Interviews: Maitreya

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Progressive Metal band, Maitreya 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 it or came out just like that?

Mark: From how I understand it, Maitreya is a Sanskrit translation meaning ‘future buddha’. In the early musings and creation of our first record, we had conversations as a band about topics surrounding spirituality, mysticism/occult, science fiction, comic books psychedelia and so on. So when it came time to pick a band name we knew it needed to encapsulate a lot of these various ideas. The idea of a bodhisattva/saviour/superhero character was basically a way to channel all of those influences. Also, while I was researching the Maitreya concept, one of the researchers or Sanskrit translators shared my last name Wylie - which struck me as somehow not being coincidental!

2.Why did you want to play this genre?

Lyam: We all really enjoy music that's both complex and well composed, so we try to accomplish that balance and progressive metal is a great space to explore those kinds of ideas.

Matt C.: Rock/Metal were the first genres I was personally interested in as a departure from my parent’s influence, so it’s incredibly cathartic to be able to create music in a genre that is a core part of my personality.

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

Lyam: Mark, Matt M, Steven and I grew up together and went to the same high school where we all first learned our instruments. We met Matt C a few years into playing as an instrumental band, and he fit so well that it's hard to remember what it was like without him.

4. Each band member favourite band?

Lyam: My favourite of all time is Pink Floyd, not many bands get as much weight into their music as they did. Lots of times “heaviness” is correlated with speed or abrasiveness but for me it's about the way music ebbs and flows that makes the impact.

Matt C.: Tesseract. Such a large, full sound, while also managing to be soft and emotional.

Mark: The Contortionist. Everything from the range of musical complexity to the depth lyrical meanings really speaks to me.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Mark: I go through phases of writing conceptually, emotionally, imaginatively or devotionally. Most recently I find having a song title as a starting point really sets the tone for how I aim to embody the central vibe of what the particular title asks for. As an example, in one of our recent songwriting sessions, Lyam and I had a discourse over a documentary about aliens, which spawned the title Light Body - therefore a lot of our musical decisions were trying to select ideas melodically, harmonically and tonally that felt light or uplifting.

Matt C.: Emotional experiences are at the crux of my inspiration for lyrics and melodies, whether it be an intense philosophical conversation with dear friends, a breakup, or just maybe having a bad day.

6. Where was your last gig?

Lyam: Our last gig was at Sneaky Dee’s in Toronto, we love playing that venue, the vibe is really cool and the sound is great.

7. Where would you like to act? 

Lyam: My favourite venue to see shows at is the Opera House, the sound is always great and the stage is easy to see. It would be great to play a show there sometime.

Matt C.: My first concert ever was at Rebel (Formerly known as the Sound Academy at the time), so to play that stage would be insanely cathartic for me personally

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

Matt C.: Tesseract, Protest The Hero, The Contortionist, Breaking Benjamin, Periphery, Between The Buried and Me, Twelve Foot Ninja, The Dear Hunter

Lyam: The Contortionist is probably the most ideal to me, they crush live and we share lots of qualities with them, I'd like to think anyway.

9. Whom not?

Lyam: There's not really any bands that we wouldn't want to share a stage with, we’ve had experiences where the audience just isn't interested in the style we play so we like to avoid shows where the music people came to see is outside of what we can provide.

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

Lyam: I almost always have stage fright before we play. I think it's a good thing, being nervous pushes me to do my best, so I'd advise anyone to just embrace the nerves and remember that if you've done your work beforehand you'll do well. 

Matt C.: I experience stage fright most times, and I channel that nervous/excited energy into my performance. I usually calm down after the first couple of songs once I acclimatize to that particular stage.

Mark: Preparation is key. If you know your stuff, there shouldn’t be anything to worry about - musically...

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

Matt C.: Tesseract, Protest The Hero, The Contortionist, Breaking Benjamin, Periphery, Between The Buried and Me, Twelve Foot Ninja, The Dear Hunter, Vulfpeck

Mark: What Matt said + Meshuggah, Animals as Leaders, Allan Holdsworth, Miles Davis, King Crimson, Tool.

Lyam: Intervals is another big influence, especially since Aaron Marshall grew up in the GTA.