Meet the creators behind 'A Moment of Violence' as they unveil the band's genesis, genre fusion, live energy, and future aspirations in this exclusive interview.
1. Can
you share the story behind the formation of "A Moment of Violence"?
How did each of you come together to create the band?
This is
Desi, first of all thank you for having us! In the summer of 2021, Scotty
and I were playing on a men’s softball team together. We were on the same team
for literally six months prior to knowing each other played instruments. We
finally did find out when some pop music came on in the parking lot after a
game and both Scotty and I were hoping to hear some metal instead. We then
spoke about our musical passion. It was a big part of the conversation to start
a band, but it still didn’t happen for a few months. We finally buckled down
and started jamming together. Next, the hunt for the other members was on. We
searched for another guitarist to complement me for months via social media
etc. We found out that my neighbor Brent played guitar. He quickly learned the
parts for our few songs that we had at the time, and boom. Just like that the
infamous AMoV guitar duo was born. Searched and tried many bass players, but
couldn’t actually find the right person for the job yet. We ended up meeting
Alex via social media. We heard the aggression that he possessed on the mic and
knew he was a great fit for what we were doing. Again, we tried another
bassist, and still didn’t find what we were looking for. We then met Russ at an
open mic that he was hosting. We found out quickly that he was a seriously
talented vocalist with an excellent stage presence. I scouted him for a bit
until his gigging schedule had an opening and he decided to join us. Last but
certainly not least, we found Miguel (Miggz). He is a super talented musician,
songwriter, photographer, and videographer. He fit in right away. We are stoked
to have him as part of the team, as we were previously having no luck in
finding the right guy on bass.
2. Desi, as the primary songwriter
and producer, what inspires your music creation process, especially within the
NuMetalCore genre?
I’m
inspired by many things in the studio. I pride myself on being a very diligent
student to the beautiful craft of songwriting. When I listen to a track, I
listen to it differently than most. Not only to enjoy the song and the feeling
that it gives me, but to analyze the production and song writing
characteristics that it has. It’s quite amazing to hear how creative and
talented many artists are and pick out what makes them different from one
another. I have my favorites though. As of late, I’ve been digging a lot of
“Beartooth”, and “Jaime’s Elsewhere”. I feel that if I can emulate the
productions from their latest records even 95% as good, then we’re on the right
track. The production of a song in my opinion plays such a vital role in the
creation of the song as a whole. It can really make or break a tune
overall.
3. Scott,
coming from a strong presence in the northeast hardcore scene, how has your
background influenced the band's sound and live performances?
My
background in the northeast hardcore scene has had a profound influence on
AMOv's sound and live performances. Growing up in that scene exposed me to the
raw energy and passion that hardcore music embodies. It instilled in me a
strong work ethic, a sense of community, and a drive to create music that
connects with people on a visceral level.
In our
music, you can hear the heavy and aggressive elements of hardcore on the drums
combined with the technicality and intensity of metalcore. The influence of
bands like Hatebreed, terror , and Every Time I Die can be felt in our
hard-hitting riffs, driving rhythms, and intense vocals.
When we hit
the stage, we bring that same energy and intensity that I experienced in the
northeast hardcore scene. Our live performances are known for their high-octane
energy, crowd interaction, and a sense of unity with our audience. We thrive on
creating an immersive and cathartic experience for everyone in attendance.
Overall, my
background in the northeast hardcore scene has shaped AMOv's sound and live
performances, allowing us to connect with fans of both genres and create music
that resonates with a wide audience.
4. Brent,
known as "The Heavy Metal Cowboy," how did your roots in Country and
Blues music shape your transition into heavy metal with AMoV?
Honestly,
it wasn’t hard to switch over, I have always had an appreciation for all kinds
of music, but growing up my father listened to metal, and my mother listened to
country, my sister listened to a lot of grunge stuff that she later got me
into, but as far as playing the parts it was a different beast to tackle so it
was fun to challenge myself and learn the Desi Pena style of playing, and once
I started to learn the songs we drilled them over and over until you couldn’t
squeeze a dime between me and Dez playing together, so the roots of country and
blues weren’t really a hard thing to transition from, and just knowing how to
play guitar and accept a new challenge paved the way for AMoV’s infamous guitar
duo
5. Alex,
your background as a professional wrestler and screaming vocalist is quite
unique. How does your experience in wrestling contribute to your stage presence
and energy as a performer?
Professional
wrestling is essentially just a big performance. Feeding off the energy of a
live crowd is universally the same. Beyond that, screaming lets out the
aggression formerly consumed by wrestling.
6. Miguel,
as the bassist providing the low end for AMoV, how do you approach creating a
balanced and impactful sound within the band's compositions?
As the
bassist my main focus is to be the middle ground between the guitars and drums,
my goal is tone that has clarity and low end punch enough to get out the way of
guitars and vocals but still tie the band together as a unit.
7. How
has the recent signing with "Wake Up Music Rocks" influenced the
band's goals and aspirations for the future?
We have the
same goals and aspirations as we did prior to the signing. We are on a direct
mission to the moon! And fight daily to ensure this happens. The journey simply
became easier having an awesome label partner in our corner to help make it a
reality.
8. Can
you describe the collaborative songwriting process within AMoV?
Typically,
a song will start with me (Desi). Either it’s a brand new guitar riff that I’ve
come up with, or it’s something that I’ve had in my arsenal for a while, I tend
to build the composition musically from there. Once I have what feels to be a
mostly complete song musically, I will bring it to the other guys and ask for
their input on their respective instruments etc. I will also write a lot or
most of the lyrics to it as well. Then I’ll ask that Russ and Alex come into
the studio and track their parts. Sometimes the words remain “as is”. However,
we do collaborate on the lyric writing to craft what we feel is the perfect
song. To take it even one step further, I’ve had many of our songs that start
off with one arrangement but during the production phase, I’ve completely
transformed it to something similar yet different. A lot of times it’s
extremely different but always for the betterment of the song.
9. How
do you blend each member's unique style and contributions into cohesive tracks?
Well
similar to the above, I am always open to their input and creative ideas once
we have a musically organized track. Each of us are very different people.
Especially with our taste in music. That said, it’s like a recipe for your
favorite food that just kicks serious ass whenever it’s served!
10. What
are some challenges you've faced as a band, and how have you overcome them to
strengthen your musical journey together?
Well first
it would’ve been finding the right core guys to fill out the lineup. I do
believe that we have the winning team at this point and look forward to our
journey ahead. On a different front. Most things seem to take far less time for
us as a band in relation to our competitors and peers. For example, if it’s
taken a band ten years to get a recording contract and have many people who
enjoy their music, we’re blessed with it only taking us two years to accomplish
that same thing. This is said not to be overly confident or arrogant by any
stretch. More that we’re grateful that we have a level of determination that’s
above and beyond most. However, the area that we live in is extremely difficult
to land shows in for the heavier music. We’ve been able to crack a few clubs.
So one of the biggest challenges is having to travel pretty far to play
live.
11. Are
there any specific themes or messages that you aim to convey through your music
and lyrics?
Most of the
songs are written about past life experiences. Or an experience that you may
not have personally encountered but know someone that has. We are always aiming
to write something that is relatable to an abundance of people. Always trying
to increase the chance of mass amounts of listeners to enjoy it.
12. Looking
ahead, what can fans expect from AMoV in terms of upcoming projects, tours, or
creative endeavors?
I’d say to
simply follow our journey closely, and subscribe to us on every possible outlet
that you can as we will attempt to surprise you at every corner. Additionally,
we’re always putting out great creative content and try to keep everything as
fun and entertaining as possible. We will complete our EP with “Wake Up! Music
Rocks” likely this year in 2024. Also, keep your eyes peeled for AMoV to play
on a stage near you. We have an excellent live show with a full on live
production that anyone would love!
A Moment of Violence (@amov_official) • Photos et vidéos Instagram
https://www.youtube.com/@AMomentOfViolence/
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