Band Interview: Svengali

Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life are very pleased to bring you an interview with Dubai-based metal band Svengali. Who will release their new album Sayonara, on the 20th March 2020. You can read our review of the excellent release here.

1. Hello guys! Thanks for taking the time to speak with us. How is everything in the Svengali camp?

Thank you for the opportunity! Everything is well here at the Svengali camp. Counting down the days to the new album!

2. We’re a couple of weeks away from the release of the new album, Sayonara. Are you pleased with what you accomplished with it?

Sayonara really is a labor of love. We built our own studio, recorded, produced and mixed it ourselves! It feels like we’ve defined our sound and voice more than ever on this album.

3. What, if anything, inspired some of the writing?

The band went through some drastic changes and extreme situations during the last 5 years and we funneled into the writing process. Stories of relapse, being homeless and more life changing events all helped build the sound and energy of Sayonara.

4. Are you seeing this as an opportunity to take your sound to a more global stage?

Absolutely. We’re working hard on getting the word and the music out there! It isn’t easy being a metal band for the Middle East – all the odds stack against us… but we plan on playing shows and traveling as far as possible with this album.

5. Do you see yourself as a ‘poster’ for the changing times in Dubai or does that not even come into it for you?

We don’t think of the band a poster for change but we’d like to think we’re doing our part for the scene here in the Middle East.

Being the only metal band nominated for awards here proved to us that The Svengali Family can make enough noise to get even the attention of the heavily commercial Dubai music industry.

6. What challenges have you faced in regards to being a metal band based in Dubai?

Dubai is still considered the safe haven of the middle east for musicians in the genre. It definitely has its downfalls with the lack of venues and insanely expensive “performance permits” but the real challenges we faced before moving here ranged from shows being raided to full on arrests just for wearing a metal t-shirt!

7. What challenges do you think you’ll face as you spread your name further afield?

We think of this band and our supporters like a Freight Train (as the first single & music video states) and whatever challenges come our way we fight through them!

There’s no looking back and we’re ready to get out there.

8. Is 2020 lining up to the be the year of Svengali?

We definitely hope so! The band has put everything on the line and we’re working hard on meeting The Svengali Family from around the world at shows real soon.

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