ION INDIE MAGAZINE August 2015, Volume 15 | Page 94

or songs come to me in dreams and I often just get random bursts of creative energy then see what comes out when I pick up
a guitar. Vince wrote the songs for Valley of the King. The next album will be more of a collaboration.
ION: Listening to this album, I hear influences in some of the songs of BLACK SABBATH, JUDAS PRIEST, HEAVEN AND HELL,
SCORPIONS and IRON MAIDEN. Are you and guys from band fans of these bands?
Simon: Maiden and Sabbath are bands I enjoy listening to.
Vince: I am fans of all these bands and they are all in my top 10 favorite bands of all time, so these influences, of course, show
in my song writing.
Nuno: Yes, in my case especially Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. Iron Maiden was the band that made me want to start
learning to play guitar
Jim: Yes, but we all have other influences too. I love Sabbath, Priest and Maiden but I also love Prog. and Jazz. Each member
has outside influences which help to make us a little different, but it is all firmly rooted in Metal.
Mags: Out of those iconic bands, I listen mainly to Black Sabbath.
ION: Simon, I think your voice is amazing, melodic and powerful--is it all natural or have you had training?
Simon: Many thanks for the compliment. It is all natural. With such powerful lyrics through the concept and story and
great songs, it is important to convey the right level of passion and power to the epicness. It was important to keep the vocals
clean to be understood and heard and to give an almost operatic feel.
ION: Mags, your drumming is really amazing! How long did it take for you to learn how to do that? Do you have your idols that
you follow?
Mags: Thank you! I am self-taught and jammed with friends for about a year before joining my first band and playing seriously,
which was about 10 years ago. No particular idol really--just anyone who's drumming makes me smile.
ION: From where does the name of the band, DESOLATE PATHWAY, originate? Is there any history connected with it?
Vince: The band was originally called ORIGIN KONRAD after my middle name and the album was going to be named Desolate
Pathway—hence, why we have a track of the same name. After a lot of thought, I changed the band name because I felt Origin
Konrad sounded like a name and I was worried that people may put the band down as a solo project.
ION: Do you believe in paranormal activities? Why did you make the decision to take photos of the band at NUNHEAD
CEMETERY, a Victorian cemetery in London?
Vince: Yes, I do. I have never experienced any myself, but a lot of my friends have and also my mother--who belongs to a
Spiritualist Church and always has strange things going on. (We shot photos there) Because it was one of the MAGNIFICENT
SEVEN cemeteries and has free parking outside.
Nuno: No.
Jim: Yes.
Mags: I definitely do. I have had many experiences which could not be explained by science. Nunhead is a beautiful cemetery
and we felt it portrayed our genre well.
ION: What kind of music did you grow up listening to? Simon, did you always want to be vocalist? Have you played an
instrument? Mags, when did you begin to play drums? Was your dream to be a famous female drummer?
Simon: I grew up with a really wide exposure to music, from my fathers 60's Rock and Ska, to an older brother with a taste for
Metal. I have grown up listening to MEATLOAF and QUEEN and other strong vocal influences. I do play basic rhythm guitar,
but had always wanted to be a front man, center stage and in the limelight! I have performed since a young age and so this is
natural to me.