This Gothic Metal band from Riga, Latvia, combine the best melodies ever in their world and mix it all together with melodic sounds and Gothic Rock. The result? This amazing EP called ““The Tale of the Noble Knight”, released on the 13th May, via WormholeDeath.
M.I. - Hi there, guys. It’s nice to meet you. Greetings from Portugal to Latvia. I hope you are great!
Hello, Metal Imperium and greetings to our Portugal listeners! Thank you for the opportunity to make this interview. We are always happy to get in touch with our followers.
M.I. - Could you please share with the readers your path in the music industry and the choice for your name?
Everlust was started as a one man project around 2006, as I wanted to realize myself in music. The name was chosen as the accurate concept of inspiration source and the thought of one word name. The lust here is not meant in a negative context, it is more like something that always drives you forward, one of the main human instincts. So, if you have passion or lust for anything - you have the willingness to do something! After some unsuccessful attempts to gather a band, Vlad records first demo “Unreal” and stands aside from music for a while. In 2013, another attempt to start a band,was successful and there started another chapter in Everlust’s history. The first concert in 2014, the first album in 2017 and 2020 came with the contract with WormholeDeath. Of course, many regards to THP Production management agency for sharing our music.
M.I. - The new EP “The Tale of the Noble Knight” was released via WormholeDeath, on the 13th May. Tell us more about this record label, the Metal bands they deal with and how they contacted you, please!
Well, as I said before, our manager Agrita, from THP Production, shared our music with WormholeDeath and they liked it. WormholeDeath is a great label, they are based in Italy, but their bands are located around the world. They are all great bands and they select them carefully. As I can say, all the bands are playing great music of high quality. So, we are very proud to be part of this label and highly recommend you to listen to the bands on their roster.
M.I. - This amazing EP is about a knight who has traveled a lot, fought many battles and finally returned home to rest. Who is this man? How did you write the lyrics and the concept?
Yeah, thank you! Our Max is actually a good lyric maker. When he showed me his recent writings, I knew what music piece from my themes, would fit them. I personally also write lyrics, but when I see something great and conceptual as it were with lyrics of “The Tale of the Noble Knight”, I gave it a chance.
M.I. - He also deals with many personal things, such as faded feelings and the need to change the previous self. Are we the ‘knights’ of our lives, that need to make some changes within it? Have the times that we live in the present contributed to the construction of this EP? In what way and what feelings made you feel that?
Indeed, we all are these “knights”, everyone. We face the same “battles” in our everyday life and we need to stop, rest and look at ourselves and maybe change a bit to become a different and maybe better version of ourselves. As one of Latvia’s greatest poets Rainis said: “The one who changes, will survive”.
M.I. - Every song, which is incredibly beautiful, has its personal context. Will there be a continuation of the tale of the knight, such as a trilogy? Do you have more demos complete or partially finished?
We are not planning to continue the knight’s story. Of course we have many ideas of the following material, but quoting the previous thought, we are planning to change. It doesn’t mean that we are going to step away from our gothic vibes. Not at all. But we have surprises, so stay tuned.
M.I. - “Nostalgie” is the a remake of the 2007 band's demo album song. Why did you choose this song and what arrangements did you have to make for the track to sound so fresh and contemporary?
I think that “Nostalgie” is a great song and I wanted to give it a second chance, as the demo isn’t actually an official release and all the vocals were made by me. It seemed interesting to see how the song would sound with female vocals and great production.
M.I. - You made a cover of a song from the last century: a 1990’s cover from the Swedish band Ace Of Base: “Happy Nation” and you already considered it like a “hymn to life”. Why did you consider this song as a hymn? What does this song mean for you, personally, and are you fans of this band?
I always liked this song and wanted to make the cover for almost 15 years. Now it was a good time to do it. The situation in the world now needs to remind us of the values of humankind. If you read the lyrics, you will see that salvation is in being human and good!
M.I. - It has many Gothic Rock sounds and melodic sounds. What were your inspirations for the creation of this awesome and unique sound?
It was mainly our own sound inspired from bands such as Theatre of Tragedy, Paradise Lost, HIM, Lacuna Coil, Draconian, Sentenced and many other legendary gothic acts, but of course our album and EP producers, Ricky from Titans Lab and Carlo from WormholeDeath, gave their addition to it.
M.I. - Your 2007’s demo “Unreal” started all for you (7 original tracks and a cover of Depeche Mode – “In Your Room”) and now this EP. What changes did you notice, lyrically and musically, from the past years until now?
The changes are significant, as the demo was made by Vlad in 2007 and this actual EP, is produced by WormholeDeath. Well, the demo was made by one man and helped to record by another and this EP is a result of the whole band working with the label. There are differences in sound but the quality of the latest release is remarkable.
M.I. - A cover of Roxette’s song – “I’m Sorry” and a bonus track – a cover of Nick Cave & Kylie Minogue’s – “Where The Wild Roses Grow”, is featured on your first album, from 2017: “Hurts to Live”. Were they difficult to reproduce and sing? Why these ones?
Roxette is one of my favorite bands and inspirations. Their songwriting and performing is something legendary and ageless. As many musicians prefer to cover most popular songs, we turned to less popular and underrated songs. “I’m Sorry” is a great song and there is always an interesting fact about covers in albums... I usually offer a song and record all the instrument parts and the vocalist has to learn and give her interpretation of the particular song. So, it is quite an impulsive creation.
M.I. - In 2017, you performed at one of the biggest festivals in Latvia – “Zobens un Lemess” Open Air. What is this festival about? What bands did you see?
It is one of the greatest open air festivals in Latvia, but it mainly concentrates on Folk and Dark Metal styles. We had a great opportunity to participate and it was a truly great experience. We saw many great Latvian bands that we already know, but also there were some great bands from other countries.
M.I. - You come from Riga, which is the capital of your country, Latvia. How is the Metal scene in your country? Do you have many concerts there and festivals? Could you please give us an insight to what happens in your country musicwise?
Yeah! Riga is very friendly for offering concerts to the bands from all over the world. Just get in touch with THP Production or our great clubs, like Republika or DEPO and they will offer you a concert possibility.
M.I. - You had several lineup changes and with that, a contract with a THP Production management agency, came along. Congrats for your success. You deserve it! Do you have plans to tour? Which countries? Would you like to come to Portugal? Share, please, the future for you and the EP!
Yeah, thank you! We have plans to tour, but due to the recent line-up changes we had to postpone our touring activities. We are ready to tour and would like to come to Portugal, of course. As the tour is something that needs to be planned, we will try to plan it for next spring or summer season, so stay tuned!
Listen to Everlust, on Spotify
For Portuguese version, click here
Questions by Raquel Miranda
