Interviews: Personal War

On this new occasion, we had the opportunity to interview the Hardcore/Crossover band Personal War from France. 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 did it just come out like that?

Nico: The name Personal War matches all the topics we were talking about in our songs. It was also the okayest among all the name ideas we had (we were 2 inches away from being called Furnace😅).

Rémi: I remember bringing « Personal Warfare,» but it sounded too heavy metal. Personal War was proposed, and Clem said that it was the album title of a French band, Birds in Row. But we said to each other, «Who cares?» We tried to change later on, another proposition was Throne Breaker, but we didn’t (we just ordered a bunch of stickers).

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

Clem: We never consciously decided what kind of band we wanted to be. While we all come from a shared background of '90s and 2000s heavy music, our tastes are pretty diverse, and there aren't many post-2010 bands that everyone in Personal War agrees on. I think our identity developed naturally over time, driven by each member's own playing style rather than by any deliberate attempt to fit into a specific genre.

Nico: We all played music since we were kids (with or without bands), but back in the early 2010's, Clem wanted to build up a metal band and poof! Here we are! It's only since post covid that we wanted to do something that we could be proud of and even maybe talk to our kids about. Dam and Clem decided then to take the lead, and since then, we have recorded an EP and booked many gigs. And we can't get enough even if we don't know what may come. But as a non-professional musician, I'm very proud of how we do things and proud of my mates.

Dam: I think the original project was supposed to be a stoner metal band… we clearly failed! Our genre is still unclear. We describe it as Crossover Metal / Hardcore, in a clever move to be booked in both scenes.

Rémi: I wanted to play death metal. I saw them play, and I changed my expectations. No, seriously, because we are not musicians with skills and a high level of technicality. So we create songs we can play.

Grodge: We grew up listening to bands where groove was everything. Pantera taught us that being heavy isn’t about playing fast. That’s still what I look for every time we write a song

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

Clem: We’ve been friends forever, we’ll be friends forever, with or without a band.

Nico: I was the last to join the band, even though I have known them all but Dam since high school. Clem introduced Dam to us more than a decade ago. He was like the angular stone of the project. He perfectly manages to bring that alt-rock energy that others do not naturally think of.

Dam: I’m more round than angular, but I’ll take the compliment! 😘

Rémi: Yes, and he brings and drinks IPA beers. Nobody’s perfect.

Grodge: Somehow we’re still friends after years of rehearsals, questionable jokes, and questionable musical decisions…

4. Each band member's favourite band?

Clem: I don't really have a favorite band. Music is all about emotions—my emotions—and they change from one day to the next. A nostalgic Monday? Deftones. Feeling fired up on Tuesday? Pantera. Angry on Wednesday? Converge. In a dark, moody state? The Dillinger Escape Plan. Hitting the gym? Wu-Tang Clan.

Nico: Pantera, Noisia, Sleep Token.

Rémi: Death, Pantera, Crowbar, Vision of Disorder, At the Gates.

Dam: One of the only modern bands we all agree on is Knocked Loose, so KL it will be.

Grodge: I’d rather name bass players than bands: Rex Brown for the groove and raw power, Justin Chancellor for his unique sound and the way he makes the bass an essential voice in the music.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Clem: I write most of the lyrics, often working closely with Damien on topics that genuinely resonate with us. In everyday life, I'm actually a pretty cheerful person, but when it comes to writing, I turn into a bit of a night owl. I try to dig into a darker corner of my soul—not exactly the most comfortable or enjoyable place—to give the lyrics a darker, more honest edge.

Dam: Doom and gloom mostly, be it personal experiences or events around the globe (revolutions, wars, societal collapse,...). For the riffs: I try to emulate the greats, and it results in dumbed-down versions that I can actually play.

Plot twist: I can't properly play some of my own riffs. Luckily, Remi is way better than me, so all I have to do is lower my volume!

Rémi: It depends on the mood, the listening of the moment, and the news. Sometimes, just a good idea at the right time.

Nico: I was told there would be free donuts, so here I am. Honestly, I wish I had a better technique, but I am still driven by my feelings to give a riff the groove it deserves since I am also a really poor songwriter.

Grodge: I don’t write songs. I’ve got other things to do.

6. Where was your last gig?

Nico: Fête de la musique (France’s annual celebration of music), on the streets of Paris, where we shared the stage with Worst, Pledge of Silence, Blackened, and many other great bands. It was like 37° outside, and the audience was a mix of random people and metalheads. Everyone was happy to just live in the moment, with great memories.

7. Where would you like to act?

Nico: Hellfest!

Grodge: L’Elysée Montmartre. Legendary venue. That’s enough of a reason.

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

Clem: Phil Anselmo. YAAAAAAAA

Nico: Drew York

Rémi: Kirk Windstein and Georges Fisher, on the same track.

Dam: I'm convinced we need more features to help the local scene. Would be cool to have someone outside of the metal/hardcore genres too…

9. Whom not?

Nico: Ian Watkins. Oh, wait, he's dead.

Grodge: Christophe Maé. No further explanation needed.

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

Clem: Yeah, absolutely. Every show comes with a bit of pressure. Booze is the worst way to deal with it. Rehearse hard, know your set inside out, and once you hit the stage, just go with the flow.

Nico: As long as I get my click in my ears, nothing can stop me. The best advice is just to go with the flow and enjoy.

Rémi: Getting on stage is a good motivation, and the more you perform, the more you get confident. Confident with your playing, with your attitude, the way to move, the interaction you want to have with the crowd.

Grodge: No problem after a good pint.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

Nico: I'm from that generation that grew up when nu metal emerged. Korn, Deftones, and Slipknot were the main bands we were talking about and listening to all day long, but I remember the day when Grodge, our bass player, came up to my cousin's apartment with Pantera's Far Beyond Driven, and that it clearly became a game changer.

As a drummer, I'd say Deftones and Pantera.

Rémi: Pink Floyd and Metallica for grabbing a guitar and starting to play, Pantera for the absolute groove, Korn for the heaviness, Crowbar for sludgy harmonies, and many brutal death metal bands (Suffocation, Dying Fetus, Morbid Angel, Ulcerate) for the riffing.

Dam: The others already named most of the bands we're stealing riffs from…

Grodge: Tool, obviously.

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

Dam: The only fans we interact with on stage are blowing air, not asking for weird things. No, seriously, someone once asked us if we had merch… we didn’t.

Now we have merch, so we hope someone will ask again. (Please, we’ve put some money into it)

Grodge: Wait… bass players can have fans?

13. What do you think of your fans?

Dam: I often think ABOUT them…”Where are you?”

Nico: You mean, our moms? We love them, of course!

Rémi: Do we have fans?

14. What do you think of our site?

Dam: I’m really wondering what it means… How do you breathe the core? Should you use a straw? Is the Core full of oxygen, and are we underwater? Anyway, thanks for the time you dedicate to the scene, and for having us!

15. Something to add?

clem: wear your helmet kids !

Nico: For the Horde!

Dam: Brace yourselves… Summer is coming

Rémi: toasty!

Grodge: That’s enough…

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