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1.) We’re excited to have some time today with acclaimed powerhouse band ROGUE AWAKENING; greetings and salutations gang and welcome to Vents Magazine! Before we dive into the Q&A mosh-pit, could you all say ‘hi’ and introduce yourselves to our ever-inquisitive reading audience?
– Hi I’m Kimberley, singer and resident Dark Queen! Hi I’m Ollie, lead guitar. Hi I’m Nick, bass and the growly vocals! Hi I’m Tom, rhythm guitar and the less growly backing vocals! Hi I’m Jordan and I’m the drummer.
2.) Major congratulations on your blistering new single Bloodflow which is set to drop this coming November 1! Kimberley, what’s the VH1-Behind the Music origin story of one of the very best single releases of 2024?
Thanks so much and love the VH1 reference although that may give away my age! So this was the first song we wrote with Jordan on board as our drummer. He was in Bleed Again previously so is a metal, double pedalling machine! We wanted this to be a clear step from our rock roots into metal and we love this track. When I was writing the lyrics I wanted it to be about being a people pleaser but at the detriment of your own happiness. That then links into other dark gothic themes like vampirism which I obviously love!
3.) Ollie, at the tip-top, we described ROGUE AWAKENING’s style of music as being quite ‘powerhouse.’ Listening to Bloodflow, we can hear the sweet refrains of Metal, but there are other styles going on here, too! If hard pressed, how would you describe the indelible musical stylings of the band?
I feel the musical style of the band has shifted from our beginnings as more hard rock, and now leaning hard towards the metal genre and pushing what we can do to accompany Kim’s epic vocals. We still retain that hard rock essence and are excited to push the boundaries of what people expect to hear from us! But we still keep that ‘Heavy yet melodic’ vibe at the core of what we do.
4.) Nick, who did the producing honors on the Bloodflow single and what did the collaboration between band and producer look like while in the studio fashioning and shaping the new ditty?
The wonderful Casey Ray of Air Raid Studio, who also did our last track The Hunter. He is like the sixth member of the band who understood the idea of the song and helps push us in the studio. Casey has a great ear for production and will always offer ideas in terms of effects on vocals or guitar parts. There’s always such a wonderful, energetic atmosphere in the studio!
Plus on Bloodflow he actually came up with the idea of having a little Easter Egg in the song itself; so give it a real good listen and see if you can work it out!
5.) Tom, word ‘round industry campfire has it that ROGUE AWAKENING is gearing up for a very busy year in 2025, musically-speaking; congrats! Can you give readers a hint or three as to what they can expect and look forward to from the band as far as possible EP or LP releases go?
Yes we are super excited about what 2025 has to bring! I can reveal now that we will have even more music out early in the year either (Feb or March) that has already been recorded.
Plus we are back in the studio in Jan with a new track which is a massive, anthemic banger which we can’t wait to release on the world!
6.) Jordan, what does the touring/performing dance card look like in the coming weeks and months for ROGUE AWAKENING?
Yeah it’s looking busy! We are already pretty booked up for early 2025 and are putting on our own shows and line ups in Brighton at Daltons and in London at The Fighting Cocks which are going to be massive nights. We also have some festival slots which we can’t announce yet but are really buzzing to be a part of!
7.) A question for all of you: Who inspires you musically-speaking?
Kimberley: We all have really diverse tastes but I think that’s gives a real depth to our music. So my big loves are Kate Bush, Fleetwood Mac, The Who…
Nick: Whereas mine are Rush, Motorhead and Death!
Ollie: Growing up I was heavily inspired by the metalcore era of the mid 2000’s, Bullet for my Valentine, Trivium and Killswitch Engage, As I lay Dying, and through the years enjoying heavier music such as Whitechapel, The Black Dahlia Murder and Lorna Shore, and everything in-between!
Tom: I really love Alter Bridge and have seen them a few times and am still in awe of their talent!
Jordan: I do love all sorts to be fair, was blown away by Sleep Token when they came on the scene, still a huge fan of BMTH but I also like more chilled stuff like Twenty One Pilots.
8.) Kimberley, ROGUE AWAKENING was formed in Horsham, UK. How do those particular roots and stomping grounds inform the sound and energy of the band?
Yeah the band was a weird product of lockdown when everyone was going crazy and I was craving a creative outlet. I randomly ended up talking to Tom in a playground (we had our kids with us, we weren’t just hanging out there!) and roped him into starting the band and it all grew from there. Horsham has struggled with the live music scene with a lot of places closing down which sucks. But we are really close to Brighton though and played a lot of our early shows there. It was great as you got to meet and watch so many talented bands and people perform and really inspired us to push our sound and stage craft.
9.) Ollie, in your humble opinion what differentiates Bloodflow from the Distinguished Competition on the 2024 music scene?
I think what sets us apart is the vocals from our own amazing Kimberley. We have pushed for a fast paced, heavier sound, all whilst retaining the melodic beauty of Kim’s vocals driving us forward. That’s where I have grown in writing music; I love creating that more melodic style to encourage our fans to always expect the unexpected with us!
10.) Tom, alongside the November 1 release of the new single, ROGUE AWAKENING will simultaneously be releasing a companion music video for Bloodflow; congrats yet again! Did you all have as much fun making the new music video as we did in watching it?
Well we had planned to do a live music video and then the day before filming disaster struck as James our camera guy had a family emergency and couldn’t make it. But being a musician is all about being adaptable so we decided to get an artist in to create an AI video. It was actually really fun as we all put in the images and ideas that we had in our heads when we listened to the track and obviously there aren’t any limits to the weirdness or wildness this way! The end result was awesome, with this dark gothic tale starring our band logo and mascot ‘Alice’ who is being very witchy and vampiric and looking fabulous whilst doing it!
11.) Nick, any final thoughts you may like to share regarding the brand-spankin’ new single from ROGUE AWAKENING, Bloodflow?
Bloodflow is an absolute beast and juggernaut of a song, our heaviest track to date, and we can’t wait to share it with you!
https://linktr.ee/rogueawakeningofficial
https://www.tiktok.com/@rogueawakening0
https://youtube.com/@rogueawakening3687
https://www.instagram.com/rogueawakeningofficial
https://www.facebook.com/rogueawakeningofficial/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0GPqtnKh8oInJFojUmcgt0
