Strains interview done by Mike De Man.
Being a brand new band that just surfaced, there must be some kind of history going on. What caused the initial start of Strains?
Well, all members of Strains were already playing in a band together before we started Strains. We felt like we needed a fresh start, so we basically changed our name and it seems to work out well so we definitely don’t regret doing this. Besides, some of the members, like our drummer Simon and myself, have been playing music together for over 10 years now. It all started with just some friends jamming together when we were 11 years old and it all evolved from there.
How does it feel to have released the Redefine[d] EP and get it out there? Out of the tracks on Redefine[d], which one is the one you guys worked on the hardest?
It feels great to finally release this EP. We started working on the songs early 2014 and we took our time to get everything ready before even announcing the band itself. Out of all the tracks, I think our debut single “Infinite” is the one we worked on the hardest. First of all this is the track which we shot a music video for and I think I can speak for all of us that this was one of the most intense and tiring days we’ve had together so far.
Of all the labels, what made you decide to work with Famined Records for the release of your debut EP? Were they the first one who reached out or was it your plan to work with them all along?
Several labels reached out to us for the release of this EP, but the thing about Famined Records is that they were very enthusiastic about our band from the start and showed interest almost immediately after we mailed them. So we’re glad we are backed by people who truly believe in us.
What was the biggest inspiration behind writing the EP?
Lyrically, the entire EP is about one subject, namely an accident I had back in 2007 which put me in the hospital for over 4 months, undergoing over 10 surgeries. Throughout the EP, I talk about the process of going from an ordinary day, to being completely paralyzed for several months. So my personal struggles in this period, and the consequences from this accident which I still have to face everyday are definitely the biggest inspiration behind this EP.
Now that the EP is out, the possibilities are endless. Are you thinking of taking Europe by storm on tour or sitting back for a while and taking it all in?
We are doing a European release tour in July with shows in Belgium, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy and Liechtenstein, so we’re definitely not sitting back the following months. We feel that touring is still an important part of getting your music out and reaching new fans, so whenever we can, we’ll try to hit the road. In September we’re also doing a 7-day tour in the UK and more tour dates are already in the works.
