interview with Soulforged
Have any of you played in other bands? Yeah, actually I play in other band called “Death of the roses” a prog rock band. Our drummer Adielson Lima play in ITEP band something likes Metalcore, and the guitar play in a orchestra called “Orquestra Amstad”.
How is it that you started playing music? Well, I started to sing a twelve years ago, but not professionally. I was like sing my favorite songs of heavy metal and I have my first band in 2009 called Pureless Divine. My first instrument was a bass, and I started to play a seven years ago.
What are your names? / Who plays what? / How old are you? I have 26 years old. The actual lineup of Soulforged is: me (Renée Costa – Vocals); Weslley Ferreira (Guitars); Tércio de Oliveira (Bass) and Adielson Lima (Drums)
Have you had other previous members? Yeah. We had past members. We had a special participation of a great friend of mine, Augusto Matias, bassist of the heavy metal band called Thunder Steel. He was in the beginning with us in pre-productions and recordings because in the beginning we don’t had a bassist. Beyond he, we had Antônio Jr (Keyboards) and Thayrone Brandão (Guitars).
Did you make music even when you were young? Oh yeah. Since that I knew the heavy metal, I has dream with my own band with own songs. When I watched bands like Blind Guardian, Iron Maiden, Rhapsody (now Rhapsody of Fire) and Angra (beautiful band from my country) I think: “I want to do this!”. So we are trying to do our job, trying record a CD and more events to consolidate the band name in the country and disclose in exterior.
Where are you from? Well, I’m from Brazil. My country is immense and I live in a small city in northeast called Natal. Beautiful city with great beaches. You should know it!
What year did the band form? In 2009. We were friends and all of them had the desire to form a heavy metal band with good songs.
What's your style of genre? We play progressive metal with something of power metal.
What inspires you? Well, you speaks about bands? Influences? I understand like this. So, essentially inspires me Dream Theater, Symphony X, Andromeda, Balance Of Power, Seventh Wonder and Neal Morse.
How often and where do you reherse? Before, we rehearsed in my home because I had a studio. But, actually we rehearse in studios of friends.
How have you developed since you started with the music? Well, about music I’m working in other band . Personally I work with computer maintenance and I’m completing my mechanical engineering course.
Do you have other interests of work outside the band? Oh yes. My dream should be work only with music, with heavy metal. But in my country it’s too hard. So, I dream too in work with engineering, mechanical engineering. I’m fighting for this!
Are you looking for a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that? Yes, that would be good! We want to live of music, this is a dream of all. But, we know that is hard. But we keep hopeful. We have a demo and we are searching for contacts, for some kind of help. We hope someone is interested in our music.
Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that? Yes. Would be important for us, for our objectives. We hope reach it.
What made you decide to make this music? The dream of everybody is work with what like. I like heavy metal specially the progressive metal. All of members like prog metal are fans. Then, it was easy.
What are your songs about? Our songs speaks about life, inner strength, injustice….. reflections about life.
Who does the composing and writes the lyrics? Well, the composition process is democratic. Anyone can write or composing a song. What we like to do is that in all of songs, all of them can participate with your influences, including your marks in the song.
Do you start with the music or the lyrics? Generally, I start with the music. In some moment, I feel something.. a thinking, a memory, a pain… and based in this, I construct a melody and I start to write the lyrics.
Do you compose in a certain inviroment? Ah, not necessary be in a specific inviroment. But generally I like to do this alone in my home… in bedroom or living room, but isn’t a rule. I was compose melodies in bus, in my car, in bathroom.
Have you done any covers live? Oh, yes. In our setlist we played Rainmaker (Iron Maiden); I Want Out (Helloween); Metal Breed (Rob Rock); These Walls (Dream Theater). We change the covers from show to show, but we always play covers of our favorite bands.
What language do you sing in? English. Always..hehe!
What are the least and most people to attend one of your gigs? It’s always enough.
What ages are most of your concert attendants? Generally, young boys. Between 18 and 32.
Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary? We vary to give the surprise effect in our fans. Sometimes we play Iron Maiden, other Helloween, other Hangar (Brazilian band).
Do you have a regular place you play live often? Yeah. Generally we play in DoSol Rock Bar in my city.
What was your first gig like? The first show was in DoSol in 2011. A big event with the biggest bands of heavy metal of the city. Beautiful!
What was your latest gig? Well, a long time. The last show of Soulforged was in February of 2012, in DoSol.
Have you had to cancel a gig? No.
Where have you played live this year? I don’t played live in this year. Because Soulforged was split up and my new band has started recently.
Where do you plan to gig the comming year? To gigs, there’s no plan to the comming year. We want to record one more album. We don’t know yet if will be a demo or EP or full-length, but we’ll focus in record songs in 2016. The same will happens with Death of the Roses, my new band.
When did you start to sell merchandise, and what do you have for sale? Actually, we have our demo called “The Time is Gone” and a “coletanea” from “Rock Soldiers” with many Brazilian bands that the most people don’t know, but have quality. We plan to release shirts in 2016.
Where can people buy your merchandise? Actually, people can contact us through our official e-mail ([email protected]), in our facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/soulforgedprog/) or in our youtube page.
What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records now a days? I think inevitable. The bands need to find a way to survivor. If someone get stop to illegal downloads, there’s the youtube with videos of live performances. So, people can download the videos, extract audio and sell or upload songs to download. The growers need to invest in new bands, authorial bands and help to spread the job. I guess that tools like the crowdfunding will be the future door to the music.
How do you think the music industry have changed because of this? I guess that artists are more interested in live shows, because it is yet the better way. I don’t see the music industry doing something to change this, because is too hard to change. The crowdfunding is a beautiful tool, the media marketing, marketing in social network, video clips, are good tools to explore. In my opinion, better than invest in a big CD production.
What do you think of my work? I think so cool. Would be much better to the metal scene if more people like you could help or only disclose the job. I stayed happy for your interest and I ask you can continue your job. It’s important for us.
How do you think and know that this interview will help you in the music business? I’m not sure exactly. But because the interview is in English language and because will be released in Sweden, maybe someone can look at us and help us.
Do you have any role models or idols? In life, my dad. In music a have singers like Bruce Dickinson, Michael Kiske, Jorn Lande, Ronnie Dio, Andre Matos, Michael Sweet
Why do you think that they exist? I think that they exist to be example, models of perfection, someone we should see them and try be like him.
Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today? I guess that’s possible to find inspiration in anything. There’s many good things and older bands and many cool things and active bands.
What have been your biggest obstacles? Well, obstacles always will exist. But my biggest obstacles in my life was the death of my dad, It’s something hard to forget. In music, I guess that was administrate the people, keep the objectives of the band, search to work professionally. A band is a family, and the biggest challenge is keep everybody in a same objective, because this is a way to grow up the band.
What advice would you give other bands or artists? I could say to all that they could invest in feeling, emotion, melodies. Today we see many bands interested only in technical demonstration. Maybe so, there are not so many striking songs.
How do you get psyched for a gig? I try to think in our songs, in the public, in try to give all of me in the show. Generally, I stay much electric, pure adrenaline… It’s the better sensation of the world.
Do you have any new material? Actually not New material maybe in 2016.
What are your web sites?
How can people reach you?Through the band official email ([email protected]) or my own email ([email protected])
What are your plans for the future? Record new songs with my bands, return to gigs .
Do you have something to add? Keep dreaming. Dream is the fuel of the soul.
