Blending melodies with aggression, motivation with passion, and energy with volume, Ira Hill looks to leave their mark on the metal scene and continue to expand to new horizons since forming in June, 2013. Ira Hill has played across the state of Ohio and has gained recognition from various other states in the U.S. in addition to winning the 2014 Gorilla Music Battle of the Bands Finals in Cleveland. Ira Hill did not just stop there, however. They were also chosen to play the 2014 Vans Warped Tour Cuyahoga Falls date, as well as Co-headline the House of Blues in Cleveland in August, 2014. Ira Hill also has a fan-base growing overseas that they established with the release of their EP "Memoirs" (2014), single "Ghosts" Feat. Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills (2014), and "Shame" (2015) . The band is known for their constant hard work from their writing process to the high energy live shows they play. In the short amount of time they have become an established band, they have already proved that they will let no obstacles stand in the way of their goals. Ira Hill was formerly Ataxia. Name change in February, 2015. Ira Hill took some time to discuss their latest EP release "Just Keep Swimming" with further plans on shows, touring, and more!1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Ira Hill started out as Ataxia in June of 2013. We all met in high school and have been friends forever so it made sense to start a band together. In that short time, we managed to win a battle of the bands competition, land a local spot on the Vans Warped tour, headline the House of Blues in Cleveland, and held direct support slots for national acts along the way including Motionless in White, The Word Alive, Ice Nine Kills, Unearth, Oceano, and MANY more.
2. What’s the origin of the band’s name? Why did you want it to be in lower case out of all things.
Our previous name, Ataxia, was picked for no other reason than that is was a cool word. Our very first practice spot was in Akron off of Ira Hill and the name holds that personal meaning to us since it was our origin. (*correction* The name is not in all lower case. Reads as “Ira Hill”)
3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
We are based out Akron, Ohio and have been involved heavily with the Cleveland music scene mainly. We can’t thank all of the bands enough for setting a model example of what to strive for. They are all hard-working and extremely talented and it wouldn’t be doing a justice to simply name a few. If you ever find yourself in Cleveland, absolutely come out to a local show.
4. How would you describe your style? Which bands influenced your music?
We don’t like to label ourselves to a particular genre but have always clung to music that is generally more energetic, fast-paced, and passionate and we feel our new music captures all of those qualities. On our new EP, no two songs sound the same. We all grew up listening to many types of music and decided we wanted to let all varieties influence us. Bands include Slipknot, Twenty One Pilots, Rise Against, Sum 41, and A Day to Remember.
5. What's your take on the EP "Just Keep Swimming" as a whole?
Definitely a departure from our previous album. We don’t like it when bands put out the same record twice, so we tried some new sounds. For the most part, “Memoirs” was a metalcore record and the songs all sounded similar. We believe a good album has dynamic with highs and lows and “Just Keep Swimming” is a step in that direction. We are extremely satisfied with how it turned out and have been getting great feedback on it as well.
6. What's your favorite song on your EP "Just Keep Swimming" as of right now?
It’s always hard to answer that since we truly do love all of them, especially since they are all different. The mood honestly depends on it, but for today my favorite song is “Ashes Undoing” which captures the punk elements that influence us.
7. What should people know about your band? Why should they be interested in it?
The metal scene is oversaturated nowadays and music is seemingly becoming more and more repetitive. We believe we stand out with our ability to not classify ourselves with one genre and every song brings something new to the table. We want this EP experience to be that compared to a “dynamic audio roller coaster” that ranges from absolute mayhem to soft, contemplative songs that tackle very serious issues. Our goal is to keep the listener on their toes as we feel unpredictability is lacking in today’s industry.
8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
We have never really been out of state besides our one New York date last week so we would love to really branch out and meet more people. We also just partnered up with CB Entertainment recently and they have been treating us very well so we can’t wait to move forward with them and see what the future holds for the both of us!
9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
The new EP is being processed to iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Google Play and anywhere you can find music online as we speak and will be up and ready for purchase/stream in a matter of weeks. You can stream our new single, “Shame” along with older material on YouTube as well.
10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
A central theme in most of our songs is perseverance and our experiences dealing with the many adversities to keep our band afloat the last few years. We have noticed that with no matter what we do, we can’t always succeed. But how we deal with those setbacks is what shapes our character and has proven to help in the long run. Our goal is to hopefully have that message of perseverance relayed onto anyone that listens to our music so that they can keep pushing for something they love whenever life gets harder because it will prove beneficial in the end.
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