Sepsiss is a female fronted metal band from Manchester, NH, founded in 2011 by Melissa Wolfe and William Savant
Interview conducted on September 29, 2020
By Dan Locke
The band teases with their multi-genre experience, delivering a wide variety of down-tuned grueling beats, ranging from traditional, urban, and modernized heavy ensembles.
Who and what is Sepsiss?
Melissa Wolfe: Sepsiss is a female-fronted heavy metal/ hard rock act hailing from Manchester, New Hampshire. Our band members are as follows:
Melissa Wolfe – Vocals
William Savant – Guitars/ Vocals
Cam Loud – Guitars
Johnny Impact – Bass
Mr. Goodbarz – Keyboards
What is your upbringing?
I was surrounded by musicians and performers growing up. My father is a guitar player who had his own band when I was just a child.
My mother also used to be a dancer. I even have two older brothers that used to just blare heavy metal all the time in the house.
So, as I got older, it didn’t take me long to realize I wanted to form a band of my own.
How did you start to write music?
For me it began with poetry and short stories when I was younger. I used to really enjoy just writing short fantasy stories from my head.
English class was one of my better subjects. My teachers always used to comment on my creativity and rather enjoyed my dark style writings.
This eventually turned into lyrics.
What was your first performance like?
My first performance was actually a nightmare, haha! The first time I took myself to a stage, ever in my life, was here with my band Sepsiss on a Halloween night. It was at a venue called Rocko’s in Manchester, NH.
The stage was huge! The show was also smacked in the middle of a giant blizzard, but that didn’t stop us. We played the show anyway after dragging our amplifiers through the snow. Bless all the fans that came out that night for being so supportive of us! We were absolutely terrible at the time… My stage fright was unforgiving, I could barely move up there. I pretty much just stood in one spot, held the microphone for dear life, and tried to sing the songs the best that I could.
What makes a good songwriter?
A good songwriter has lived a little. They know what to write about because they’ve gone through something similar or have witnessed things that have happened to them or the people around them.
Music does indeed come from the heart and soul.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
The first song we ever wrote together as a band was a song called “Tongue-Tied.” We did record it at one point, as a scratch track…but it never did wind up making it to the album.
We took bits and pieces of the song and made them into a completely different song instead. Then we tossed the lyrics.
I see you are into animation. Do you think there is a multiverse?
William: like string theory stuff? It’s a possibility. I won’t rule it out but if I run into myself, I’ll make sure I get the solo battle on YouTube.
DC or marvel?
Marvel…I like Spiderman. lol
How did you start the band?
Sepsiss first formed back in 2010 when I met William Savant. I had answered his Craigslist ad, as we were both looking to form a band at the time. So, I met up with him in his creaky old basement in the middle of Manchester, NH for a tryout. There was supposed to be another girl trying out that same day…I believe her name was Ashley…but she never showed up. So, I ultimately got the part as Vocalist for the band.
How did the band get its name?
Spelled the original way, (sepsis with one “s” at the end of the word), the word is based upon a blood infection… However, we are not the disease. We wanted a word that still sounded “metal” enough, was simple to say, preferably one word…so why not Sepsiss? We added the extra “s” at the end of the word to make it uniquely us. This makes us google searchable and easy to find.
Your new album is out. Almost 11. Tell me about it?
For us, our album Almost 11 represents the shedding of the ego. It was a new way for us to bring metal music to new ears. The album is a landmark of spiritual awareness, a sonic fingerprint of sorts… We are the people’s metal. We were originally going to name the album “11:11”, but we found out it was already taken… So as a joke, we went with the name “Almost 11.” Since the album was almost called “11:11”. So, we almost hit the mark, lol.
Not to mention, there’s a strange phenomenon within the band where each band member has a tendency to see the number 11 all the time. So, when the clock is about to strike, one of us will yell out “it’s almost 11!”
What is your favorite track on the album?
My personal favorite is the song “Sweet Nothings”. Granted I’m in love with them all and my favorite changes constantly…this is my current flavor.
How do you stay healthy while touring?
I walk wherever and whenever I can. I also have a lot of at-home workout equipment I use, which is very portable. I can take most of it with me. I do yoga to stay flexible. I drink smoothies a lot and make most of my meals myself. I do not eat any fast food at all. My life on the stage is also an enormous workout, we are very active. I just live a very active lifestyle to begin with, so I’m sure this helps a lot.
What are your feelings about streaming music?
The quality of an mp3 can never match up to the quality of what you hear on a CD. I do understand why people stream music though… It is simple and most folks are “on the go” all the time.
You can just have it in the palm of your hand on your smart device. I get that. But as a musician, I will always prefer sound quality over simplicity.
Digital vs. vinyl?
I have never owned a vinyl record player, so I guess I will have to go with digital on this one as it’s just easier to find. But if i did own one I would use it.
Above all, I really prefer the quality of a nice CD. I’m a CD collector of sorts.
The last live show that you did was in Providence, RI. Tell me about the show?
That show was a blast! We had the chance to perform with some bigger acts that day, one of them being Static-X. We finally had our chance on the big Ballroom stage in the Fete music hall. The lighting was great, the speakers were loud, and the crowd was even better! I just wish we could have played a longer set. We were only allowed up there for about 20 minutes. After the set was over, we all went out and grabbed up some food from the little sub shop around the corner. They had some amazing fish there. I highly recommend the food.
You were ready for Metal in the Mountains. Were you ready to go if the virus would have calmed down?
Yes, we were fully prepared to play this show if it didn’t wind up getting cancelled. We had an RV at the time, and they even offered us a place to park it. We probably would’ve stayed for the whole event, smashed out our set, and continued to rock out for everyone else after us. We had our gas money and merch ready to go.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
Personally, I have been doing a lot of acoustic practice here at home. I’ve even taken up some online vocal classes just to keep my voice up to par. When I’m trying to just relax, I’ll do some painting and share it during my live feeds on Facebook. We do a lot of live streaming now to stay in touch with the fans and keep them up to date on things.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
Yes! I’ve taken up painting. I never used to be a painter, but since quarantine hit, I have discovered that I rather enjoy it.
95% of people said that they have changed the way they watch television. Which is your favorite streaming channel?
Twitch is by far the way to go! We will start streaming over on Twitch as soon as we hit 2,000 “trackers” on BandsInTown. This will unlock the feature for us to use the platform and you may even get us to play some music for you live.
We’ve almost hit our goal! Also, by tracking us on BandsInTown, you will be notified whenever we are doing a Livestream or a live concert in your area.
You can track us here:
With no real live music (mostly virtual shows), except for things like Drive-In Theater shows with crowds for the past 6 months, what do you think will be the future of music?
There is no real way to tell where the music industry is heading. We’re all hoping things will go back to “normal”. However, there is a large chance that music and live shows may change forever. Perhaps they will start putting up large barricades between the musicians and the crowd. Or they may continue to only air live shows online or on television. Perhaps holograms will become a thing and you’ll get a show in your living room. Who knows, really…anything could happen.
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell Merch to them at the show?
At that point i would say it really comes down to the music… Your fans should want to purchase your CD’s. If you have a website, they can buy your merch online. The fans can continue to support you through websites such as Patreon, as well. Live streaming is another great way to stay in touch with the fans and keep them feeling connected.
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. You did a few shows from your living room and played spin the wheel. What was Spin The Wheel?
We call our livestreams Swarm TV. Sometimes we will do free give-a-ways during our “wheel of death” episodes on Facebook. We usually ask the fans to share the stream, and in return, they will have a chance to win.
You can tune in with us every Sunday on the band’s Facebook page here:
Live Nations just started Live Nation from Home, which are concerts from artist homes. An all-new virtual music hub keeping fans connected to their favorite artists featuring daily live streams, performances, new music, and more. Do you think it will be possible to make a living doing concerts this way?
I do not feel like this is a way to make a living… Eventually, the fans will get bored of it and find something else to do. There’s no feeling like actually being at a live event, sharing a drink with your best friend, and moshing it out in the pit. You’re not going to get that same experience in your living room. It doesn’t even get as loud.
With Social Distance being the norm. Do you feel that it may be the end of the music fest for the next couple of years?
It’s looking like there may be a vaccine as early as 2021. Hopefully, this vaccine will work and you’ll start seeing things go back to the true “normal”. Social distancing could very well become a thing of the past. Though there’s always a chance that it does not work and we will still have to wait it out for a while.
How do you see yourself in the next five years?
I can see our band going mainstream. You’ll hear us on the radio, you’ll see us touring, you’ll see us on TV, and yes…we are going to take over the world. Stay tuned. \m/
Anything you would like to say in closing?
Thanks so much for taking the time to read all of this! Please go check out our latest music video “Blacklight Invasion” on YouTube
Don’t forget to pick up a signed physical copy of our album “Almost 11” from our website.
Or if you prefer the digital age, you can also grab up the digital version on Spotify or Itunes here.
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