Photo Credit: Susy Irais Reyes
Metal powerhouse Irist display songwriting talent beyond their years on their debut album Order of the Mind, which is packed with influences from across the metal spectrum. We sat down with guitarist Pablo Davila following the release to talk about the band’s goals, his earliest musical memory and more.
Firstly, tell us a bit about yourself and your band.
My name is Pablo and I play guitar in the band. I started this project with Bruno, our bass player, back in 2015 in Atlanta, GA. We now have five members. In 2019, we recorded our debut album that has just been released.
How did the band form and how long have you been together?
We wanted to play heavy music that incorporated more of our own influences. Bruno and I started recording in his apartment in 2015 and then moved the operation to Adam’s (our other guitar player) home studio after he joined the band. When we solidified a full line-up, we recorded an EP and started playing shows in and around Atlanta mostly.
Can you remember the first time you realised you wanted to make music?
I was eleven years old when I decided that I wanted to start playing drums. I remember really being into Weezer at the time. It wasn’t until my early twenties that I really got into playing the electric guitar though. Playing both guitar and drums really helped me cut my teeth in terms of songwriting and recording.
Who and what are the band’s main influences?
Depends on who in the band you ask. I grew up in the 90s listening to a lot of classic rock, latin music, and some of the big Seattle bands like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden. It wasn’t long before I got into heavier bands like Sepultura. Our influences as a band shift a lot since most of us are constantly listening to new bands. I personally try not to get too stuck on the same bands because I feel like that can lead to getting jaded or stagnant. Also, there are so many killer bands making amazing music today. More than when I was growing up anyways.
What do you aim to achieve as a band?
Our primary goal has always been to write songs that convey a real emotion. Beyond that, all we want to do is to stay on the road playing music.
For those who are yet to see you live, what can they expect from an Irist show?
Lots of peaks and valleys. We try to put equal amounts of emphasis on dark and sombre moments as on high energy and aggression. That really applies both for live as well as in the studio.
What’s next for Irist?
At the moment we’re waiting out this pandemic along with the rest of the world. We’re set to play Damnation Festival in the fall, but we’ll have to wait and see how things develop. Obviously we’d love to start touring on this album as soon as possible, but we have to stay mindful of the world at large right now. We’re staying very creative, as I think many artists are in the current environment. We want to come out on the other side of this feeling inspired with new material and ideas.
Irist‘s new album Order Of The Mind is out now via Nuclear Blast, available to purchase HERE.
