Interviews: Artifact

On this new occasion, we had the opportunity to interview the Metalcore band Artifact from Australia. Check out the interview and follow this band on their FACEBOOK PAGE. All the questions have been answered by Bec.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name?

One of our founding members, Andrew, was getting annoyed at the sonic artifacts that were popping up during early production, and he thought it would be funny & cathartic to name the band Artifact.

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

Metal is one of those genres that allows you more space to express things in ways that don't work in other genres. All our members are fans of a wide variety of metal sub-genres, and our sound just evolves naturally as we do.

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

Michael & Andrew founded the band after they met at the shops during a cute band shirt compliment moment. Harvey came along soon after. The band has had a few line-up changes - a few of us did know each other, and some didn't. Michael & myself were already working together on another project when I joined Artifact. Hayden reached out and blew us away with his passion for guitar & metal, and our newest member, Nathan, had been in our social circle for a while. Hayden was already doing some writing with him and was keen to get him on board.

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

Michael (Harsh vocals): Tool

Hayden (Guitar): Nevermore

Harvey (Drums): Northlane

Nathan(Guitar): Invent Animate

Bec (Clean vocals): AFI and Coheed & Cambria

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Childhood trauma, adulthood trauma, the state of society, the ever expanding awareness of the self and our subconscious, you know - the usual 😅

6. Where was your last gig?

Our last gig was in Bendigo, where we love playing.

7. Where would you like to perform?

We would love to do another Asia tour and include Japan and the Philippines.

8. Who would you like to perform with?

For me - Polaris. They're my favourite Australian metalcore band currently.

9. Who would you not like to perform with?

Umm, I guess the kind of people who use their music as a status symbol more than an art form, you know? Too much ego isn't good for creativity, and is annoying to be around 😅

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

Everyone has different levels of anxiety and different tips for what they do to help mitigate it. My advice would be to do some star jumps, take a few slow, deep belly breaths during your intro, and chew some gum. Maybe have a cup of tea before you go up, to help ground yourself in your body. Mistakes happen, and that's what people seem to get in their heads about the most. Just remember all the times YOU have seen bands make mistakes on stage, and you didn't care - because it just meant they're human like you.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

We are so blessed in Australia to have so many amazing metalcore bands to look up to and to play shows with. Windwaker are originally from Wagga, and are a big inspiration for us in that sense. Bands like Within Destruction inspired us to believe that band members can juggle the gigs/day job balance when they need to.

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

Michael was asked to sign some boobies one time. He got really awkward and bailed. I don't think we've been asked for anything weird. The weirdest band-related thing for me was when I was on a dating app, and a guy's opening message to me was just a bunch of Nascent lyrics in all caps.

13. What do you think of your fans?

We have some really cool fans who have been known to travel quite far to come to our shows. Another memory that sticks out is a girl in Vietnam who drew a sketch of us performing and sent it to us later. That was cool.

14. What do you think of our site?

It's got a great aesthetic.

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

Great questions - nothing new to add! Reach out if you think your town would love our sound, and we can try to line up a show!

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