Beastmaker Interview with Trevor William Church

Photo taken by Sally Townsend
Edited by Olivia Franks

Beastmaker is a heavy band from Fresno- California. I've heard you mention in other interviews that Fresno is not the place for a metal scene, does this still hold true, and do you feel you guys have had any effect on the area?

There still is not much of a music scene here for us. there are other genres of music that have some stuff going on but for us we just kind of try to focus on touring. I don’t think we’ve had much of an effect on the actual scene but I know that people look up to what we are doing.

When the band first formed in 2014, did it take a while for things to start to get going with recording and getting gigs? And did you guys have a lot of gear back then?

everything happened very quickly. we put out the you must sin demo and then we were signed by rise above records. we had some gear. not as much as we do now but a good amount. we started recording right away and gigs kind of just fell in line for us.

Being from Fresno, and going by what you had previously said about it being pretty baron of music, how is it that you came to meet and form a band with the other members- Andres Saldate (drums), and John Trucker (bass)?

Andy and I go way back and have played in other bands together. John was in a local band that was ending and he is actually a bad ass guitarist but since we really needed a bassist I thought what the hell he might say yes. Obviously, he did. I think the timing for us to do Beastmaker was just right.

This seems sort of the quintessential interview question, but I like to know the answer to this question, as I'm sure a lot of other people do- How was it that you came up with the name Beastmaker, and was that your first choice for the band name?

I came up with the name Beastmaker a long long time ago. I was traveling in an indie rock band at the time that sucked ass but I got to travel so I was along for the ride. I was in Texas drunk as fuck I don’t drink anymore but there was this band dressed in all leather playing guns n roses type rock and I really dug them. I thought their names was Beastmaker and I was like that is an amazing name turned out their name was Peacemaker…I was disappointed and was like well this name is awesome I”m gonna use it.

Was it tough to get gigs around town because of the lack of a music scene, or is there just not really any other heavy acts to play with, so getting a show is tough in that aspect?

There are places to play around Fresno they just don’t really have an audience. we’ve always looked at Fresno as however many friends you have is the way it goes here. We are a little older and I do not go out and party at all so we aren’t the cool party band in town. getting shows was not hard..there used to be a dive bar “Audies Olympic Tavern” we played there a lot he really supported what we did and he still is a good friend of ours but he had to shut his doors..

The first release from Beastmaker was self titled, and eventually re-recorded, or re-mixed into the EP "You Must Sin". Was there a lot you wanted to change in the mixing and recording process for it, and where was it that you recorded "You Must Sin"?In retrospect you want to change everything. at the time we did the demo we went back and re recorded it for the album. we had never really played out of town at this point. didn’t even have merch. it all happened quickly so we just jumped on board and did the best we could.

After the release of "You Must Sin" the band got signed to Lee Dorrian's record label- Rise Above Records. How did that happen, and how did you feel whenever you guys got signed to the label?

Photo by Sally Townsend

Well really our friend Tony was showing people our bandcamp page and helping promote..he showed Scott Carlson who played bass in Cathedral and is overall a bad ass homie. He showed Lee and thats was that. It was a great feeling of accomplishment to be on the same label as witchcraft, uncle acid, etc…He picked us up and took us under his wing. We owe a lot to Lee.

When Beastmaker got signed to Rise Above Records, did that change a lot for the band in terms of things going more smooth and promotion being better at all?

I mean nothing about being in a touring band is smooth. Especially not for us..we have broken down so many times in the middle of nowhere. Its crazy. but as far as getting shows and tours and what not it all became very simple. things kind of just come to us I guess. People ask us to go on tour and we did. Lee got us our first tour ever with Blood Ceremony so we had a great start because of him.

Has Lee Dorrian and the bands he's been in been a big influence on you musically throughout the years?

Cathedral is a rad band. Gaz is a great guitarist who has written some pretty stellar riffs and he is a great lead guitar player as well.

The latest release from the band was "Lusus Naturae", which features songs from "You Must Sin" along with new ones. Did you feel you wanted to include the Ep with new material you had, and was it a fairly smooth process to record and get everything done?

it was fairly easy we didn’t go into thinking ok this is gonna be tough we just played the best we could. mind you we had really just started so we were not as tight as we are now. a lot has changed in 2 years. we’ve been put to the test on many occasions. we wanted the EP to be included because rise above was releasing it and we wanted those songs to reach a broader audience plus it was only out for 2 weeks before we got signed so it was all still very new
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What are some of your favorite bands old and new?
There are so many to name that I like it’s impossible. right now id say for old bands I’ve been really digging Def Leppard, Ozzy,  Motley Crue. For new bands man there re just so many I like Gravebreaker and Spell a lot..

What are some hobbies you have or favorite things to do?

I help rehabilitate native birds of the central valley. this all happened by default. my fiancé has been doing it for years but she is teaching full time so I started kind of taken some of the responsibility. My main hobby is music. I play drums, bass, guitar, I sing.. I have my own recording studio. I love animals..I have 3 dogs and 2 cats. I spend a lot of time hanging with them. I used to be heavy into skateboarding but at my age I’m fragile..I still cruise around.

Who are some of your main influences musically and just in life in general?

My dad Bill “electric” Church is a huge influence. he was in the sammy hagar band and montrose. My uncle Bob. Randy Rhodes and Jake E. Lee. Zakk Wylde is a new one. after touring with him I really dig his solos.

What other bands had you had before Beastmaker, and what kind of music did you play in them, or what instrument?

Photo By Bobby Cochran

Well my first real band was Scattered Fall we played punk music. after that I had many failed attempts of bands. I joined this indie rock band in Sacramento called “an angle” I hated the music but my friend Matt was the bassist so we just went from state to state causing a rawness. I eventually quit that to start Beastmaker..we played everything from Thrash, to Psychedelic stuff in the beginning. I never really got it going. I had a drinking problem in my mid twenty’s which prevented me from really staying focused on bands. I always played and stuff but I didn’t take it seriously. I was in a couple math rock bands at one time very briefly Yacht Club and Marathon. just noodley guitar stuff. it never worked out.

Has your taste in music differed at all through the years, and has there been any turning point when you found the main kind that you liked, and kept coming back to it for inspiration and enjoyment?

I grew up in a musical family. I was into everything man. Punk, Metal, Rap, Motown,..etc. Ozzy was really the turning point because I could mimic his vocals pretty well. but in my teenage years it was bands like misfits, metallica, even green day. just so much music how can one really just pinpoint one thing you like. I definitely liked underground everything. I went to a lot of punk shows when i was younger so that was were I found a lot of music. I always sought new shit to listen to.

I noticed you have a few tattoos. When was it you got your first one, and which is your favorite? I really like the Danzig/Samhain one.

Photo by Sally Townsend

I started getting them when I was 18 which was a huge mistake. I have cover ups of cover ups haha. I have 3 danzig tattoos. I always loved Danzigs lyrics. he was a big influence on me next to Ozzy because I loved to sing along. People really get things mixed up about my love for black sabbath I actually prefer Ozzy’s solo albums because Randy Rhodes and Jake E. Lee are like what I strive to do on the guitar. I love Iommi don’t get me wrong but it was Ozzy’s voice that drew me to Sabbath.



What is your main guitar, and what kind of gear do you use? And what gear would you like to have eventually?

my main guitar is a Gibson Les Paul Custom its an Sg body with 3 pickups. I have quite a few different amps here but my main one is a Hovercraft Falcon 100 with 2 4x12 worshipper cabs. I have a ton of pedals but mainly i use my custom delay by gremlin noise machine. I use a lot of pedal from lone wolf audio as well. I just bought a vintage bc rich eagle bass in white. I want a bc rich eagle in white. I have the bass now i want the guitar version.

Your Dad, Bill Church, has been an active musician with such acts as Montros and other Sammy Hagar projects. How has that affected you musically, and how was it to grow up with that going on in your life?

My Dad is an amazing musician. I had a lot of support from my Mom and Dad they always bought me guitars. when they saw me improve i’d get a new one till they got me my first Gibson Les Paul. after that I was on my own. But my Dad was very loose with me growing up musically he bought me whatever tapes i wanted..he bought me Slayer South of Heaven when i was like 7 years old. It drove my Mom mad. She thought I wanted to worship the devil. haha. but she then realized it wasn’t really all about that. They bought me skateboards. Skate Videos I was a daredevil kid in a way. I had a lot of sense though I never did anything that I thought well I don’t think you should do this cause you can get very hurt. I knew when to draw the line.

There are some definite horror influences in Beastmaker's songwriting and imagery, where would you say your love for that kind of stuff started, and has it become more a part of your life over the years getting into your songwriting and everything?

Photo by Bobby Cochran

My Dad again. We started watching Vincent Price movies at some point. I can’t recall my age but the first one I really remember was “the last man on earth”. I still to this day am terrible with movie titles I forget them easily. Same with song titles. but my Dad was into old movies so I watched a lot of James Dean and Steve Mcqueen stuff. his favorite tv show is “the prisoner” we watched that a lot. My friend Tony really opened up the world of horror for me. I kind of just watched whatever I could find. I have my favorites now mainly because of imagery. The blind dead series being one of those films.


I've seen where you often do livestreams on the Beastmaker page on facebook where you play guitar, and sometimes give tips. Do you feel that that is sort of an outlet for you to just play whatever, and get technical whereas in Beastmaker the music style is slower and very heavy?

Photo by Sally Townsend

Well I have another band Haunt where I get to explore new stuff. I just finished the demos for album 3 for Beastmaker and it’s different from what we have done. I keep getting better and better at playing guitar and change was coming no matter what. I’ve had a lot of people tell me they get inspired from my live videos so I do it for them. show them hey we all have to work hard to be good and they also witness my failures. haha.

That brings me to my next question, about your newest project, called "Haunt", which is a band you have by yourself. It seems to have a more traditional heavy metal sound with a lot of leads and fast paced heavy riffs. When was it that you decided you'd like to do this, and how did you record everything?

I do it the same way I do Beastmaker I write everything by myself and record it. My friend Daniel played drums on the EP. My drumming is good but I like other people to get involved in my music. it feels to weird to let it be all me. Honestly Haunt is really more my style of music when it comes to what I really listen to. When we started doing Beastmaker with John we wanted it to have a sabbath groove at the time. But that is such a small sliver of what I’m really all about. I listen to very very little doom bands. I love early candlemas and witchfinder general, electric wizard stuff like that into it. So, I guess these things just happened naturally. I needed to just be a guitarist and Haunt gave me that outlet but I ended up just doing everything. I wasn’t even going to release it but my lady just kept on my ass saying you need to put this out so after a year of letting it just sit on my computer i put it out.

Had you known how to play drums before you wanted to start the solo project, or did you pick them up with the intention of making Haunt? I'm guessing bass just comes natural since you play guitar in Beastmaker.

Photo by Sally Townsend

I write my music alone. so when you do that you need to know how to play everything. So I pretty much have a grasp on all instruments. I’m best at guitar. my drumming is ok. I can get the idea almost every time but I prefer drummers to come in and just do it. Bass is just another form of guitar really. I play bass like a guitar which might not really be the best way but I’ve always had Bass guitars around to mess around on.

What was the first guitar you ever got, and was that the first instrument you played?

It was red memphis. I was 5 years old when I got it. My first instrument was drums, but I didn’t like it.

How early on in life did you really get into music and have the interest to start playing an instrument?


I was born with an instrument in hand man. my whole life I’ve had instruments. My first recollection was a drum set I was like 4 years old. I got it for Christmas, I was stoked but it fizzled out. Guitar became my focus, but really skateboarding was my main focus for many many years. I always played but man I loved skating with my friends.



How are you feeling about the upcoming European tour that Beastmaker will be going on later this year, and have you been on the road a lot before this for as long a time as you will be for the tour?

Photo by Sally Townsend

I’m stoked to get back to europe. its hard leaving everything behind for me. I miss my lady, my pets, my house. it’s a tough deal but I enjoy it. we did a few tours this year. we went out with Zakk Sabbath for a month so it’s been actually pretty chill. next year we will do a full USA tour and Europe again. I’m trying to keep it to a minimum when it comes to traveling. when we put out an album we will go out for a support tour but other than that I don’t plan on road dogging it or anything. I prefer to write and record music.

What are your thoughts on your contribution to music thus far, and what are some of your future plans and goals to come?

Well I feel like I’ve really just gotten started. Beastmaker is evolving. Haunt is also getting ready to do a full length and I’m bringing in some homies to play with me this time around just to give it a more band feel. I’m proud of the work I’ve done thus far. I just hope I inspire people to play music and have fun. In the end I do this for others to enjoy. I’m always moving forward so really I only live in the song until it’s done and then I move to the next.

Logan Barker - Barlow Interview (2017)

Photo by Brandon Richter

We are to speaking to the Bassist, and vocalist of the heavy metal powerhouse that is Barlow. If you haven’t heard them, than you should, and if you haven’t heard FROM them, then you will! That is, if you chose to keep reading, which you should.

Thanks for the interview Olivia!

Barlow is a heavy metal band out of Salt Lake City, Utah. How is it to be a metal band around there? Is there much of a metal, or just music in general, scene going on there?

Being a band in Utah is rad because there is an endless supply of killer bands of every genre, including METAL! It seems like the scene picks up and slows down but there are always good shows going on.

Adam “Smelly” Kelly used to be in a band called Killbot that formed in 2005, or so i’ve read, from the same location. Had you guys all known each other when he was in that band, and were you doing anything band wise, at the time, or had you just played bass just to play bass?

When Smelly was in killbot early on Mark (our drummer) and I were still in high school. We didnt know Smelly at the time but we idolized killbot! When killbot broke up we had a band called Merlins Beard going and recruited him to play guitar, it was a wet dream come true. We eventually progressed the band into its current form Barlow.


That brings me to this next question, do you just play bass, or do you play other instruments as well?

I play guitar as well. In Merlins Beard I played guitar and handled vocals.


You also sing for the band, when was it you started singing, and what made you choose the style of vocals for the band, and had you tried several before that?

When we were starting up our band Merlins Beard we had a really hard time finding a singer. We had tried a few classifieds ads, but no dice. So I Just started yelling and screeching into the mic at band practice, and it sort of just fell into place as time went on. I am a bit reclusive so it was never anything i had planned on doing. In the early days I had a really shitty James hetfield vibe going on but its getting better!


Is it difficult to keep a full sound live while just being a three piece, or does everything flow well? Not saying that in the sense that a three piece is not good in any sense- Venom is one of my favorite bands, so that would make no sense. Just was wondering.

Everything flows pretty well usually. Ive got a pretty nasty bass sound which helps things blend better. Being a three piece is a gravy train with bisquit wheels.

Photo by Brandon Richter
Logan ripping it up

What kind of gear do you use, and was there a specific tone you were going for on bass for this band?

Ive got a Rickenbacker 4003W bass, 1968 Peavey Dynabass head , Ampeg 810 Cabinet, and a fuzzrocious demon pedal. I picked up the head at the swap meet for $30. I would say the bulk of my tone comes from the Ric and the Pedal. I was going for disgusting.


The forming of Barlow came to be in the futuristic year of 2016. Do you recall when you all decided to be a band, or had you all had it in mind for a while?
I was getting really burnt out on our old band and decided to try something a little heavier. We started as a four piece but lost our founding guitar player before we recorded the EP. Being a three piece was easier and really helped define our sound and direction, so we stuck with it.

Is it fairly easy to get gigs in Salt Lake City, and what is it like in general to live there, anything interesting?

Yeah I think its pretty easy once you've been playing for a bit. Smelly is the only one that lives in SLC and he loves it. Mark and I live about 45 minutes north in Syracuse, which is the burbs. SLC is a rad place with lots of rad people but I'm sure its a lot like any other city. People from out of state like to make fun of us for drinking shitty beer and being polygamists but we dig it.


Who was it that came up with the idea of the cover art for the EP, and who illustrated it? I really like the art, and it stuck in my mind and I remembered the music was awesome, so I kept on looking it up on youtube and have listened to it a lot.

Amy Nelson! She is a very talented artist and also happens to be Marks long time girlfriend. We couldn't come up with any good ideas so we just asked her to draw a picture of the band being creeps. It turned out super awesome, and she even drew up the entire alphabet in the font! The bat is my favorite.


Was the name “Barlow” the first choice for the band, and how did that come to be the one?

It was the only choice, and our first guitar player Mike Elliot came up with it. Mike is super badass and was way into Stephen King at the time. In the novel/flick Salems Lot, the ancient evil vampire is named Kurt Barlow. Were easy so we accepted.

Adam "Smelly" Kelly laying down some riffs
Photo by Brandon Richter

The songs you guys have as of now on the self titled EP are available on Cd. Do you guys just sell them at shows, and do you have any plans in the future to distribute them other ways? And do you all want to release it on any different formats?

We will put the album on some streaming sites soon, but will probably sell most of them at shows.


There is music video of sorts for the song “The Witch”. What made you guys choose that song to do a video for, and who filmed it?

We filmed that in Ogden at Brook Mckees Studio/Haunted House, SunnyBrook Studios. He is the mastermind that recorded our EP, and does tons of killer live Videos at his studio. Look them up on youtube! We chose that song because its pretty heavy and we usually don't screw it up too bad. All we had to do was jam the song a couple dozen times, drink too many beers, and let him do the real work.




Do you guys practice pretty often, and where do you guys practice?

We are Utahs laziest metal band, Sometimes we practice regularly, sometimes not. We play in our drummers basement in the burbs.


So what do you guys do on your off time, and what is band practice like? Does it go on all day, just one straight play-through, or do you guys take breaks?

Were all working stiffs who spend a lot of time with our special lady friends and our families. Band practice can get derailed pretty easily, but we usually just drink 6 or 9 beers, run through the set, work on some new tunes, and hang out. We're not too worried most of the time, this band is purely a love of music. Marks got a great dane named Odin who loves to party, so we usually end up wrestling around with him a bit, or playing some Super Ghouls and Ghosts.

What would you say your lyrics are about for those that have not heard any of Barlow, and what would you say you guys are going for sound-wise, or have achieved, rather? I feel you guys have forged your own sound.

I think lyrical content is a 50/50 split. The first half being personal reflection or opinions, the second half being horror themed gruesomeness. The EP has tracks based on movies like Reanimator and Silver Bullet, but also other self written horror tales. The track titled Decide is exactly how I was feeling when we broke up our previous band.



What are some of your main influences, not just musicians, but anyone that has had an impact on you?

Valient Thorr, and Three Inches of Blood. These two bands had the biggest effect on me musically growing up and will always play a big part in my life. Nowadays my biggest influence is my wife Shayla and my two year old son Levon. They both love music as much as I do and keep me on my feet!

Mark Grey delivering the percussional goods

Is most of the writing for the band done by the whole band, or is there one person that does most of the writing?

I write all the lyrics and a big portion of the music. That being said its definitely a creation by all of us. We all have our individual styles that shine when were arranging and writing music. We will start with a basic idea and turn into something gnarly together.

Have there been good turnouts at gigs, and how has the audience responded to you guys?

We've had some really awesome gigs where the crowd was pumped and really dug us, and we've had gigs where the crowd was non-existent! You just never know.

What do you all believe a good performance is both live, and as a presentation of yourselves in the studio? As in just the attitude in general of the band, and why you all feel like sticking to what you do in terms of playing music?

We just try to be ourselves and have a good time, I think that shows in our music. Honesty and not trying to stick to one particular sound is just natural for us. The less you think about it the better it seems to come out.

Had you had any other bands before this one, if so, what were they, and what came of them?

Mark, Smelly, and I all played in Merlins beard together. Smelly is a hardcore troubadour and has played in tons of band Such as Killbot, Merlins Beard, a Gwar cover band called Scumdogs, and more. He currently plays in the best thrash band around, DEATHBLOW!!! Check em out.

I noticed that on the band page on facebook for Barlow your listed as playing the “Dad guitar”, and Adam plays “Mom guitar”, which is a reference to the show flight of the conchords, if I’m not mistaken. Is that one of the shows you guys all like? And what other shows do you like?

Haha I'm glad you caught that. Yeah FOTC rules. There's so much good television out there its hard to narrow it down but I think Its Always Sunny is the best.

Where did you guys record the EP, and did it take long to get done, or was the overall process pretty smooth and enjoyable?

We recorded it in Ogden at SunnyBrook Studios. Brook Mckee is the wizard over there and we had a killer time. We recorded the basic tracks live and it went super smooth. Lots of drinking and shenanigans. It took us a little while because we only hit the studio once a week or so. But it was awesome and we cant wait to record with him again.


Will we see more Barlow material in the near future, and perhaps even maybe some gigs in a few states sometime in the future?

Were writing some more material now with plans to record ASAP! We will see what time brings.

Thanks for your time, Logan!

Thank you Olivia! This was my first interview and I enjoyed every question!

Photo by Brandon Richter

Just Gimme some AXXION! Just Gimme some AXXION! Emily Merrick of Axxion interview (2017)

 This next interview comes from one of my favorite drummers, and no, I'm not just saying that because she agreed to do an interview with me, I really do mean it. Not only has she been in numerous bands, and still continues to be, she is a well disciplined, very skilled drummer with a no-nonsense attitude who is dedicated to metal, along with everything she is passionate about in her life. Along with all of that, she is a very nice person, and if you haven't heard any of her drumming work, you should give it all a listen, because it is well worth your time. Here are some great words from Emily Merrick of the wonderful Canadian heavy metal band: AXXION! Enjoy, and thank you for reading! And thank you, Emily (And Kevin for the use of all your awesome pictures)!

Photo taken by Adrienne Mignardi edited by me (Olivia)

The latest happening album wise for Axxion was "Back In Time", which came out October 15th, 2016. How long did that to come together, and was it a tough process?

Emily: It honestly took from the end of the EP in 2013 to pretty much early 2016. The song writing process itself wasn’t so long, but combing over all the fine details and getting everything to sound exactly how we wanted took forever. And I really mean everything from the right drum fills to the pronunciation of words, the vocal line, harmonies, writing and re-writing to fit it in. It was grueling, meticulous and we had a lot of ideas that were just not coming out exactly how we wanted so it was just a matter of doing it over and over again until it was perfect. Of course everyone who records their own record will always nit-pick about this and that but at the end of the day I always go back to the word ‘proud’ because that is exactly how I feel about this album!

Jason Decay joined the band on bass for this album, on wild racer, Chris Riley was on bass. What made you guys have Jason come in and do bass, and how was it to record with him?

Emily: Jay is just this whole package of hilarity and talent. It was super easy to work with him and we asked him to record on the album because he is a fantastic musician and we were short on bassists that could give us the sound and feel that we wanted. It was all really natural and overall a great experience.

Photo by Nic Pouliot

How has the overall response to the band Axxion been since you guys first put anything out, and how has it changed through the years?

Emily: We’ve been so fortunate to have the greatest fans. No one can expect to take us too seriously and I think most of our fans totally get that. If anything, I think our fans have become more supportive! I think initially we had a good response to the EP and Wild Racer, but Back in Time really put us out there and captured what we were really going for.

Dev Kerr does vocals, but is also listed as playing rhythm guitars on the album, but just sings live, what's the reason for that?

Emily: AS a band we agreed that it would be better for Devon to focus on really kicking ass at singing and being a frontman instead of having to be stuck with a guitar and having to focus on that.

This album seems to take it a step up in a way, not that Wild Racer isn't a great album, but it seems that Back In Time has really solidified a sound for Axxion, would you find any truth in that statement?

Emily: Absolutely, I really think that album captured the sound we were looking for. Everything from the melodies, wording, the way it was recorded etc.; we really got what we wanted out of this album.

Photo by Kevin Nunes

Were you a founding member of Axxion?

Emily: Totally! After Shred and I left Skull Fist, I knew I wasn’t going to give up that easily! So Devon had just left his previous band and we started jamming and writing songs and finally got the first line up together, and the rest, as they say, is history.

When your first record "Wild Racer" came out, was it well received, and did you guys get a lot of gigs to play? I remember you had that one with Accept a few years ago, that must've been pretty cool.

Emily: Yea we definitely did some small touring with that album and a few festivals (the song Headbangers didn’t come out of thin air!). We did have a fairly good response, especially in our hometown and in Europe. Playing with U.D.O was totally cool, I wish I had a change to sit down with Udo and pick his brain over a beer….alas my courage failed me that night. Not sure if I’ll get that chance ever again.

The onstage theatrics are certainly something to see, who came up the idea for that, and do you guys do it every show?

Emily: It seems to be an ever-changing thing to me. Sometimes we have this super babe (Jiordi) in stage with us for some murder/ whipping stuff (I must say I enjoy watching her beat up Devon haha!), it just depends on the show. The boys have also introduced the powersuits and that’s all on them. I’m gonna stick to my denim and leather, but they love the suits and hey man, they love ‘em so who am I to say who can wear what. Shred’s also the one who makes ‘em all so that’s pretty cool!

How is it that you guys are distributing your stuff, just on your own?

Emily: Yes, for the most part, everything we do is through us. We have some international distributors for the new album, but mostly we do it all ourselves through BigCartel (www.axxion.bigcartel.com)

What are some of your other favorite Canadian metal bands around now?

Emily: Where to begin!  Obviously Cauldron is on my go-to playlist all the time; Striker, our boys from the west. Black Moor, our boys from the east! Spell from B.C. seems to be kicking butt these days too….I know I’m forgetting a bunch sorry!

Where does Axxion practice, and do you guys get to practice pretty often?

Emily: Shred and I have a place together and he’s vamped up the basement with soundproofing and it’s super convenient we can keep whatever we want down there, don’t have to share the space and we can drink as much as we want when we jam haha!

Shred (Kenny)
Photo taken by Kevin Nunes

You're also a drummer in the band Phantom. Does that get complicated sometimes?

Emily: Well, Phantom has been pretty inactive for the past couple months, but that is mostly because of me to be honest. With all the work with AXXION and working crazy hours (I’m an RVT) I haven’t been able to commit much more time to the Phantom boys these days. I had a blast jamming and working on tunes and I know they will be entering the studio soon, but I’m just not sure what role I will be playing (literally!) at that time. I guess we’ll have to see what pans out!

You have to know the drums for both Axxion, and Phantom, does that get to be a lot when you sit down to practice?

Emily: Not at all. Once I know a song it’s stuck in my head, but I will say I have a hard time remembering intros ALL the time. I mean, how the song starts; and it could be any song, one I’ve played a hundred times even if we don’t have a big setlist. I’m not sure why it happen, but usually I sit down and really force myself to think over sets before a big show so I know I’m not gonna blank on the night of the show!

How long have you played drums, and what inspired you to start playing?

Emily: I started when I was 13, and I’ve been asked the second part of that question so often and I never really feel like I have a satisfying answer. I’ve always loved music; there is far too much videographic evidence of me and my siblings singing/ playing ridiculous things. I started piano at a very young age (though I hated it then) and my entire family is musical. So I was always drawn to it, but that doesn’t really explain the drumming. I remember one day just thinking “I want to learn drums”, there wasn’t any specific reason, it was just such a natural thought that I didn’t think anything of it; it was going to happen because I felt the need to inside of myself.

Photo by Kevin Nunes

Who would you say kind of influenced your playing style when you first started out playing drums?

Emily: Now and forever; Nicko Mcbrain. Yea yea everyone is going to say ‘how stereotypical!”, but as a young learner it was just such a shock to hear him play. The speed, the accuracy, the natural way he plays, nothing forced, and everything was always exactly how it should be you know? His fills are perfectly places and the timing is always in the pocket, there’s so much feel there. Of course other drummers have inspired me for other reasons (Mike Portnoy and George Kolias for the technical stuff), Sean Reinhart and Gene Hoglan both for the speed and just the insanity of it all. Though I do have to say that I’m a huge fan of everything just coming together and fitting in its place, to me, making your overall music sound better is going to make me fall in love with you as a drummer.

Other than playing drums, what are some of your other main interests?

Emily: I’m kind of all over the place. I work as an RVT (Registered Veterinary Technician), but my work is still something I love and take home with me (sometimes literally!). I’ve had my fair share of foster kittens kicking around the house bugging my other cats. I’ve also taken up piano again after a 14 year hiatus and it’s kind of nice to struggle again; to start from the beginning so to speak, and work your way up to the level you want to achieve. I’m sure it’s also pretty obvious from my social media stuff that I’m a HUGE nerd. Give me anything Zelda or Star Wars related and you won’t be able to shut me up. Videogames, movies, the occasional board game even. Along the nerd line I am a serious bookworm. Anything from anatomy textbooks to human evolution to sci-fi novels I can’t get enough. I love just getting out of my own head and being transformed into another world.

Photo by Kevin Nunes

Do you prefer any specific shoes to wear when you play drums? Might seem like an odd question, but I like to have something really thin and light to wear when i play.

Emily: I actually don’t wear any shoes at all. Sometimes I have socks (definitely at shows) but generally no shoes. I used to wear them, but I found a lot of the ones I had were restricting my ankle movement, added too much bulk and took away from that natural feel of the pedal. I always laugh because when we play I usually wear some serious heels to the show and people always ask “do you play in those?!”….sometimes I humour myself and tell them yes hah!

What's your favorite gig you've played so far from both Axxion, and Phantom?

Emily: Probably Headbangers in Germany a few years ago….2015? I’m really horrible with places and dates, but that was a great show. We played early everyone was hungover but still showed up for the set and I think it was a nice way to get everyone pumped for the rest of the day. I also had a huge drum riser and I could see the whole crowd (for once!) so it was a unique experience for me in that sense.

When the songs are written, is it more of a colaborative thing, or is there someone in particular that comes up with the riffs usually?

Emily: Shred definitely takes the bulk of this project! Devon will come with some songs in too, and we usually tweak those up. Of course I have freedom to play whatever on drums, sometimes we’ll all sit down and go over melodies and wording, harmonies etc. But I’ve definitely never written a song!

What's some of your favorite drum equipment you have, and what would you like to have in the future?

Emily: I just purchased a nice tasty pair of Speed Cobras from Tama and I actually can’t believe how much more I like them. I was a little skeptical about how much better they could possibly be than my Iron Cobras, but once I had them set up, they’re heaven. The footboard is a bit longer so that ‘sweet-spot’ is a little bigger and gives me a bit more leeway. The pedals in the case are heavy, but once you’re kicking they’re light as a feather! I also love my Black Beauty snare drum; I can’t play a show without it, it’s the best damn sounding thing I’ve ever owned.

If you had to pick one person to sit down and talk drums with, who would it be?

Emily: You guessed it…. Nicko Mcbrain! He’s my one and only.

Do you still use the name Alison Thunderland, or do you just go by Emily for the records and everything? I find myself calling you Allison sometimes by accident! And where did that name come from?

Photo by Kevin Nunes

Emily: After leaving Skull Fist in 2011, I wanted to really represent myself as who I am and since that name was made up for that band and I was cutting all my ties, I really wanted to leave it behind and be taken a bit more serious. Someone did once tell me it sounded like a porn star name so…yes I use my real name now and I’m digging it. I feel like I’m not hiding behind a gimmick or anything, I want people to appreciate my drumming and our music, nothing more.

Do you play any other instruments?

Emily: I can squeak by on guitar (especially if everyone else is drunk!), I’ve come back to piano (mostly classical conservatory stuff but I really dig it!), and I only sing in the show and in my car where no one else has to hear me. I think I could probably play a mean triangle if I really tried to.

What kind of stuff do you practice when you sit behind the kit, and do you practice a lot before gigs and everything?

Emily: As a band we definitely practice a bunch before shows. Personally, when I sit down to warm up I just kind of jam and work on whatever I feel like; speed, patterns, whatever I’m in the mood for.

What are some of your favorite bands, i know it's a typical interview question, but I like to know what my favorite musicians listen to.

Photo by Nic Pouliot

Emily: I’m all over the place. I love the trad stuff like Grim Reaper, Saxon, W.A.S.P, Dokken. Speedy stuff like Blind Guardian, Helloween. Also occasional find a black metal band that I can’t live without; Dissecton and more recently and American band called Dumal. But then I have a hundred other bands that I can’t even place into a general category; Tyr, Nightwish, Sabaton, Ensiferum, Dimmu Borgir. To me it’s less about the genre and more about what makes my brain just light up when I hear it.

How do you feel the Canadian metal scene has progressed over the years, or rather just your overall feelings on it?

Emily: I love the Canadian scene; we are small yes, but overall rather tight knit and supportive. It’s funny because 10 years ago I was just entering the scene and now seeing new people coming in, it’s pretty cool.

You guys were on high roller records for "wild Racer" but don't have one for "Back In Time", what made you guys leave high roller records?

Emily: We didn’t leave per say, we just decided to do “Back in Time” on our own. We had a good response to “Wild Racer” and wanted to try and promote this one ourselves.

Is the album title "Back In Time" kind of implying you guys sound like you are from a different time, or that you could go back in time, or that your minds are back in a different time?
Emily: I think you’ve got the right combination there; I suppose it’s a little bit of everything with an undertone that we were all born just a little too damn late in this world.

Photo by Kevin Nunes

What genre of music or metal do you seem to gravitate towards the most when you sit down and listen to something?

Emily: It’s usually metal, maybe some classical if I’m in the mood, or folky stuff; if I can find a mix of these within metal music I am one happy camper.

What are some of your favorite songs to play live from Axxion?
Emily: Headbangers for sure, Ride Thru Hel is my go-to speed song, but I think Sinner is my favourite, it has my favourite AXXION solo and we all get to sing a super sweet harmony at the end.

The album art I think represents the music on this record quite well, where did the idea for that come from, and who illustrated it?

Emily: This was 100% Shred. It’s actually him in the car on the cover, we snapped a shot in my little Mazda and he worked some editing magic to get it to where it is now!

Are there any bands that you like that people you think wouldn't expect you to, or are a "guilty pleasure" if you will. I don't believe in that stuff, though, if you like it, you like, nothin to feel guilty about.
Emily: I get made fun of for listening to bands like Nightwish and Sabaton; a lot of my buddies don’t go out of that old school genre. But I like what I like and I’m not apologizing…..poor Shred has had to listen to my live Nightwish DVD too many times….he usually hides in the basement and plays guitar when I put that one on haha!

Where can people get a hold of Axxion merch, and where can people see you jam on the drums? Any specific youtube channel and fanpage for that...?

Emily: Yea! You guys can get merch at our Bigcartel (www.axxion.bigcartel.com) and I’ve got a drumming page up on Facebook (Emily Anne Drumming) and the same on Youtube, though I haven’t had a serious drum cover up in a while. I am itching to get more up there though!

Emily and Jay Decay
Photo by Kevin Nunes

What are some of your personal goals for the future music wise, and what are some future goals and events for Axxion?

Emily: I think for all of us, we are aiming to make another record that we are all really proud of. I know will likely take a long time, and I am probably the worst for being a perfectionist about stuff, but I’m never going to rush through an album just to get it out you know? Personally, I’d like to make the time to put up some more videos, maybe get funky and compose something with multiple types of drums….who knows!