Chakora, a passionate metal band, discusses their music's evolution, touring experiences, and the raw energy that connects them with their dedicated fans in this insightful interview.
1.Your music has been described as a revival of the metal
scene from previous decades. What inspired you to bring back that classic
sound?
For us it’s about playing what we are passionate about. If we take the groove Metal vibes from Pantera starting in 1990 with Cowboys from Hell - they are raw, authentic, passionate, and just focused on fucking amazing riffing. We have a really similar ethos - all 4 of us bring a burning passion for music across all genres and sub-genres of metal, also overflowing into the funk, jazz, indie side- but at the core we are headbangers and have a raw, authentic passion for fucking amazing metal riffs.
2.You've had the opportunity to support international tours
like the Aggressor Tour and the Fury Tour. How has touring alongside
established bands like Ektomorf influenced your own musical journey?
As a garage band or playing in your bedroom at home you have a „dream“ image of touring and gigging which doesn’t reflect reality. Having the privilege of experiencing the reality gave us true insight to the dedication and stamina needed. The excitement of driving from city to city and being among like minded people that celebrate music, knowing the energy you put out is getting fed straight back to you by the crowd, feels like a drug- that you just want more and more of. We really appreciated having Ektomorf to show us the ropes, they definitely took us under their wing, and helped us to see the good, bad, and the ugly of touring! We would definitely say that experience influenced the writing of our second album- as we became wiser about how fucking difficult it is in the music industry, we became more determined with our music writing to just play what feels good to us, staying true to ourselves- knowing that even after a long tour, your getting on stage to play songs that you wrote and you love playing.
3.Your live performances have been praised for their energy
and crowd engagement. What's the key to connecting with your audience in such a
powerful way?
In the previous question we mentioned about feeding on energy from the crowd, and them feeding on the same energy from us on stage. For us that isn’t about jumping around on stage and looking „through“ the audience like a lot of bands do… when we are on stage it’s not about us, it’s about the crowd- they have come out to be entertained- they have come out to experience something, and we genuinely want to show that appreciation by giving of our best- and making them a part of the performance! The ultimate goal is to have the folks that at the beginning of the show were standing in the back with their arms crossed, by the end, down the front tapping their foot, banging their heads, and just enjoying the energy. Keeping an eye on the vitality in the crowd, seeing the excitement being created in people’s eyes feeds us.
4.Chakora has already played a headliner tour in Russia. Can
you share some of your most memorable moments from that experience?
We'd say the day we arrived in Moscow. From A-Z, everyone was incredibly kind, and the locals showed a keen interest in our music and who we are. We were also invited to the studio of a Russian band. After a night of heavy drinking, they urged us to give them a private gig in the middle of the night. That didn't quite pan out as planned, leading to a night filled with partying and blackouts. Overall, we felt extremely welcomed there by everyone we met."
5.Your debut album "Chakora" was released in 2017.
How do you feel your music has evolved between that release and your upcoming
second album?
There is a stark contrast between our first and second album. I’d say our development from album 1 to 2 is the maturity of our music. With the first album we had a lot of aggression to let out, we were finding our feet- we had a statement to make. This time around we were more focused on the intricacy of song writing, the meaning behind the songs, and translating the themes into a musical journey. We wanted each instrument to be on top of its game and that had also translated into the production. Chris is a killer producer, and challenged each band member to really deliver their best performance not only in their technicality, but translating that into the sound engineering- every hit on the drum, every chug on the bass, every riff on the guitar comes through really nicely.
I think when the fans hear songs like „The Invincible“, „PTSD“, „Muddy Waters“ they will see that we have stayed true to ourselves, but have grown and matured (hopefully like a red wine and not like a bad curry haha)!
6.Can you give us some insights into the themes or concepts
that listeners can expect from your upcoming second album?
The overarching theme is the reality of life. The highs and lows… with songs like Shadows and PTSD, lyrically written by our Bassist Steve, these are based on real life experiences, us writing about our life events or those of our families. The others are written with impulse emotion, for example „Bitch“, or „Somebody Else“ written by our singer Nick, similarly a genuine authentic guy, giving an impulsive insight into his life.
So on the whole, the theme is „life“- you listen to this album, you are listening to what makes us who we are as people.
7.Groove metal is a genre known for its distinctive rhythm
and groove. How do you balance creating memorable, head-banging riffs while
maintaining the emotional depth of your music?
That comes down to the creative process that layers on over time. It starts with a killer riff from Chris or Nick, which we build on, and build on, and build on. At some early stage in the writing process we start to feel a certain vibe from the music and that steers the direction of it. Jakob will sit behind the kit and build his chops around those riffs in a way that elevates the drums, we think on a melodic level. Steve sees his priority in being a solid rhythm section together with Jakob and orientates himself on Jakobs playing so that they are tight. He provides dynamics, depth, and the gut and gore- to elevate the emotion of the song. Nicks approach to the vocals is very much what rounds out the emotion of the song- the Lyrics have meaning, when he sings them, he fucking means it! At the end of the writing process is where the solos from Chris come in- he really rounds out the song and puts the sealing mark on it.
8.Your sound features a blend of clean and growling vocals.
How do you decide when to incorporate each vocal style into your songs?
Most of the time, one of us has a vision for how the melody of the vocals should sound in the song we work on. Nik has a lot of ideas during the recording sessions, he tries it and if it fits we keep it on the record.
9.Many fans are eagerly anticipating your new album. Can you give us a sneak peek into any collaborations, surprises, or special elements that might be present on this album?
There’s definitely a Hammond organ solo in there somewhere ;-)
10.As a band, what's your songwriting process like? Do you
have any specific rituals or routines that help channel your creativity?
This is already answered in 7.
11.In an era where music consumption is dominated by streaming platforms, how do you approach crafting a cohesive album listening experience?
In our opinion every song needs to stand out on its own and make a statement, so that even if the listener doesn’t listen to the whole album and only hears part of it as a „silo“ on a Spotify playlist or something, the song is stand alone „balls to the wall“. That’s why when we construct an album we make sure each song is strong on its own, but elements still remain consistent through the songs, including subtleties like the guitar sounds, the bass tone etc.
12.Metal has a diverse and passionate fan base. What do you think sets Chakora apart and resonates with your listeners in such a significant way?
People that are into us are REALLY into us. I think the fans reflect our personalities- we are 4 very passionate, driven guys- if we like something we like it 1000%, I think our fans see that in us and we attract those types of people.
13.Could you share a particularly challenging moment you've
faced as a band and how you overcame it together?
Covid was a really tough one for us personally and as a band- there were a number of things which came together at once, after coming out an amazing high from the tours we did and a schedule full of gigs, we were down to zero, like everyone else. We then had to part ways with our bass player Fabian and look for another bassist. It was difficult to stay motivated and keep momentum going to practise together, but we used the time wisely to onboard Steve into the band, and Chris kept his foot up our arses ensuring we continued to record the album- which really kept us going. The results you hear on the album are the moments recorded at that time.
14.Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for Chakora? Are there any dream venues, festivals, or milestones you're aiming for?
We have to think big- that’s what really keeps us going. Chris and Nick are the two main drivers of the band, we all have aspirations and ambitions for the band, we love the music and each other but, Chris and Nick give their life and soul to every front, not just the music, but to promotion, connections and network etc- which is crucial for getting our music out there. We would absolutely love to go on tour through Europe again and play some of the bigger festivals- definitely Summer Breeze and Wacken for sure. A support act slot with a well known band would be amazing and maybe another headline tour, this time though Europe and UK! We are in discussions to make that happen as we speak.
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