-Interview- (12/14/23)
1. How did you get started with music and how did you develop your sound? Who thought of the name "Above My Enemy" and is there any meaning behind it?
The sound itself came from our influences: from Metallica, to Green Day, to Lamb of God and August Burns Red. Every member brings their own influences and adds their own spin to the music. It helps create something unique that can't be put into just one category.
The name Above My Enemy actually came from the Bible. It's all about rising above your enemy or anything else you are facing. It's all about bettering yourself and overcoming any obstacle in front of you.
2. What do you want people to take away from your music?
We want people to let loose, have fun, and enjoy themselves. We want our music to help people escape and attatch it to a better memory. We want our audience to leave a show feeling better than when they showed up.
3. How would you describe your sound to the average listener?
Our sound can be described as a blend of hard rock, groove metal, punk, and heavy metal. It creates our own style we call "dad metal". It's thrash, you can mosh to it, or sit back and enjoy a cold drink.
4. Who are three bands you’d like to tour with?
We would love to tour with Metallica, Mammoth, White Chapel and Trivium. Four bands with completely different styles and genres, but that just sums up who we are.
5. How has Covid affected what you do?
COVID helped us write a lot of the material you hear today. The lack of live shows gave us time to define our style and try new things. It also helped us adapt, compromise, and appreciate being back on stage even more.
6. What’s your take on the current state of Hard Rock/Metal?
There seems to be a lack of excitement when it comes to buying albums or going into a record store to discover a new artist. Everything is done online and it's so oversaturated that it makes it even harder to stand out. Mainstream radio also helps kill things. If you're not playing a genre that's popular, it's even harder to be heard. On the plus side there are so many great bands out there, they just have to work that much harder to be known.
7. What's the current music scene like there in Texas?
The scene is thriving, there are so many bands and shows happening all around, but now it's all about personal relationships and who you know. Promoters will book bands who they are friends with, and bands are pretty selective on who they work with, regardless of the talent.
8. What’s your take on the royalties that streaming services pay out to artists?
The royalties don't help the bands at all. It's almost bad for business and reflects poorly on the streaming services in general. Sure you can reach a much wider audience, but it definitely favors more established artists and doesn't seem to favor up and coming or local artists.
9. What's next for Above My Enemy?
We are currently in the studio and will release our new EP in 2024. We want to expand our reach as far out as possible by playing more out of town shows across Texas, and hopefully other states as well.
10. Any shoutouts?
We want to thank our family, friends, and everyone who has shown their support. We have fans who buy merchandise, come to our shows, and truly believe in us. We couldn't do this without all of you!
