I had the honour to interview the Blood of the Fallen members, and today I'm sharing the interview with the fans!
Let me just say how awed I am of these guys. They took specific time aside in order to do this interview (which they didn't even have to do), and they are always talking with their fans on Twitter. They're a great band, and it's humbling to know them. Enjoy!
NOTE:
BOTF~Blood of the Fallen
SM~Stephen Miskie (Drums)
CB~Chris Black (guitars)
J~ Jimere (vocals)
CH~Colin Holman
Interview:
EE: Why is the band named Blood of the Fallen? What were other names considered before BOTF was finalized?
BOTF: We came up with the name "Blood of the Fallen" because we wanted to honour the sacrifices of the men and women who gave their lives for us to live freely.
EE: What is the origin behind Blood of the Fallen? Did Chris and Stephen already know each other prior to September 2010? What made Jimere the vocalist to make the cut? How did Colin join BOTF?
BOTF: Nobody knew each other at the beginning. Stephen came across an ad on kijij that Chris posted stating that he was looking for a drummer to jam with. After a few jams they decided to look for other members to complete the band. After nearly one and a half years and a few auditions later Jimere found the band page on Facebook and sent us a message. He came out to audition and it quickly became apparent we had found our Vocalist. Colin saw an ad on Kijiji posted by BOTF as well looking for a bassist. We talked for a bit and then Colin came out to a few jams. Whether it was fate or luck we don't know but after the second jam we realized we all had something special. From that moment on BOTF was complete and we haven't looked back since.
EE: What musical influences shape BOTF? Non-musical?
BOTF: There are so many influences it would take forever to name them all. What makes us unique is the way we have been able to take all of our individual influences which span multiple genres and merge them into one harmonious sound. There's a bit of everything in our music. We would rather see what people think our influences are. We prefer not to label the band ourselves. We just write what we feel and leave the rest to people’s individual tastes when listening.
EE: Describe BOTF in 3 words.
BF: We think the three best words that describe us would be dedicated, passionate, and progressive.
EE: What simple phrase best describes BOTF?
BOTF: "Inveniam Viam Aut Faciam" Which is Latin for "I'll find a way or make one."
EE: What elements can we expect for the upcoming EP, "Havoc on the Ocean Floor"?
BOTF: An EP that reflects on the depth of our musical influences and brings multiple genres together in a way that can appeal to a wide range of musical tastes.
EE: "Havoc on the Ocean Floor" (the EP) along with "Underneath" and "Deep Waters" all consist of a watery theme. Why?
BOTF: To generalize it was a method to describe the deeper emotions that have a direct bearing on people’s lives. The Ocean is vast and this was a way that we felt would accurately portray those feelings.
EE: Will there be a specific theme for BOTF? (For example, a unified clothing style?)
BOTF: No theme. We believe strongly in individuality and we pride ourselves on the way we have managed to remain true to that.
EE: Let's have an introduction for the guys! Name, instrument, why/how you started playing, other
hobbies, and one word to describe yourself. Who's who in the band (the organizer, the prankster, the
serious one, et cetera)?
BOTF:
Chris started Guitar because his mom convinced him in high school that girls dug guitarists and very quickly he realized how much he enjoyed guitar and putting emotions into a universal language. Musical interest started much earlier however. Chris' mom was very much into Billy Idol and when Chris saw the music video for Rebel Yell it sparked an interest that wouldn't truly be awoken until the aforementioned conversation. Chris' family had a big interest in music of all varieties. Whether it was Crowded House, Ozzy Osbourne or the
Rolling Stones (dad) or Enigma, Pet Shop Boys, Billy Idol Native/Celtic Music or classical (mom) or Nirvana, Depeche Mode, Deep Dish, Chemical brothers, etc... (sister) there were a number of influences that ultimately shaped Chris' style. Chris spent his formative years listening to Glass Tiger, Disturbed, Papa Roach, Linkin Park, etc.... In terms of other Hobbies, Chris loves Hockey (Played it since he was a kid) whether he was playing it or watching his favorite team (Toronto Maple Leafs) it's been a big part of his life. Chris is also
heavily into cars and Auto racing. Whether it be drag or circuit or just customization. It's an expensive habit by his own admittance. The main characteristics Chris would use to describe himself are Loyalty, Faith, Spirituality, dedication Leadership, Courage and Family Oriented. Chris is a mommas boy and isn't afraid to admit it.
Stephen is actually a guitar player first, he’s been playing guitar for roughly 7 years. He took up drums about 3 years after he started playing guitar because he wanted more opportunities to jam with more musicians and being able to play multiple instruments made that possible. As far as other hobbies go, he is involved with the trades, such as auto mechanics, carpentry, a little bit of electrical and he also does some landscaping. He has been working with his dad for the last 4 years who is a jack of all trades so he has been involved with a lot of different things over the years. Some traits he used to describe himself were outgoing, honest, reliable, committed.
Colin is a drummer at heart and self-taught himself since the age of 14. He originally started playing guitar at 13 years old but lost interest in it. He wanted to switch to something different because a lot of his friends in elementary school were guitar players. The Christmas of 2004, his parents got him a drum kit and instantly got attached to them. In 2010, Colin picked up bass because he wanted to do something more than drums and really got interested in it and has played bass ever since. Colin has been an avid rocker since 12 years old. His dad still had all of his vinyl records from when he was a teenager. Colin's dad had everything from Aerosmith to Black Sabbath to The Beatles and Colin would spend most of his time listening to all of his dad's vinyl records. One of Colin's relatives is a bass player for the band Smash Mouth and he has inspired Colin to be the musician he is today. Other than music, Colin's hobbies include video games (big time), drinking excessive amounts but not borderline alcoholic, and whatever comes around. One word to describe Colin would be “Moose” because it has been his nickname since high school and stuck with it.
Jimere has always enjoyed singing passionate music ever since he can remember. At age 11 he
remembers writing lyrics for the first time & thinking “This is what I want to do”. Although primarily an artist, music became a 3 dimensional way of expressing emotions and repressed feelings. Moving around a lot his whole life has offered many different musical experiences including; church choirs, broadway camps, vocal/ piano training, & talent shows. Because of his artistic outlook and secluded personality Jimere picked up guitar after learning piano which allowed him to experiment & find himself as a musician. One word to describe Jimere would be Shapeshifter. Which is two words. :)
EE: Any outlandishly interesting things we should know about the guys? For example, a strange
addiction, obsession, or collection? Any cat-crazed guys?
BOTF:
SM: I have an addiction to getting tattoos. I got my first one when I was 16 and I haven’t looked back. As for collection, I like to think of myself as a beer connoisseur. I set out last year to try 100 different beers. Every weekend from January until around June a friend of mine and I went to the LCBO to buy a bunch of random beers. By the end of June we were actually over 100. We really thought it would take longer and that it would be harder to find 100 different beers but it was actually easy. We kept the bottles and the caps for every one that we tried and I made a shelf which is in the bands jam space that’s holding all of them!
CB: I have always had a strange fascination with Tornadoes and Severe weather. It started off as a deeply rooted fear as a child and as I got older my fear was replaced by fascination though everyone else calls it an obsession *laughs*. Most of the things that fascinate me were lifelong fears. Spiders are another example, though they still make my skin crawl and I have a great dislike for them when they are close to me.
J: I obsess over many little things. I love writing songs obviously & I’m always trying to push myself to write out of my comfort level. I horde a lot of weird crafty objects and things most people would throw away or look past. I don’t make a lot of things anymore but growing up I often made my own toys, creatures, & even pets. I don’t think I have any legitimate addictions, but when I feel I do I try to challenge myself against it.
CH: I have a mad crush on Jennifer Lawrence. I find her so damn sexy it's unbelievable and every time I see her I go into a deep trance. My biggest phobia is bats...I hate those creepy, hairy, gangly motherfuckers and my favourite villain is The Joker because he’s so manically evil! I'm highly addicted to salt water taffy, it's the best thing that man has created on this planet and if I had an unlimited supply of that delicious treat of the gods, I
would devour it like no other. You can also say I'm a bit of a perfectionist.
EE: You each get one wish. What is it? Why?
BOTF: As a group we would have to say our biggest wish would be to make our music known throughout the world. Yeah, anyone who says the money wouldn't be nice is lying but we all have a strong love for music and the bond we all share when we write music is something that we are all very proud of and content with. None of us will ever give up on BOTF or music because it is something we all love and as long as there are fans, no matter how few, as long as we can reach people on that deeper emotional level it's all worth it. Record deal is the ultimate goal but having a solid fan base and conveying our passion effectively through our chosen
instrument or form of expression wouldn't be settling for less as far as we are concerned. Music should be about artistic expression first. Everything else comes second. We realize that can be viewed as two wishes but we prefer to think of it as a two part single wish.
EE: Chris: exactly how many times has your G-string broke? ;)
CB: More times than I can remember *laughs*. I don't know if it's a sign or something, I won't lie G-Strings [clothing] are hot, but all undergarment references aside, for some reason, the only string I ever break on guitar is the G String. It cracks me up every time.
EE: And last, but not least!, how is everyone doing?
BOTF: I think we can safely say everyone is excited for what lies ahead: Completing the EP, building a fan base, getting to know other bands, playing in front of crowds of people, etc.
