Interview mit Asger Mygind von Vola (Teil 2/2)

What’s your favourite song from the album and why?
This changes often, but right now I will say “Freak”. To me this song talks about how our actions in life are shaped by prior causes. Someone we might all agree on is a bully could just be an unlucky person with a difficult childhood, who we should really feel compassionate for because he/she didn’t invent himself/herself.

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Is a song like „Future Bird“ too sad to be played live on stage?
On most occasions I wouldn’t say so, but I do imagine some songs would be hard to sing if I had experienced something devastating shortly before performing on stage.

Some fans think that „Napalm“ feels like a sequel to „Vertigo“. Is there any truth to that?
That was not the intention, but I can see the similarities in the lyrics. The topic of broken relationships is something I often find myself exploring when writing. The fact that we rely so much on relationships for generating happiness makes it a very powerful point of focus, in my opinion.

The lyrics on the album deal with some heavy topics, like addiction or losing an unborn child. Those lyrics contain a message, or at least profound material to think about. So, how important is it actually to you that lyrics carry something important?
The most important thing for me is that I can connect with the lyrics when I sing them. What I connect with the most are lyrics that tell everyday stories of loss, heartbreak. nostalgia etc., based on a couple of fictitious characters. Steven Wilson has been a big inspiration in pursuing those kinds of lyrics.

What other direction than prog, rock or metal is actually left now that would also fit for VOLA?
I touched this in an earlier question. I don’t yet have an idea about what the identity of the next album will be, but I expect us to find a new path that will feel inspiring. To me almost any direction is possible as long as we are excited about the core songwriting.

What is the unique ingredient that makes VOLA exceptional?
I don’t know how unique this approach is, but I think we always have an eye on whether the songs will work in a stripped-down context – e.g. with just acoustic guitar and vocals. To us it’s a good indicator if the core songwriting is strong enough to be presented in that context.

How did Adam actually end up in the band? There’s the story that the band made an announcement in a drummer forum and Adam was the only one who actually applied for the job.
Adam responded to an ad we had put in a Swedish drummer group on Facebook [in 2017]. We actually had several interested drummers contacting us prior to this, but when it became time to send us videos playing a song, only very few came back to us. Simen [Sandnes] was playing with us as a session musician [before Adam joined]. Our previous drummer Felix quit the band quite close to the 2016 tour with Katatonia and Agent Fresco – which we didn’t want to miss out on – so Simen helped us out.

The US tour with Leprous could not take place due to Corona. Is there still a chance that you will tour together?
I can definitely imagine us touring with Leprous at some point, if they are up for it. We are surely ready to be a supporting band if a bigger artist that we like invites us out. I believe one of the main qualities we are looking for in touring companions is that we should feel that their audience and our audience have some kind of common ground.

Regarding the cover artwork of „Witness“ you told that you searched for the art according to what would fit the album content. How was it for the other records?
All the cover artworks for our full length albums have been images that we have discovered. I think that’s an approach that works well for us, as we easily can discard images that we find, until that right picture that we all like comes along. I imagine us continuing with this strategy.

Have you already started writing the next album?
Not yet.

What is your favourite song from these bands and why: Opeth, Porcupine Tree, Meshuggah?
Opeth: „To Rid The Disease“. I get goosebumps when the chorus kicks in. It was choruses like this that really got me hooked on trying to create grandiose sounding parts in songs. That dynamic between a sparse sounding verse and a big sounding chorus was enchanting.

Porcupine Tree: A really tough one, but for this interview I will go with “Heartattack In A Layby”. I love the detailed storytelling of the lyrics as well as the interacting vocal lines. I really feel like I’m in that car with the main character. One of the most beautiful songs written, in my opinion.

Meshuggah: This will change daily, but right now I will say „Perpetual Black Second“. Saying that this song is groovy is an understatement. The second riff in the song always gets my body moving. I simply have no choice. I’m not sure that any album has influenced me as much as a songwriter as „Nothing“. It completely changed my way of thinking about rhythms and how I approached the guitar.

Let’s conclude the interview with the traditional Metal1 brainstorming. What comes to your mind first when reading the following terms?
Ramones: 53rd & 3rd.
Africa: Toto.
AI (Artificial Intelligence): Machines outsmarting humans and viewing us as an obstacle for their progress.
Moog bass: Air (the band).
Fashion: The booming amount of clothing webshops.

Thank you for your time! The last words are yours.
Thank you for showing so much interest in the band!

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