YODA RISING - Blood Sweat And No Tears ! (Hard-Core - Interview with François & Guillaume)
- Please, introduce yourself and tell us how it all began ?
François : Hi, I'm François from YODA RISING. Basically, Guillaume (bass), Ropié (drums), Will (guitar) and I were in a band called All Of You Down. After that band broke up, Will, Ropié and I decided to form YODA RISING in 2015 with Damien M (former Klozecore) on bass. In 2020, Damien left us to form Drive North (Lyon Metal HxCx), so Guillaume joined the band on bass and Damien L (ex-Classwar) as second guitarist.
Guillaume : My name is guillaume and I'm the bass player for Yoda Rising. I've been playing bass for 6 years and I joined Yoda in september 2021.
- Describe your sound and explain why I should listen to YOUR band at all costs.
François: YODA RISING's hardcore punk is uncompromising, unadorned, lively and hard-hitting. A mix of old school, speed, mid tempo, two step and mosh. It's hard to tell you why you should listen to our music. I think just for fun and the discovery of the French hardcore scene... (yep, that's a reason good enough ! Ed.)
- Lyrical and musical inspirations/influences? How important are lyrics important to you? Are there any specific messages or thoughts you're trying to develop and develop and share through your lyrics?
François : Well, it would take too long to list all my influences, but if I have to synthesize, I'd say, musically the NYHC scene with bands like Sick of it all , Madball, H2O but also bands like Snapcase, Raised Fist. For lyrics, LOFOFORA has always been a big influence, and Reuno is for me a poet of the of the 21st century. Of course there are messages in my lyrics. It's complicated not to make politically and socially engaged lyrics such as racism or violence against women in our style of music, which is rather Underground. Especially in the society we live in. But I also like to write more personal and lighter lyrics like “Empty your mind” and ‘Raise your Glass’, which are party anthems.
- What about your latest album?
François : We released an 11-track album "Lies and Greed" in 2019. It was recorded at Studio l'Artisterie in Villeurbanne with Thibaud Pick at the controls. It can be found in CD format at our Merch stand at all our concerts, or on our website.
The cover was designed by Julien Saniel. In fact, he has a print shop in Lyon, so if you want to see what he does, his instagram is @supermarchenoir .
- So, the last album is from 2019 - it's already a long time... can we hope to see a new album out soon ?
François: For the moment, we're locking ourselves away in our local studio to compose as much as we can and make pre-prods, with the aim of releasing an album in September/October 2025 !
- What are your plans for the future?
Well, we've been doing a lot of touring lately, so what we'd like to do is keep on and meet our public !
- What's your craziest dream for the band ?
François: Touring abroad would be really cool!
Guillaume: My craziest dream would be to tour with Raised Fist, or to be asked to play all the metal festivals in the same year.
- Your BEST & WORST concert and why?
François: As far as I'm concerned, there's never been a worst or best concert. There are some where you play better than others ! But on the other hand, there have been certain places where we've been able to play... how can I put this... atypical venues that were really hardcore !
Guillaume: I don't have a worst or best concert. I have had a blast at all of them, because I'm with my mates and we play for nice, good-natured people.
- Next live appearance(s)?
François: At the moment, we're working out on the dates for 2025, and we'll definitely be playing in March !! But that'll be our 10th anniversary year, so we'll be celebrating this with style !
- A few words about your local scene - the bands you're friends with that you'd like to name ?
Guillaume: The local scene is alive and kicking in Lyon. New bands, old bands, short-lived bands that make an impression on you, as well as old bands that nobody knows. We really like First Try, Kamizol K and Eight Sins. It's always a pleasure to play with them, and we know we're in for a good laugh....
- The last word goes to you...
Continue to support your local scene, go to the gigs, drink, eat, party and long life to you !
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