interview with HOLLOWMIND
What´s the name of your band? HOLLOWMIND
When/how was the band formed? The band was formed in 1993 in São Paulo, Brazil. All of us (five, at the time) were either school friends or neighbors.
Who does what in the band? Roberto Gutierrez (bass and vocals), Alexandre Silveira (guitars) and Felipe Gomes (drums).
Could you explain your music to someone that haven't heard you? It’s a mix of classic Metal and Progressive Rock. We sound like Queensryche, Fates Warning and Rush.
What genre do you feel you are? If some kind of label is required, we are definitely Prog Metal. However we stray a little bit from the “virtuoso” side of things, and try to focus on writing good songs – with complexity, creativity and melodic intent.
Have you made any albums? “Soundscape of Emotions” (2007) / “The Cardinal Factor”(2014).
Do you write your own material or mainly covers? We primarily write original material, but will eventually throw in a couple of covers in our live shows (like “Dreamline” from Rush and “Flash of the Blade” from Iron Maiden).
Who writes your songs? I (Roberto) write the songs – both music and lyrics –, and the guys (Felipe and Alexandre) help me a lot with the arrangements.
What are your songs about? Our last CD (“The Cardinal Factor”) is a concept album on the symbology of cardinal numbers. That is, the lyrics of song #1 are about Individuality, the attribute most commonly connected to that number; for the same reason, song #2 is about Union; and so on, until song #10 (actually #0), which is about Nothingness.
What's the first step when making a new song? It depends a lot. Sometimes it’s a piece of melody or a riff. Lyrics usually come last.
Name two of your own songs you like at the moment? “Even Shares of Gold” / “On the Wings of Ruin”
Do you have any clips on YouTube? We made a video for one of the songs off our last album. It’s called “Bitter Words”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMZpU7gpVqc
How old are you? What got you started in music? We’re all in our late 30’s. Like most Brazilian metalheads of that age, I got started with Kiss first, and soon with a handful of Metal/Rock bands that played the historical first edition of the Rock in Rio festival: Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Queen, Yes, Ozzy Osbourne, Scorpions and Whitesnake.
At what age did you start playing? I started playing bass guitar at the age of 8.
How old were you when you first stood on stage? I was 14, in a gig with a previous band called MISERY.
What was the ambitions of the band when you started? To play cover versions of our favorite bands at the time, like Iron Maiden, Metallica and Megadeth. Later on, we got a bit more serious about making our own music.
Where was your first gig? The band’s first gig was in a “battle of the bands”-like festival in the São Paulo area, 1994.
And the latest gig? In a metal club in São Paulo, at the end of the tour supporting our first album. We’re about to start the shows for our new album, “The Cardinal Factor”.
Best gig you've played? At the local qualifiers for Wacken Metal Battle, 2009.
Is it always the same songs live? We try to change the setlist a bit from show to show – makes it much more exciting for the band and fans.
How often / where do you rehearse? Weekly, at a studio facility in São Paulo.
What are the plans for the rest of the year? We expect to play more shows in our country and release a couple of new videos.
What are your goals with your music now? We just want to reach as many ears and hearts as possible.
Who are your sources of inspiration? As a bass player: Steve Harris, Geddy Lee, Cliff Burton, Geezer Butler and Chris Squire. As a vocalist: Bruce Dickinson, Dio, Geoff Tate, Michael Kiske and Steve Perry.
What do you feel is the best live band you've seen? The biggest Metal/Rock bands have built their career on the road, so it’s no surprise that they’re still the best acts to watch. If I were to cast a festival, my headliners would be Iron Maiden, Metallica, Kiss and Rush.
Besides your own music, what genres and artists do you listen to? Besides Metal and Prog, I also listen to a lot of Classical (i.e. Bach), Jazz (Miles Davis), Pop (Daft Punk) and Brazilian Music (Chico Buarque).
How do you feel about the downloading of music instead of buying albums? As a music fan, I’d rather buy the album (vinyl or CD). I think the whole “music product” includes artwork, package, lyrics, technical info, etc. To me, the sensorial experience of handling a physical work of art is sort of magical. But as an artist, I understand that the digital distribution is the new norm – and I’m fine with it.
What do you work with outside of the band and the music? We don’t make a living of music, unfortunately, so we have our regular jobs. I’m an Engineer. :)
How important are your fans? Well, they’re are the foundational reason why we try to bring the music within to the outside world. This is as true as never in the Digital Age, with social networks shortening the distance between artists and fans.
What advice would you like to give other bands? I’m not sure we’re in the best of positions to give any advice... But I think that any band should: (a) be as honest as possible as to their music; and (b) try and engage with their fans from day one. And still – there is a long, long way to go.
Do you have any webpages? www.hollowmind.com.br
