Interviewee: Gra and Vil
Year: 2009
Website: myspace.com/gravil
MySpace: myspace.com/gravil
Label: Bitter to The Core Records (Temporarily for E.P.)
Featured on: Loucifer Speaks Exclusive... So far!
The observant among you will have noticed that I recently reviewed GraVil's "Something Worth Chasing" EP... and you will have also noticed that I really liked what I'd heard... so it seemed only natural to then pick their brains with some questions...
Lou: Hi guys, I already feel like I know most of the story behind how the band got together through reading the comic book that accompanied your EP. But, for the benefit of those that may not have had the privilege of reading the comic, please could you fill us in on the history of the band?
Vil: Well we first met through a mutual friend whom I was in a band with at the time. After some time I left the band and we decided to get together and focus on the GraVil project.
Gra: We hung out for a while and as time progressed we started writing stuff for the band together. I was happy putting 99% of the music in Vil's hands.
Lou: Sorry, to go on about the comic, but it's just such a genius idea that I feel I have to... How did you come up with the idea of creating a comic to send out with the EP? And, who was the artist behind the drawings?
Gra: The comic book thing was just us sitting around in 2005 watching TV, drinking and jamming in Vil's home studio. I believe from there we started talking about marvel comics and then bam!!! I was like... "You know what'd be fucking awesome?!" "US BEING COMIC BOOK CHARACTERS!!!"
Lou: Which bands have influenced your sound the most?
Vil: I mainly listen to loads of scandinavian metal bands, probably because I'm Finnish so it appeals to me on a different level from everything else. I'd say influences come and go but the bands that have occupied my playlist lately are Noumena from Finland and Scar Symmetry from Sweden.
Gra: I think sound wise i'd have to second Vil's motion. But then everyone has their own influences, and at the moment i'm listening to a lot of Chimaira, Machine Head and Children Of Bodom.
Lou: Do you like the way I pronounced your name in the Podcast? Haha!
Gra: Hahaha!! Yeah, was pretty sweet. May have to adopt the phrasing
Lou: Which bands were you involved with before GraVil?
Gra: I've been in a few bands, nothing worth talking about.
Vil: Or are they? hehe
Lou: Are you currently involved with any other bands at the moment?
Gra: I've recently guested on Reason in Ruins Acoustic track. But 99% of my time is thrown at the GraVil machine!!!
Vil: GraVil takes up most of my time but every now and then I find time to produce some tracks for friends from other bands like 9DD or DoubleMe.
Lou: Which song is the most important to you from the EP and why?
Vil: The Helmsman, because it's a great poem.
Gra: Yeah the Helmsmans a good track, but personally, Bottle of Shadows is mine. It's about a 7 year old girl that had cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy. My friend witnessed it, and mentioned how, despite the ordeal she was sill smiling. It made me reflect on the modern world and what makes the news. You know, this girl was innocent and deserved life more than a lot of people you read about. It also made me contemplate my life and all the times i've thought... "Ah fuck, another bill!!" or "I can't believe i have to go to work at half 6 in the morning!!". At the end of the day, at least i have the opportunity to pay the bill and at least i can get up and go to work. To much is taken for granted in this age
Vil: Oh wait, you mean the first E.P?
Gra: Ah ok!! With you now. We're in promotion mode for the second E.P. My favourite was "Something Worth Chasing" on the SWC E.P. it's about finding something in your life you want and just chasing after it and when you catch it find something else, never stand still and loose purpose.
Lou: What sort of subjects do you usually write about, and what's the weirdest thing you've written a song about?
Gra: We've written about chasing goals, the decay of humanity
Vil: War and bombs
Gra: and most famously about 300 Spartans haha!!!
Lou: Do you have any plans to release any more material in the near future?
Vil: Absolutely!
Gra: Lots and lots!!! Even if it's self released
Lou: Do you have any other merchandise available?
Vil: I'm not sure, Do we?
Gra: Haha!! Yeah man, sweatbands and the first E.P. and eventually our second E.P. from our myspace.
Lou: Do you have any gigs coming up soon?
Gra: Nope, no gigs. Although we have the live band ready should we ever decide to venture onto the stage for the right offer. We just don't wanna loose money doing it
Vil: Or play to a bunch of people that aren't into our music.
Lou: What can we expect from a GraVil gig?
Gra: It'd be huge, tight as a really tight thing, and full of metal hungry kids and adults.
Lou: Who would play at your ideal festival/gig and where would it be?
Vil: DethKlok, anywhere in the arctic circle.
Gra: Haha! On a serious note, Machine Head, Devil Driver, Children Of Bodom, Megadeth and Lamb of God!! Woah Yeeeeeah!!!
Lou: If a movie was to be made about the band, who would play your parts?
Vil: I don't know, maybe we could have some animals playing our parts. My part would be played by a platypus - the best argument against intelligent design. Getting the platypus to learn my guitar parts might be somewhat of an obstacle.
Gra: And i could be played by an angry hamster, with tattoos!!
Lou: If GraVil could write the theme to any existing movie or TV show, what would it be and why?
Vil: Either the death march from Star Wars because the motif for the dark side is pure genius or maybe the A-Team song, for no reasons beyond me.
Lou: Do you have any plans to make any videos? Or, do you already have some?
Vil: Yeah, a video for Heviosity is in the works, taking quite a long time to get it finished. A short teaser version should be ready very soon.
Gra: We're also working on a video with one of our unannounced guest musicians for the final album.
Lou: What do you think 2009 has in store for you?
Vil: Metal, more metal and hopefully some of that global warming. It's not supposed to snow in London in February...
Gra: I dunno, i hope we get the chance to play some cool shows eventually and that the album does us complete credit.
Lou: Where can the readers of Loucifer Speaks catch you online?
Vil: At www.myspace.com/gravil or our FaceBook page.