Interviews: Project BC

On this new occasion, we had the opportunity to interview the Indigenous Heavy Metal band Project BC 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? Was it planned, or did it just happen organically?

Santino: In the very beginning of writing some songs, I had to save the tracks onto the laptop, I couldn't just label it "unnamed", so off the top of my head, I saved it as "Project BC". Later Sheyti, Jalen, and I sat around and tried to come up with a name. Project BC just kept popping up, and so it stuck. 

2. Why did you choose to play this genre?

Santino: Project BC is a couple of genres. Metal, southern metal, blues, punk, death metal, thrash, etc. It was never intended to be that; it just happened organically. We just wrote songs that we enjoyed playing, and we intend to keep it that way.    

3. Did you know each other before forming the band?

Mitch: I knew them for several years before they asked me to join Project BC. Tino & Sheyti recorded one of my previous bands around 2015'ish. They had a small production group called Towering House Productions, along with Jalen and his brother Tom, whom they also asked me to join in 2019. In 2023, they asked me to fill in on bass and eventually to join the band. I met Mark shortly after that when they asked him to join. We've been doing cool shit together ever since!

4. What is each band member's favorite band?

Masheyti: I really like Lacuna Coil and Avatar

Jalen: My favorite band is probably Metallica in terms of influence at a very young age.

Mitch: Meshuggah, Pantera, Jimi Hendrix, Type O Negative, Tool, and recently, He Is Legend. Mark: Stick To Your Guns, TERROR, Woods of Ypres, Hank, 3 ,and Rammstein

Santino: Mine would be Megadeth

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Santino: For me, the songs always come out of nowhere. Sometimes I try to sit and intentionally write, but that never really works out. But all it takes is one riff or idea, and that usually gets the creative ball rolling for me.

6. Where was your last gig?

Masheyti: It was in Greeley, CO, at a bowling alley called 2454 West. We got to play in the middle of the lanes! It was cool!

Jalen: My last gig was at Sister Bar in Albuquerque, NM, playing with Weedrat.

Mitch: It was with my other band, Obliteration, out in Shiprock, NM. Good times, love you guys!

Mark: In Greele,y CO, at a bowling alley called 2454 West

Santino: As of this moment, it was in Greeley, CO at 2454 West. It's a really cool venue where you get to play in the middle of bowling alley lanes.

7. Where would you like to perform in the future?

Santino: One place would be anywhere in South America. I've always loved the live albums that bands recorded down there. Like Megadeth's "That One Night" and Iron Maiden's "Rock in Rio".

Mark: Anywhere overseas, mainly Japan, and this would be a dream come true, Wacken in Germany, and Red Rocks in Morrison, CO.

8. Which artist or band would you like to collaborate with?

Jalen: I’d love to collaborate with David Davidson, Brandon Ellis, Brent Hines, Ben Weinman.

9. Is there anyone you wouldn’t want to collaborate with?

Jalen: I wouldn’t want to collaborate with anyone who promotes or normalizes racism, bigotry, misogyny, fascism, or any form of oppression of marginalized communities inside or outside the music community.

Masheyti: I second that statement!

10. Have any of you ever experienced stage fright? Do you have any tips for beginners on overcoming it?

Mitch: Every show, haha! Biggest thing: Practice your set beforehand—A LOT! Other than that, I would say do some stretches, do a few jumping jacks, deep breaths, stay hydrated, be positive, and just have fun! The nerves typically go away after the first couple of songs.

11. Which bands have influenced you the most? 

Masheyti: For me, it would have been some of the OG women in metal. We have the women in Kittie, Cristina Scabbia, Otep, and Alissa White-Gluz in her Agonist days. There were many more, but these were just some of the powerful women that I would listen to when I was younger, and just be inspired.

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

Mitch: Oh, you know... 🍑😘

13. What do you think of your fans?

Santino: They are amazing, and it's very crazy to say that we have fans. I'm very grateful that we do. A band really is nothing without them. I try hard to shake hands and say thank you to them as much as I can.

14. What do you think of our site?

Jalen: The site is an important tool for up and coming artists who are very serious about their music, and is a great tool for bands to know about other acts in the scene, and to have a public online outlet showcasing them that could possibly help them get to that next level of their music career.

15. Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Masheyti: Thank you, thank you to Breathing the Core and Metal Devastation for this opportunity. It really does help artists like us to be able to speak about who we are and our music. We are just extremely grateful to everyone who has been with us during a show, supported us on this journey, and listened to our music. We really wouldn't be able to do things like this without the kindness of others. 

Jalen: Support your local artists and musicians in all areas of life, practice more, read more, learn more, write more, and always try to be kind to those who need it.

Mark: Thank you for the article and the questions; these were a lot of fun. Thank you to my family for the years of support and all the fans from over the years, Project BC for a fun 10 months, looking forward to more shows and being on the road with you all, and shout out to my brothers in Tribus!

Mitch: METAL NEEDS MORE WOMEN MUSICIANS!!!

Santino: A big thank you to Breathing the Core. We are trying to get our music out there, and you are a part of it. It means a whole lot to us. This is only the beginning and the 1st steps of this band. In the words of Rob Dukes during the live Exodus Wacken album, "it ain't over yet mother fuckers"!