1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the solo project?
Iōhannēs is just a little bedroom project I started when I was 18 and thought doing music for the rest of my life was gonna be the route I go down. It’s mostly a blackened death metal project with some progressive leanings, and it’s a project where I can do whatever I want in an extreme metal lens without worrying about a band or anything like that.
2.Your new ep will be released in September, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
This release was my attempt to write something more black metal oriented than anything I had worked on before. Originally it was an entirely different project under a different name but I decided to shelve it for whatever reason. I decided to release it now because I think it’s a neat time capsule of where I was back then.
3.Since 2019 you have released a great amount of demo's, ep's and full lengths, do you spend a great amount of time, writing and creating music?
I spend quite a bit of time just making stuff in general, but music was something I used to be more prolific with. I had a lot of creative energy when I first started out and I guess I had something to prove and needed to catch up to what everyone else was doing at the time. It ended up leading to an intense burn-out that I’m still struggling with to this day, but I still work on music almost every day in some way.
4.Your lyrics on the new recording focus mostly on the sea and ocean, can you tell us a little bit more about the songwriting that is presented on the new recording?
I’ve always had an affinity for anything related to water, and especially the ocean. I vacationed a lot at the beach as a kid and grew to appreciate the vast, terrifying, and beautiful nature of it. I love swimming, I love being in water, it makes me feel at home. I was also in a very dark headspace around this time so the lyrics reflect a desire to return to the primordial origins of all life on the planet as a way of escape.
5.What are some of the other lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with the music?
I like concept albums so I like to work conceptually with my projects. I mainly deal with negative emotions as a way of purging them from myself, and then wrapping that in a framework of some kind of story or overarching concept. I’ve dealt with some heavy subject matter in the past and will probably continue to do so just because this is the way I process these things.
6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Iōhannēs'?
I really couldn’t find a good band name at the time so I searched out what my first name would be in Latin and the rest is history.
7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new ep cover?
The artwork was a series of photographs taken by a good friend of mine on one of the many beaches of southern California. I basically just smashed them all together and gray-scaled it to make it look cool. Very DIY since I lacked a job and money at the time.
8.With this project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to work solo?
I think with this project I’d prefer to work on my own, maybe a few guest spots for solos or vocals or something, but all the writing and recording is mine to do. I’m weird when it comes to personal projects, but I’d also be down to be a part of a band where I wouldn’t have to take so much on by myself. It’d have to be a different project though.
9.The new ep is going to be released on 'Syrup Moose Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
Syrup Moose is a label that started as a joke, really, but I decided to take a chance on them with this release. I’m glad to say they’ve done right by me and they’re doing a great job of getting the label out there and running. I hope to see further success for them.
9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
Well, I’ve got 176 followers on Bandcamp so I suppose that’s pretty good for someone just making noises from their childhood bedroom. I’m not too well known in the local scene but in some of the circles I follow I’ve garnered some attention and I’m happy with how I’ve been growing lately. I’m not out here looking to be the next break-out black metal artist, I’d just like a good base of fans who will support me in whatever I do.
10.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?
I really couldn’t say where I’d see myself with music in the future. Hopefully I’m still doing it and getting better. I’m always gonna do music, but time becomes a valuable commodity when trying to survive out here. I think my releases will be slower in releasing but they’ll still be coming.
11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
The whole reason I started doing music on my own is because of Devin Townsend and his album “Ziltoid The Omniscient”. I listened to that album and found out he did almost the entire thing on his own in his home studio with software drums and that just opened the floodgate for me to make my own music. I think the list of bands and artists that inspire me would be a bit overwhelming, but they’re mostly progresssive metal bands. Currently I’ve been listening to a lot of Coheed And Cambria since I never really explored their music when I was younger. They also work almost exclusively in concept albums so that’s a big plus for me.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
I just want to say thank you to Syrup Moose Records for taking a chance on me and allowing me to live my dream a bit more. I also want to thank all my friends and fellow musicians who have supported me for this long. Words cannot express my gratitude. And thank you for the interview!
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