1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
Since recording 'Woven Into Ashes' we have been working on music videos, designing merchandise and pre-order packages, and preparing for our upcoming tour with Moonspell, Eleine, and Oceans of Slumber. The response to the first couple of singles has been incredible, and we are very excited to share the rest of the album with our friends and fans around the world.
2.You have a new album coming out in May, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
In many ways, 'Woven Into Ashes' is the culmination of our development over the last 6 years or so as a band. We allowed ourselves the license to write long songs that evolve and iterate, but kept the songwriting taut and catchy as well. It is both our heaviest and our most melodic album yet, and we are very proud to release it.
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?
Our first two albums dealt a lot with societal issues and the development of humanity on a large scale. This album is much more personal, and speaks to the ways that a person must develop and mature through the various challenges in their life. We think that people will really resonate with this music and we hope that it helps people process some of the difficulties they face in their life.
4.Originally the band was called 'Asterion', what was the cause of the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Vintersea'?
Asterion was conceived as a modern technical metal band, capitalizing on the wave of cosmos-themed music that was sweeping through the scene in 2014. We pretty quickly realized that our sound was unique, blackened, naturalistic, and more broad than our original concept. Just as importantly, there were at least two other bands actively using the name. We are heavily inspired by the natural world that we live in in the Pacific Northwest, and the dark, winter ocean provided the inspiration for our name.
5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
As with our previous album, 'Illuminated', the artwork was created by Xenoyr from Ne Obliviscaris, one of our favorite bands and beautiful friends. A mass of humanity rising from the sands of time, infused with the ashes of lifetimes gone by. Xen, as always, included some incredible details that are representative of the songs on the album.
6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We've had the opportunity to play some incredible shows around the country. We have really enjoyed opening locally in Portland for bands like Ne Obliviscaris, Jinjer, Fleshgod Apocalypse, The Ocean, and Arkona. We've also had great shows in Oakland, San Diego, and Seattle. I consider our stage performance to be very interactive - the crowd always has an opportunity to headband with us, respond to us, and show us what they are enjoying about our music.
7.What are some of the shows or tours the band has planned for 2023?
The day that 'Woven Into Ashes' releases, on May 5th, we also begin a tour with Moonspell, Eleine, and Oceans of Slumber that begins in Houston, TX and ends in Vancouver, BC. We'll be playing several cities in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Oregon, and Canada, and are very excited to meet tons of new people!
8.From 2019 to 2023 there was no new material coming out, can you tell us a little bit more about what was going on during that time frame?
'Illuminated' came out in late 2019, and it was our intention to tour it extensively through 2020. For obvious reasons, that did not happen. We spent the next year or so getting together when it was safe and working on music videos to promote 'Illuminated'. We also had some fun opportunities to participate in Metal Injection's Slay At Home e-concert series and to play a few select live dates. Eventually, we were able to play two small tours on the West Coast of the United States, and then began work on 'Woven Into Ashes', our most ambitious record yet.
9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of progressive and extreme metal?
We never could have imagined that so many people would listen to and enjoy our music. Maybe the most surprising development over the last year or two has been the sheer volume of reaction channels that have reacted to and commentated on our music videos and songs. Hundreds and hundreds of videos from dozens and dozens of channels have been posted analyzing our music, and we have formed some truly great relationships through that outlet. We appreciate our fans who promote us to those channels!
10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We never put any limitations on what we do - so we will keep making the music we want to hear!
11.What are some of the bands or musical styles the band members are currently listening to nowadays?
We have long been inspired by Ihsahn, Devin Townsend, Ne Obliviscaris, Rivers of Nihil, Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth, Gojira, and a host of other bands. We all listen to different music, ranging from melodic black metal (Winterfylleth, Grima) to technical death metal (Archspire, Aborted) and modern progressive metal (Periphery, TesseracT).
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We can't wait to see as many of you as possible on our upcoming United States tour - if we are coming anywhere near you, come out and say hello! And make sure to snag a copy of our album, 'Woven Into Ashes', it represents the best of what we have done in our musical journey so far.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ vintersea/
Bandcamp: https://vintersea.bandcamp. com/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/vintersea
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