instrumental in us finding the building blocks for the sound that we want to create, and performing with them one day would hopefully be a great way to prove that we can become more than homage.

9. Whom not?

That’s a much shorter list. We suppose that the easiest answer is any band that has dubious social or political connections, as we don’t have stock in that. Our goal with the band is to write music that people enjoy and not get wrapped up in anything beyond that. Call us “drama-averse” if you want, but we are here to create and perform music, and we wouldn’t want to associate ourselves with any distractions from that.

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

All of us are experienced performers with a history in other bands, so it’s not something that most of us can remember! I guess that’s a testament to the best solution that we could offer though - experience. Keep performing at shows and keep throwing yourself in the deep end. You’ll get used to it and hopefully, even thrive on it. Even the biggest shows that way just gets viewed as opportunities to impress and share your craft rather than daunting events. Don’t be intimidated, embrace the opportunity.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

Avoiding writing a list that’s too long, the stand-out ones for us are typically bands that also express a wide variety of emotions within complex musical structures. SAOR, Can Bardd, Drudkh, Grima, Opeth, and Fen, to name a few. Bands that can enthuse melody, passion and intensity through their songwriting will always get listening time from us.

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

Nothing too crazy just yet, at least not in this band! We did have fans asking for autographs on our first show which was 240 miles away from our home city so that was novel, but not weird as such!

13. What do you think of your fans?

Bearing in mind that we are currently only 4 live shows into our lifetime as a band, our fans are often very vocal and very loyal. It’s something we’re familiar with some other bands we have performed in but in the UK at least, if someone becomes a new fan of yours, they really do stick by you. We cannot appreciate them enough and we sincerely thank them for their support - it’s a big motivator.

14. What do you think of our site?

We are always in favour of any site that proactively supports underground music in getting a foothold in the industry or more importantly just in sharing their passion. Every band has a core goal in mind, and that is to have the fruits of their labour heard. You’re helping bands do that - so we appreciate you and your time immensely!

15. Something to add?

Cliche as it might sound, with all sincerity we want to thank everyone who has been involved at any level with us for their patience, their appreciation, and their support. It has all been immeasurably helpful in making our plans of getting this project going a reality, and we hope that we have repaid that show of faith with a record that makes them proud.