PipemanRadio Discusses NEW EP Shatter & Bloom From STELLVRIS

0:00 Hi, you have then too censure. For se wow for you your. This is the pipe Man here on the Adventures of Pipe Man W four c Y Radio. And I'm excited about our next guest who is on the way other side upon uh in places I like to be now instead of where I'm at to be honest, But let's welcome to his show. Nicole from Stilaris, how are you exactly?

0:58 Hello? Things, I'm doing great? How about you? I'm doing phenomenal. I have been to your country once, absolutely loved it. And I was road tripping through Europe and when I drove over that bridge from Czech Republic over to Germany and it was like there was like a blizzard going on and the wind was really strong. It was probably one of the scariest bridges. Of my life. And I've been through a lot of them, like my car. My car moved over a whole lane without me doing anything.

1:43 It was wild. Yeah. So I just have to say your music is so badass. And I know you've played a lot of European festivals, but I didn't see in the list of wind of the ones that I love to cover and I do every year health fest and I think you guys definitely belong in health Fest, So I'm just putting it out there. We haven't played on the health Fest. We played some of Breeze, so. Yeah, yeah, that's what I'm saying. You haven't played it yet, so I'm putting it out there in the universe so that they can invite you to play there. It would be super amazing.

2:25 Then we could do the interview on site. But I what's your favorite festival to play that you've played so far in Europe? In Europe, Well, it's always very hard to pick just one because I would say that all the festivals we played we had absolute blast. People were amazing and crazy. But I think that if I really really have to pick just one, it would be some Abris in Germany. This year it was something wow, totally different.

3:05 So what what is it like at Summer Breeze, Because like, I cover festivals over the US, UK, Europe, and I haven't done that one yet, So what makes that one unique? You shoot? Definitely, Well, for me, I really love metal community, so whenever we are playing festival that is really like for metal heads, I always feel I always feel like home, and it's the same like for example with Broadless olt here in Czech Republic or fight first, it's just like it's a metal festival and people, the scene, the community is uh, it's just like where I really feel that I belong and and this is the same with some of Breeze. And if you have ever been to Germany and you you were, you told me that you almost died on the bridge crossing the Czech Republic to Germany, you I would I would say that you would agree with me that the German scene is something different and the metal heads they are the community of metal heads in Germany is different, and it's uh, they're crazy, wild and really nice people. And for us, it was the biggest maybe festival we've ever played so far, and it was just I was so scared, Like I'm not nervous normally, you know, but you could count the like the number

4:38 of the festivals or shows that I was nervous, just on like fingers on one hand, and this was definitely one of them. Because it was like there were so many people and I knew that there are so many important people and that we really have to crush it there, like we really have to nail it there. And it was amazing. The people were so support. Whenever I told them please sit down, they did it. Do wild death. They kiss me when I do the same life they called me. And then we had a signing session. There was like a huge queue and again crazy, and I really felt like home. I really like the people there, the community, the way they are behaving is just like.

5:26 Yeah, it is true too, because like so I was so fascinated by the metal scene in Berlin when I and all the little like underground clubs and the whole scene, it was really really cool. And then also like I've done grasp pop and I made a whole bunch of German friends at grasp Pop. In fact, I was dating a German woman that I met at grasp pop because they all drove over from Germany just to go to grass pop. You know. So I agree, like they're so fanatical about their metal and their music and I think that's awesome. And you guys are definitely badass, so it's worthwhile. I want to know how like you have this great, great clean vocal and then you go into this brutal vocal and I want to know how you do that so easily, And so I'm always fascinated actually because you know, I think a lot of the women in metal now are way more badass than the men, and especially with that that growling, brutal voice, It's like, oh my god. And I see the technicality when you do it, like how you like move your mouth, and like, I'm so fascinated by that.

6:49 You know, there's like other bands I feel the same way, like uh, Courtney, you know from from spirit Box, Like when I watch her sing, I'm like, I think I have festival watch in herants. I'm just fascinated by her mouth movement to go from like that beautiful, serene voice to that like brutal metal growl. So how do you how do you do it? What's the secret to that? Practice? Practice practice, That's true basically, Yeah, Well, the time when I decided to learn how to scream, it was like I was singing since I was a child, so singing was kind of natural for me. But then I started to listen to metal music and then I was like digging like deeper and deeper into more like heavier and heavier music. And then when I heard Alisa from March Enemy, I was like, that's that's what I miss And so I found a teacher and because I didn't want to lose my voice. I didn't want to damage it.

7:58 So I was working with him and I learned how to grow and scream, and then like with the practice and live shows, especially because you like you can you can screw anything when you're in rehearsal room, but when you are on a stage, you have to do it. You have to be one hundred percent you know, sure that you can do anything, and just to be focused on it. And so basically that that was it. I was just practicing ptas and partisan and I'm very stubborn like person, and when I decided that I want to learn how to scream, I was screaming every single day, even though it was kind of dangerous because like overusing your vocal course is also very kind of you know, it's dangerous, but yeah, I was like, okay, it's just like I can't I don't have time. I have to learn it as quick as possible. So I learned it basically, and.

8:55 That's really smart that at least you learn to go learn how to do it properly, because like when I was a teenager, I sang thrash metal and I thrashed my voice because we didn't know how to do that stuff, so you just like would scream like you were screaming in a fight, and then you couldn't even make it through a show, you know. So that's why it always. Amazes me when somebody could like scream like that and still make it through a show. I also afraid that I will lose my voice during the first shows we did, and I was very like I was afraid that it will happen to me, and that's something like this happened, and like I couldn't imagine myself like that this would be me, that I would lose my voice. So I really learned how to do it properly, like with a proper technique, which is I would say essential like when you do this, and the key like for me not to lose the voice and to be like brilliant in your technique is that you really have to control your emotions. And it was something that I was bad, like, yeah, it was struggling like with this at the beginning because everything was new and I was really like, okay, and I'm going to show you how I scream and how I am and how metal I am. And it was dangerous because whenever I was like this then I was just like screaming through

10:27 my throat and I was like, it hurt me, It hurt me so bad. Yeah, And then I learned how to just like have these emotions, but to have them under under under control, so I could sing and scream through the whole set and in the studio and everywhere, and right now I know like what to do, but it took some time. Well, yeah, I mean, you've obviously worked hard at it, because if you didn't, you wouldn't be able to sing right now for sure. And what was that one moment in time where you got exposed metal? What what band was it? And how did it happen?

11:14 So the first time I heard metal like music. Or yeah, exactly, I. Would say it was like when I was like very small. Because my dad is a metal head, so he had all the CDs with Ossio was Born, blacks Above, Metallica, Slayer, all those like, you know bands, so he was listening to metal music and he introduced me to this. But my mom she's a fan of pop music, so she was like, Okay, I would like you to sing, but let's sing something like poppy. So she tried to, like, you know, just to bring some colorful clothes on me and just like to be this girly girl. And I have never been such a girl. So now I'm just like, I'm sorry, mom. I promised her. I promised her on our first EP and then the full length album that one song. I'm not screaming at all. One song, That's it.

12:26 So every time she's complaining, I'm just letting her take a look at these two songs. We have no screaming. This is for you, that's it. So yeah, when I was child, my dad introduced me to metal. Nice. What was the first band you heard? Do you even remember? No? No, but I remember those cities and everything, so I would say maybe or else. It was Born was the first one I heard. But I'm not sure. I'm not really sure. I think that's true for a lot of us. Actually, you know, I remember for me, I was in like seventh grade and somebody should this friend, I may add this album. It was black with white writing and the s's in red, which was Sabbath We sold our souls for rock and roll, and I right then and there, I was like, oh my god, this is amazing, you know, and it like you it progressed from there because then it went into like heavier stuff and then you know, like you mentioned Metallic and Slayer, I was at their first shows ever and that was it. After experiencing stuff like that, and and you know, people don't realize, like you know, they look at metal heads and they make these assumptions, but we're like one big family with nobody's an outsider. Everybody's included, nobody's bullied, nobody like people don't

13:58 understand the mashpid isn't about her people. It's about getting in there and gaining your aggressions out without hurting people, you know, and so everybody, Like now, with everything going on in the world, the safest place I ever feel is in a metal crowd at a festival because just everybody just loves everybody and it doesn't matter who you are, what you are, what you do, nothing else matters. We're just one big community. I can't agree more. That's why I'm not afraid go to Mushpace, go to woll of Death, because whenever I go there, I'm just like, when I'm passing around the guys, they're like two meters tall and I'm like this like that, and when I do this, like okay, they're super tall, but I'm not afraid of them. I'm just like, as you said, whenever I see that somebody just fall down in the mushpace circle. Pite now the whole like mess is that they just stop held the people up, and then they just like continue and this is like, yeah, I like I can say like differently, I really love metal community and metal scene and I really feel like home when i'm.

15:21 And only people like us can really understand that, because like even I have a brother and he just can't understand it for the life of him, you know, But no matter what you explain, you just have to experience, and it's just a feeling. It's just a part of something. And you know, a lot of us people that became metal heads, we didn't have that on the outside world. You know, you got bullied or people picked on you for whatever reason. However you were different, and I think that's one of the coolest things. In fact, I have this idea that we could solve all the world's problems that we have right now, which there's a lot of them, by just having one big metal festival that everybody is required to attend, except the politicians.

16:07 They're not allowed to go there. Everybody else, and then we would actually unite, stop being divided, stop labeling everybody, and accept everybody for who they are. And as I always say, you do you, you be you. You know, and we need to pull that off. And that that's a lot about what you write in your music too, So that's what I dig about your music. A lot of people also because they don't understand metal, they don't understand the deepness of the lyrics and what the message is. So maybe tell to listeners about you and your songwriting and what message you put out there in your music.

16:52 Yeah. So I think, like as most of the musicians, I went through some mental health issues and I put all these topics in our lyrics. So we have songs about anxiety, depression, burnout and also like feeling different. This song is called Renegade, and I also pay attention to not only these like inner things, these like mental health issues, but also for example, Silence after Violence. This is the last song we released, and this one I wrote when the first idea came when this crazy guy was shooting at Charles University in Prague and he shot a lot of people, injured a lot of people. It was like before the Christmas and it was terrible, and I could notice that the frustration aggression like amongst the society is growing, and it's not only within US adults, but also it's going like deeper and deeper into younger and younger generations.

18:07 And then Netflix just released it's a movie or it's adolescent. I think it's called like this. I don't know if you saw. It, I would say, I wonder if it's in the US. I'm gonna have to look when when I get home, I'm going to have to go look. I have to search for it. Maybe I'm naming it in a wrong way, but this like like this thing is about a young guy who was accused from murder and he was really young, and this whole story. I'm not going to spoil this crazy. It was crazy, and it just like it shows how these people are, like the young generation aren't pretty in danger, like using all the social media and stuff, and also like using all those social media make them more lonely maybe and they they're not seen in offline world and they're like like more in online world. And this is something that is just very half of me. And for me, I have to use social media's and everything because I'm a vocalist, I need to present my music and everything, and this is like nowadays, there's there's no other way how to promote your music, just like through your socials and everything.

19:36 Yeah, and it's so hard on musicians too, because like hon'me thing people realize how much hate you guys get on social media, just like everybody, Like I find social media to be like anti social, you know, and I have to use it too because of what I do, you know, And that's true, that's right. I mean, you would think it would bring people together. But it just amazes me how many people go out of their way for no reason to just spread hate against other people, you know, Like if you don't like something, don't participate, don't say anything, just let it go. Let other people.

20:17 That's why I say, you be you. You know, like most of these things that people complain about, especially in my country, and get angry about and attack about, doesn't affect their life in any way, shape or form. And that's the part that blows my mind. Like we have it, as you probably know, pretty bad here right now with the division and the hate, and you know, it's just like it's the oldest trick in the book divide and conquer, you know, like we should love each other for our differences, not because we're the same. I have I wrote song call Divided, that's basically what you are talking.

20:57 About totally, And I also have to say that I'm glad you write about those things because there's a lot of these haters out there say, oh, musicians should just stick to singing songs and not, Like, have you studied the history of music, It has always been a voice from a platform for these type of things. You know that music is some of the best therapy there is for you to artists and for me the listener. No, you shouldn't not sing about these things. You should sing about these things so other people don't feel so alone, you know, because they're experiencing a lot of those things, and when you sing about it, it lets them know they're not alone. That's my viewpoint.

21:46 I totally agree with you. And I do have to say you talked about Silence after Violence. That song is so freaking badass, like that is as truly metal, and I think people not only need to listen to it, but read the lyrics because that's an oird thing with metal people that aren't metal heads. They listen to metal and they don't know what the words are, and they think it's like violent and aggressive and you know, death and destruction, and a lot of times it's the exact opposite. You know. Sayer was a perfect example Loud because everybody thought, oh, they're devil worshipers and it's it's you know, it's about death and destruction. Now, like Hannahman, Jeff Hanneman wrote about World War Two, a lot of songs were about World War Two.

22:41 He was a history buff. Ozzy was a history buff. Like these are things to educate people, not to make them violent and aggressive, and like I said before, to let people know they're part of something and they're not alone in what they're experiencing, because I think that's probably the worst feeling, when you're alone in what you're experiencing or think you are. You know, if you have a support system, then you can realize there's nothing really wrong with you. You just have things that you're experiencing that other people are experiencing as well, and everybody can help each other that way.

23:22 That's totally true. I'm very happy that one of our fans, now we were talking like that was the day of World Day of mental health. And it was like one week when I was posting about mental health and our songs and all the things, and like because of this of our fan, she reached me out and she told me that she's struggling with something. And I was talking to her and I was like, Okay, this is something I can't help you because it's quite serious. So let's try to find some help. You can't okay, let's try to search for something where you can just even call them, even call somebody that you don't have to feel alone.

24:09 And then I was talking about to her about it and I found some people who are offering like the first help on the phone, so and it's for free. So I told her, please tomorrow call them, just try to talk about this thing. You don't have to be alone. And this is amazing that you are just brunning awareness and somebody just reach you out and just you know, is trying to find the help. Because we also have had another fan and unfortunately he lost this battle and he committed a suicide. And it was also the thing that when I realized that I have to on, like now we're going to release EP, so the next thing should the album and I'm definitely going to to sing about these things even more because I really feel that people, as you said, feel that they are alone in this.

25:09 Yet and think about like it doesn't matter who you are, because look at Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington, like Taylor Hawkins, you know, all these people. You look at them, and it happens to a lot of musicians. They look at them and like, oh, you have to dream life. But they don't know the dark side either of those people, you know, and you know maybe those people and I know definitely they feel alone too, and you think, how could they feel alone? But you have to walk in somebody's shoes to really understand that. So true. So thank God for people like you that are spreading the message because you know, unfortunately the one that did take their life, that's horrible, but how many people didn't not because of what message you have in your music.

26:03 That's what I think of. There's probably quite a few, even the ones you don't know about. Yeah, yeah, there's there's definitely true. And I always said that if even if the music would save just one life, mm hmm, then I won they did a good thing. I love it. I love it, and so. Tell us more about the new EP it drops on November seventh, Shatter and Bloom. I love that name. I know exactly what it means just by the name, and that's what I love about it. Yeah, so this EPI Yeah, so whenever we released anything, the first EP was upside down, the second album this was a persistence, and now it's Sharon Bloom. And I'm always trying to figure out, like how to name the thing according to the songs and also the situations and everything I've been through when I did these songs, when I wrote them, and I was thinking about this because yeah, last year it was kind of challenging for me. And Monster is about toxic relationships, and it's not only about your partner. It can also be colleique, friend, anybody who was pretty toxic for you. And unfortunately I went through it last year and it was very challenging for me and for my mental health. So I decided to put

27:34 all the aggression and all the first question I had this into this song. And I was happy that some people reached me out after we have released it and they told me like, Okay, I've been through this shit as well. I'm very happy that you brought this to light. And that you're talking about singing about it so and then times up again frustration, hate, anger. Even though this story did and happened to me, it happened to one person that I really care about and care for. And it's like I felt it really personally when this one guy heard this person that I really like, and I was like, and it's again offline world, online world. This guy, he doesn't know how to live in offline world. He knows how to live online. He did a terrible things and I had to put it into music. And then we started to compose with our current guitarist uh and Shater and bloom and silence after violence, we did it together.

28:43 And this is something especially shatter and bloom. I would say, it's a spark of hope that something new is just blowing blooming, and it's just some that you have to really shadd out destroy something that it's not working. But what I mean with like destroy, it's like to burn it to the fucking ground. Yes, I agree, and I agree. Have some nice and new bloom from this because I really tried in my life and in like in a bent, I really try to do compromises. I really try to understand everybody and just like, Okay, let's do it this way.

29:32 Oh you can and blah blah blah. No, no, you always have to think like now, it's going to sound very bad, but I think you would understand it. You always have to think about yourself first because if you're not happy, if you are not okay, nobody else can be around you. And yeah, and this was the time when I was like, okay, but what I want, what I would like to do, what I would like to have, And that was the breaking point when I was like, that's enough. Yeah, and it's it.

30:12 Really I believe it wholeheartedly. I mean, think about what you just said, and think about when you get on plane. What did they tell you is like put the oxygen mask on yourself first, not on your kid first, not on the person you're with first, And that that says it all right there. And I'm also I also besides doing radio, I'm also a motivational speaker and a lot of people before me always said, if it's not broke, don't fix it. And I have a different thing that I teach. If it's not broke, break it, because just what you said, you know, it's funny. My best bro since like thirteen. He was saying, when all this stuff started going on around our country that was really bad, you know, back in like twenty sixteen. And he's like, it's funny, you're gonna laugh because he said, we need to just have a civil war and burn this.

31:13 Place to the ground. That's exactly what he said, because it's true. Think about it, Like, I don't know if you experienced it over there, but like in California, there's the wildfires, and the way you stop them from being dangerous is burning them before they catch on fire. And when you. Burn the hills, the stuff that grows back after you burn it is so beautiful because I think it's kind of like because it has a clean slate to come back beautiful. You know, if you try to take shit and make it gold, it's still gonna be shit. You gotta get rid of shit and then and then bring the gold.

31:58 And that's the thing. And yeah, I can't agree more. I was like, my whole life, I was trying to, as you said, to fix it and just try to understand it and try to understand others in even if they were toxic, even though they did really bad things. They treated me as a shit, But I try to fix it because I think this is something you are taught as a child, just to be good boy and good girl and be nice and be kind. Yeah, be nice and be kind. Yeah, but first to yourself and then to the others. Like it's true, but it's in a slightly different way. And I totally agree with you.

32:45 And that's what I basically did. I burned everything down and now I think, I hope and now is the time for something beautiful to bloom. Well, you know what's going to be beautiful that bloom is this EP on November seventh. That's what's going to be beautiful. So tell everybody how they can connect to you guys on the antisocials and how they can get to your band camp, buy your merch you got cool cool merch, and get the EP. Yeah. So basically we have link tree so you can find all the socials and everything in here. But yeah, we are on Facebook, We're on Instagram, TikTok, merchandise you can buy on our bank camp, or you can just simply write a message to us. That's it.

33:43 Nice. Is there anything else you want to share with the listeners that we haven't covered already that they need to look. Out for. That we haven't covered well. I really hope that if you're listening to this, I hope you don't feel depressed, because we need really deep into our dark souls. But yeah, we're super glad and super honored and happy that we can release our EP. It's going to be the third thing that we are about to release, and this is the first time we're going to have it on vinyls, which is super special. And I will yeah, and I really look forward when these vinyls come to me and I can look at them because I have test pressing at home, but I don't have all the cover and all the beautiful stuff in there, so I will look forward to it. And also I have already graphics for new T shirts that are designed for this EP. They are amazing. I really love this design and I really hope that the fans will love the design as well.

34:50 Nice And I just thought about, Okay, so there's a festival in the UK that I do coverage for that you guys definitely fit in perfectly. And again I'm putting it out there and I'm actually gonna tell them that you guys should play there. Do you know the festival blood Do you know the festival Bloodstock. So that's one of my favorites and one of the reasons it's one of my favorites. Have you ever been to Bloodstock? So they have this one stage, it's probably the stage you should play on, called the Sophie Lancaster Stage.

35:31 Do you know. I don't know if you know the story about Sophie Lancaster, but basically, she was a goth girl that was with her boyfriend leaving a show one night in I think it was in London, got. Attacked and she was murdered because she was goth, you know, because she was different. And so ever since then, Bloodstock has supported there's an organization called the Sophie Lancaster Foundation where they raise money against this kind of stuff, and you know, it's I think it's a mother that runs the organization, and Bloodstock has a stage named after called Sophie Lancaster Stage. But they also you know, they're all big in the organization and that's I forget which day it is, but I think it's the first or second day at a festival. Everybody wears pink. Everybody wears pink.

36:30 All these metal heads like tough ass metal heads are all wearing pink in support of Sophie Lancaster, you know, and you know, spreading the message that you don't bully people just because they're different, you know, and you don't bully people just because they're not like you look like you. That's what's happening in my country right now, like it's getting worse than ever because you have the leaders making it o k to be an asshole and okay to hate and bully, and so then you have all the you know, cultish followers that follow along. Some of them are people I've known for years and I didn't know.

37:16 That's why I'm almost thankful for some of the things going on in society today because then you know who the real haters are, you know, because they're showing their faces right now. And it's just it's disgusting. And that's why we all need the band together and you know, kill the hate with love, because that's what the whole world needs. And that's what one thing that you are providing in your music. So I love that and doing it in a brutal way. Well, actually, I have to say that my therapist, she told me that during some of her sessions is before she she met me, she was playing Ramstein to her clients and she told me that there's no other music genre that goes so deep in your soul and so deep in your heart. And she told me that she's playing metal. And then I was like, okay, I have new songs for you, and so I like played Mars songs for her. And now the next time I saw her, she was like, okay, I played your songs and it went really really great.

38:30 Thank you nice. I love it because it is the best therapy there is. Like, if I want to get out of my darkness, I listen to loud, heavy, brutal metal because that only us can understand that too, you know, like there's so many people that how could you be? It's funny people laugh at me because when I'm going to do a motivational seminar, my warm up for that is like blasting Slayer in the car on the way there. It gets me pumped, It gets me in positive mood. Some people that don't understand, but we understand because it is it does go deep and it and like one of my favorite lyrics of all time is by bringing the Horizon, because I think Allie's like a brilliant lyricist and it's you. I can't drown my demons. They know how to swim. To me, that like is so brilliant because we all have demons, we all have darkness, and that's why we need music like yours.

39:41 I can't agree more right, I mean, I well first said I heard that, like, oh my god, that explains it. All exactly exactly. Whenever I'm searching for some like uh to be like inspired by and I'm going through their lyrics, is always like, that's it. Exactly. So thank God that we have still Laura, so we can have that mental health therapy that we need. So yeah, and more is coming. There we go, and I hope to see you at festivals and you need to come over to the US and do some of the US festivals, and.

40:29 So I really hope so. And because of what you do and how great you're at you are at it, anytime you need promo, I'll be here to promo you. And everybody needs to buy some merch and your album where they can't listen to my show. Thank you so much. It was really lovely to meet you, and I really hope that that we can meet in person in off flying world somewhere, because I think we would have a lot of things to say to each other. Absolutely, I agree, and I can't wait. And thanks for being on the Adventures of Pipemin. Thank you so much for having me. Thank you for listening to the Adventures of Pipemin on w for CUI Radio.