Another band we’ve featured in the past, but never really done the BotD thing with! Thanks to Roni (vocals) for taking the time out…
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
Hi, we are Words That Burn from a town called Dundalk on the north-east of Ireland.
How did you meet?
Myself and Ger, our bassist, have been playing in bands together from 2004. When we started Words That Burn it was us and another drummer who introduced us to Shane (guitars). That drummer left shortly after and a little while later (and after some questionable auditions) Jason came into the practice room and blew us away. And that’s the line up as it is over 5 years later.
How long have you been playing as a band?
Ger and I started WTB in 2011. But we’ve been through line up changes and we sound VERY different now!
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
The name came from a book of poetry my dad had lying about in the house called “words that burn”. In the very early days of the band myself & my dad we were talking about a poet called Christina Rossetti one day and he said he had a book with some of her work in it somewhere. When I saw the name I was like, “that would be a cool band name”…. and so it stuck.
What are your influences?
There is a bit of an age difference between us so we all come from different musical backgrounds. Myself and Ger grew up in the 90s during the grunge & Britpop explosion. Shane & Jason are younger so they’re more nu-metal era. But collectively and particularly when it comes to writing, we are all on the same page – Parkway Drive, Architects, BMTH….. – more modern bands.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
I think the fact that we come from different backgrounds has given us exposure to different soundscapes. We try and cram as much melody and emotion into every song which is something I’d take from bands like smashing pumpkins, like Siamese dream era, and work it into our almost metalcore sound which the younger boys excel at. It works and we’re on the same page about it – which is always good.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
Not intentionally. When I was writing the lyrics for this record they kinda just fell out of me. They weren’t supposed to be as dark as they are… But I guess that’s what was going on in my head. I don’t like to over analyse my lyrics. They have to be kept as honest and unedited as possible
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
They are pretty explosive. Live is where it is at. You gotta put on a show. At the end of the day when you strip it back to basics, we’re a band. We’re entertainers. You gotta entertain.
How many shows? Lost count!
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
The strangest thing was there are friends of ours that use to play in a band and every gig for a while the guitarist used to drop the pants and play with his dick out. It was like “we shouldn’t be looking but it’s moving with the music”
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
- Jason uses Sonor Drums & meinl cymbals
- Ger uses Fender basses with Darkglass amplification
- Shane uses Schecter guitars with mesa amplification
- I use Shure mics & in ears
What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
Our new album PYRES that came out recently. It went straight to number 1 in the Irish itunes metal, rock & mainstream charts! Which is nuts for us!!
What are your plans for 2019?
Gigs, gigs, gigs. We’ve just finished a few good ones there with Alien Weaponry and Beartooth so we’re fired up to play all the shows!
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!
We’d love to support Parkway Drive. Our sound is quite close to theirs so it may work well! And who would we get to open for us – Metallica of course, just because fiction is fun!
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?
- Dave Grohl – Marry, cos he’s lovely
- Prince – Kiss, cos if you squint (and are possibly heavily inebriated) he’s a very pretty girl
- Mick Jagger – Kill. But it’s more of a mercy kill ‘cos lets face it, he’s on borrowed time at this point!
From another BotD, Vanity: If you could go back in time and tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?
Don’t spend as much time trying to be like someone else and certainly don’t spend any time worrying about what people think about you.
And from Charly&Faust: What’s your underwear colour?
Black, ‘cos METAL!!!!
Header image by Down The Barrel Photography
Words That Burn: facebook | twitter | instagram | bandcamp | spotify
