By Kris Farrugia

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

I remember when I was still a toddler (early 90s), my elder cousins were pretty much in the metal scene with one of them proudly performing as supporting band when Iron Maiden performed in Malta. Going to visit them at home and seeing their rooms with posters, guitars, tapes and LPs ignited my first fires. Music seemed logical, in my head. It made sense. I recently also became a photographer and I can easily say that I would have shifted to photography much earlier in life if I hadn’t gotten into music.

What do you like to do when you’re not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

I love portraits photography and since I’m self-thought (same as with music), there’s always something new to learn, be it with editing or just learning new techniques. I’m also a huge anime fan and could spend days on days going through seasons! Massive Assassin’s Creed fan too; I must say, the franchise has influenced me a lot, be it musically or artistically. 

How long has your band been around?

We’ve been around since 2015, so 5 years.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

We’re currently based in Malta. Rather than being directly influenced, we tried to bring a strong image and a genre to the scene which was somewhat new or fresh to the local scene itself.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you.

Our strong will to never give up. All of us, as a band and on a personal level had struggles impeding us from reaching our goals but we had to be stronger than that. Our band name represents our resolve and a promise to each other to succeed.

Tell me about the best and worst shows you have played.

I personally have 2 ‘best shows’ to mention. First is definitely when we supported Lacuna Coil in Malta; I had been influenced by them in my early musical journey and scoring that gig felt indescribable. For the first time, I felt that we took a large step towards reaching our goal and making music a success. Second is obviously being invited to perform at the Hills of Rock Festival in Plovdiv in June, 2019. I was especially proud because at that point in time, we had only released 1 single with our current line up and current style. Being recognised in that way a reward in itself; having our names on the festival poster with giants such as Disturbed, Children of Bodom (Especially C.O.B.), Avatar and many more was the cherry on the cake. As regards to the worst show, I would say last New Year’s Eve. It was our first gig in Malta after Hills of Rock and I felt emotionally empty. Looking at the bright side, this gig made us realise how much we really need to relocate in order to have a better shot at success.

Tell me about your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you haven't already?

I don’t really have a favourite venue per se. To me, it is not the venue that makes the night, but the people present. I’ll happily play in any venue that can allow the band and the people present to have a blast of a night!

If you could play any show with any lineup who would be on the ticket?

Periphery, Children of Bodom, In Flames, Trivium. I’m not asking for much! haha

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band?

Be open with what your goals are. Make sure that you form a band with other members who share your same goal. It is ok to have different influences; it will help you get into something different in order to understand your band mates and vice versa. It is all part of the journey of turning the band into a family or a brotherhood. Challenge each other but always show utmost respect to each other. 

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

Learning to say no and stand my ground. And most of all, happiness is the key to living; money is the key to existing.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

They all mean something since they all represent one solid message: Our Own Demise (this is both one of our songs and the name of the Album). If I had to mention any in particular; then I would say Our Own Demise itself and Think Twice. Our Own Demise represents how mankind has destroyed earth… Think Twice is a strong message towards Suicide. But quite honestly, every single song has a really important message and thus, they all mean a lot.  

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

I love playing Last Tree On Earth; I am always able to let myself go with this song. Consume and Adapt is also really fun to play; very powerful and with a huge impact. Composing Madness (single issued in 2018) is a song which fans love to listen to and participate in!

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

The process changes every song, to be honest. But generally speaking, it would start with Matthew and I chilling away on the guitars until something sparks. We then decide to what direction we want to take with the song, musically and emotionally, and then start building a structure. Music inspires music; I’ve got my playlists which I always turn to; I will eventually start humming to something when I’m quiet and I’ll try it out and see how it goes.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

Awareness towards every individuals’ daily struggles, consciousness towards our environment and towards nature in general. We have one home and we’re ruining it. We need to act upon it and we’re trying to have a loud enough voice to encourage change or at least, improvement. If we all do a little bit to make the world a better place, then we can. Unfortunately, the world is full of selfish and money-driven people who couldn’t careless about all the damage that is being caused.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

We have plenty of disagreements, but quite frankly, what group of friends or family don’t have? Thankfully, we worked so much on our friendships that we all know how to treat each other; we know what our limits are, when to push buttons and when to draw a line. Arguments are healthy as long as respect and understanding is always present.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that's coming up?

I can definitely mention our upcoming single ‘Think Twice’ which we will be launching soon! As regards to plans for the future, we are working on relocating to Slovenia as soon as traveling is permitted again. This will allow us to tackle areas of Europe which we haven’t been able to perform, yet!