Interview with Alan Damien and AlexVndria of Stray + The Wild

By Mick Michaels






COSMICK VIEW: Hello, Alan and AlexVndria! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it is greatly appreciated.

CV: What do you feel sets the band apart from other bands, especially those of similar sound and style? What's the specific allure your sound and style have that has people taking notice?

Alan Damien:  When we were developing the sound it was all just something we did for fun there was no need for a direction or a pre conceived thought of what were supposed to sound like. We didn’t care about trying to impress anyone. For us it was about being honest with our musical tastes and our strengths.

When we decided to make this a “real thing” we wanted to make sure to write songs that felt empowering to us. Collectively we are passionate about animal wellness, spirituality, trying to see the world in a different way, evolving as human beings. And we wanted to make sure those things came out in the lyrics and as personal statement for the group.

Haha...and let’s be honest, sonically it had to kick ass or there’s no point...people won’t care. We want the songs to move and be emotionally driven.

CV: For any band, dynamics is key to grabbing an audience's attention. What do you feel is the main ingredient to having such a captivating dynamic and being able to bring something more to the music?

Alan Damien: Musically we live in a world where people are all about one thing and have such a limited focus

Most popular music these days feels stagnant because modern writing is too simple.

We want to present a little bit more. Look at bands like Radiohead, The Beatles, Bowie to Metallica or Nine Inch Nails. They took you on a musical journey, Directors like Quentin Tarantino who make you think and question every step of the way…honestly there are 1000 of groups that we could mention.

Also visuals play a huge role in the process. It’s a way to draw people into a story or a movement…Rock posters and album covers, horror, suspense or occult movies. Eastern thought has been a big influence on us and the culture that come with it too.

CV: How would you describe the ultimate musical experience for your fans?

AlexVndria: We want to move people in a way where they have an outer body experience. Good music should bring you to a place where you can give the listeners a lifelong connection to a song.

CV: How does Stray + The Wild go about creating that musical vision, while generating the impact the band wants to have on its audience?

AlexVndria: Just be real and do what you do best. You can’t fail if you’re genuine about it. Trends can come and go and it’s too hard to keep up with it anyway. We’d rather create at our pace but know that the songs are always there.

CV: The music business has always been one that regardless of who you are, where you came from or where you've been, you can either sink or swim.  Does this type of realism have any effect on how the band drives itself to succeed? 

Alan Damien: Oh jeez it’s sad as artists that we have to deal with this. But if you don’t understand what’s going on people will rip you off and take advantage of you.  The problem is that you could have written the best song in the world but if you don’t promote it no one will ever know about you. It’s the one who promotes who gets the attention… In our opinion it’s better to wait until you have a product of substance before you promote it or people will remember you for the wrong thing.

A fun quote…“Often the loudest person in the room is not always the most talented.”

We don’t believe in jumping on gimmicks or passing fads. There’s a lot of people that will watch that stuff online and it can be entertaining but we feel like it’s better to take a grass roots approach to getting your music out there. You’ll last longer and won’t feel like you sold out.

CV: In your opinion, is there any middle ground for a band or is it a do or die climate in today's music industry?

AlexVndria: In a way it’s probably easier for people these days because there’s so much stuff to reference online of how to achieve things. But the market is over-saturated so as a fan it can be more challenging finding the right groups to enjoy.

Alan Damien: If you’re creative and a marketing savvy individual you can cut out the big record labels. So you can keep control of your songs. Also we’re living in this release one song at a time thing where artists don’t have to drop a whole record and worry about the songs getting a sell by date on them. It gives the artist more time figure out what works for them and more time to succeed.

CV: How would you describe the band's internal energy? Does the band’s outward appearance align with its true inward nature from your perspective?

AlexVndria: Each of our personalities mesh pretty well. Together, our energy is pretty down to earth but we are very serious about our work and we have a fire in us to rise above life challenges to make a difference as a band and as people. We find beauty in the “darker” things in life that most people try to ignore. Our outward appearance is a good representation of our energy and views…mixing light and dark.

CV: What's at the core of the band's songwriting approach? Are there certain elements that are considered when a song begins to take form and evolves? Alan Damien: Well the most important thing for the songs is writing something that makes sense for AlexVndria’s voice. Usually the songs are driven by melody whether it’s on a guitar, bass, keys, vocals etc…. 

AlexVndria: Honestly it could be anything. We’re not particular or confined by a certain set of rules when we write. We have a way of connecting really well and coming up with melodies and hit the ground running from there, we take pride in writing meaningful lyrics about our interests and concerns.

 

CV: Do you allow things to just happen when writing; seeing where a song goes, or is there a certain course of action and structure you keep a song on, thus, essentially making it destined to achieve its overall potential?

AlexVndria: Similar to the previous answer, we just let it happen. We write based off how moved we are by a particular sound or melody. It always start with a simple idea and then we start mapping out the song structure.  Then just feeding off each other and going back and forth.

CV: Do you feel how the fans and critics describe Stray + The Wild’s music accurately reflects how you would describe the band’s music?

AlexVndria: We’re not really bothered with all that. If someone has an idea about what they think we sound like and they like it that’s awesome. Much like lyrics we have certain ideas about what things mean to us and a message we want to convey through songs but we know that everyone will have their own interpretation and if it helps them or gives them some insight in life then we did something right.

CV: What more can fans look forward to seeing coming from Stray + The Wild?

AlexVndria:We have a lot of songs ready to go. Everything sounds a bit different from the next but still keeping true to that Stray + The Wild sound. We aren’t the type of band to put out generic stuff. We are working out our live set right now so you can expect to see us live soon!

CV: Thank you again Alan and AlexVndria for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers. I wish you all the best and continued success.

AlexVndria: Thank you for having us we appreciate everything as well!

 

Check out Stray + The Wild at:
https://linktr.ee/strayandthewild 

 

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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word.  Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.

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