Just over a week ago we premiered Aren Drift’s new video. To follow up, here’s some more about the people behind the song…
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We are based in Brighton / Worthing, UK.
How did you meet?
Radka Nemcova (alias Aren D. – vocals, backing guitarist): I met Dom (the drummer) when he was working in Czech Republic a few years ago. I was running the jam sessions back then and we instantly clicked on the music level. After about a year I moved to Brighton and Dom introduced me to Matt (our guitarist). They used to be in a band together. I wanted to record some of my songs and Matt had a little studio at home. We started to work together and we really enjoyed it and so it began. Our original bass player (Dave Moore) left the band and was replaced by Theo who I met through Ollie Dolling, the guy we worked with on our debut video ‘Snow Queen’.
Dominic Cahillane (drums): I met Matt completely by chance as I was rehearsing with Bundle Of Id in Croydon and I’d just popped out for a cigarette and came across this forlorn looking guy outside. I asked for a light and he asked if I happened to know any drummers. Matt and his cousin were auditioning drummers in the studio next door to ours so I suggested having a listen through the door to see if I was putting out the right vibes. I must have done something right as a fortnight later we were in the studio together and within 5 minutes of hearing Matt play, I knew we would work together.
I met Radka when I moved to Czech Republic. We were working in the same company and I was invited round hers with a few other musicians for a jam session and was instantly hooked by her voice and music style.
Matt Plumley (lead guitar): For me it all began at Scream studios in Croydon where I was auditioning drummers for a covers band called Jenson. We had just auditioned two terrible drummers, I walked out of the rehearsal and asked a random passer-by if he knew any good drummers that would be interested in playing Muse. Phonics, Radiohead, Queens of the Stone Age covers. Luckily he did, the rest is history.
Theo Corcoran (bass): The rest of the band met long before I joined. I first met Radka through a mutual friend of ours, Ollie, who had recommended me to Radka as a replacement for the previous bassist. I had a listen to an early version of Snow Queen, auditioned and here we are!
How long have you been playing as a band?
RN: We’ve been gigging about two years.
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
RN: Haha, yes it is a common question. Ok, AREN is my artistic pseudonym which I use for some of my artwork as well as musician because no one can remember or pronounce my name. It is made from my initials RN (phonetically written AREN). I like to drift a lot in my mind and our music is quite progressive so the name indicates that our music might let you drift.
We came up with lots of different names but everyone really liked Aren Drift so we went for it.
DC: For me it’s an amalgamation of Radka’s initials and her spiritual artistic way of working.
What are your influences?
RN: I like all sort of music from classical music, blues, jazz, doom metal, international music, classic rock or progressive rock. I would listen everything as long as it’s good. But in regards to the influences, I’d like to mention Pink Floyd, Chris Cornell, Gojira, Dream Theatre, Deftones, In This Moment, Black Peaks, Nirvana, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin. I also like some nu metal bands and the soundtracks from Queen of the Damned which I think is phenomenal in regards to the sound and production.
MP: My tastes have changed vastly since I was a kid, it’s gone from Slayer to Arcade Fire and everything in between. I don’t know why I got into metal when I was younger because I didn’t really like it at first bit like beer and smoking ha. Anyway, clearly there was something I was subliminally attracted that made me want to stick around. I like a challenge, I think music that’s quite challenging can sometimes be rewarding.
DC: Personally there’s not a lot I don’t listen to. I grew up with Mum & Dad’s vinyl collection exposing me to Motown, Rock, Folk, Pop etc. I’ve always had an affinity with classical music and played violin until I was 15. The Everly Brothers and Cream are some of my earliest memories outside of the mainstream, I was lucky enough to hit my teens as Nirvana and RATM came out, and then had the UK influence from Blur, Oasis, Placebo etc. The 60s Mod scene had a big impact on my early drumming as did Drum & Bass and Hip-Hop/Breakbeat in my later teens.
TC: My biggest inspirations over the years have been Fieldy, from Korn, who influenced my playing style as well as my sound for many years, Ryan Martinie, from Mudvayne, who’s playing style and technical abilities really made me want to push to be better at what I do!
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
MP: It’s important to have a ‘voice’ in music and I don’t just mean vocal wise, I mean in the sense that you need a fingerprint in your music that sets you apart and also something that people can instantly recognise you by. Integrity is the key same as in life, if you are trying to emulate someone or something in the belief it will bring you success then will probably fail. Radka writes from the heart and her Czech background and music influences from there have brought something else to her writing.
RN: I think we are mixture of classic rock, nu metal and international music. I have contralto vocals and we use all sorts of unusual music progressions while keeping the music still quite catchy. It’s hard to describe your own band. I guess you just have to go to YouTube or google play and check it out yourself.
DC: I think there is an ethereal sound which envelops Radka’s ideas from European music and our love of big beats and riffs that brings a fairly cinematic sounding style of progressive rock.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
RN: I like mythological and fantasy topics and I like embracing strong female characters in my lyrics. I also write about passion, feelings and my random mind drifts.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
RN: With this band we’ve been gigging about two years and it’s been quite busy so I stopped counting! But we played at some well recognized UK music venues and a few festivals which has been very cool. You should come and watch our live show. It is quite atmospheric and lively.
DC: Got just over a year under the belt now so the basic set has had time to evolve and we are now adding new material. There’s a good vibe with some dark undertones in there, we like to lull you in for a bit before throwing you off in different directions of dark and light.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
DC: At the end of one of our early gigs I was standing on my bass drum – full crucifix – whilst some guy in the front of the crowd was going bananas and biting his shoe in half. Just your usual night.
RN: Over the years I had the crowd jumping barefoot holding their shoes just because I was barefoot on the stage. I got also bitten by a flying monster (massive wasp) on the stage when I was playing at an open air festival in the Czech Republic and I got drunk and partied backstage with some pretty cool musicians. I think we still have a few wild adventures in front of us.
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
DC: I refurbished my PDP 805 into a Matt black beast of a kit, 24 Kick with 16 & 18 floor toms. Sabian AAX’s across the top with Pearl Demon Drives on the floor. Yamaha DTX Multi12 adding the seasoning to my left. Just got my custom sticks through from London Drumstick Company, barrel tip X55A’s.
MP: My kit is always in a state of flux, I am still looking for the ultimate setup. I currently use a Yamaha Pacifica 611 VFM, a Marshall JCM2000 which I adore and some nice pedals controlled by a Boss ES-8 Switching unit which means no more tap dancing between song sections. Next on the shopping list is a new guitar, a new pedal board with wah and volume pedal and somewhere to mount my wireless system. I use my volume knob a lot but I really want to get a volume pedal so I have much more control, it feels like a necessity at the moment, but the pedals I’ve tried out can really suck your tone, so the search continues recommendations on a postcard please.
RN: I am a big PRS lover so I’m lucky to play my beautiful red PRS beauty!
TC: My main bass is an Ibanez SR 805,one of the soundgear range of basses, its really Versatile, sounds great and plays even better! I run that through a Markbass Littlemark blackline 250 which is a really good workhorse of an amp, has a great tone and I love it!
What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
RN: We are still promoting our brand new EP Beneath The Surface so check it out. It is available at all the major music platforms including Google Play, Amazon, Spotify, iTunes etc. We are also finishing a new music video which we hope to release in May/ June 2019.
DC: Just released our debut EP Beneath The Surface across all platforms so get on that where you can. Follow us on Facebook for gig updates, and Instagram for lovely arty stuff.
What are your plans for the rest of 2019?
RN: Apart from working on the new songs, we have quite a few gigs and festivals to play which we are very excited about including gigs in Brighton, Reading, Basingstoke, Hatfield and we will also appear on Sunshine Festival in August bank holiday which should be really cool. Check out our FB page for more info.
We also want to release a couple of videos and go back to the studio to start recording our album.
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
RN: This is not an easy question as there are too many bands we’d love to play with. Ok, on my behalf, I’d love to support In This Moment, Guano Apes, Perfect Circle or Deftones but if I’m honest with you, we would be happy to support any decent band. From the local scene I’d love to gig with Black Peaks or Famyne. These bands are amazing. In regards to the bands we enjoy gigging with I’d like to mention our pals from Tales of Autumn. I think they are great and they have lots of potential.
MP: I enjoying playing on the same bill as Tales of Autumn, I don’t have time to see bands normally so it means I get a chance to enjoy their set, nice chaps too. In terms of signed bands, I think Wolf Alice would be a great band to be supporting, they’ve got it all as far as live acts go and a female vocalist too.
From previous Band of the Day Muscular Child: Dave Grohl, Mick Jagger, Prince – Who would you kiss, who would you marry and who would you kill?
DC: Kiss Prince (he could write a song about it, the little minx); Marry Grohl as he’s a hero of mine; Kill Jagger, love him to bits but it’s time.
RN: Ok, I’m a girl so shall I take this seriously? Well, first I would go and kiss Dave Grohl and then I would marry him. Then I would kill Prince (not really because sadly, he is dead already – RIP Mr Amazing), and then I would meet Mr Jagger. Unfortunately, I couldn’t marry him or kiss him as I would be already married to Dave Grohl.
MP: I’d make sure to kiss Dave first then I’d marry Mick and then I’d kill Prince, that way I wouldn’t be charged for murder and Mick wouldn’t divorce me for cheating on him with Dave, Dave and I would then become best buds and always reminisce about that special kiss.
From another BotD, Vanity: If you could go back in time and tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?
DC: Don’t sweat the small stuff
RN: Throw away the bloody violin and get a proper guitar lessons instead! Now!
MP: Here’s the lottery numbers for the Euro Millions on said date.
TC: I’d probably tell myself to not go through my drummer phase (I was a drummer in a metal band for a few years). Just stick to playing bass!!!
And from Charly&Faust: What’s your underwear colour?
RN: I don’t have any underwear. What’s your colour?
DC: Underwear?
MP: What underwear?
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