Interviews: Akkadian


On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Metal band, 
Akkadian from the UK. 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?

The word “Akkadian” is actually the name of the first Ancient Mesopotamian Empire that existed between 2334 - 2154 B.C. Years ago, before the band had formed, Danny was just reading up on a bunch of ancient civilisation and events, when he stumbled across the name and civilisation “Akkadian” and thought - “That would be a kick arse name for a Metal band!” - We did have a bunch of names to choose from, but we liked the fact that it was a one word name and that is started with an “A”. Meaning it would appear at the top of the “Artist List” in people’s music libraries. To us it represents not only a piece of ancient history, but a motive of taking over, conquering and leaving your mark.

2.Why did you want to play this genre?

Metal is just incredibly diverse and can be whatever you want it to be. Not many genres allow for as much freedom as Metal does. It has energy, passion, and requires a high level of skill to execute effectively.

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

Partially. Harry (Guitar) and I (Danny, Vocals) have been writing music together since we were around 15 years old and have known each other since Nursery (aged 3-4). Until recently, we never actively did anything with the songs we had written, due to educational and job demands. So we thought that we would just take it slow, get our qualifications, earn some money and spend our free time experimenting and developing our sound and song writing skills. Finding the right people to complete the band took a lot of time. The first person we got on board was Chris, our Bassist. We put an ad on JoinMyBand.com to which he replied, sent us a video of him playing some Lamb of God tracks and the rest is history. Together, the three of us then tried out multiple guitarists and drummers for months and months, but it never felt right, nothing clicked. However, eventually we managed to find our Drummer, Aaron. Shortly followed by Guitarist, Florian - both also on JoinMyBand.com.

4. Each band member favourite band?

Danny: Tough one, but I’ll say The Doors. I’m a huge fan of Jim Morrison’s lyrics and combining that with the band’s mixture of psychedelic, energetic and chilled songs is just perfection.

Harry: I’ll say Opeth right now, but that changes all the time!

Florian: Pantera - They are the perfect mix of groove and heavy riffs. They were also kind of my gateway into the heavier side of the music, and Dimebag man... 

Chris: Metallica - They are the reason I first ever got into metal music and started playing bass because of Cliff. It’s been a great influence on my playing style.

Aaron: One band that I find myself constantly listening to is Threat Signal. They incorporate a vast mix of groove, technicality but also dynamics in their songs which is something that really makes each section stand out.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

I think we just want to create music that we ourselves want to listen to and are sure that in time, people who stumble across us will like what we are creating. We also collectively have a diverse range of musical influences, which enables us to bring ideas into the song writing process and making it our own under the metal umbrella. So to be full of external inspiration from previous bands, as well as our own internal motivations to achieve great things really is the driving force.

6. Where was your last gig?

Our last gig was at Raffs Bar in Wellingborough on 6th March, 2020. It has been a long time! It was a small venue, but definitely one we will remember for various reasons.

7. Where would you like to play?

The list of places and venues that we would love to play is endless. But to narrow it down to a few: Red Rocks, Pyramids of Giza, Royal Albert Hall and O2 Area would be a dream!

8. Who would you like to support?

A dream goal would be to support either one of our main influences: Gojira, Slipknot, Tool or Lamb Of God.

9. Who not?

We cannot think of anyone that we wouldn’t’t want to right now. But if there is a band out there who perhaps has contributed to any sort of hate, serious crime or excessive violence, then I would think that we would avoid them.

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

The majority of us have at some point. But it usually passes once the songs start, as it quickly transforms into an adrenaline rush. Our advice would be to practice your arse off and even recreate gig scenarios at your practice sessions. However, don’t dwell on minor mistakes - have fun! Find some confidence and be whatever you want to be for 30 minutes. It also helps to play with band members that your trust and groove with. So be sure that before you play shows, you have the right people on stage with you.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

Our main collective influencers are Gorjia, Tool, Slipknot and Lamb of God, so they of course inspire us to aim high and challenge ourselves. But individually we are inspired by various things...

Danny: “Gene Simmons of Kiss. Gene visited my small, dead end, seaside town’s local high school when I was around 13 years old, along with Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath and Suzi Quatro (both temporarily), to make a TV show called “Rock School”. In the show, he created a rock band out of the high school students and took them to Los Angeles to perform live in front of thousands of people. I was already into rock music by that age, but watching the show sparked something in me and I’ve never been the same since.”

Harry: “I distinctly remember being enamoured by the Guitar Hero video games when I was younger and thinking - “Damn! I want to play guitar for real and make my own riffs” - Once I began listening to all of the different styles of guitar focused music, from Avenged Sevenfold to Jimmy Hendrix and everything in between, I was hooked!”

Florian: “Originally, a friend of mine, because his brother started playing guitar. Then it turned out my parents had an old classical guitar in the basement, which made me start playing music.”

Chris: “Cliff Burton (AKA “The Four String Motherfucker!”) is the reason I picked up the Bass and chose to play finger style. First thing I saw was the gig at Moscow where he does the historical bass solo! In that moment I just fell in love with the Bass. What he was doing was exceptional to me, his speed, his technique. In addition to what he musically created with Metallica, personally, I believe he is the best metal bassist of all time!”

Aaron: “I’d have to say that my Dad is the main reason I decided to pick up a pair of drums sticks at the age of 3. He’s a guitarist, so already having a musician in the family definitely helped me gravitate towards getting into music and playing Rock/Metal. ”

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

Danny: I’ve had a few, but one that stuck with me is that someone once asked me to scream and entire song into their face without breaking eye contact. Not quite sure how this would be satisfying, but who am I to argue.

13. What do you think of your fans?

We are still very much in the early stages as a band, so our actual “fans” are small. But the ones that we do have are extremely supportive and really understand us as a product. It’s the best feeling to see people showing their support for you at shows and on social media too. We thank every single person who has gone the extra mile by saving our song to a playlist or shown it to a friend. It all helps massively and we greatly appreciate it!

14. What do you think of our site?

We really admire and appreciate sites like yours. It’s vital for the scene’s survival and growth. So we are really thankful and appreciate you taking an interest in a band like us. In terms of the actual website build, it’s really nice and easy to navigate and full of content - Nice work!

15. Something to add?

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this interview, we really appreciate your support! The light is now at the end of the tunnel (we hope). So we hope to play a show near you soon! If you see us, come have a chat, we’re more than happy to hang out! We also have some cool and interesting new social media content coming soon. You can find us on all social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok - you name it!) @akkadianband, where we frequently upload content and give updates on our latest activities etc. So if you don’t already, check us out online, if we seem like something that is for you, drop us a follow and a like, we really appreciate it and it all helps!

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