Band Interview: Winter Hotel
Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life are pleased to bring you an interview with alternative metal band, Winter Hotel.
1. How did you get started as a band?
The band started when our vocalist Warren and our rhythm guitarist Liam, met at a pub in North Wales during their time as students at Bangor University in 2017. Since then we have had a couple of lineup changes that have allowed for our drummer Charlie, who has been friends with LIam since they were young, to join us. Those changes have also granted us James, our most recent addition to the band to take over on the bass.
2. How would you describe your sound?
Overall we would describe our sound as Alternative Metal. We call our music this simply because each member brings such a different set of influences and inspirations to the table. By strategically combining our individual influences we have been able to create a sound that is not purely one thing or another. We feel that our ability to avoid sounding like one specific genre serves as an asset to us that will hopefully make our music stand out to our listeners.
3. What bands/artists would you say have influenced your style of music?
Our influences come from a wide range of tastes and resources that help feed into the band and its sound as a whole. For instance, Warren is greatly inspired by bands such as Korpe and Cephalotripsy, whereas Liam finds many of his inspirations from bands like Hawthorne Heights and Alesana. Charlie draws influences from Igorrr and Nine Inch Nails, and James is more drawn towards Beartooth and Slipknot. By having so many different corners of music to draw from, it enables us to have varying perspectives through which we can view the music we make. We enjoy writing songs that capture the essence of each member’s stylistic contributions to see what sort of mixture and balance is made.
4. Has the rise of YouTube & music streaming helped or hindered you as a band?
Perhaps a mixture of both. The attributes YouTube and streaming platforms offer are wonderful in terms of accessibility and global reach. Especially in regards to YouTube recommendations and streaming playlists. These aspects of digital listening permit our music to potentially be heard by a much greater audience than perhaps more traditional forms of exposure would allow. However, with that being said, it can be very easy to become lost within the sheer amount of bands working towards the same amount and types of exposure and publicity. It is unfortunately not at all difficult to be dismissed and overlooked as a band on the internet due to how saturated these services have become.
5. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not making music?
We can be found working at our various jobs, reading, playing video games, watching films and various other leisurely activities. We all enjoy peaceful walks in nature and being goons within one another’s company. You can also find us in the meal deal section of most grocery stores. We are people of inexpensive sandwiches and delectably sweet goodies.
6. What are your future plans musically? Tours?
As of this moment we have released three of the five chapters to our larger narrative called Vacancies, which can be found on YouTube and all other major streaming platforms such as Spotify, itunes and Amazon Music. We are currently gearing up to release the two remaining chapters within the coming months, while continuing to tackle everything behind the scenes. With the COVID-19 pandemic, we are waiting and hoping to play live shows as soon as possible. We really miss performing live and we absolutely cannot wait to take the stage again. We just have to take it day by day and see what is on the horizon.
Links
Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
