1. Hello guys, I am happy for the opportunity to chat with you. Are you and the rest of the band friends and how do you all get along with one another?
Rob: Yeah I would say so, we have all known each other and hung out since 2008 and met in high school.
Michael: We hang out a lot outside of the band and try to make time outside of the band stuff, we all get along great because we have been great friends since before the band.
2. Did guys have experienced with other bands before or along with Bonestorm,. What was the driving force behind giving birth to this band?
Rob: Prior to Bonestorm, Michael and Bryan had experience in other bands. Sergio and I had a bit of experience but had not been in bands that performed live.
3. As a band that counts four years in existence, which was the strongest and weakest moment of your musical journey so far?
Rob: The start and now, at least for me. When the band started, I was working out a lot of kinks as a guitarist and everyone was patient and helpful with that process. Likewise, today we are at our strongest but there is still plenty of room for improvement. You never really hit a point where you feel absolutely complete.
4. How important is a band’s name? Is it important that people can identify with it?
Rob: I think it is important, there is a fine line between overly cheesy metal names and a name that sounds heavy. Bonestorm strikes a nice balance. I do not know how much people identify with our name as much as they just like the way it sounds.
Michael: Funny thing is that the band name is a Simpson’s reference. Sergio and I both love The Simpsons, he is the one that came up with the name. Bart gets caught shoplifting “Bonestorm” in an episode and the game is a parody of Mortal Kombat.
5. How much time do you spend on the band both physically but also mentally each day? Is it worth all the time and effort in the end? What do you want with the band?
Rob: Physically, I would say I spend about 14 hours a week doing things for the band such as practice. Mentally, I think about the band constantly and what we can do better or differently. Ultimately, I would love for us to be able to tour eventually (especially to Peru!)
6. Who would you say are the biggest influences impacting the music of Bonestorm, both as a band and you individually?
Rob: As a band and me personally I would say that Darkthrone, Death, and Slayer are the most important.
7. Let´s talk about your debut EP. I can safely deduct that everybody was pleased by this release. What effect has this album’s reception on you? How do you feel about it?
Rob: It seems as though people enjoyed it, we are a newer and lesser known band so it’s impact has been small but I hope the next release garners more attention. Generally, I am very pleased with it, there is room for improvement as always but I am proud of it.
8. How do you work as a band? What’s the process you follow when composing your music? Do you work individually or as a team spending hours all together in a studio until a good idea pops up?
Rob: A mix of both. Generally, how the process works is that I will write the skeleton of a song and bring it to the band. Why we practice and mess around with it we fine tune it. Some riffs change, get scraped, ect. But once we have that base, everyone comes up with their own parts and we give each other feedback to refine it.
9. What were the goals you had in mind when you started to record it, any elements you definitely wanted to have on the songs?
Rob: Yes, I wanted it to have an ominous feeling, somewhat atmospheric and I believe we achieved that.
10. Apart from the black metal and thrash metal influence, the “melodic” element is undoubtedly present to a great extent in your music. Is this just the way the music is taking you?
Rob: Sort of, I love rock, goth, and punk music as well as metal. A lot of that style is in a 4 beat. That is what sounds good to me and that is what I am comfortable writing. I also feel that a song should be memorable and have parts that a person will find themselves humming organically. I think that is harder to achieve the more complex a song gets.
11. Speaking of your EP, how did the recording process take place and are there any memorable anecdotes to mention?
Rob: Yes, it was not without its trials. For most of us, this was our first experience recording and that caught us off guard.
12. How important is live performance for BONESTORM? Do you play often? If so how does your show looks like? Do you focus also on aesthetic side of gig?
Rob: It is very important as it gets us exposed to the majority of our audience locally. We average about one show per month. The aesthetic is something we are constantly improving on. But Sergio is an incredible front man who brings a lot of energy to our live shows.
13. What ways have been the best for you in order to promote the band? What do you do to reach as many interested as possible?
Rob: We are on band camp, spotify, youtube, and apple music. We also have our instagram at Bonestormslc. That is mainly how we get the word out, and now we have Rotten Ears Radio talking about us so we are doing well for ourselves.
Michael: Our merch sales (t-shirts specifically) do a lot to promote the band and get the word out. We also do a lot of word of mouth to heavily promote our shows. We reach out to coworkers, family, friends, and everyone in their extended network to make show we have people at our shows.
14. How much of a DIY scene is there still left around the world that can support you if you want to tour or release an album on your own?
Rob: Tough to say, but we are doing as much of it as we can. Touring the world right now seems a bit far away with the resources we have, but we are optimistic to tour the west coast of the US soon.
15. If you had to highlight one important message behind your music, what would it be?
Rob: Write what has meaning. People can sense when something is artificial/forced and when it is genuinely a part of the person making the art. If you are going to share a message, especially in art, make sure it is one worth sending.
16. With so many bands competing for attention what do you do in order to stand out and be counted? How far would you go in order to gain attention?
Rob: We have been letting the music speak for itself. That being said, we are in a world where stage presence is ever more important. As a result, for more attention, I think eventually we will need to incorporate more theatrics into our live performances.
17. What is the status of the underground metal scene in Utah? Is it evolving or is it stagnant?
Rob: The status is alive and well, we have shared the stage with many talented bands. The scene appears to eb and flow. We have a traditional style of metal and while liked, that is not what is currently most popular. But we always get shows so I think eventually, Death, Black, and Thrash will be back on top in terms of demand.
Michael: Aces High Saloon, really has helped the scene build and thrive. It was the first venue to host us as a band and it has hosted us many times since.
18. Many thanks again for your valuable time and your effort! I wish you only the best! The last words to our readers are of course yours!
Rob: Thanks for taking the time to read through our interview and listening to our EP. Bonestorm and all other bands like us survive off of belief, so thanks for liking and believing in what we do.
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