Sweden metal/progressive/pop/electro act The Drake Equation have released their EP "Variables" and have new music in the works. Drummer Adam Janzi talks about the EP and upcoming touring plans for the rest of this year!
1. Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in The Drake Equation, and how long the band has been together.
Adam: I'm Adam Janzi, the drummer in the band. The band has been together and out on the roads since 2009.
2. Can I get a backstory on the band/ band biography?
Adam: We, The Drake Equation, are a progressive metal core band with pop and electronica influences. Joined by our burning passion for music, we have been out on the roads since 2009, delivering energetic live shows. Recently, we recorded an EP, consisting of four songs. The EP, named "Variables", was released April 23rd 2013.
3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
Adam: The band is based out of Sweden. The music scene over here is really thriving. We notice more and more upcoming bands around us that start touring and doing really well for themselves. One local band that we can recommend, that joined us on our Scandinavian tour, are Mashima. They're really nice guys to hang out with and they've got some heavy grooves. We definitely recommend that you check them out.
4. How did you guys come up with your band name?
Adam: We knew that we wanted a band name that was serious and that could speak to big matters of the universe as well as more personal matters at the same time. We got together and looked up a few options, and then singled them out. The Drake Equation is an equation that was written by a man named Frank Drake (hence the name) which estimates the probability of there being other intelligent civilizations in the universe. The way we use it to connect it with our fans is to spread the message that no one is alone and to encourage everyone to keep hope strong.
5. What bands have influenced your band and its sound?
Adam: The bands that have influenced us the most are definitely Periphery, Memphis May Fire and Bring Me The Horizon, both as a band and personally. For example, Matt Halpern who is the drummer of Periphery is also my drum teacher.
6. What lyrical theme do you guys use in your music? What message do you want to send?
Adam: The message we want to send is simple and strong: Never lose hope, never stop fighting.
Our goal with our lyrics is to unite people and encourage them to fight for their freedom since there are so many of injustices in the world. That's why our lyrics build on enlightening our listeners and inspiring resistance.
7. Why did you want the band to have 3 different vocalists?
Adam: That's actually something that we didn't really choose, it just turned out that way. Our bassist, Anton Svensson, was our only singer back in 2009 when we started. We then decided to try to incorporate some clean vocals, and so our guitarist Mattias Tiselius also became our clean vocalist. We still felt that something was missing though, and then Dennis Andersson joined the band and became our lead vocalist. And so Mattias sings the clean vocals, Dennis does the growls and screams and Anton backs up Dennis with the growls and screams. It just fell into place and contributes a lot to our current sound.
8. Can you tell me about the two music videos you've released for "Settlement" and "One Step Alone" why did you want these songs to be videos and what are the song's and video's concepts about?
Adam: We wanted those songs to be videos because we thought that they would work really well as music videos, and that they would really fit into our concept. The concept for the song and the video for "One Step Alone" is basically about losing a loved one and all the difficulties that follow. As for "Settlement", we simply wanted the video to portray a sense of progress and growth, since that is what the song is about.
9. Both of those songs come off your EP "Variables" how has this EP evolved, compared, and differed from the previous releases?
Adam: This EP has evolved in so many ways. What we did with the "Variables" EP was to find the core of our sound from our previous EPs and build on that. We kept the progressive and the pop/electronica elements from the previous EPs and evolved those, and added a lot more groove to it and made it all so much heavier. This made the "Variables" EP differ from the previous EPs because it added an aggressive and more mysterious "space" feel.
10. What can you tell me about this EP that hasn't already been said or asked?
Adam: One thing that all the songs off the EP have in common is that they all discourage self-pity. We want people to find the strength to fight all their problems and move on with their lives. On a larger scale, it's basically about all the injustices in the world, which in turn are created and controlled by all governments. What we want to convey is the importance of standing on your own feet, going your own way, and not always feeling the need to fit in. Resistance, liberation and freedom are the keywords.
11. Are you in the process of working on your debut full-length release?
Adam: We actually aren't, not yet. For us as musicians to be able to record a well-produced full-length release today, that would require a lot of money, simply put, since we're still unsigned. Recording a full-length release is something that we believe is better to do when we have a good record-label to work with. We can reveal that we've begun working on some new songs and other cool things though, so be on the lookout!
12. What are the rest of the plans that you guys have for this year?
Adam: We just got back from our Scandinavian tour with the Canadian band Liferuiner, so after this we'll keep climbing and play some more shows in Sweden this autumn as well as plan some more future tours. And like I mentioned, we're writing some new songs at the moment, so that is something that we'll do actively in the near future. And to answer the question that's hanging in the air Yes, we're working on a new CD.13. What is it you'd like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
Adam: We want the listener to feel and remember the pure emotion and energy that we're trying to convey through our music. We want that to feel like a punch in the listeners face, from the first listen.
14. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
Adam: You can listen to us on Youtube, Spotify and our own page on Facebook.
Link: http://www.facebook.com/thedrakeequationsweden
You can also buy and listen to our songs on iTunes, Amazon, Deezer, and most other similar sites.
We also have an online store up where you can buy a physical copy of our CD and some merch.
Link: http://thedrakeequation.bigcartel.com/
15. Any final words of wisdom?
Adam: Fight for your rights and never bow down to injustices. Don't be afraid to stray from the path that is set by the norms!
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