Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Blackened Rose
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
I think it has to be my teenage years. I enjoyed music as a kid, but never thought about learning an instrument. Furthermore, I was scared that my parents would make me learn violin or any classical instrument like that. But around the age of thirteen I have started discovering more bands and it has changed my life. Now I knew that I wanted to sing and play guitar.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
My first experience came from high school, of course. I co-wrote my first sobg in Year 10 and then started writing and gathering my first band around Year 11 at the age of sixteen. At that time I was very influenced by the bands like Metallica, Pantera and Sepultura and wanted to create the same mix of thrash and groove metal.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
Blackened Rose came about towards the end of 2022. At the time I was listening to a huge mix of 80’s hard rock and 90’s/2000’s gothic metal, so, coming to terms with my baritone voice, I wanted to create something unique out of this blend of the fun of glam metal and the melancholy of goth.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
We have a blend of different influences, but the most prominent to date would be bands like Type O Negative, HIM, The 69 Eyes, Black Sabbath and Ghost.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
I studied Bachelor of Creative Arts majoring in Music at the University of Wollongong, which has given me a lot of compositional and theoretical insight. The course has challenged me a lot to write more coherently within given keys and use a lot more compositional tricks like key changes or chord inversions.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
Software is really simple. When we jam or rehearse, we usually record our ideas through a phone voice recorder. There are still a bunch of demos like that in our shared folder. But as of recent, my Epiphone Jerry Cantrell Wino Les Paul has been of grear aid and inspiring me to write more groovy riffs!
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
Recently I have been enjoying this Canadian atmospheric post-black metal project called Unreqvited. They mostly write instrumental tracks and while there is a lot of ambience and repetition, I find their music somewhat calming and really enjoy it even playing in the background.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
There have been quite a few experiences that have influenced my (and hence the band’s) musical style, as well as it can manifest in my lyrics. I feel though that it is a natural human experience of growth and change and there is no shame in it.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
I hope that the listeners actually enjoy our music in their own way. I am happy when people are so invested in the songs to the point that they build their own associations. Of course, we do write about feelings and certain songs can be more caressing, while others are more uplifting, however the listeners can associate their own experiences with our pieces.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
Teamwork. Without teamwork music is almost impossible to write, produce and release. And while I can be the leader of the band, I still quite often rely on my bandmates Vin, Josh and Axel for help and support.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
Oh, “never say never” they say right? Perhaps some bigger international stages in time, but for now we are really looking forward to Metal United Down Under in May!
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
We’d certainly wish (especially Vin and I) to collaborate with Peter Steele if he was still alive. The man is such a legend and wrote some of the most beautiful metal music you could imagine! Three hails and rest in peace!
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)
https://linktr.ee/blackenedroseofficial
https://www.instagram.com/blackenedroseofficial
https://www.facebook.com/blackenedroseofficial
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
We are on the path to release our next single in the next couple of weeks, so certainly stick around for that! And the shows of course! We are really looking forward to share our music with you!
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
I hope the discovery doesn’t disappoint as we tend to have a fairly diverse sound with a range of influences! So there certainly is space for everyone with a range of emotions in the music from grief to the cheeky jokes and gothic temptation!
