Shane talks to Lou Wild, guitarist for Italian metal band Rising Wind.
G’day Lou – thanks for taking the time to talk to The Rockpit.
Hello Shane, hello everybody! We must thank you for this great opportunity!
I believe you are about to embark on a tour of the United States – how did that come about?
Yes, we had the luck to know Darcy by web, she’s always been enthusiastic about our music, and she’s working for booking us in the USA… I think it will happen soon, the dates are pending, but I don’t wanna say nothing more because of superstition! You have to know that to play a tour in the US is one of our biggest dream…
How long will you be in The States?
I suppose we’ll stay there about a week – 10 days, the right time to do some shows, promote us with American people, and have a lot of fun!
Congratulations on your 2009 debut EP “Believers” – how has the response been around the world?
Thank you so much. “Believers” had a good response around the world, especially in USA and Japan, where, in fact, some shops asked us a lot of copies to sell there. We noticed a good response also by web, the best way to promote your music today: we spread the songs through our site, MySpace and videos on YouTube, and I must say that the most of the good comments come from USA, Japan and Canada.
When can we expect a full length album from Rising Wind?
Absolutely yes. We just wrote many other songs since “Believers” came out, and we also play these live. We’re looking for a label and a producer at the moment.
What are your influences as a band?
Rising Wind at the beginning was influenced by the most famous bands of classic heavy metal, as Iron Maiden, Iced Earth, Manowar for example. Now we slightly changed our musical tastes. We grew up, and it’s normal that you begin to listen something different and more modern, so in the last period we (and our music) are influenced by bands like Alter Bridge, Avenged Sevenfold, Hardcore Superstar. We like this new wave of rock/metal, that shuffles different styles like rock ‘n roll, metal and melody, all together.
How would you describe your style of music?
As I told you before, our music has changed through the years, since we understood that you have to create something always modern and never listened before to be followed. In my view, the most important thing is to give modernity to our sound, and I think that with our last songs we did it. “Believers” was good, counting that this is the first EP we ever recorded…but we recognize that it’s too much influenced by the classic metal, and we don’t wanna be in the cauldron of featureless bands, so we’re trying to give always something particular and new to our music. Rising Wind – skydive your soul…this is our motto!
While I was in America last year I spent some time looking for The Crossroads in Mississippi where Robert Johnson allegedly sold his soul to The Devil, and looking for trouble on the Sunset Strip – are there any special rock sites you are planning to pilgrimage to?
The whole America is a rock site. This is the land of rock, the mother of beat generation. I’d like to visit Los Angeles in particular, where the most important American rock bands since the ’80’s were born and grew up.
In 2008 you were chosen as the official Italian testimonial of the video game Rock Band – how did that come about and what was involved?
Yeah it’s been an amazing experience for us, and gave much prestige to our reputation. It was June 2008 when the manager of the agency that worked on the promotion of this game came to a Rising Wind’s show and [was impressed] by our style, and asked me to be the Italian testimonial of Rock Band. We immediately said yes, learned all the songs and two days after we played the very first tour-gig at Palais Du Festival in Cannes (France). On our YouTube Channel you can also watch a nice videoclip of this experience!
What was the last great show you witnessed?
Since today, we had the luck to play a lot of amazing shows, with a lot of amazing bands. The last we witness was in January 2010, when we supported the ex Europe’s guitarist Kee Marcello! The venue was bursting [with] fans and people, and Kee was a very nice person with all of us.
If you could cover one classic song and do an amazing version of it, what would it be?
Inspired by the Danish band Volbeat, we just play a cover of Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash…we drop our guitars, wear Texan hats and hammer on our strings and drums [like a] bat out of hell hahah! Maybe one day we’ll let you listen…
Where can fans listen to your music online, and buy your EP?
We’re much active on the web because we believe in this great tool. You find us on MySpace, Facebook, ReverbNation, YouTube, but you find anything you wanna know about us on our Official Website (www.risingwind.it), where you can listen to music, stay tuned with news, shows, watch pics and videos, and find any link to other pages and profiles of us. And you can buy “Believers” and the merchandise on our official webstore (http://risingwindstore.bigcartel.com).
Is there anything you’ve always wanted an interviewer to ask, but no-one ever has?
Nothing in particular. But I can tell you which was the worst question [asked] to us: last year we were interviewed in a TV show, and the interviewer asked us if we ever thought to stop playing. How can you ask something similar to a young band?! So, I think there are no taboo or worst questions after this…
What’s next for Rising Wind?
We deeply hope to find a label soon, and then make a full length album. But what we most love is to play live, and we’re planning our next hot summer at the moment…waiting for our dream to play in the US one day…
Finally – what is the meaning of life?
Life is to do what you’re born to, never surrendering!
Thanks again for talking to The Rockpit – good luck on your US tour and we hope to hear more from you soon!
Thanks to you Shane, we’re proud to be in The Rockpit, and hope to see ya soon!
