WHyzdom
Interview conducted on January 15, 2021
By Dan Locke
Whyzdom is a Female Fronted Symphonic Metal band from France, signed with Scarlet Records. Epic, bombastic, symphonic metal, with realistic huge orchestra, and real choir parts, heavy metal riffs, and powerful voice
Members
Marie Mac Leod (Rouyer)- Vocals, Tristan Demurger- Bass, Vynce Leff-Guitar, Nicolas Chaumeaux Drums, Régis Morin_Guitar
Marc Ruhlmann- Keyboard
What is your upbringing?
Vynce Leff: Firstly, let me say Hello to all the readers, and thank you give us the opportunity to tell a little more about us.
Both me and Marie have a classical music upbringing. I started with classical guitar and followed composition and classical orchestration too.
How did you discover music?
As silly as it may sound, I discovered the joy of playing music by learning to play the recorder (really a toy recorder) on my own when I was really a little child. Now I think it must have been terrible for my parents to endure that, but well, after all, there must be a beginning.
I discovered more serious music, listening to classical music with my parents. I remember Mozart playing on our turntable, and then the 5th Symphony of Beethoven by H. von Karajan (Deutsche Grammophon). But my first real love of music must have been Mike Oldfield, with albums like Tubular Bells and Ommadawn.
How did you start to write music?
I was really impressed by Mike Oldfield guitar tone and melodies, that’s why I naturally wanted to play the guitar… and I also liked his almost classical approach, writing very long pieces of instrumental music. That’s how I started.
Describe your music.
Of course, the music I play today is quite far from these early influences. However, in Whyzdom, there’s also that will to make elaborate songs and arrangements, in the metal realm. And since I’m also an orchestral arranger, it’s no surprise that the music we make is Symphonic metal, with a certain complexity – which is sometimes too complex for some listeners.
Do you remember how you got your first guitar?
Yes, of course, I bought my first electric guitar when I was at school and I wanted to start a cover band, like all the teenagers at that time!
Why did you start your band back in 2007?
It was not my first experience starting a band. I used to have several progressive rock bands, with some signed albums, with some success… but I wanted to use more and more orchestra. I thought at that time that metal audience could be very fond of heavy orchestra arrangements, like the one found in Nightwish, or Epica. So, I thought I could bring something new to symphonic metal fans and started the band.
How was it to win the Metal Female Voice Fest Contest in Belgium in October of 2008?
That was an incredible experience. A premiere for all of us in the band actually. I had never ever won any contest in the past. It was even more rewarding, that it was based on the audience votes – and we noted playing near your home with all our family and friends to vote for us.
How did you form the band?
I spend a whole year auditioning a vocalist to find one suiting the music I had in mind. After finding Telya, I just called friends I knew for some time, from my former progressive rock experiences, so it was quite easy. The fact that we already knew each other, made it easy to form a very stable band.
How did your band get its name Whyzdom?
I wanted to find a word to contrast with the power and the frenzy of metal. But Wisdom was already taken… Hence the misspelling of the word.
What was your first performance at like?
Our very first experience was insignificant. We just played in a small bar to test how we could play together. The following gigs were much better since we were invited to play at the Metal Ladies Fest in Paris as headliners. That was awesome and we played with a six-piece choir. It was really the beginning of the band.
What makes a good songwriter?
I think the most important is to write good melodies, but for my personal taste, I also need great arrangements, and a sense of megalomania, ha ha!
What is the process of writing your music?
I generally try to start with a melody and try different harmonic progressions, with some heavy guitar riffs. Then I start adding orchestral ideas, so that orchestra, guitars, and vocals have a nice relation and some sort of dialog. After that, it’s all about inspiration of the moment and ideas come to my mind quite naturally, taking me sometimes to directions I hadn’t thought of at the beginning.
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP?
No.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
Mmmh, I don’t remember all the songs I wrote 30 years ago. But the first song that mattered to me was called “Babel Lights” with the band Saens released with Cyclops Records. The funny thing is that I used to be the lead singer on that song! Definitely not as good as Marie of course.
How did you get Marie Rouyer to be the new frontwoman of the band?
Well, after the first album, Telya quit the band. We had a few concerts with Lisa (ex Xandria) and Clementine (now with Visions of Atlantis), and then we recorded the 2nd album with another vocalist: Elvyne Lorient. This was quite a chaotic time, and she couldn’t stay with us. So, I asked a friend who was a singing teacher to find a great singer for us… and she presented Marie to us, who simply is the most perfect singer and the nicest person on earth!
How was it to record your DVD- Alive at Last?
It took place in Eindhoven at the great Female Metal Event. That year, Lacuna Coil was headlining the show. Since there were several camcorders there, it was a great opportunity to shoot our first DVD there. The stage and the lights were superb and the audience was fantastic. It’s probably one of the best shows we made, so it will stay in our hearts forever!
Tell me about the making of the video “Fly Away”?
Yes, sure! The idea of the video is that we wanted to shoot it in Paris, which is my hometown. So, we imagined that the main character could be chased through the city, allowing us to show some really nice parts of it. Since I live in Paris, I knew the right beautiful places, the right days, the right times, to be able to shoot freely, with no one around (which is very complicated in such a crowded city with so many people – especially in very touristic places like the Tour Eiffel, the Sacré Coeur de Montmartre). So, we were able to shoot right in the Tour Eiffel in costumes, with no one bothering us. It’s really incredible to have this footage with Marie literally running in the Tour Eiffel and its stairs. I hope everyone enjoyed that.
How long before we hear new music?
Not too long normally. We are right now in the process of finishing studio recordings. There are ten songs, which we really all love. They are really powerful and symphonic, some of the more up-tempo than the previous album. I think we wanted to go back to the roots and the heart of Symphonic metal. Moreover, Marie’s voice is really fantastic, taking advantage of her wide range of abilities from rock to lyrical mezzo-soprano.
How do you stay healthy while performing?
We always try to stay healthy. Unfortunately, with Covid Lockdown, we’re doing less sport, meaning that we’re going fat, ha ha! (except Marie !!!) Actually, performing is our way to do sports, so I hope we’ll be going live very soon!
What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
I think that like it or not, streaming music is slowly replacing our good old vinyl and CDs. Nowadays, kids never buy CDs, they just listen to single songs on Spotify or Youtube, generally for free and with awful speakers or headphones. So, I guess we, musicians, have to cope with that. I miss the old times when I was anxiously waiting for my favorite band’s releases and went to the music shop to buy the CD. For a first listen, I always went alone in my room, with no one bothering me so that I could focus on that new music. There was something special and precious about that moment. I don’t think you can have that kind of moment with streaming music. But that’s a personal feeling.
How can people forget about the origin hashtag # Sharp in a musical score? Because of social media #sonyrecords vs. F#
Haha, probably 99% of people have never even tried to actually READ a score! And by the way, there are fantastic musicians who have NEVER read a score. Think of great blues guitarists or some great folk musicians. I don’t think that reading music is so essential to composing great music. Of course, it IS essential for playing classical music, but that’s another story.
Digital vs. vinyl?
I don’t miss vinyl much, except for nostalgia. I generally prefer digital… when it is good! Unfortunately, people tend to listen more and more to music from Youtube and other streaming platforms, where compression is killing the sound.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
Right now, well: Pink Floyd “On the turning away”. There’s something magical in this song, with Celtic influences and lyrical and almost symphonic accents. Maybe one day I’d like to make a cover of it. Moreover, David Gilmour is such a fantastic guitarist. It’s one of those people who made me want to play the guitar.
Both (Pfizer and BioNTech) and Moderna have concluded Phase 3 Study of the Coronavirus vaccine. With both vaccines, it takes two shots. How many people do you think will take it and how many will forget to take the second shot?
I really don’t know. It depends on the countries. Here in France, we have quite a lot of people who don’t want vaccines. So, who knows? All I can say it that I really can’t wait to see that pandemic go away. It’s really changing our lives right now, not for the best!
How long before the whole world will be vaccinated against the virus. You have to remember there only has to be a 70% for Herd immunity (Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community (the herd) becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected — not just those who are immune.)
They say it could take more than six months to get to that percentage. But even then, the virus will mutate, so they’ll have to modify the vaccine and have people get vaccinated again. Not wanting to be pessimistic, but I’m afraid this not the end of it yet. As I said, our lives are changing. Makes me think of that fantastic movie “12 Monkeys”.
Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
Of course, it will. It already has. Concert organizers cannot survive. Some of them already stopped their business. Musicians cannot live without playing to the audience… Everything is on stop right now. Even recording an album is almost impossible. We are doing our best right now, but it takes more time than ever!
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
We have mainly been waiting for the end of it! But it’s not coming! But we have not lost our time, since we have composed our 5th album, using new internet techniques.
Marie- How was it to do an improvised lyrical performance on Aug. 8?
Marie: I love to sing classical, especially in nice churches with great acoustics. There’s something quite magical with the sound and the feedback the old stones give to the performer. So, I really enjoy those moments.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
Marie: not sure it’s a hobby, but I started painting in my own house. I also started to write songs in French.
Vynce : no new hobby for me. Just making more music at home!
95% of people said that they have changed the way they watch television. This includes people who don’t have television and using their computers to do streaming of programs and movies. Which is your favorite streaming channel?
I don’t watch TV nor streaming platform, really. All the time I have, I compose and play music. I’ve always felt TV was a waste of a lifetime. I’d rather take a book. I’m a huge fan of fantasy novels.
With the streaming services (Disney (50+ new shows/movies Lizzie McGuire, The Sandlot, Beauty and the Beast prequel, Moana, Cars, Soul, Raya and the Last Dragon, Sister Act 3, Pinocchio, Peter Pan and Wendy, all future Star Wars and Marvel movies and shows) and HOB Max ( including Wonder Woman 2, Godzilla vs Kong, Top Gun: Maverick, Mortal Kombat, Tom and Jerry, The Many Saints of Newark, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, In the Heights, Space Jam: A New Legacy, The Suicide Squad, Dune, The Matrix 4) planning to pull all the upcoming movies from next year and put them on their streaming service. How will that affect the entertainment industry?
Not sure about that. Going to the movie theatre is really a very different experience. Streaming at home, for me it’s killing half of the emotion and the thrill. I’m really not a fan of Netflix and the like. But we all have to adapt to the situation.
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook. Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will includes [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only.
How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?
To be honest, these wars about license, money, service, ads, are killing me. I feel the situation with social media is horrible for musicians. I use Facebook just for being in touch with friends of Whyzdom, but I find it more and more aggressive, with more ads, more intolerant people, more fake news all the time, more phishing, and so on and so on… I know we cannot do without it, but it’s really getting on my nerves lately.
All in all, I get the impression that everyone is arguing about the work made by musicians, fighting about who should get the money!… leaving a ridiculous small fraction of it to the musicians themselves.
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?
That’s a question with no real answer. We are inventing the future right now, with no clue of what it will be! Anyway, as a musician, “keeping fans” is not my priority. Music is my priority. I compose music, and I play music. People like it or not… I’m quite confident that if fans like our music, they will continue listening to our new albums anyway.
Is pay to play still a thing? Now pay to play also means things like playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.
This is not new. It’s always been like so. The difference is that nowadays, musicians invest their own money. 20 or 30 years ago, it was record companies who did invest that money. You definitely cannot get big if you don’t invest money into promotion, be it a slot for a major band tour or a playlist on the internet. Maybe it’s a reason why Whyzdom is still a minor band: we don’t have money to invest into that.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
Erf, as I said, it’s really not the same thing as feeling the music in a proper venue, with the whole audience, and chatting with the real musicians at the bar after the show!
If you can’t do music what would you like to be doing?
Actually, I’m really interested in film making (I made all Whyzdom video clips). So probably I would make the next Star Wars movie! J
How has your music change since 2008?
I think we improved a lot musically speaking. The downside is that when we improve, there’s a tendency to make more complex things that are more difficult to grab for the audience. For the 5h album, we have tried to get back to our roots and be more direct… but always hugely symphonic.
What is your happy place?
My happy place is in Brittany. It’s where my heart lives. My Celtic roots.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
I would just like to say thank you to all the fans who continue supporting us. It’s really appreciated in these difficult times. The 5th album is just around the corner! Trust me, it’ll be worth the wait!
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