Interviews: Catharia

On this new occasion, we had the opportunity to interview the Black Metal/Extreme Metal band Catharia from the USA. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

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

Dylan: The band name originally came loosely from the name of a town in an old novel, with the spelling of the band’s name being different than that town but pronounced phonetically similar. This was at the suggestion of a previous guitarist who was in the band during its formative time, not staying for any studio releases or shows. This is not really the explanation we give anymore. Instead: 

There is a genus of moth that is very “metal” in appearance called Catharia. Spelled exactly the same as our band name. We discovered that fact a year or so ago. These days, that is what we say we are named after as a short answer. On top of that, we commissioned an artist to render us a moth graphic to use as a mascot of sorts. You can see the Catharia moth making its debut on the back of the CD release of Unimaginable Dreams of Fate. (Available over on rockshots.eu) We may place the moth graphic into some other things like bass drum heads, shirts, etc. You’ll definitely be seeing more of our moth mascot since it’s directly tied to the name. Shoutout to Eray Erkoc.

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

Dylan: I always loved listening to black metal and playing it in my free time but never had the opportunity to join a full band that played anything like it where I live. I never stopped looking into joining one or forming my own but just kept striking out. Eventually, I met Matt and it went from there. Typically the only opportunities I was able to find locally would be death metal, metalcore, deathcore, or djent. I wasn’t super interested in doing any of that. Before Catharia I spent about 5 years playing in an original band that played a similar musical style to Alice In Chains, Smashing Pumpkins, etc. with a little Kyuss influence thrown in.

Matt: Black metal was a very different and welcome approach to writing music from the more mainstream metal I had written and played before. I love to tremolo pick on guitar, and black metal has a lot of that. We also use clean parts now and again. I love to use a lot of chorus, delay, and reverb to give the songs a more desolate feel to them

Nick: I hadn't really explored the genre before joining the band, I had mostly played in death metal bands that never took off. A previous bassist of the band is a friend of mine and he suggested I give it a shot, so he sent me some playlists of the style they were going for and I sent a cover of Svanesang by Wiegedood. 

Michael: For me, the challenge of writing interesting yet gutting punching heavy beats is like no other. I love it though.

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

Dylan: Not exactly. I met Matt online a couple years before we met in person. He was in talks with me about joining Catharia back in 2020 but I became sick. I intended to get back with Matt and some others I had been speaking to about musical projects, once I was better, but never did communicate back. I just became busy I guess. Fortunately, I got an unexpected message from Matt a couple years later in 2022 sharing Midnight Sun with me. I couldn’t believe this random guy from a couple years prior actually did what he said he was going to do and make an album haha. Most people who hit you up with ambitions like that never end up even writing a song or forming a band, unfortunately. Just the nature of local music. I couldn’t believe he remembered me. I immediately asked if he still needed help and I ended up joining Catharia the next week. I met Nick for the first time in the studio later that fall to record the song Tomb Throne. The following year I met Michael for the first time at a fried chicken restaurant after he sent in an audition video online.

Nick: Our only interactions had been online, they sent me a demo of two tracks they were working on. The first time we properly met was in the studio recording what became Of Fire and Ice.

Michael: I met the band on social media in 2023. Met Dylan and Nick in person shortly after. Set up a jam session, been with them ever since.

4. Each band member's favorite band?

Dylan: I’d say it’s somewhere within Woods of Ypres, Kyuss, Annihilator, Dissection, Helmet.

Nick: Currently I have been bouncing back and forth between Vitriol, and AKHLYS.

Matt: The second wave of black metal from out of Norway was what got me interested in black metal. Immortal's at the Heart of Winter was the first black metal album that got me hooked on the genre. Bathory was and still remains one of the reasons I wanted to play black metal. A number of bands have kept my interest in the genre alive. Batushka and Akhyls as well as Hulder and Asagraum are more modern in their approach. It's very difficult for me as well to pick just one band. But if I had to I'd probably go with Bathory. Quorthon was a genius at songwriting and inspired me to create a band in the same style but with an original approach.

Michael: Any melodic death or black metal. If I had to pick 3 though, The Black Dahlia Murder, Enfold Darkness, Death

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Dylan: For inspiration, it doesn’t necessarily have to come from a metal source. I listen to a wide variety of music. Often it’s jazz fusion bands like Brand X, Casiopea, etc. that inspire me to just pick up and play. It’s about listening to quality musicianship and having it inspire you to become better more so than listening to a band already in your genre and saying “I need to make my stuff more like this”. On the flip side though, I do find myself highly inspired any time I find lesser-known heavy bands from very early on in metal’s history. The late 60s/early 70s like Sir Lord Baltimore, Dust, Captain Beyond, etc. I’m also inspired by strange historical events, mysteries, time, and space.

Matt: I definitely am inspired by other metal bands but am probably more so inspired by things like nature, mythology, and horror movies and novels. Historical events and characters also. Countess is about Elizabeth Bathory. Snowy and overcast weather helps to set the mood to write black metal. All of these things are like paint and the guitar a canvas for songwriting.

Nick: When it comes to writing songs from a lyrical perspective I tend to focus on human emotion, mirrored through a natural setting. It doesn't always come from personal experiences but things I've observed just by watching people or simply telling a story. I try to write a song or work on a set of lyrics every day, with small adjustments

6. Where was your last gig?

Melody Inn in Indianapolis, IN. USA

7. Where would you like to act?

Dylan: I would love to get over to Europe or Japan/elsewhere in Asia to play some shows. Although, something in Latin or South America may be more likely. It seems that we are gaining popularity in Argentina and Mexico much faster than in other places as of now.

Matt: Definitely

Europe: Finland, Norway, Germany. South America as well.

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

Dylan: It would be great to have any involvement with popular bands in the black/extreme metal sphere. Anything that could expose us to a wider audience. 

Matt: I personally would love to play with Batushka, Rotting Christ, Asagraum, Hulder, Satyricon, or Immortal.

Nick: I'd be excited to work with almost anyone on a track.

9. Whom not?

Dylan: Well, I do have a couple examples whom I will not work with again from experience but I won’t name names. There was a headlining band who called 5 minutes after doors opened to say that they were not coming. Claimed they never knew about the gig. -How did you know to call us if you allegedly didn’t know this show even existed?? We had spoken to them about it for months. The great original band though. I would still listen to them but I can’t say I’ll be doing another show with them. They got blacklisted from that venue as well.

My other example is a fairly well-known musician in his sphere. He publicly blasted us for… trying to hire (and pay well) live musicians. That’s right. I have no idea how that concept offended him. He tore into us despite admitting that he’s never listened to our music. Unfortunately, you just come across guys like that sometimes. There are valid critiques of Catharia but that objectively ain’t it. I like to look at this as: you made yourself mad, so stay mad. I did nothing to provoke you. Keep squealing.

Honestly, I am thankful this is the juiciest stuff we’ve had so far. Music feuds can get ridiculous at any level of success. I’d like to avoid it and I can’t say I’d thought about these examples any further until this question.

10. Have any of you ever suffered from stage fright? Any tips for beginners on how to beat that?

Dylan: To me the fewer people present in the crowd or the more visible gaps there are in the crowd, the more frightening it is. Conversely, the more people present in the crowd, the less frightening it is. They blend together into one entity. The energy is just better. Even if there are not actually that many people thereby number, as long as they’re visibly filling the space that’s what matters. Stage fright is something you can get over if you play out at least every few months but if there are large time gaps in-between shows it can be tough to keep stage fright away for good. My tip would be to start having a few friends over at your band’s rehearsals. It subconsciously builds comforting playing around others. 

Matt: Yeah I used to get it quite often in one of my former bands before a show. Honestly, I usually vomited lol. That always helped so if you ever get nervous before a show just puke your guts out and you'll be fine lol

Nick: I have awful stage fright and it does get better with time, but my routine is I strictly listen to only the setlist a month in advance

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

Dylan: It depends on what angle you would want to look at this question or how far back you want to go. Going back to the very beginning, Iron Maiden is for certain what started my journey in listening to and playing metal. Got my first guitar shortly after discovering them. It was a Stratocaster so I could be one step closer to being like Dave Murray. They were the first band I ever called my favorite band.

Matt: Too many to name honestly. From classic rock bands like Led Zeppelin. Alternative bands like Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana. But honestly, a lot of one-man or woman bands inspire the most. To just think wow this one dude wrote and recorded all of that? That's really impressive. I always thought to myself if they can do it I can as well.

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

Dylan: I don’t think I’ve really had anything strange asked of me in my time with Catharia or other bands. The only thing I could say is that it still feels odd to me when someone wants Catharia merch signed. 

13. What do you think of your fans?

Dylan: So far we’ve tended to have some very supportive ones. There’s definitely a circle of names surrounding us that we can recognize. I think the best feeling about it is that we don’t personally know most of those people. They discovered us organically and are true fans.

Matt: Catharia fans are incredibly supportive of us and always have been.

14. What do you think of our site?

Dylan: Very professional site that gives quality coverage to smaller bands such as ourselves. Your interview questions have been some of the most thorough we’ve seen so far. The Countries feature makes it easy to discover new bands to listen to from places you may not think of often. Checked out Kuwait, Réunion, and Liechtenstein this morning.

Matt: Really cool website! A ton of info on bands and subgenres. Really impressed and will be sharing it with other metalheads.

15. Something to add?

If you like what you heard on our albums, Unimaginable Dreams of Fate and Midnight Sun, be sure to follow us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and our website. Let us know of any other sites you think Catharia should be present on. As always, support physical music releases from artists you enjoy, and don’t be afraid to pick up something new. For us, it can be found over on rockshots.eu