Mena
Brinno
Marius and Katy have recently
released one of the most intriguing and special gothic metal albums I've
listened to. They have this ability to compose songs that the more you
listen to them, the more you grow to like them. So, still having in mind
the impression we had from their EP, we asked them a some questions to
decipher Mena Brinno's reason for existence...
1. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR FIRST EP “MOON
FEVER”? ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH HOW IT TURNED OUT TO BE OR WOULD YOU LIKE
TO CHANGE ANYTHING?
Marius: I feel great about it. Personally,
I think it's the best recording I have done to date. I am quite happy
about it.
2. GIVE US IN BRIEF THE MOST IMPORTANT MOMENTS
OF THE BAND AND PRESENT THE CURRENT LINE UP.
Katy: When I heard Marius's instrumental that
eventually became "The Lone Green Valley"! I've always wanted to set the
anonymous poem, "The Jealous Lover" to music. When I heard this work by
Marius, I instantly heard the entire song in my head. It has lead to a
far more prominent usage of folk textures and themes in our music and was
truly a pivotal moment for us.
Current Lineup:
Marius Kozlowski: guitars
Katy Decker: vocals:
Vince Greco: bass
Tom Klinesmith: drums
3. WHY DID YOU BOTH LEAVE ROYAL ANGUISH? WHICH
WERE THE REASONS?
It was just time to move on! Things didn't
work out, enough said. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors.
4. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IF YOU WERE ASKED TO PRESENT
YOUR ALBUM IN A FEW WORDS AS OBJECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE?
Katy: A spellbinding gothic metal album with
elements of opera, folk and rock.
5. YOUR MUSIC HAS SOME VERY BEAUTIFUL AND YET
MELANCHOLIC MELODIES AND IN SOME SONGS YOU COMBINE THEM WITH FOLK OR EVEN
TRADITIONAL ACOUSTIC SPANISH RHYTHMS. HOW DID THIS COME UP?
Marius: Thank you very much. I think a lot
of it comes from the work on my own solo projects. I've always been fascinated
with acoustically based music. Creating and experimenting with different
tones and moods and combining them with metal so when Katy and I decided
to form Mena Brinno it became quite a very natural transition from what
I've been doing previously and taking it to the next level. Classical music
played a part in my early days of guitar playing and the folk side of it
comes quite naturally for Katy, who is a professionally trained opera singer,
and I. For me, it's probably because I've always been a fan of Renaissance
music and so forth.
6. KATY HAS AN INCREDIBLE AND REALLY EMOTIVE VOICE.
I’D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT SHE THINKS WHENEVER SHE INTERPRETS THE SONGS…
Katy: Thank you for the compliments on my
vocals! If the song is written from my own perspective like, for instance,
The Meeting, I just relive the experiences I had that led to the writing
on the piece. If it's about another person as in "The Lone Green Valley"
I use my theatrical training to find the core of the character and totally
suffuse myself in those emotions. It's really liberating because I just
wasn't able to connect with the opera characters I had portrayed prior
to becoming a metal singer. Now, since I select or write all my lyrics,
I'm able to choose topics that I can fully connect to!
7. WHAT’S THE BEST AND WHAT’S THE WORST PART OF
YOUR MUSIC, ACCORDING TO YOU?
Katy: The best part is definitely the experimental
melding between virtuoso vocals and folk/renaissance sounds. The worst:
Hey- I'm promoting my band here! You can decide that for yourself! (=
8. WHY DO YOU THINK THE METAL HEADS SHOULD CHECK
YOU OUT? WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO OFFER TO THE SCENE? IS THERE SOMETHING YOU
FEEL THAT SETS YOU APART?
Marius: Yes I think we are the only gothic
metal band that combines folk/metal influences with a true classical voice.
Katy isn't just classically trained, she actually has performed internationally
and was trained at two of the best conservatories in the world!
9. WHICH ARE YOUR MAIN INFLUENCES AND WHO ARE
THOSE MUSICIANS THAT MADE YOU REALIZE THIS IS THE KIND OF MUSIC YOU LOVE
AND WANT TO FOLLOW?
Marius: My influences are that of classical
music, New Age, Ambient and of course Metal but I also draw inspiration
from people I meet, places I visit or simply from watching a movie or going
to a local club and seeing a local band play. As for the answer to the
second part of your question I have to say that it was Katy herself who
made me realize of the direction to take... As I said earlier, I've always
been a fan of acoustic music and always wanted to do something like this
where I could combine the classical, acoustic/ambient elements with metal.
Just didn't have a real chance or didn't have the right person to work
with until now.
10. HOW COME YOU ARE A TAMPA BASED BAND PLAYING
GOTHIC MUSIC? HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? :)
Marius: Contrary to what some may believe
Tampa does have a Gothic fan base. Orlando is probably the biggest in that
sense. I guess a lot of people would think that if a band is from the Tampa
area they have to be into playing death metal. I just personally don't
think that has to be the case. Tampa will always remain as the capital
of death metal. It's what got me into extreme metal and into guitar
and that will always be a part of me. I just think with me, I've always
tried to keep an open mind and try to explore new ideas as time went by.
That's where Mena Brinno comes in. Knowing where Mena Brinno is from
one could say that it is probably a quite a gutsy move to go from an extreme
metal situation such that of Royal Anguish to forming a band like Mena
Brinno which plays Gothic based music and I may agree with that but at
the same time I think one has to follow their instincts.
11. WHICH ARE THE TOPICS YOUR LYRICS DEAL WITH?
WHICH ARE YOUR SOURCES OF INSPIRATION?
Katy: I may have answered this before in the
previous question… but I'll add a few things. I'm always on the look out
for people, poems, places and events that inspire me and cause me to react
emotionally. Almost anything is fair game! Sometimes, I'll just have a
single moment of meeting a person who inspires me and it 'll set off an
entire fantasy in my head that will produce a song. When we release a full
length you'll hear one like that called, "Icy Muse". It's one of my favorites!
12. IF YOU HAD A BIG BUDGET TO SHOOT A VIDEO CLIP,
WHICH SONG OF YOURS WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND HOW DO YOU IMAGINE IT TO BE?
Katy: The Lone Green Valley most definitely!
I'll let you wait to see! Don't want to spoil the surprise!
13. HOW DO YOU PLAN TO PROMOTE YOUR WORK? HAVE
YOU GOT ANY PLANS FOR LIVE SHOWS?
Marius: We have been working diligently on
doing all sorts of promotion that we can get our hands on whether through
local musical outlets, internet zines just as 'Behind The Veil', radio
submission, radio appearrances and so on. We do have plans to do
shows and in fact our first show was at the Pegasus on February 16th and
more are to follow. We have few scheduled for March and are planning
quite a few shows in April.
14. HAVE YOU SENT YOUR EP TO ANY LABELS? ARE YOU
UNDER NEGOTIATION WITH ANY OF THEM?
Marius: Talks are currently taking place and
an announcement will be coming very soon.
15. HOW HAVE THE REACTIONS FROM THE FANS AND PRESS
BEEN SO FAR? WHAT WAS THE MOST FLATTERING AND WHAT THE MOST UNFAIR COMMENT
YOU READ?
Marius: It has been quite flattering so far.
A lot of people didn't get to hear Katy and I in this sort of fashion.
The only time they've seen us was when we were with R.A. so they have been
blown away by it in a very complimentary way. Especially when it comes
to Katy's vocals. I think Katy's vocals really shine in Mena Brinno than
in any time before that and those who have seen us or heard us agree.
16. IS THERE A QUESTION YOU’D LIKE TO BE ASKED
AND NO ONE HAS EVER ASKED YOU SO FAR?
Marius: Hmm...not sure...surprise us...
17. WHAT’S THE STRANGEST OR FUNNIEST INCIDENT
THAT HAS OCCURRED TO THE BAND?
Marius: Haven't had any happen yet...
18. BY THE WAY YOU HAVE A VERY STRANGE MONIKER.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN AND HOW DID YOU SELECT IT?
Katy: Mena Brinno means Moon Fever in old
gothic. We wanted a name that would represent the dark overtones of our
music. A night fever implies this very feeling. Many of our lyrics have
to do with seduction or human suffering, both of which are intensified
by night.
19. TELL US A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE LOGO. WHY DO
YOU HAVE A MOON AND AN OWL IN YOUR LOGO? DO THEY MEAN SOMETHING IN SPECIFIC?
Marius: Both the moon and the owl are likely
to be associated with darkness therefore they are the perfect elements
to represent the darker side of Mena Brinno's music.
21. THANK YOU! IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE
TO MENTION?
Katy: Many new plans will be revealed in the
near future so check out the myspace or the website to keep in touch with
Mena Brinno!
Christine Parastatidou
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