Formula Indie Sessions – Interview with Flight of Odin

What is your earliest memory connected to music?

Xyra (vocalist/lyricist): My earliest memory connected to music is hearing my mother listen to a variety of classical music on our stereo. As a toddler, she provided me with a little record player for my room and a set of Franz Liszt recordings I learned to put on the turntable and play, myself. I am quite sure this left an enduring effect on me.

Andrew (bassist/keyboardist): Growing up, my mother would always play classical music. As a result, I grew up listening to Vivaldi, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Chopin, Tchaikovsky and so many others. Music was part of our home and offered grounding when other parts of life were turbulent.

Kenny (drummer/percussionist): Oh man, I was OBSESSED with the single “No Time” by The Guess Who when I was two years old! I had a little red record player, and my parents had to keep a stock of singles on hand for when I scratched or broke one. They would buy all the copies at the local store; we may have single-handedly made that record go gold!

Tyler (guitarist): My earliest musical memory is listening to my dad play rock music through his stereo.

How did your passion for creating music begin?

Xyra: I began writing very simple music on piano at age 8, around the time I began taking voice lessons. After I began guitar at about 14, I began writing lyrics and experimenting with ideas for songs.

Andrew: When my parents bought a piano, I thought of it as this magic box, and I just longed to take lessons, but I was too little. When I was six years old, I was finally able to take piano lessons, and the piano has been a friend ever since.

Kenny: I’ve always had a corporate job and just played cover bands as a weekend warrior for decades. I finally got burned out on that and vowed to never do another cover band and wanted to do originals instead. So I came to it very late, but happy to have joined Flight of Odin as a creative outlet.

Tyler: Passion for music started when I was young, learning music theory, and enjoying music with other like-minded kids in my town.

What’s the story behind your current music project?

Xyra: The decision to release I Traveled The Crooked Path as a double album came down to having a large amount of material we wanted to properly document. Disc 2 includes material from our previous lineup. The album represents important chapters in our musical history, while effectively showcasing the band’s evolution.

Flight of Odin’s sound began with a retro 1970s melodic hard rock foundation that evolved into our present genre, Melodic Psychedelic Doom Metal. That shift into Doom was influenced greatly by our Doom fan drummer Kenny, and our current guitarist, Tyler.

Andrew: Flight of Odin has been my favorite musical endeavor, although initially I was playing just keyboards. When the bass player quit after just a couple of weeks, then guitarist Mike asked if I would consider playing bass, think if I could play Chopin, I could certainly play bass. I decided to try, and I have loved the role ever since. I really enjoy playing with the current lineup, and we all listen to lyrics and work out how best to relay the story. It has been a very collaborative efforts, really working to put the music out for the sake of art.

Kenny: I think we have landed on a lineup and a formula that we’re really excited about, so the motivation now is to continue to explore this rich new creative vein and see what it yields.

Tyler: With this project, I strive to develop a sound that offers a pleasant listening experience.

How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?

Xyra: A fan famously described Flight of Odin as:

“Heart meets Black Sabbath on the one hand, and Dead Can Dance meets The Doors on the other, cliffhanging with Pink Floyd and the mystical side of Led Zeppelin.” I would say that’s pretty accurate.

Andrew: This has always been a challenge, but I describe it as on the edge of heavy metal, dark, moody, with touches of classical influences.

Kenny: Melodic dark beauty – beauty in darkness.

Tyler: I would describe our sound as a pleasant listening experience.

What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?

Xyra: One thing, and perhaps most important is the influence of my present bandmates and our exchange of ideas. Overall, our current lineup is a convergence of collaborative individuals with unique approaches to music, who get along well together.

Andrew: Relaxed focus, a quote from the now deceased guitarist for Urban Verbs, may he rest in peace. This really helped me to let go of things that were hindering me by being too rigid. I have learned to just flow with the music. This has opened things up immensely for me.

Kenny: Don’t ever worry about “showing off” your chops. It’s not about chops or trying to impress anybody with technical fireworks. That’s a losing game. It’s about contributing to the creation of the finished artistic vision and playing what’s “right” to create that.

Tyler: One thing I learned that completely changed the way I make music. I like sculpting my sound by adding but more importantly removing notes and tones.

What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?

Xyra: We use very fine, yet basic instruments to execute our craft. My instrument is my voice, but I use my favorite Taylor guitar as a songwriting tool. Of course, in the recording studio, our engineer uses Protools. However, in developing our music we don’t use software or anything remotely resembling AI. That said I do use GROK for help with website construction, band ads, and in developing images for our music videos, which I very much enjoy creating.

Andrew: 5-string bass and 88-key keyboard are my main tools… especially the keyboard during the creation of songs. Even if keyboard doesn’t end up on the song, it has always been my go-to instrument.

Kenny: Drum set and ear plugs and imagination and good creative vibes with the bandmates.

Tyler: One of my essential tools is a speaker pushing air and pulling electricity loudly. 🤘🏻

Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?

Xyra: Our new songs are currently buzzing around in my brain… specifically, “You Can’t Stop Me Now”. Typically, I listen to classical music during the day. I do like Nightwish quite a lot.

Andrew: I am not following anyone in particular, but I recently discovered Nightwish. I know they’re not indie, but they are new to me, and I really liked discovering that genre of music.

Kenny: Faetooth, Iress, and Grayceon, among other Doom bands.

Tyler: Indie artist? I like Gorillas

How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?

Xyra: There are too many to list, but I can say that witnessing and experiencing psychic phenomena has something to do with my inner creativity manifesting into lyrics and song.

Andrew: As we have gone through various bands, and recording studios, it has become more important to be true to ourselves, and our own vision and ideas. Creating music for the sake of the art, and not trying to do things to be more accessible or commercial. Just putting the music out our way, and hoping the right people will find us, and enjoy the authenticity of what we do.

Kenny: In discovering the Doom underground, I too realize that we can express our creativity and get it out there without having to try to fit any kind of commercial formula. That we can do what we want and express our unique vision is inspiring.

Tyler: All of my experiences have a direct impact on my art. Art helps me process life.

What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?

Xyra: We hope to convey to audiences a sense of authenticity… uniqueness that is uncontrived and evokes emotions naturally… genuine music that leads listeners on a compelling, sonic journey along a path before untrodden.

Andrew: I want the music to take listeners on a journey. I would like people to hear us and find the music powerful enough that they can forget about what’s happening in the world and just be in the moment.

Kenny: You’re not alone. Lots of people are in the underground with you, and we’re creating real music for real humans. Not polished-perfect formulaic disposable music for fake humans.

Tyler: I hope listeners can’t get the songs out of their heads!

What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?

Xyra: That we can create naturally and organically without having to fit within any set genre. There is a certain freedom in that realization.

Andrew: Always play with heart; don’t try to be too technical or precise. Yes, practice and keep trying to improve your technique, which is really your vocabulary, but when you are performing, play what you feel. Connect with your bandmates and your audience.

Kenny: We have to keep something human in our lives. Don’t let the machine reduce you to a consumer of all spoonfed junk. Be human, do human things.

Tyler: The most important lesson I’ve learned from music? There is so much to learn from music that I don’t know where to start.

What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?

Xyra: I have ideas for a Doom Metal Opera that I would love to perform at The Royal Albert Hall in London… with amazing visual effects and clothing. This could include other Doom bands, as well.

Andrew: Anywhere people will enjoy hearing us.

Kenny: If there was a dream…opening for Electric Wizard or a similar band.

Tyler: Dream festival… Desertfest… just because I like the name.

If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?

Xyra: I am so thoroughly satisfied with our current Flight of Odin lineup that I can’t imagine collaborating with anyone else. But if I had to choose, I would say, possibly John Paul Jones.

Andrew: That idea isn’t applicable for me. I’m happy with this band.

Kenny: Maybe Sean Kennedy and Alia O’Brien from Blood Ceremony – that would be fun.

Tyler: I would like to collaborate with Thijs Van leer. Why? Because I like Hocus Pocus.

Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website, Spotify, IG, links)

Xyra: Our LinkTree is the best way to find ways to follow, listen and watch videos. All of our links are here: http://linktr.ee/odinmaiden

Andrew: Links on our LinkTree.

Kenny: We’re on all major platforms and you can get physical CDs from Bandcamp.

Tyler: What they said.

Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?

Xyra: We are not a gigging or touring band, per se, but have some interesting ideas for live performance… including expansive visual image effects. We also plan to create current live performance videos… especially a few in our “Sanctuary” rehearsal space that is decorated with fairy lights, in a whimsical style.

My highest ambition, again, might be to create a Doom Metal Opera, and most ambitiously… someday play The Royal Albert Hall.

Andrew: Recording more material with another album to come out next year. Hoping to keep on improving. We should be back in the studio with new material we are working on currently.

Kenny: I think to continue to mine this creative vein and see what it yields.

Tyler: The next chapter of my musical journey? More songs, hooks, riffs, leads, and more gear.

What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?

Xyra: I hope listeners will discover in our music emotive sincerity laden with imagery that conveys a sense of magic… a sonic story… a journey.

Andrew: That we are sincere about what we are doing.

Kenny: We’re underground… not yet famous. We love what we do and want to reach other weirdos out there who love Underground music as well. Overall, we hope that our music helps to enrich lives, if even just a little. The world is in peril right now, so we must find those gems that make life worthwhile and some hope.

Tyler: I hope listeners discover I am a human.

If you want here you can add a representative Youtube video to insert below the interview 🙂

“20-Years War” by Flight of Odin (from the album “I Traveled the Crooked Path”)