interview with Ancient VVisdom
Have any of you played in other bands?
Yes i have been playing in bands since the age of 12, mostly punk, D beat, hardcore stuff.
I am currently in another band playing drums called INTEGRITY.
Also working on a new project that i can't really discuss yet.
How is it that you started playing music? I grew up in a musical family. my father still plays acoustic show doing Beatles songs and other rock n roll cover plus originals. I was raised on rock n roll. So i started quite young.
What are your names? / Who plays what? / How old are you? My name is Nathan, sing and play acoustic, I am 31 years closer to death and my brother Michael is 35 and plays electric guitar.
Have you had other previous members?
Yes we have a few line up changes over the years.
TA who now plays in GOATWHORE played bass in AVV for a few years.
Ribs from the band IRON AGE was playing acoustic guitar for a while and we have a drummer named Mitch for a couple tours.
We are all still good friends.
Did you make music even when you were young? absolutely but i didn't begin writing lyrics and songs until I formed ANCIENT VVISDOM.
Where are you from? I was born in cleveland ohio, the great land of CLE.
What year did the band form? I began writing songs for AVV in 2008 and had a few demos before i moved to Austin TX, then with the move I found a few friends who wanted to be in it and we went from there.
What's your style of genre? people call us a lot of things but the genre we fall under is OCCULT ROCK.
What inspires you? life and death, patterns in nature, drugs, people who I love, people who I despise. stuff like that.
How often and where do you rehearse? I play my guitar every day, wherever I am i can rehearse all i need is my guitar and my voice.
How have you developed since you started with the music? well once you begin a project it begins taking a form of it's own and I just let it be. I write what comes out naturally in the vein of what my intended message to the world is.
Do you have other interests of work outside the band? I work at a recording studio in Austin Texas called the Diamond Factory , i help find bands that need solid recordings without spending thousands of dollars of their own money. We are also building guitar pedals which will be launched in the next year or so if all goes according to plan.
Are you looking for a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that? we have worked with a few agencies here and there. some great some really really shitty. It's all a big racket which I can barely stand anymore. I'm not the kinda guy who kisses ass and plays the game, which is 90% of the music industry. so I do whatever i feel is right.
Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that? we have been working with MAGIC BULLET RECORDS for a few years now. they have treated us very well where other labels have failed us. So I plan on remaining with them unless by some freak chance some other label offers me a chance to expand.
What made you decide to make this music? To be honest, which i always am in interviews, I was (and still am) in a very dark place in my mind. searching for some sort of purpose with the music and the message that i project to the world. these things can't always be explained, but i think the decision came from rejecting a fall into a "normal" lifestyle and routine which put me in the dark place to begin with. Society as a whole is quite disappointing and most people disgust me.
What are your songs about? they are all happy little numbers about death, destruction, humanity, accepting your fate, living your life, rejecting society, loss of faith, and finding no true source of love in this world full of hate.
Who does the composing and writes the lyrics? I do. I am ANCIENT VVISDOM.
Do you start with the music or the lyrics? Depends on the song. some songs begin with a thought that becomes a lyric then i write a riff that is suiting. Other songs I write a riff and hear the lyrics unfold.
Do you compose in a certain environment? Mostly in my room and in my mind.
Have you done any covers live? I haven't done any covers ever. Not saying that i never will, just haven't yet.
What language do you sing in? English language which is unfortunately the only language i know.
What are the least and most people to attend one of your gigs? our largest shows were probably in Holland ROADBURN 2012, INFERNO FEST Oslo in 2012, and all the shows with GHOST, our humble beginnings were probably the least but the most memorable and special times for me.
What ages are most of your concert attendants? All over the board. younger kids come with their parents and the parents dig the band too, so it's hard to say.
Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary? I always play a different set list. it keeps it interesting for the audience and for myself. I also switch up what type of instrumentation I have live. So one show might be full band, drum kit, electric guitars and other shows all acoustic.
Do you have a regular place you play live often? Not really, I live to move around.
What was your first gig like? It was in 2010 with IRON AGE and a band called SUN GOD from Austin TX , we had a great set, with two guitars and vocals, very minimalist which I love.
What was your latest gig? Last gig was a few months back with the singer of INTEGRITY's other project VERMAPRYE, which was in baltimore. I played acoustic guitar and had a chain locked to my ankle which i used to stomp on a suitcase for percussion and my brother Micael played electric guitar. good times.
Have you had to cancel a gig? Yeah there have been a few instances where i was forced to bail out. These things happen and they are sometimes very personal.
Where have you played live this year? Cleveland Baltimore Columbus Chicago New York LA SF all over the US and CANADA.
Where do you plan to gig the comming year? It all depends on offers we get. I don't go seeking these things out. never have. If something cool presents itself, cool, if not, cool.
When did you start to sell merchandise, and what do you have for sale? We had our first release with Charles Manson and with they we printed
Where can people buy your merchandise? At our shows or at MAGIC BULLET records.
What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records now a days? fuck it they are going to do it anyway, i think the industry just needs to evolve and think of ways to give back to the artists who put their time and money into being creative and not following the herd.
How do you think the music industry have changed because of this? It has put the power in the hands of the individuals, the industry has changed, the world has changed, we all need to fucking change.
What do you think of my work? Great stuff. Don't mind these questions so that's good.
How do you think and know that this interview will help you in the music business? I have no clue haha but I'm always happy to answer questions to people who give a shit about what i am doing , so thank you!
Do you have any role models or idols? Not exactly , i don't idolize anyone or anything, but i have mad respect for artists like ROKY ERICKSON ( whom i just say perform the evil one record...amazing), DANZIG, KING DIAMOND, artists who do their own thing their own way and don't give a fuck about what the industry or the public thinks.
Why do you think that they exist? They exist to be gods of this world where most people are worshippers.
Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today? From both I'd say, I like a lot of old bands, I like a lot of new bands. there are inspirational things to be said about both.
What have been your biggest obstacles? Financial bullshit mostly, it's expensive to be in a band, but it's what i love to do so i put what little i have back into and push forward.
What advice would you give other bands or artists? if you are any good and people like what you do keep with it. if you are no good try harder or just stop not everybody was meant to be in a band.
How do you get psyched for a gig? Warm up the voice, strum a few chords, smoke a J if i have it and then off to the stage. our sound is more about getting in the right mood or zone then getting pumped up.
Do you have any new material? I am recording our 4th full length currently and when I'm inspired i write.
What are your web sites? www.facebook.com/AVVFB
How can people reach you? you can find a contact on our FB page.
Do you have something to add? Thank you for your interview. keep it going.
