Interview With 'Weesp'
Firstly, introduce yourselves and tell us a little bit about the band and how you came to be?
Mi: There are five of us. Lex on Vocals, Mike on Guitars and Mi on Bass who are the founders of a band and are together now for more than 10 years. Gul (Drums) and Stak (Keys) joined later to form our band - Weesp. We're all best friends, we went through so much together and became more like a family. In addition, we are linked with each other through the music we play and a lot of events are related to it. We started from the deepest underground of the Belarusian scene in 2008. All our songs are created from feelings, emotions, experiences that guided us. Each song has some kind of history or strong experience under it - this is the main source of musical inspiration. When we just started we also found an inspiration in such bands as Tool, Deftones, Nine Inch Nails and this kind of stuff.
What were you all up too prior to the band, was this always the chosen path or did you have other dreams and aspirations?
Mi: Prior to the band we all were just school kids, like 15 years old. We hanged out in an old garage drinking our first beers and smoking our first … whatever that was. What else are kids of this age are dreaming about except being in the rock band?
Mike: To get laid?
Lex: We tried a lot of jobs and hobbies later, but music is the only thing we never wanted or tried to give up.
Tell us about your latest EP and why our readers should check it out.
Mi: The latest released album is called 'The Void'.
Gul: We are very proud of it. We put a lot of feelings, energy and emotions in the album. 'The Void' gathered all our experience during a long period from 2011 till 2015. For all of Weesp members, it was a hard period of important and influential events in life: losses, inner depressions of self-realization, a reasoning about love and people around it, stimulation of taking more and more from our lives. All these thoughts were crucial in changing our lives, and also whole style of music. We brought more dark sounds and hard metal riffs to the atmosphere that penetrated us from the inside to draw it in a music.
Mi: Yeah, all the songs are elaborated very carefully. Each note carries a meaningful message. We have worked hard over the electronic component of our music that definitely added more character to our sound. Recording period also took a lot of time. We've been experimenting with the sound of guitars, choose the most suitable amplifiers, drums and all these technical stuff. Oh yes, we recorded only analog sounds, using real amps, drums, synthesizers, acoustic stringed instruments and even a harmonica - no soulless digital crap. 'The Void' recording was produced with Polish professionals - brothers Wislawski of Hertz Records, famous for working with such bands as Behemoth and Decapitated. Weesp were something new for them, but they did their best and we 200% satisfied with the result we got.
Check it here by yourselves:
Bandcamp - https://weesp.bandcamp.com/
Have you ever come face to face with someone within the music scene who has left you awestruck and why?
Mi: Back in the days, I came face to face with the guys from Ill Nino. For some reason I was hanging out at the backstage at their soundcheck, was looking at all this backstage magic and how they work.
If we were to head out to one of your live shows what can ourselves and others expect?
Lex: Well, we sound loud! You know it’s all together - sounds punch you in the head and then rise to the skyes. I really feel it everytime we play live. And I enjoy it every single time. As I can notice - people often feel the same. And that’s what I like most in music - this connection.
Mi: All people who got to see us live did not remain indifferent. We had always very warm welcome and excellent feedback after concerts. Even if we played a gig with very little amount of people - energy has always been excellent. You definitely should visit one of our gigs to understand what I mean.
Mike: By the way we plan to release two full live shows soon on youtube and through all other sources - one is the presentation of 'The Void' album, where we rock in our home club, fully packed, awesome sound quality and image. The second one is from one of the open air festivals we played this summer - also multiview image and strong sound. It will be really cool stuff. Follow us to know more - https://www.youtube.com/user/weespwilldestroyus
If you had one artist/band that you could go on tour with tomorrow who would it be and why?
Mi: I think its Machine Head. I love their sound, how they compose songs, I feel the sincerity in their songs. So I think it would be great to go on tour with band like that.
Stak: I would like to go on tour with Rise Against.Their work on the stage, the interaction with the crowd and awesome power always impressed me. I think, If we could combine their performance and our energy - then it would make a great mix, that would leave
no one indifferent.
You can spend an hour with a musical icon living or dead, who would you pick, why and what would you speak about?
Mi: I’d get some beers (or better vodka) with James Hetfield from Metallica. Cause I love beer and I love Metallica. And you can talk about everything after few beers.
Stak: I wanted to spend this hour in the Nine Inch Nails studio and meet Alessandro Cortini and Trent Reznor. Of course I would like to look at their collection of all magic vintage and modern synths, learn how this gear connected and interacts, and maybe even jam with those great musicians a little.
And finally and most importantly is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?
Mi: I think of it more like a prequel to the Star Wars films.
Stak: I had not thought about this movie in this way, but this is a great reason to watch this tape once more!
Lex: What a question! When I was a little kid, there were few videotapes in home. And Die Hard was one of that few. I saw it so many times I can't tell. It is not excluded I watched it a couple of times on Christmas!
We just want to say thank you for taking the time to answer our questions.
Check out their video for 'Solar Empire'
Website - http://www.weespofficial.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/weespband
