Wings Of Steel – Interview
Country: USA
Genre: Heavy Metal
Interview with: Wings Of Steel
Interviewer: Speedskullcrusher
Welcome to Acier Doux Metalzine. Tell us a few things about Wings Of Steel (Members, Starting Year etc).
Thanks for having us! Sure, a brief recap of our journey as a band is as follows. Parker and Leo, the founding duo of Wings of Steel, met back in 2019 while studying music in Los angeles. We started writing a bunch of songs and decided to include five of them on an EP which we released in 2022. We followed that up with a show at the Whisky a go go in Hollywood. Some time went by where we planned out what we wanted to accomplish during 2023 and 2024, this led to our second release and first full-length album “Gates of Twilight (May 19, 2023). We ́ve been fortunate enough to receive a lot of praise and momentum from this album which has allowed us to record some music videos, play some more shows in the US, as well as embark on our first ever European tour which we are about to conclude.
You have recently released your debut full length album ” Gates of Twilight ” . What is the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?
The response has been beyond any and all expectations we had for it. We were both very proud of the result, and the record sounds more or less exactly the way we wanted it to, but you never know how it will be received until it’s out there. It’s been out for little over a year now and it’s still picking up momentum both from the press and from each and every show/festival we play which is something we’re very grateful for. We had some great achievements with Gates of Twilight in the underground scene in 2023 where it was acknowledged as the best album of 2024 in multiple categories.
Label or DIY and why?
Wings of Steel up to this point is a 100% independent band run by Leo Unnermark and Parker Halub. We ́ve received offers from some pretty well known labels but at the end of the day we ́ve decided to stay independent. There are many reasons why we’re still going about it ourselves but some notable reasons include; not compromising our creative vision and freedom, not handing over the rights to our music, staying in control of our current and future endeavors, as well as the general offer for promotional purposes and tour support not being significant enough for us to capitalize on the opportunities we would eventually need a label for.
Besides, even though we realistically won’t be able to run everything ourselves forever, and even for the extreme hard work that goes into it (without any personal financial gain), it’s been rewarding for us to see that we are doing equally as good if not “better” in some cases than other bands our size that have had to work with labels to get there. It’s also a great testament to our own abilities and knowledge within the industry.
Is there any funny or weird story from the recordings or from your live shows that you would like to share with us?
There are funny things happening all the time, but a notable one was when the UPS delivery man came to our door to drop off the latest batch of “Gates of twilight” CDs. He asked us what was in the package and that’s when he discovered that he actually knew of our band. We talked for a bit and the guy drove to his next delivery with a brand-new wings of steel shirt. Great dude.
Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
While the reach you can accomplish through a digital platform is great and very important, our heart stands behind the physical product. Growing up we both owned CDs and Vinyl’s and that was our preferred way of listening to music. Reading about the making of the album, the lyrics, credits, pictures, it’s all part of an experience that you can ́t get the same way digitally. There’s a difference between owning a product and using a product online. If you ́re a person that owns a lot of vinyls, tapes, and CDs you know what we ́re talking about.
Your music style is Heavy Metal. Which are your main influences (Favorite Artists / Bands etc.)
The amount of inspirations and influences that find their way into our music is beyond what we could ever count. They all come together in a subtle way and color the music that we write. Here are a couple of examples; Blue murder, Judas priest, Rainbow, Whitesnake, Black sabbath, Diamond head, Iron maiden, Gotthard, Jorn, Demon, Metallica, Bruce Dickinson, Def Leppard, Firehouse, Q5, Saxon, MSG, Scorpions, Europe, Tygers of Pan Tang, WASP, and many more.
Which things do you think a band should sacrifice in order to succeed? Have you ever sacrificed anything in your life for a better future for your band?
There are a lot of personal sacrifices that must be made in order to progress in the music business today. In terms of going about it without a label or manager, the band endeavors and all aspects that concern it is a full-time job without payment, IF there is any income whatsoever it must be invested towards future endeavors. Unless you have someone sponsoring you, you will most likely need to take loans from family and friends who believe in you. Without an income you ́re most likely going to be living at your parents place or with whoever is cool housing you rent-free. The list goes on and on, it’s not easy, nor is it glamorous but it is more or less required to maintain a slow but steady upwards trajectory of the band. There are a lot of reasons to quit or make it a side-gig, understandably so, but with love for what you do and a good plan nothing is impossible.
Describe your ideal live show as a performance band. Have you already experienced that?
Lately we ́ve been fortunate enough to play in front of 200 people as well as 2000 people. So far we’ve found that it ́s not necessarily the size of the venue that determines whether the gig is amazing or not, but rather the energy and engagement with and from the
audience. Up to this point we ́ve been as happy playing modest sized venues as playing bigger festivals.
What attributes do you think that a new Heavy Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
One word: Authenticity. In a day and age like this, any band will be categorized and compared to others. But as long as you write the music that you love and don’t let external factors compromise the pureness of your creativity then you have the core of what it takes. Beyond this there are of course a lot of things that need to be considered from a business and promotional standpoint, but if the music doesn’t come from the right place you might see more success playing in a cover or tribute band.
Do you believe that Digital Platforms help the new Heavy Metal Bands? Which, do you think, is the ideal way for a band to promote its work?
Digital platforms are crucial in terms of making your music available to the world. It’s also very easy to put it out there. That’s only the first step of course, in terms of promotion we believe the best promotion you can receive is word of mouth. When people love your music they will share it with their friends who in turn share it with their friends and it goes on and on. In the underground heavy metal scene this is arguably the best promotion you can get, but it’s only there if the music deserves it. If people in the industry didn’t hear about you that way then they might hear about you through publications, reviews, interviews, press releases, club shows, festival shows, social media, radio, playlists. The list goes on. The promotional game goes as far as you ́re willing to invest your time into it, it’s a balancing act.
Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in LA (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
There are a couple of cool bands we’re friends with playing quite frequently around the area, to shoutout a few; Saber, Leather Duchess, Intranced, and Snifters. They have some cool jam nights at the whisky a go go where you’re likely to run into some cool people from known bands. To be quite honest the scene really isn’t that big around the LA area anymore, there are some cool bands and you ́ll get some 80s hard rock bands playing the legacy venues but we believe the “New” underground scene is still being established.
What are your future plans?
We ́re just about to wrap up our European tour endeavors for 2024. We are hoping to make a US tour happen before the end of the year and we’re also planning on writing and recording our next release. Come 2025 we want to come back for our second run in Europe and get a stronger foothold around the US.
Thank you very much for your time & keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
Thank you for the interview! To all our fans out there, we may be putting in the work, but we owe any and all success to you. We ́re grateful for your and your support is what keeps the fire burning ever higher. It’s been great to get the chance to introduce our music in the flesh to some of our European audience and we cannot wait to come back again. Thank you all. Peace, love & Heavy Metal.
