Interview: With One Word

With One Word are an up and coming Metalcore band from Switzerland. They play a very aggressive style of Metalcore with a wide range of influences. Recently, Mattowarrior's Metal Madness conducted this interview with them: 

How/When did With One Word start? What was the original impetus for the project?

Lex:

It all started in september 2015 when a friend of mine tagged me on a facebook post from Arran's former band "Bad Blood Behaviour" that said they were looking for a new guitarist. After a first jamsession I brought in Silvan as a second guitarist and we began to write songs together under the new bandname "With One Word"

2. What bands, or even films, games, or even books influenced the project)? 

Arran:

It's really hard to say which bands influence us, as every bandmember tends to listen to different metal-genres. I feel that Lex's favourite band Avenged Sevenfold certainly has an influence in our music. Personally I get my inspiration for vocals from the punk rock scene which has always been my kind of thing. That pure, aggressive yet meaningful vibe.We also like to look at what new bands in the metalcore scene are doing.

Josh:

I also see bands like While She Sleeps as an influence to the band.

Arran:

I make you right there. We don't really take any influence from films or games but when I write lyrics I usually get my ideas from current news. All you have to do is open up a newspaper and within seconds you feel like shit. There's alot going on in the world that we really need to think about.

3. Describe the musical climate (As far as your genre) in Switzerland nowadays. 

Josh:

There are plenty of metalbands in Switzerland and they all have huge potencial. Yet I feel that there are just not enough opportunities or ways to promoters here in Switzerland to actually make it as a band. Very few do apart from bands like Eluveitie, Krokus and Coroner.

Sebi:

or Breakdown of Sanity

Arran:

I think we all feel like there are so many bands here in this small country that it's hard to get noticed. You really have to try and do something new and stand out which can be really tough. On a good side though there are alot of festivals here in switzerland that give newcomer bands the opportunity to perform.

Sebi:

True. We've never had major problems getting on stage or finding gigs. We have always been asked to play apart from the one time we organized a show ourselves.

Silvan:

I also noticed that there is a huge difference between metal fans that come to shows in switzerland and the ones abroad. Swiss crowds are often reserved where as fans in other countries go absolutely insane at shows.

 I noticed a Haunted or At The Gates vibe with some of the songs I listened to, are you guys into that scene (Gothenburg) at all as an influence?

Lex:

Nope. I personally don't have much to do with this "nordic scene" I don't even know where to start with death/black metal. It's o.k but just not my thing. 

Arran:

It's nice to know that you can hear that in our sound but I'm pretty sure it wasn't our intention.

Silvan:

Yeah we don't really listen to that kind of music

Lex:

Ola of The Haunted is a great guitarist though.

The vocals have a refreshing style as far as the screams, etc- not your everyday metalcore (that is, less whiny, less overwrought), and almost have an old school hardcore or metal vibe, was that something you all were trying to get across?

Arran:

I didn't know I was bringing the oldschool back but thanks! Happy to hear that. Alot of metalcore bands these days sound alike and most times a bit to clean for my liking. All I'm trying to do is not fit in and do what comes naturally.

Describe the process from writing, to rehearsing, to recording a With One Word song. 

Lex:

Mostly I sit at home infront of the computer and just start playing to drumsamples .From there try to work on a first foundation for a song then send the guitartrack to Sebi so he can work on drums. When we have a rough idea we start to work on details and come up with a concept to work with as a band. We practice atleast once a week and try to do as much as we can from home. Finished songs, once tight enough, might just make it to the studio.

With One Word have already released an EP and a single. Now I hear you guys are working on your first album. What are your plans for the album? How far are you with completing it? Is there a concept behind the album and when will it be released?

Arran:

At the moment we are finalising songs and working on details to get each track just the way we want it. We hit the studio in febuary next year and hope to release our debut album sometime in autumn 2020. We haven't got a set date for the release yet, we want to keep that open until we actually see things come together incase anything needs more work. We don't have a concept for the album per say we just want to show the world what we can do.

Once released we would like to take the album on tour through switzerland at first and then maybe outside.

What about touring, are there plans to tour soon and with whom/where?

Silvan:

About a year ago we toured russia for the first time where we headlined every show apart from one.

Josh:

Oh yeah that one show was a small festival where we opened for a russian guy playing his accordeon. That was both funny and weird at the same time. We'll never forget that.

Lex:

There's no set plan for new tours right now but we have a few ideas we would like to see through.

Arran:

Yes we do but we don't want to give those ideas away right now as they're not set in stone. But trust me they're gonna be good.

Thanks for the interview guys and if you want to check out With One Word you can follow these links: 

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/withoneword.music/

Instagram:
https://instagram.com/withoneword?igshid=1hfq99ch9iagu

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC5PeG0X9ALOHVp_7YarMJA

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0SmSV3vqtlvBU4D8bl8s6z?si=0raPpglRRJOECsSzvruSYw