**Η συνέντευξη πραγματοποιήθηκε από τον Μανώλη Μ. και είναι στα Αγγλικά**
Hello Dave! I hope you are fine! Do you have the same fire for music now as you did when you started playing?
Greetings!! I’m doing well, thank you!
I’ve been extremely passionate about music since I was a kid. Since I was 7 years old all I ever wanted to be was a professional musician. It’s been my life long ambition. Now that’s it’s becoming a reality I do feel I have even more fire for music!
How does the creative process work in Immortalizer?
Most of the time things all start with me jamming on guitar. I’ll find a guitar riff I really like and then start building the whole song from there. Often as I play I’ll start crafting the full band orchestration in my head and I later use that as a guide when I’m recording. Once I find the main guitar parts I move on to the lyrics and vocal melodies. Then work on writing the drums, bass parts and keyboards parts depending on the song. Once the core elements of the song are recorded I work on guitar and bass fills to add extra colour. Not every song comes together that way though. Sometimes a drum beat or bass line comes first and I build a song around it. So the process does vary.
Your single “I’m Gone” was a nice surprise! Are you planning the first album to be out after soon?
Thank you! Immortalizer fans have been responding really well to the “I’m Gone” single, which means a lot. &absolutely! I’m working really hard on writing and recording the full length album. For the time being I’m doing everything myself, which is time consuming, but I’m hoping to release the album as soon as possible!
Do you treat the writing process like a full-time job, or do you have a different method?
Absolutely! You never know when inspiration will strike, so I always keep myself open to it. I have a few lyric books around the house and keep a lyric folder on my phone in case I think of something when I’m out. Melodies and lyrics will often just pop into my head randomly. So in a way the creative process never stops. I always have music on the brain. I do have dedicated writing sessions as well of course, but sometimes the best material comes to me unexpectedly.
Do you find writing easy and natural or is it a process you have to break down technically?
Most of the time I find the writing process very natural. But occasionally I’ll get stuck on some lyrics or a section of a song which takes some time to come together, but most of the time if I get stuck on something I find it best to walk away from it for a bit and return to it later vs forcing it. The best material is always the stuff that comes naturally. Sometimes it’s also beneficial to rework songs while recording them, because sometimes inspiration can strike while you’re putting down lyrics or music and you realize that a small change can make a big impact.
Do you hear the other parts, instruments, of the song when you are writing?
Yes, most of the time while I’m writing riffs on guitar and working on lyrics I’ll start hearing ideas for the full orchestration in my head as I mentioned before. I think because I’m a multi-instrumentalist my mind also thinks up parts for each other instrument as I go. Sometimes it’s just basic ideas that get transformed further during the actual writing and recording phase. My drums often evolve while I’m recording them. Same for the rest of the instruments too. Especially bass and keyboards. I like to expand on my ideas but try not to over do it. The mind can start tuning out when there’s too much complexity from each instrument. Finding that balance is tricky, but very important.
What inspires you to write music?
I get a lot of inspiration from my favorite bands and artists, but also from day to day life. The world we live in is a dizzying mess at times, filled with horrors that are hard to process. Music helps me express my anger and frustration at the world, but it can also be an outlet for positivity. For example,I’m working on a song called “Cut Loose” which is all about letting go of all the madness in the world for a bit and just having a blast!
How would you think you would have sounded if you were a band in the 70s?
That’s a very good question. I think I would have sounded a lot like a mash up of Motörhead, Saxon and Thin Lizzy. In some respects,that’s pretty close to what I sound like now haha.
Are there any new artists (not necessary musicians) that you find interesting?
Well, I’m a fan of Enforcer. They’ve been around for a while but are still going strong. They’re extremely good live as well. I met their lead singer at one of their shows on the From Beyond tour. He’s a really nice guy. Killer guitar player too!
I’ve been so focused on my own music though that I haven’t had as much time as I would like to discover new bands and artists. While I’m writing and recording I also try to avoid listening to other music as much as possible so I don’t accidentally write something too similar. I learned that tip from reading an interview with legendary guitarist Michael Schenker!
Do you have a process of writing lyrics or this comes natural?
My lyric writing is exactly like my song writing, so it mostly comes naturally. I do have dedicated writing sessions as previously mentioned where I spent time crafting lyrics from scratch or working on existing lyrics. Most of the time I’ll just get an idea for a song, sometimes even just the title and I’ll build the whole song and the lyrics around that.
Why do you think people play music today?
I think for the same reason people always have. For the love of music and to express themselves creatively and for some to try to make a career in music. Music also brings us together and makes us feel less alone in the world. When I was a kid listening to my favourite bands I identified with their lyrics and their music helped get me through some dark times. Their passion for music encouraged me to learn to play and write music of my own!
Thank you for taking the time about this unique interview! Metal on!
It was my pleasure! Cheers to all the Immortalizer fans out there!
https://soundcloud.com/Immortalizermusic
https://www.facebook.com/ImmortalizerBand
https://www.twitter.com/immortalizer_
https://www.instagram.com/immortalizerofficial/
IMMORTALIZER – Cut Loose (Official Video)
IMMORTALIZER – Gone To Hell (Official Video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3ZHediKQi8
IMMORTALIZER – I’m Gone (Official Video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBSH8s7VVLA
IMMORTALIZER: Lemmy (Official Music Video)
