Interviews: October Changes

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the international Industrial Metal/Progressive Metal/Symphonic Metal/Electronic Metal band October Changes. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you plan it or come out just like that?

Luk: There are two parts to this. When the Roman calendar shifted to the Gregorian one, October moved to the 10th month. So, October Changed. I wanted a band name that signifies change and impacts people's musical journey. Plus, most of our changes happened in October, so it fits perfectly. The other part is the influence of other bands on me, like Texas In July, August Burns Red, Dead by April, and Novembers Doom. All these names have a month, which always caught my attention. Fun fact, our first names were "Urban Core" and "Cyanide Season." 

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

We aimed to craft something distinct. Our vision included having a female voice take the lead, combined with our passion for electronic genres such as dubstep and drum and bass. Given our diverse backgrounds, the ultimate outcome typically becomes a fusion of various music styles. Luk leans towards Deathcore and slam metal, Bert gravitates towards Black metal, Lhana enjoys unique combinations with melodic vocals, and Wesley, being quite eclectic, serves as our primary idea generator. All these elements come together to create our unique genre, which we like to call "electromelodic metal.”.

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

Luk: I formed the band in the beginning. To be honest, none of us knew each other initially. I discovered Wesley through a traditional ad on a local website, while Bert became a part of the band through our former vocalist. After her departure, Bert and I separately reached out to a new vocalist. As it turned out, we were both in contact with the same person, leading to Lhana joining the band a year ago.

4. Each band member's favourite band?

Luk: I don't really have “one” favorite band. He’s always listening to Cradle Of Filth, Within Destruction, My Dying Bride, Emperor, August Burns Red, Beneath The Massacre,… Waking The Cadaver. But really, I like a lot of musical styles. 

Bert: My closet is dominated by Trivium shirts. However, similar to Luk, I have a broad taste in music, regularly listening to various styles, including Amon Amarth, Mgla, Dissection, and other heavier bands.

Lhana: My big inspiration was Tarja from Nightwish, which started my entire singing journey, especially for the rock and metal genre. From there, I opened up to everything that had to do with catchy melodies and unique/crazy ideas that brought different perspectives to metal music in general, such as Amaranthe, Babymetal, and so on.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Luk: Our song creation is a bit different. It usually starts with me having an idea on the guitar, recording it, and sharing it with the rest. Wes and Lhana scramble it around to create something completely new, Bert adds his lead guitar, and then we fine-tune the result.

Lhana: Sometimes I get inspired by the random names Luk calls our demo files, haha! But mostly, I share my thoughts through lyrics. Every time I close my eyes to listen to the song’s vibe, then I start writing.

6. Where was your last gig? 

Our last gig was at B52, Ichtegem, last Saturday. We got invited a couple of days before by the vocalist of Alwaid, Maria. We were all available, so we had a blast. 

7. Where would you like to perform?

We have the ambition to perform at Graspop at some point. As one of the prominent metal festivals in Belgium, we've been attending it since our youth, so getting the chance to play on that holy stage would truly be a dream come true. However, in all honesty, we're not overly fixated on it. What truly matters to us is the joy of entertaining the crowd and engaging in conversations with our fans after the shows. There's, of course, Wacken on the list as well…but we are happy with every opportunity Life throws at our way.

8. Whom would you like to perform with?

We would love to perform with bands like Lacuna Coil, Within Temptation, and Epica.

Lhana: One of my biggest dreams would obviously be to sing a duet with Tarja one day.

9. Whom not?

No specific names, but definitely not any bands with a bad reputation, like ones known for drugs or violence. We don't want our band to be associated with that. 

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

Stage fright isn't a big issue for us. Lhana is consistently energetic, jumping around the stage, while Wesley remains deeply focused behind his drums. Luk isn't typically nervous on stage, but he may feel concerned if something goes wrong, hoping it all turns out well. Bert usually experiences pre-performance nerves, but ultimately, we all end up enjoying ourselves on stage, and it reflects in our performance. The key is to be confident individually and as a band. If something goes wrong, just go with the flow, make the most of it, and, most importantly, have fun.

Lhana: I often performed barefoot on stage before with other projects and that had a reason. The stage is your playground. Use it. Be yourself and the crowd will cheer!

11. What bands have inspired you the most? 

As mentioned earlier, each band member draws inspiration from a distinct musical background. Luk finds inspiration in Electric Callboy, Within Temptation, Evanescence, Skrillex, Lemon D, and various others. Bert's influences include Trivium, Ihsahn, and Dissection, while Lhana takes inspiration from the whole musical spectrum. That could be anything from Nightwish to drum and bass, even some Asian bands.

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

Lhana: Not so weird, more like surprising but in a good way. I was asked to put a signature on someone’s arm after a show. It was quite euphoric to see my own name written there, like a tattoo.

Luk: It's a little disappointing because we haven't received too many unusual requests so far. However, I'm always open to responding to any wild requests from fans!

13. What do you think of your fans?

Of course, we love our fans. We always love seeing familiar faces in the crowd and it’s important to us to have a talk with the fans after a concert. During a live show, it's truly remarkable how our vocalist, Lhana, captivates the crowd, and the way fans interact with both her and the band is incredible. The strong sense of friendship and family we feel from our fans resonates within us as a band.

14. What do you think of our site?

Luk: I can be honest and tell you that I was in touch with your site before checking out a review for one of my friends of “when plagues collide”. It’s a very clear and professional site, with easy readability and nice content. I would definitely recommend it.

15. Something to add?

Check out our website https://www.octoberchanges.com and our socials on YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, and even TikTok. We just released our first EP, "SYNTHETIC / Authentic," and we have a music video for "Sleeping Beauty" on YouTube. So, head over there and give it a watch!