Exclusive Interview: Ruina talk “A Hundred Voices”!

After unveiling their sophomore EP “A Hundred Voices” a couple of weeks back, we had the pleasure of a few minutes in the company of multi instrumentalist and vocalist Harvey Lake to chat about all things Ruina and the follow up to the much loved “Nemesis“. Thanks to the pre-release singles and very well put together music videos the bands new offering already has the better part of 30k Spotify streams as 105mm studios once again handle the audio production aspects on an EP that sees Ruina embracing the same Metal genre fluidity…

The Ruina sound has had something of a style shift going from the Metallic Hardcore of the first EP “Nemesis” to a more rounded Metal release with “A Hundred Voices“; what was it that brought about the decision to spread your wings and write the new music? We’ve always been a band that doesn’t cling onto genre. We like to push boundaries and include all aspects of heavy music, which is why the new record sounds the way it does. The hardcore days aren’t behind us, but it’s certainly a different beast now with far more metal sound”

To our minds at least you started the style shift with the single “Ceremony” which brought the clean vocal aspect to the forefront and we have said in the review about how brave a move we felt that was. Have you had any vocal lessons to build confidence in doing that? “Absolutely none. I taught myself how to sing during lockdown and I feel like I’m improving through each release. Ceremony was definitely a good start for my singing, and yes I suppose it was a brave move, but what’s the point in staying safe?”

Talking about bravery; you joined BrokenTooth on stage recently for a cover of the Metalcore classic “End of Heartache” by Killswitch Engage! How did that come about and did you ever feel like it was brave covering such a much loved cut? I loved every moment of that performance. It’s well within my range and I love a good cover. There’s something about bands joining each other on stage to play a song everyone knows that just brings the love and energy out of people

Guitars wise the new EP retains that satisfying crunch and your near weekly covers output on social media is an absolute joy; How much fun have you had with the project being directed by yourself as opposed to your following the direction of others in the many, many bands you’ve been a part of over the years? “Thanks man! I mean I do love writing riffs and tracking guitar I find very satisfying. Writing and recording this EP was a pleasure with guitarist Matt, as he and I spent a lot of time tweaking little things here and there, making sure everything sounded as pristine as it could be”

A Hundred Voices” certainly feels like a more personal record; How much has the 18 months of the Great Plague and not being able to play shows had an impact on the new material? “Good spot. During the pandemic I’ve worked in healthcare so the actual covid side of things hasn’t affected the material. However certain events during that time have put me in places I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy. I’ve changed and learned so much about myself and others in this time. Not everyone is as kind as they make out to be and they certainly do not hold back when they come after you. I’ve been very open about my mental health and the many things I struggle with on a daily basis, but f*** man… people can do some serious damage. Every track on this record is defacing an aspect on my mind and I’m sure many others can relate to what I deal with”

Our favourite track on the record has to be “Vipers Nest“, which has one of those riffs that is really addictive. What were the moments you treasure from writing the EP? Was there a moment when you thought “this is a tune!“? “Glad you love that track! It’s a blaster! I think each track has its special moments for sure, but when we finished recording “Stronger Than I” we knew that we were onset to make a really fun and interesting record. Which then led onto recording “A Hundred Voices” which was the most important and exciting track for me”

In our eyes Ruina remains very much a band to watch; you have the music nailed, so what do you feel that you need to get you from where you are now to supporting bands like Of Mice & Men or Stray From The Path on a European tour? “I don’t think that’s really down to us haha! I think if people choose to support the band and listen to our stuff, book us in for shows etc. then I’m sure there’s a place we’ll get to that’ll be satisfying. But if that doesn’t happen, then that’s okay too”

If you’re looking for Ruina merch, you can find it here.

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