Interview by: Nkro
Ahh, the first interview of 2011... Coming to a Canadian city near you, Unleash The Archers!! Soon to be a house hold name for Metal
bands in Canada. Playing a devastating style of technical thrash with a touch of Death Metal. Currently in the studio recording their
follow up release to their impressive debut Behold The Devastation. We got a chance to catch up with Brittney Hayes (vocals) to see
what we can expect from the up and coming new UTA release...and more.
Since this is your first interview for Voice From The Underground eMagazine, could you provide us with a brief history of the band up
till now?
Brayden (lead guitar), Scott (drums) and I (vocals), all knew each other through university. We started working together in the
summer of 2007, writing casually while looking for a rhythm guitar player and bass player. We found both on LiveVictoria, which is a
website where musicians from the city can post if they are looking to play in a band or are looking for a spot in their current band to
be filled. By October 2007 we had a jam spot and were in full swing. Pretty quick after that we had a self-recorded demo out and
were playing shows. We began our bigger tours after we released our first full length album, 'Behold The Devastation'. We've
toured Canada twice, and gone through Western Canada four times. This year we'll hopefully be touring both Canada and the US in
support of a new album. We're pretty excited about it!
Canada has gifted the global metal scene with some unique bands over the years. What makes Canada such a fertile breeding ground
for highly original sounding bands in your opinion?
Canada is filled with such a diverse blend of cultures, we are constantly surrounded by new types of music as musicians from around
the world come here to work, study or live. Consequently, the music scene flourishes! Anything you could ever want to hear will be
playing at some venue downtown, so if you want to stand out you had better be doing something new and doing it well. Not to
mention that metal is not only taking Canada by storm, but the entire world as well… When there is such a large fan base out there
waiting for you, and so many others to share the passion for such a challenging and progressive genre, who wouldn’t want to pick up
a mic or a guitar and get in on the action?
Many bands seem to take it a little too easy when it comes to the lyrics. Would you say that the lyrics are almost as important as the
music?
Almost?! Absolutely they are as important as the music! Perhaps I am biased, being the singer, but music can stir up a lot of
emotion, and if you’re listening to a new band that is really impressing you, and suddenly they bust into lame lyrics, or poor phrasing,
or bad vocals in general, it ruins the whole moment. Personally, there are certain things I won’t sing about, things I think have been
overdone, but we each have something that we feel is an important part of the music and each vocalist is going to do it their way,
regardless of how others think it should be done. I love to tell a story… I always work hard to use words that will invoke the
imagination of the listener… Make the song into something tangible.
Musically, "Behold The Devastation" contains a lot of diversity and the album is quite engaging. I like the balance that the band has
between intensity and aggression but with an emphasis on progressive leanings and technical finesse. How difficult is it to find that
balance?
Firstly, thanks! Secondly, not immensely so, each song we all try to do something that we couldn’t do before, sometimes Brayden will
write a riff and won’t actually be able to play it for the first little while… He’s learning it just as much as we are. When you are
constantly challenging yourself like that, things can get really interesting, and we try to experiment with what we’ve heard from other
groups too, put our own personal spin on a part that really affected us in some song or another. Brayden always begins the writing
process, by bringing us riffs to work with and meld together… He brings some amazing stuff to the table sometimes, and that inspires
us all to come up with something unique.
Describe the atmosphere within the band now. It's apparent there has to be a strong level of chemistry considering how well-written
the album is…and how often you tour.
Ah yes the touring… It sure brings you together… We started touring as soon as we had a half-hour set, we all knew that what we
wanted was to be on the road, and that common goal gets us through the arguments and helps with tolerance of things that would
normally have one ripping their hair out. The same thing happens when we write, we have a mutual respect for one another and for
the talents that we can offer to the sound, and we all know that at the end is an album that we are going to be proud of… If
someone says that a part I wrote is less than par, I will, albeit begrudgingly, take a second look at what I’ve written and see if their
opinion has some validity. We all do it.
Maybe it is still too early to ask but do you have any plans for a full-length album in the near future. How will it compare to “Behold”? I
hope that you will not let us wait for to long a time...
Not long at all ;) We are writing as we speak, with seven songs written and several more to come, we hope to have our next album
out by May 2011… A bit ambitious, maybe, but we work better under pressure! Tours in support of the album are also in the works,
and more details will be announced as we get closer to the release date.
How has MySpace and the Internet impacted your band and do you think downloading helps or hinders the young and developing
artists?
I think the internet has helped new, independent artists very much… We can talk to our fans on a more personal level, and getting in
touch with other artists or promoters to set up shows and tours is easier. Myspace is great for discovering new bands to listen to, as
well as showcasing your own work to all types of people. As for downloading, I say go for it, as long as you’re listening! The labels
have a different opinion unfortunately, and illegal downloading is affecting their revenues on a massive scale, which in turn causes
them to take on new artists less and less… Once you get so far, there are some things that you just can’t do without a label, or a
very generous sponsor, so that hinders the development of new artists in every genre.
What would you say are the primary challenges, trials and tribulations that extreme metal bands face in Canada, in trying to get known
and established beyond the country's borders?
The number one challenge in my opinion is touring; finding the money to get to Europe, South America or Asia, and finding someone
that will book you 9 months in advance in the US so you can get your visa and all the paperwork you need in order. Labels and
booking companies can do all that for you, but if you are independent then it can be difficult! And one of the best ways to be
noticed is to get out of your hometown and do it live. Number two I think would have to be marketing yourself… What kind of
image do you want to portray? What is your fan base and how do you reach them? It may be a cliche, but music is a business, and
you definitely need a plan.
How do you perceive the advances of technology and the internet changing the music industry in the future? Will the CD as a
product become a fanatic's item like the LP is nowadays? Will record labels become redundant? What effect will it have on festivals
and tours?
As studio technology becomes more readily available, independent bands are beginning to put out albums that can rival a $300,000
studio recording, by themselves. Bands are contacting eachother through the internet and putting together wicked tours and
festivals. CD’s will hit the trash bins and Vinyl will remain the ultimate collectors item, to be joined by things like limited edition USB
drives with the digital tracks, or autographed digital download cards… I don’t think the loss of the record labels will ever happen, but
the loss of labels as we know them now is almost certain. As bands learn how to market themselves, how to make quality recordings
themselves, and how to book the big tours themselves, the music industry will change drastically, and hopefully be the better for it.
Thanks for the interview! Anything else we might have forgotten to mention? The last words are yours.
Looking forward to speaking with you again after the release of our next album! By then we’ll have tour dates and music videos and
lot’s more fun stuff to talk about ;)
Keep it metal!
Brittney \m/
WEB: http://www.myspace.com/unleashthearchers
bands in Canada. Playing a devastating style of technical thrash with a touch of Death Metal. Currently in the studio recording their
follow up release to their impressive debut Behold The Devastation. We got a chance to catch up with Brittney Hayes (vocals) to see
what we can expect from the up and coming new UTA release...and more.
Since this is your first interview for Voice From The Underground eMagazine, could you provide us with a brief history of the band up
till now?
Brayden (lead guitar), Scott (drums) and I (vocals), all knew each other through university. We started working together in the
summer of 2007, writing casually while looking for a rhythm guitar player and bass player. We found both on LiveVictoria, which is a
website where musicians from the city can post if they are looking to play in a band or are looking for a spot in their current band to
be filled. By October 2007 we had a jam spot and were in full swing. Pretty quick after that we had a self-recorded demo out and
were playing shows. We began our bigger tours after we released our first full length album, 'Behold The Devastation'. We've
toured Canada twice, and gone through Western Canada four times. This year we'll hopefully be touring both Canada and the US in
support of a new album. We're pretty excited about it!
Canada has gifted the global metal scene with some unique bands over the years. What makes Canada such a fertile breeding ground
for highly original sounding bands in your opinion?
Canada is filled with such a diverse blend of cultures, we are constantly surrounded by new types of music as musicians from around
the world come here to work, study or live. Consequently, the music scene flourishes! Anything you could ever want to hear will be
playing at some venue downtown, so if you want to stand out you had better be doing something new and doing it well. Not to
mention that metal is not only taking Canada by storm, but the entire world as well… When there is such a large fan base out there
waiting for you, and so many others to share the passion for such a challenging and progressive genre, who wouldn’t want to pick up
a mic or a guitar and get in on the action?
Many bands seem to take it a little too easy when it comes to the lyrics. Would you say that the lyrics are almost as important as the
music?
Almost?! Absolutely they are as important as the music! Perhaps I am biased, being the singer, but music can stir up a lot of
emotion, and if you’re listening to a new band that is really impressing you, and suddenly they bust into lame lyrics, or poor phrasing,
or bad vocals in general, it ruins the whole moment. Personally, there are certain things I won’t sing about, things I think have been
overdone, but we each have something that we feel is an important part of the music and each vocalist is going to do it their way,
regardless of how others think it should be done. I love to tell a story… I always work hard to use words that will invoke the
imagination of the listener… Make the song into something tangible.
Musically, "Behold The Devastation" contains a lot of diversity and the album is quite engaging. I like the balance that the band has
between intensity and aggression but with an emphasis on progressive leanings and technical finesse. How difficult is it to find that
balance?
Firstly, thanks! Secondly, not immensely so, each song we all try to do something that we couldn’t do before, sometimes Brayden will
write a riff and won’t actually be able to play it for the first little while… He’s learning it just as much as we are. When you are
constantly challenging yourself like that, things can get really interesting, and we try to experiment with what we’ve heard from other
groups too, put our own personal spin on a part that really affected us in some song or another. Brayden always begins the writing
process, by bringing us riffs to work with and meld together… He brings some amazing stuff to the table sometimes, and that inspires
us all to come up with something unique.
Describe the atmosphere within the band now. It's apparent there has to be a strong level of chemistry considering how well-written
the album is…and how often you tour.
Ah yes the touring… It sure brings you together… We started touring as soon as we had a half-hour set, we all knew that what we
wanted was to be on the road, and that common goal gets us through the arguments and helps with tolerance of things that would
normally have one ripping their hair out. The same thing happens when we write, we have a mutual respect for one another and for
the talents that we can offer to the sound, and we all know that at the end is an album that we are going to be proud of… If
someone says that a part I wrote is less than par, I will, albeit begrudgingly, take a second look at what I’ve written and see if their
opinion has some validity. We all do it.
Maybe it is still too early to ask but do you have any plans for a full-length album in the near future. How will it compare to “Behold”? I
hope that you will not let us wait for to long a time...
Not long at all ;) We are writing as we speak, with seven songs written and several more to come, we hope to have our next album
out by May 2011… A bit ambitious, maybe, but we work better under pressure! Tours in support of the album are also in the works,
and more details will be announced as we get closer to the release date.
How has MySpace and the Internet impacted your band and do you think downloading helps or hinders the young and developing
artists?
I think the internet has helped new, independent artists very much… We can talk to our fans on a more personal level, and getting in
touch with other artists or promoters to set up shows and tours is easier. Myspace is great for discovering new bands to listen to, as
well as showcasing your own work to all types of people. As for downloading, I say go for it, as long as you’re listening! The labels
have a different opinion unfortunately, and illegal downloading is affecting their revenues on a massive scale, which in turn causes
them to take on new artists less and less… Once you get so far, there are some things that you just can’t do without a label, or a
very generous sponsor, so that hinders the development of new artists in every genre.
What would you say are the primary challenges, trials and tribulations that extreme metal bands face in Canada, in trying to get known
and established beyond the country's borders?
The number one challenge in my opinion is touring; finding the money to get to Europe, South America or Asia, and finding someone
that will book you 9 months in advance in the US so you can get your visa and all the paperwork you need in order. Labels and
booking companies can do all that for you, but if you are independent then it can be difficult! And one of the best ways to be
noticed is to get out of your hometown and do it live. Number two I think would have to be marketing yourself… What kind of
image do you want to portray? What is your fan base and how do you reach them? It may be a cliche, but music is a business, and
you definitely need a plan.
How do you perceive the advances of technology and the internet changing the music industry in the future? Will the CD as a
product become a fanatic's item like the LP is nowadays? Will record labels become redundant? What effect will it have on festivals
and tours?
As studio technology becomes more readily available, independent bands are beginning to put out albums that can rival a $300,000
studio recording, by themselves. Bands are contacting eachother through the internet and putting together wicked tours and
festivals. CD’s will hit the trash bins and Vinyl will remain the ultimate collectors item, to be joined by things like limited edition USB
drives with the digital tracks, or autographed digital download cards… I don’t think the loss of the record labels will ever happen, but
the loss of labels as we know them now is almost certain. As bands learn how to market themselves, how to make quality recordings
themselves, and how to book the big tours themselves, the music industry will change drastically, and hopefully be the better for it.
Thanks for the interview! Anything else we might have forgotten to mention? The last words are yours.
Looking forward to speaking with you again after the release of our next album! By then we’ll have tour dates and music videos and
lot’s more fun stuff to talk about ;)
Keep it metal!
Brittney \m/
WEB: http://www.myspace.com/unleashthearchers
