NERVOSA
13 February 2014
MM: Hey great to meet you, Can you give me a brief history of Nervosa?
Fernanda: I joined Nervosa in July 2011, right after I had been kicked out from my previous band. After sometime away from playing metal, I decided to be back and try living the dream again. After I was almost quitting my quest on looking for girls to play in an all female thrash metal band that I was planning to gather up, because it's very hard to find good and committed musicians in extreme metal, Prika got in touch with me, and after a lot of talking, we saw we shared the same ideas, goals and also we got along really well! Then I presented many plans to the girls, gave my opinion on some of the songs that already existed and then we decided to move on as an active band, and so we did!
PRIKA - I played in a death metal band in 2010, and we needed a drummer, a friend showed me a female drummer, and we began the idea for a female band. I searched by one year female members, bassists and vocals, many girls, but nobody was the ideal. In July of 2011, I found Fernanda Lira to be bassist, she is perfect for us, because she has the same idea, she suggested to make a test of vocal, and when I listened I liked very much! The band had 4 songs before Fernanda Lira, but after that she joined the band, the first show happened and we recorded our first demo, and the band began to walk on.
MM: It's refreshing to have an all female thrash band, what influences you and is it hard to get noticed in Brazil?
Fernanda: Many things influence us, since the whole lots of bands we listen to, and also, in my case, many female idols in music I have! Everything we like to listen ends up influencing in our way or writing, because we simply write music we like to listen! As for being noticed in Brazil, I have to admit it's not easy, because Brazil is a continental country, and besides being big and full of headbangers, there's A LOT of awesome bands from the past, currently and being born everyday! We have a very rich scene down here, which I'm really proud of. The fact that we're an all female metal bands helped us a little to promote our work, because it's still something 'new' to have an all girl band in a male dominated scene, but as it's a reality that's been changing, especially in Brazil, once I could list you many awesome all female bands and a huge list of good female musicians, what matters in the end is making our music astound before everything, and that's what we do to get noticed. We don't play nothing new, but we play what we like to listen and maybe that's what people like to listen too, so they end up getting to know and supporting our music!
PRIKA - My influences are thrash and death metal, bands like: Slayer, Sodom, Vader, Destruction, Cannibal Corpse, Death, Kreator, Testament, etc... An all female band calls attention because it is new and rare yet, but for us it's harder to get respect than a male band, because the people say that we get things cause we are girls, but we are not guilty to be girls. But we'll prove competence along time.
MM: What can we expect from your soon to be released album?Fernanda: Well, it's hard for us to say, because we simply love the album! haha We've put a lot of effort on making this album, and the recording process was not very easy, it was challenging, but at the same time, very enriching. The album shows a new face of the band, once there was a line-up change and also because we believe we have evolved as people and as musicians. I think people can expect a more mature album, and also it's gonna be the perfect mix of my and Prika's ideas. On our first EP, the songs were written by Prika, and I gave my opinion on and changed some things, but I only really contributed in a more active way on the lyrics and vocal lines. This time, all the songs from this album are a very balanced blend of mine and Prika's compositions, sow we are very happy about that!
PRIKA - We worked a lot for this album, now the band has more personality, because this album was made 50% by me and 50% by Fernanda Lira. Hate, indignation, envy, justice, destruction, prejudice, etc.. these are the feelings of the lyrics and the very very aggressive riffs, fast drums, screams and more screams. This is nervous, so Nervosa!
MM: Personal favorite tracks on the album?Fernanda: OMG! This is like choosing a favorite son among all your children! hahaha But if I had to choose, I'd say Justice Be Done and Victim of Yourself. First because both lyrics mean a lot to me and were written in moments I really needed to express myself, to unburden something that was stuck inside of me, and also because they have some of what we do best: blast beats, classical thrash beats and catchy choruses!
PRIKA - I can't answer to this question, I don't have a favorite. But I can say some things about each one. "Nasty injury" for me is the richest song, because the riffs have a lot of technique, the melodies are very rich, "Envious" is the song that touches me, because of the heavy and furious riffs, "Deep misery" because of its energy and because I liked very much of my backing vocals, "Death" because there are my best double pickings and the lyrics I wrote with a lot of hate, "uranio em nós" because this song shows my death metal and grind core style, and "Justice be done" and "Nasty injury" are the best solos that I already did. But I love all the songs, all songs means a lot to me.
MM: If I had never heard your band before what tracks would you point me towards?Fernanda: I would ay the same ones I told you before, exactly because the reasons I told you! I think they would be good for you to know what is Nervosa, because they mix most of the things we are used to compose when writing a song!
PRIKA - I would indicate "Death" or "Justice be done", because "Death" was chosen to be the single exactly because it represents the band, and "Justice be done" also has the same feature.
MM: Obviously Sepultura hail from Brazil are there other thrash metal bands we should be looking out for?Fernanda: No doubt there are, and I'll tell you, there's PLENTY of them! As I said, Brazil is a very rich scene, so I could spend days listing you good bands we have down here. But talking about thrash metal bands, the first ones that spring in mind, besides the classical and old school ones like Sarcófago, Overdose and Chakal, we have Claustrofobia, Torture Squad, Korzus, MX, and many many more!
PRIKA - Of course! Brazil has many good bands, old bands like: Korzus, Sarcofago, Krisiun, Claustrofobia, Torture Squad, Executer, MX, Ratos de Porão etc... and new bands like: Lacerated and carbonized, Skinlepsy, Vocifera, FireStrike, Leatherfaces, etc...
MM: What are your feelings on the Metal Scene in Brazil as a whole ?Fernanda: I would say is a very wide and rich scene. Wherever you go here, you'll fund good bands, and from the wider range of genres, from folk to the most extreme death metal. People are very creative when making metal in Brazil and also we have a kind of aggressiveness and rawness when we play, maybe because of the reality we face because of the fact we are Brazilian. So I think everything we don't agree with in our country ends up on inspiring us to be aggressive in our music!
PRIKA: There are many head-bangers here, it is a scene with a lot of potential, our scene grows each day. The Brazilians are fanatic and dedicated fans, really there are many bands here, and they are very good bands. Brazil is a very large country, so it is possible to make a big tour here, this is fantastic!MM: Any festival dates lined up?Fernanda: We're working on European and Brazilian dates right now, and a little further we'll also work on South American dates, but nothing confirmed so far, you can be waiting for more info on the next months!
PRIKA - We are working to make many shows, we want to play around the world. We have a contract with The Flaming Arts, so it is certain that we are going to play in Europe this year, We have plans to play in South America and North America. Playing everyday, this is very good, and we want this!
MM: Ultimate goal for Nervosa?Fernanda: We consider ourselves a road band, if we could, we would only be on the road during the whole year! haha So, besides making everything we can to promote our album, we wanna play everywhere around! And we'll work hard for that to happen!
PRIKA - Always be able to work with music playing with Nervosa! I want to record many albums, make many tours, etc... I passed many years looking for a true band, and now I won't give up so easily.
MM: Three words to describe Nervosa?Fernanda: I could say female thrash metal, but I would be too obvious! hahaha Just kidding. Sounding a little bit like a metal warrior, I would say Pure Thrash Devotion! Be cause in the end of the day, this is exactly what makes us keep on working! We believe in our music and we are devoted to metal!
PRIKA - Nervous, heavy, women!
MM: Thanks for your time, anything you would like to say to our readers?Fernanda: I just really would like to thank you for this opportunity and my message to everyone's that's reading is to keep supporting metal! our passion and devotion to this is what makes this lifestyle legacy to live and perpetuate over the years! And hope to see you guys on the road!
PRIKA - Thanks for the opportunity, never give up on your objective. Respect the job of the bands even if you don't like them. I hope to see all readers in the mosh pit!... hahaha
Interview by: Seb Di Gatto
