Interviews: One Minute Winter

In this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Nu-Metalcore/Metalcore band One Minute Winter from Canada. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE. 

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you planned or came out just like that? 

Wyntie: One Minute Winter is both a real band and a fictional band. There is an entire world in the fictional universe in the year 18921 AD and we're trying to add as many details to the fictional world's story as much as possible. The fictional band was formed in the year 18121 AD in France where everything was pretty much a desert and it hadn't snowed in years at that point. The protagonist in the story, Countess V Lacroix, experienced snow for the first time in those years but it lasted for only one minute. That led to the name One Minute Winter.

As for how the fictional band came about, years earlier she discovered a legendary 7-string guitar that transformed her into the new deity of death. Not only did she become capable of controlling life and death itself, she also gained the power to control time. Unlike the previous deities of death, who kept using the guitar to harness souls because they didn't really play any instruments, she discovered that by continuing to play the instrument, she was able to maintain her power. This meant that she had to be playing guitar on a regular basis to stay alive. Through an unusual string of events, she manages to recruit her members and they began playing together as a band and hadn't stopped since.

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

Wyntie: I got into metalcore when I heard some of the earlier bands for the first time, such as Trivium, Killswitch Engage, and Bullet for My Valentine. The problem with other modern metalcore bands is that very few of them played many fast-paced parts, if ever, and I'm someone with ADHD so I tend to like fast-paced music. The other thing as well, there are a good number of metalcore bands that make things melodic, but very few of them actually play fast-paced or actually bring something really exciting to the table. So the kind of metalcore that I really wanted to hear just didn't exist. I did listen to Whitechapel on a few occasions but that's mostly because that's the band that inspired me to start experimenting with the Drop G tuning. What sets us part, though, is that we tend to not only use the Drop G tuning in a melodic sense, but we're also bringing more and more technical parts to the table and we actually combine these technical elements with not only electronic and nu-metal elements but also some pop and other elements from outside the metal genre.

Even though we are a melodic metalcore band and a nu-metalcore band, we don't sound like other metalcore bands because we're here to redefine metalcore. Tons of people say we're more like an alternative rock band. I didn't like the idea at first but you'll be surprised to find out how big of an audience you can be seen by in the alternative rock scene. 

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

Wyntie: Mitch and I met each other at the Music Industry Arts programme over at Fanshawe College. Our former bass player was also in Music Industry Arts but he left due to the songs turning out to be too difficult for him. Now we have to find a new bass player and a new co-lead guitar player. 

 4. Each band member favorite band?

Wyntie: Mitch says his favorite band is TesseracT. For me, it's much harder to choose. One day I listen to Jason Richardson, another I listen to Whitechapel or Killswitch Engage, another I listen to Attila and other bands that get talked about a lot just because I'm looking for new music all the time, and another day I'm already back to listening to Periphery. This Dutch band known as "The Royal" are coming up with new bangers, and I also have some friends over at Estonian band Horror Dance Squad as well as a few local London Ontario bands such as Lucid Mind, Arid Detox, Perfect Limbs, Wind Cries Mary, Kavara, Hometown, Cheapside... there are so many bands around every corner. Oh, yea must also mention Sweet Toothe, which is one of Mitch's other bands.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Wyntie: I'm the primary songwriter of the band. There are so many places where I stack ammo from. Some are from crazy riffs I somehow manage to come up with out of my guitar. Others are little snippets of other songs that I liked those specific parts of, but then I took my own spin on them to make them different. Usually though, what really inspires me is new equipment... I have gear acquisition syndrome... it's so bad... XD 

6. Where was your last gig?

Wyntie: We're primarily a studio band so we have yet to get a gig set up for us. We're trying to keep an open mind as much as possible. Mitch's other two bands play live all the time locally though. Well, I did play last year at the online release show for Light LP when One Minute Winter was more of a solo project in the real life portion, but together as an official band, we're just getting started. 

7. Where would you like to perform?

Mitch: I would like to perform/act any large venue in Japan, or LA

Wyntie: I wouldn't ask for much. As long as we're not playing to a very minimal crowd... and as long as the PA allows us to hear everything properly... I think that's all I can ever hope for. I would prefer if I don't have to be out of town though.

8. Whom would you like to feature with? 9. Whom not?

Mitch: I'd like to feature with Plini, Polyphia, or Andy Un I would not feature with Skylark

Wyntie: It's a little frustrating when a band writes all of the composition and then a rapper just steps in and raps all over the track and takes over as the main artist. Some artists otherwise have too much of an ego and have no respect for others. As long as neither is the case, I wish we could feature almost anyone. We'll even come up with a swing-style tune if we have to. The more and more time goes on, the more I'm starting to like songs that are an amalgam of various styles, and as soon as I find a way to learn how to do that, I'll jump at such a chance. 

10. Any of you has ever suffered from stage fright? Any tip for beginners on how to beat that?

Wyntie: This is more of Mitch's territory because he has more experience with shows.

Mitch: I've never had stagefright only at Junofest Zone in to what your playing , if you know it well the only thing that can **** you up is if you overthink 

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

Wyntie: I don't really know if there's a specific band that really inspired my songwriting or anything like that, because as far as I can tell, nobody does exactly what we do... and we draw influences from everywhere and not just metal so we can't really pinpoint a band or artist that inspires my creativity. 

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

Wyntie: This one fan really wanted to do a collab with me and we really struggled from time to time but it turned out really well and it became one of our most popular songs to date. ^^ Another fan wanted to do the same with me so I took him up on the offer. We worked so well that we started on another one, and we're still working on that right now. 

13. What do you think of your fans?

Wyntie: It's always an uplifting experience to see that there is someone that actually likes what we do because metalcore fans generally hate us because it sounds too "anime" while anime/Vocaloid fans generally hate us because it's metal and it's an unpopular genre. I couldn't thank them enough. 

14. What do you think of our site?

Wyntie: I've never been this blessed to see bands from all around the world that are this interesting and I see it as an honor that we are amongst these bands. Bands like Northern Fallout and Saint Evil opened my eyes to new styles of music, and there's one particular band known as Monsters Dive that have been bringing really interesting multilanguage lyrics combined with harmonized guitars and a really well-done mix overall... I can't wait to discover more bands on this site. 

15. Something to add?

Wyntie: To all those bands we mentioned, we love you, and I also need to bring out additional shoutouts to my friends over at VocaBerlin and AnimeRadio.de and I also have to mention that even though we were mostly using this brand of software known as Vocaloid for almost all of the vocals in our songs, that is about to change as we are planning to add more real vocals in the near future. Also some more shoutouts to Darkglass and Neural DSP for some of the best guitar and bass products on the market, Joey Sturis Tones for all of the mix-related needs they cater for, Dingwall Guitars for this really awesome Dingwall NG2 5-string bass that we use in all of our songs, Agile Guitars for this really phenomenal 727 Interceptor with the Floyd Rose and all, but most importantly, Mark at Musique Max Boutique, Mel at Cosmo Music, and Michael Schiffman at Long & McQuade that are always there when I need new gear, you guys are awesome!  

Thanks!