VINTERSEA
Interview conducted on November 25, 2020
VINTERSEA combines the essential elements of many genres into a melodic brand of metal that is undeniably inspired by the majesty of the Pacific Northwest.
- Avienne Kiuttu. Vocals.
- Jorma Spaziano. Lead Guitar.
- Riley Nix. Rhythm Guitar.
- Karl Whinnery. Bass.
- Jeremy Spencer. Drums.
What is your upbringing?
We have a wide range of backgrounds! Our drummer Jeremy and our guitarist Riley went to high school together in Oregon, and have been playing in bands together for more than a decade. Our other guitarist Jorma grew up on the east coast of the United States, and Avienne moved to Oregon from Malaysia for school. Our bassist Karl moved around a lot as a child, but has been an important part of the local Portland music scene for years now.
How did you discover music?
Like most people, we discovered music through our parents, families, and friends. For all of us, listening to music and becoming part of the scene is a journey that never stops.
How did you start to write music?
As a band, we formed with the intention to create original music; the kind of music that we wanted to hear. We wrote songs from the very first time we jammed together and never stopped. We knew pretty early on that we had something interesting to say.
How did you get your name Vintersea?
When we first formed, we called ourselves Asterion. However, we pretty quickly realized that the starry, celestial theme we were aiming for didn’t really represent the sound and direction we were taking the music. There were also a couple of other bands with that name. So, we decided to re-brand. Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, the ocean in the middle of winter is a violent, beautiful, and churning force. Some of those sounds definitely find their way into our music! That Wintery Sea inspired our name, VINTERSEA.
Describe your music?
Heavy, beautiful, brutal, and overwhelming. We aim to make people feel a lot of things with each song and hope to take our listeners on an emotional journey with our music. We like to say that our music is all about “the feels”. If it doesn’t make us feel something, it probably isn’t going on the record.
How has the Pacific NW helped your band develop its sound?
There is no doubt, you can’t live in the PNW without being inspired by it! Every day when we walk out the front door there are enormous volcanoes on the horizon, dark thunderclouds, beautiful fall foliage, black churning water – every season brings something new. A lot of those vibes definitely find their way into our music.
What was your first performance like?
Our first performance as a band was at our vocalist’s college dormitory. It was a super fun show that actually had a decent turn-out. It was a great way to start out, surrounded by friends and family, before we started playing for strangers.
What makes a good songwriter?
We like to say that we never put anything in a song that doesn’t serve the song. Nothing is done just for the sake of itself – solos, harmonies, layering – they all have to make the song better. So, someone who can put their ego aside and serve the song makes for the best songwriter.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
Our first original song as VINTERSEA was probably “The Holy Procession”! We spent a lot of time refining it, and just finally went back to make a music video for it to go along with our re-issue of the album it is on, ‘The Gravity of Fall’.
You have opened up for bands like Jinjer. Did they give you wisdom from them?
We’ve opened for Jinjer a couple of times, but unfortunately haven’t really had the opportunity to interact with them. One of our favorite shows was opening for Ne Obliviscaris – one of our favorite bands and just absolutely wonderful people. We have formed a real friendship with some of their members and they have offered us some very valuable advice along the way!
Tell me about the making of “The Holy Procession” video?
“The Holy Procession” came about quickly and very organically. When we started talking with our label about reissuing our debut album on a Limited-Edition Vinyl, we knew we had an opportunity to revisit a song from the first album that we hadn’t properly promoted. We had shelved some ideas for a video for “The Holy Procession”, and we were able to bring a few of those ideas back. We had a pretty short window of time to make the video happen, and we conscripted a lot of our very talented friends. Everyone worked really hard and brought great ideas to the table, and the video came together in just a few weeks. It was one of our shortest video development processes, but we were very pleased with the outcome!
The video is kind of long. Why didn’t you do a shorter video?
Avienne Kiuttu: Well, it would have been kind of awkward to make a 5-minute video for a 10-minute song
In “The Holy Procession” you play the Angel of Death. In “Crack of Light” you are the leader. You are doing more and more acting in the videos. Would you like to do more acting outside of the music video?
If the opportunity presents itself, Avienne would love to do some more acting. One of her favorite parts of filming these music videos is the opportunity to explore interesting characters. Avienne did some acting in college and really enjoys it, so she would love to explore it more.
What did you think of Halloween this year?
A: It was a strange Halloween! We usually play a Halloween show, or play at a local haunted house or something. This year, none of that was really happening. It was still a fun day to celebrate everything that is dark, but it wasn’t a normal Halloween at all.
What is your favorite track on the album?
Every track on the album has a special place in our hearts, and we all mentioned during the recording process that each song was, at some point, our favorite. That being said, we all have a lot of love for “Crack of Light”, which is undoubtedly the most progressive and sprawling piece on the album. It is a blast to play it live!
How do you stay healthy while touring?
We wish that we had that problem right now! Touring this year just hasn’t been much of an option. We all try to take turns driving on tour, giving each other plenty of opportunities to sleep. Lots of Emergen-C, lots of coffee. So far, we have taken pretty good care of one another.
What are your feelings about streaming music?
Streaming is where almost everyone discovers and listens to music, and that is great! We have met so many incredible fans through our streaming services. We love purchasing albums from our favorite artists, because having a physical copy is always a fun keepsake, but music discovery happens on streaming services. Any band fighting against that reality has already lost!
How can people forget about the origin of the hashtag as a “sharp” in a musical score?
The best hashtag is a hashtag on a musical score!
Digital vs. vinyl?
Digital for music discovery, for sure. But once you find a band you love and an album that means something to you, go ahead and pick up a physical copy. The artwork is beautiful and it helps the band.
What are your feelings about the social uprising going on in the United States?
Part of being an American is participating in the structuring of our society. Our Constitution gives us a lot of tools to effect change, and it is our responsibility to use those tools to create a better nation for ourselves and our compatriots.
What is the mental health situation of the United States? How can the public help the doctors and nurses on the front line?
That is a great question for nurses and doctors. From what we understand, people need to listen to scientists who study these issues and follow their guidelines. Whatever it takes to protect our citizenry and safely return to concerts as soon as possible!
Do you think kids should go back to school?
That is a complicated question. It depends on the school, the city, the state, the kids, and the parents. We believe that people need to listen to the scientists who study these issues and follow their guidelines.
In Canada, they just released a new Covid-19 test for school children which gets rid of the invasive nasal swab and instead asks kids to gargle and spit. Now, this is for children only. Should this also be given to adults?
We recommend consulting the Centers for Disease Control on these issues! Ultimately, we want to be a part of doing whatever it takes to safely return to normalcy. We can say from personal experience that the nasal swab isn’t that bad!
Studies are showing that because of COVID-19 many students who were ready for college have decided to hold off because many schools are doing virtual school and charging the same amount for school as they would for on campus classes. Do you think the colleges should give some type of discount to these students?
It is a tough spot for colleges and universities to be in; most of them are already operating on a tight budget and slashing revenues could prove disastrous as they try to re-open and instate safety measures. At the same time, it doesn’t make students feel very good to pay for a service they aren’t fully enjoying. Surely there is a compromise in there somewhere!
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
“Earth Day” by Devin Townsend seems appropriate. It is time to take care of our world and our people!
How do you feel the Covid-19 virus is going to affect the music business in the future?
The global pandemic we are currently living through is going to have a long-lasting ripple effect on the worldwide music industry, but honestly it is just pushing us toward what was already inevitable at a more rapid speed. Bands have to be ready to exist largely online, engage with their fans through social media, create engaging content, and find good avenues of merchandise delivery, because that is how bands will thrive in a post-COVID world. Shows will absolutely come back, but those other avenues were already taking over the game before 2020!
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
Writing music, exercising, building PCs, writing, working, and lots of woodshedding on our instruments. The least we can do is come out of this thing as better musicians!
Who came up with the Fiery Tongue Challenge?
The idea for the challenge came from our record label, M-Theory Audio. They posted on their Facebook page that anyone who was interested should watch the video while eating something really spicy – we took it to the next level by recording our own “Hot Ones” style challenge and by encouraging our fans to do the same. While the label came up with the challenge, we’ve been talking about creating a “Fiery Tongue” hot sauce since we wrote the track!
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
Like many people, we’ve been gardening, cooking, baking, and hiking/exercising as much as possible.
95% of people said that they have changed the way they watch television. This includes people who don’t have television and use their computers to do streaming of programs and movies. Which is your favorite streaming channel?
There are some great streaming channels out there like Tubi and Shudder, but nothing quite beats YouTube in terms of free content! It is absolutely possible to spend a whole day watching music videos!
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook. Facebook is cracking down on live streamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will include [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only.
How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?
From what we understand, this affects people who are hosting music video parties or who play music on their gaming streams (etc), but shouldn’t really affect bands playing original music because we have all the proper licensing in place!
In addition. From October 24 onwards, you can no longer simply paste your links in WordPress to make your Facebook and Instagram content appear on your site. Will this affect how bands use Facebook?
It will likely affect the bands that use WordPress extensively, but we don’t so it doesn’t change much for us!
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merch to them at the show?
Constant engagement, habitual interaction, and genuine relationships. Honestly, that is the secret to any business in 2020! Bands that take their fans for granted or that don’t make an effort to communicate with them regularly are in for a rude awakening.
Is pay to play still a thing?
Sure, where there is a young band there is always someone willing to take their money for “exposure”. However, it does seem like the scene is wisening up to them in a lot of situations, and we see less of them around than we did in the early 2010s.
Are you going to vote by mail or in person? Did you know that Live Nation Activates Concert Venues as Polling Places and Promotes Voting Engagement among Fans and Employees?
Oregon is ALL vote-by-mail, which is great. We are a living testament to its efficacy, as we have voted in every election since turning 18 by mail. However, you vote, just VOTE!
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
That sounds like a blast, let’s do it! It is never going to be the same as a live concert with the entire metal family on board, but it would be a fun experiment.
If you can’t do music what would you like to be doing?
We are all pretty creative people, so maybe we would be making movies together instead.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
We can’t overstate how grateful we are for our fans this year. Even with the enormous obstacles, 2020 has presented, we have grown our fanbase substantially and met a ton of really amazing people through our music this year. Keep spreading the good word about what we do, it means more than you could ever know!
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