Interview: Blood of the Phoenix

Recently, DutchMetalManiac’s Tim van Velthuysen interviewed Blood of the Phoenix.

Hey, how are you? 

Great, thanks! 

Can you tell us something about the history of Blood of the Phoenix? 

Initially started out as an idea between Bradley (guitar/vocals) and Nolan (drums). It took a while to come to fruition because there was nowhere to jam – or so we thought. Eventually in the Winter of 2019, they got into an hourly rehearsal space and began writing the songs for the EP. Right around the time we found our second guitarist, Covid hit. Undeterred by the lockdown, Brad, Nolan and Matt (ex-lead guitarist) began looking to fill out the rest of the members of the band by posting ads online. There was a lot of responses and we had two vocalists: Peter and Jess. Brad found Jess’ email after having had Peter join, and initially lied to her about not seeing the email saying he got hacked while we tried to figure out a good way forward. Peter eventually bowed out, and we found Jade through her friendship with Jess. As soon as restrictions were lifted, we got together and began recording the EP at Jade’s house and our (now) jam space. 

For people not knowing Blood of the Phoenix (yet), how would you describe your music yourself? 

Early 2000s metalcore meets 2020’s Erra and Veil of Maya. The EP fits more into the early 2000s metalcore box than the newer (unreleased) material. 

When someone doesn’t know Blood of the Phoenix yet and you can choose one of your songs to present yourself, which song would that be? 

Lady of the Plagued. 

What makes Blood of the Phoenix unique? 

The melding pot of influences that each of us have or have had, that have all contributed to the sound of our stuff. Each member has been in other bands in the past, and Jade currently plays bass for Fallen Stars (Vancouver, BC), and pull from those experiences. 

Any future plans you can already tell us something about? 

Yeah, we hope to get on the road in 2022 but have to keep tabs on the news to know when that can start being planned for. 

Any upcoming gigs for Blood of the Phoenix? Maybe coming to The Netherlands? 

We’re planning a livestream for the release of our debut EP, and many more following the release. No plans for anything overseas at the moment. 

How do you think your life would be without music? 

Different. Maybe more boring than we’ve been having it? Most peoples’ 2020 sucked and we absolutely had a rough go individually but the project’s been a great motivator and a way to try to see some good through this weirdness. 

What advice would you give to young and starting bands? 

Set out a goal for what you want to do, and really commit to that. Decide on everything equally as a group – be willing to compromise! It takes a lot of teamwork to create anything but it’s awesome. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. And enjoy it. 

Thanks for your answers! Is there anything you want to say to DutchMetalManiac’s readers? 

Stay safe! We’re not out of the woods yet but we will be soon. Check out our debut EP – From What We Used To Know – on all major streaming platforms. It’s also available for purchase through some providers. 

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