Join us for an exclusive interview with Black Hill Cove as they discuss their second album, Ex Tenebris Vita, and the band's creative journey and future plans.
1. Congratulations
on the release of your second album, "Ex Tenebris Vita"! How has the
reception been so far compared to your debut album, "Broken"?
First off
all, thank you. And the reception for the album has been very good, I've seen
some people singing he new songs at shows, that always gives you a good
feeling. The album has been selling, and we've been getting great feedback
after the live shows. The reactions have been similar to when “Broken” came
out, but a bit more surprised by the songs.
2. Your
music blends elements from various metal genres. How do you navigate the
creative process to achieve such a unique sound?
We all like
different types of music and have different influences, so we try to mix it and
incorporate other sounds. Nuno, the guitar man, does all the samples for the
songs, and they sound great. Even I like to do different melodies with the
voice, we just want to make good songs without barriers, but keeping our
identity.
3. Could
you share some insights into the themes and inspirations behind "Ex
Tenebris Vita"? How does it differ from your previous work?
“Broken”
was created during the corona pandemic and the lyrics are a reflection of
feelings during those times. This album, "Ex Tenebris Vita", is more
about growing, living and being true. It has darker moments, the song Enemy Of
Self is about what Man does to the world, but the main message is growth.
4. Your
music videos often carry a distinct visual style. How important is visual
storytelling to your band, and how do you approach creating visuals that
complement your music?
When we
thing of releasing a song, and we chose the song, the other question is video
images or real video? And again, it’s Nuno who does the visual effects or the
videos, also we want to use them in the future for live shows.
5. You've
been part of the Portuguese hardcore and metal scenes through various other
bands. How has this experience influenced your approach with Black Hill Cove?
All my
years in the hardcore scene gave me the confident to sing what I want and how I
want it, and I also love metal since I was a kid, so Black Hill Cove just gives
me a chance to sing how I want and also to try other ideas. And the way to
spread our message will always have that hardcore attitude.
6. "The
Calling," "The Wolf," and "Angels Fall" have all
received significant attention with premieres on various platforms. How do you
choose which songs to accompany with music videos, and what role do these
videos play in your overall artistic vision?
The songs
sometimes are hard to chose, for this album we had the first single, Another
Step To The Sun, that was the first song recorded, prepared because we only had
that song then and we wanted to release it. Now for the other to release it has
not been easy, but there’s always a song or two that you want to be the first
ones. We are trying to show songs that are different from each other, but that
stay in the head.
7. Your
live performances are known for their energy and passion. How do you translate
the intensity of your recorded music into a live setting?
For me, the
live sets are the release of the energy that is on the record. The record can
be good but on stage you have to show what you did directly to the people, and
we love to show what we can do best, it’s the best release. I invite everyone
to go to a Black Hill Cove when you can, you will not regret.
8. What
challenges did you face recording "Ex Tenebris Vita," especially
given the ongoing global situation?
We are
lucky that Nuno has a small studio where he records the guitar, bass, voice and
work on the record, our drummer Xinês also has his own studio, where we
rehearse, and where we records his drums. So we have the luck to record it all
at home, and we used the tools we have to send stuff to each other to work we
we are together.
9. As a
band formed during the pandemic, how did the circumstances of 2020 affect your
creativity and collaboration?
Me and Nuno
lived close to each other, so it was easy for us to record. He and João, our
former drummer, made the songs and recorded them, sent them to Nuno and I would
go to his house at the end of the day to record the voice. It was a crazy
process but we had time, because we could not play shows. And the record “Broken”
was born like that.
10. You've
performed at festivals both in Portugal and internationally. What are some
memorable moments or experiences from these live shows?
The best
from the live shows is the reaction of the people enjoying the songs,
headbanging, singing and having fun.
Also we meet lots of great people and good professionals. You make friends and
have people you appreciate you. We played a show in a bar once where the owner
was not very confident on the band, did not know us, and after the show he was
a fan, and that’s the kind of experiences we want.
11. With
the availability of both your albums on major platforms, how do you see the
role of streaming services in today's music industry, especially for metal
bands like yours?
Streaming
platforms nowadays are one of the best tools to get access to the music
worldwide, and it helps for someone who otherwise had no way to know the band,
but it also has a lot of variety, and you can get lost with all that
information. But it gives easy access to our music to everyone. Being a metal
band, we have to try to show our music anyway possible, and we feel that the
bands should make more money from the music they created that is in music
platforms online, videos and audios.
12. Looking
ahead, what are your aspirations for Black Hill Cove in the coming years? Any
future projects or goals you can share with your fans?
We want to
take our music to other places, other countries, continents, and show what we
do best to other people, that is our goal for the future. For now we just want
to play and show our music, and make a new, and if we can, an even better
record than this one, "Ex Tenebris Vita". To our fans we can promise
great music and great shows.
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