Interviews: Mad Sneaks

On this new occasion, we had the opportunity to interview the Rock band Mad Sneaks from Brazil. Check out the interview and follow this band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name? Was it planned, or did it just happen?

Actually, the name doesn’t have a specific meaning — it’s not based on the literal translation of the words, like some people think. In fact, many misread it as "Mad Snakes," which is funny because that was actually the original idea.

The story goes like this: one of the band members came home drunk and started watching TV. On some channel, there was this belly dancing show (we think), and a woman was doing sensual dances with an albino snake. He found it captivating and immediately thought “Mad Snakes” would be a great band name.

But in his drunken state, when he tried to text the idea to the rest of us, he accidentally typed “Sneaks” instead of “Snakes.” The situation was so weird and funny that we decided to keep it. It just felt right in a strange, zen kind of way. At that point, we didn’t even care if "Sneaks" had any meaning — the vibe was perfect.

2. Why did you choose to play this genre?

Without a doubt, it was the style that caught our attention the most from the very beginning — and it still is. We’ve always been huge fans of the Seattle scene from the '90s, not just the globally famous bands, but the entire movement.

But yeah, Nirvana definitely had the biggest influence on us. The way they created insanely captivating songs with lyrics that went beyond the clichés of late '80s rock really hit us. Their energy, intensity, and honesty made a huge impact.

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

Yes! Dissan and I have been friends since... forever. We’re cousins, so we've known each other since we were kids. Honestly, it looks like this friendship will last until the grave — if it hasn’t ended by now, it never will!

4. What’s each band member’s favorite band?

Amaury Johns: Nirvana, Silverchair, Ramones, Foo Fighters, Helmet, Dvrill, Local H, Seether, Avenged Sevenfold, Halestorm, Slipknot, Social Distortion, and many more.

Phil Andreas: Silverchair, Mastodon, All Them Witches, among others.

Agno Dissan: Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Ramones, SOAD, Soundgarden, Local H, Silverchair, Nine Inch Nails, The Virginmarys, Puddle of Mudd, Venlift, Johnny Cash, and many more.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

First and foremost, the bands we love. Without them, we wouldn’t be writing or even playing music.

Lyrically, we talk about how we perceive things — our experiences, others' frustrations, the inner and outer noise. We don’t go for obvious or in-your-face lyrics. We like writing the way we learned from our idols — letting the listener find their own meaning. That’s one of the most beautiful things about art: you don’t need to fully understand what the artist meant. Sometimes it’s more about what you take from it in that moment.

6. Where was your last gig?

Our last show was just a few days ago in São Paulo, Brazil — maybe you’ve heard of it! (laughs) If I’m not mistaken, the venue was La Iglesia, owned by Jão, the guitarist from Ratos de Porão.

It was also the first show with our new bassist, Phil Andreas. The energy was amazing, and it was a perfect way to welcome him to Mad Sneaks. We had so much fun!

7. Where would you like to perform?

Funny you ask that — right now we’re very interested in the European market. We’ve been talking with some people about doing a release specifically aimed at Europe.

Of course, we want our music to reach every continent, but at the moment, it would be amazing to sign with a European label and go on tour there.

8. Who would you like to collaborate with?

One person we’d absolutely love to perform live with is our good friend Page Hamilton from Helmet. We’ve released two songs with him already, but haven’t had the chance to play live together yet.

Helmet was recently in Brazil, and Page even invited us to the show via WhatsApp — but unfortunately, we weren’t in town. Judging by their socials, it looked like an amazing night!

Personally, I’d love to collaborate with Nirvana and the Ramones, but I guess that won’t happen.

9. Who wouldn’t you collaborate with?

Honestly, that’s not even something we think about. Even if it’s a totally different style, we respect every artist who is being real with their music.

If an artist is being honest in what they do, no matter the genre, we’re open. Real music will always be the best. Period.

10. Have any of you ever suffered from stage fright? Any tips for beginners?

Honestly… no! We’ve never had stage fright.

Sure, you get that weird feeling before going on stage — butterflies in the stomach — but that’s healthy and normal. The moment I smash the first cymbal, it all turns into pure fun with friends.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

Nirvana. Always. No other band has impacted me that deeply. I feel like I owe so much to Nirvana — without them, I wouldn’t be in a band. Or at best, Mad Sneaks would be something totally different. I’ll always feel indebted to them and hope I can repay that influence someday.

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

No one’s really asked us for anything too crazy, but there was one unforgettable moment.

We were playing an event with both rock bands and trap artists. After our show, this guy came up to us and said he made trap music — but after seeing us play, he felt like he had to do rock. He told us he was quitting the trap right then and there to start a rock band. He said the energy during our set was more powerful than anything he’d ever felt.

That moment stuck with me. I guess we unintentionally helped bring one more rock band into the world.

13. What do you think of your fans?

We think they have excellent taste in music! (laughs)

Seriously though, I see them as people like us — people who truly love real music made by real people. Maybe they recognize that Mad Sneaks gives 100% on stage and in everything we do. That’s a lesson we learned from Nirvana.

14. What do you think of our site?

It’s awesome. We love seeing sites that support bands from all rock subgenres. Sometimes we come across platforms that only focus on one niche, and honestly… that’s not very cool.

I get it — some people like to specialize — but personally, I don’t vibe with that. There are incredible artists in every corner of rock.

Congrats on the work you do, and we hope the site continues for many, many years. Artists need this kind of support. You guys are awesome!

15. Anything else to add??

Yes, thank you so much for the space and the great conversation. Your questions were awesome, and it was genuinely fun answering them.

We really hope to meet you guys in person in Europe soon!