rockyourlyricsYour debut album “Ambition’s Price” will be released in few weeks, can you share with us the most difficult moment of its preparation?
William: There weren’t many difficult moments outside of scheduling, it was more that we took a different approach to the album and had a clearer idea of how we wanted the recording process to go.
We wrote a few of the songs on tour which was new and I feel really contributed to their overall sound. This was also the first time we wrote without having all members present with Aaron living the Bay Area. New situations have their own set of challenges which made the end result that much more satisfying.
Any crazy/funny behind the scene?
William: As far as recording goes just the general banter we have amongst ourselves, if anyone has watched any of our tour videos they’ll know what I mean.
We tend to interact very diplomatically when recording. Tempers can flare but we do a good job of de-escalating those tense situations.
How do you usually write the lyrics of your songs?
Heather: I usually wait for the music of the song to be completed.
Whenever I listen to music personally, I tend to get a certain feeling or vibe from the music itself, aside from the lyrics.
I listen to the music over and over until I hear random vocal melodies or specific lyrics that sound like they would be powerful and fit, then I build around that.
For example, when I first started writing lyrics to Widow and the Raven, the first thing I heard in my head was the first line of the chorus; “You’re so cold,” and from there, I built the rest of the lyrics around that.
What is the best verse you ever wrote?
Heather: That’s a tough one, I have a couple! The one that pops into my mind is the second verse from a song off our first album “Winter Has Come to Call.” I’m very proud of the line “the angel of my dreams is the demon in my sheets.”
Give me chills haha! For this album, I think “Unspoken” suprised me the most. It was the last song I wrote lyrics to, and they were inspired by lyrics I had written years earlier about…Blade II haha! I feel they came out rather poetically 🙂
What was the soundtrack to your childhood?
Heather: Def Leppard, NSYNC, and Britney Spears. I still get turnt whenever any of their music comes on haha!
What was the first record you ever bought?
William: That would have to be “Brave New World” by Iron Maiden.
What has your journey in the music industry been like up to now?
William: Amazing. We’ve been very fortunate to work with some truly incredible people who are always pushing us to push ourselves.
It’s been incredible to have an opportunity to tour with bands we admire and respect and have that returned. It’s absolutely a challenge at times but the return is worth the sacrifice.
What inspired “Doorway to Heaven” ?
Heather: Well the music was written by Aaron while he was waiting for us to pick him up at the airport at the beginning of our outing with Anvil last year.
Once the music was completed, I knew from the feeling it evoked in me that I wanted to write about a fantastic and epic journey.
I heard the first line of the chorus in my head “Flow through the river of space, ” and then it hit me…Stargate!!
Haha I’m a big fan of the film from the 90s, and the music just seems to fit 🙂
Do you remember the day you wrote “widow and raven”?
Heather: Absolutely. Graveshadow likes to sing tales of grandeur and adventure, movies and video games, but sprinkled in our catelogue, you can find some content that’s very personal.
We were in Florida, on one of the dates with Anvil, and we had decided to check out one of the local nature preserves.
During that time, I was struggling very deeply with some choices I had made in my life and some choices I still had to make. I wrote 75% of the song in that hour we were there walking along the trails.
It helped me process my thoughts and ultimately accept the decisions I had made, while at the same time giving me resolve to do what I knew I still had to…not to be vague or anything 😉
Are you ever scared of revealing, aspects of your personal experience, to strangers through your music?
Heather: As I’m sure you can tell from my ambiguous answer to your last question, yes I definitely am haha!
I really am one who does there best to forgive and forget, to move on from the past and embrace a happier future.
It can however be very therapeutic to turn a painful memory or situation into something beautiful and inspiring.
The songs we’ve written about my personal experiences all have a hopeful and encouraging end. It’s my way of moving on 🙂
What is the best show you ever played?
Heather: Ooo…that’s a really tough one. I suppose for me it had to be our last show in LA.
We had played LA a few times prior, and though we gained some wonderful fans that we could always count on to support us, the shows had been in smaller clubs and bars.
This time, there must have been hundreds of people there, most of which I don’t think knew of us.
The crowd was extremely enthusiastic during our set, and we had the largest line at our merch booth to date! Everyone was so gracious and kind.
It was a truly incredible experience 🙂
What are your plans for 2018?
Heather: We want to tour! Moreso than we have in previous years.
Our goal is to make it our at least three times this year, and we are working our hardest to make that so!
Follow