VOLA (band)

VOLA /(Vola)/ is a Danish progressive/alternative rock band formed in 2006 by Asger Mygind, Niels Dreijer and Martin Werner in Copenhagen.^[1] Their lineup has changed throughout the years, but it has been stable in the last 3 years, consisting of Asger Mygind(guitar/vocals), Nicolai Mogensen(bass/backing vocals), Martin Werner(keyboards) and Adam Janzi(drums). They self released their first 2 EPs and debut album "Inmazes" which was re-released in 2016 after they got signed by Mascot Label Group. They released their sophomore record "Applause of a Distant Crowd" in 2018 under the same label and began recording for their third album in early 2020. ^[2] They performed for Danish national television at Gaffa Awards in February 2020. ^[3]

History[edit]

Mygind started jamming with the band since he was in highschool, and soon started writing music and exploring sounds out of enthusiasm for different music genres. They came up with the band name, which is usually spelled with capital letters, in the early days and it was inspired from Italian verb "Volare" which means "to fly" . Their first demos and singles were uploaded on OurStage . They released their first EP in 2008, titled "Homesick Machinery". A second EP followed in 2011, "Monsters". By this time the band changed the drummer and bass player and one year after Monsters was released, guitarist Niels left, making the band reinvent their music writing strategy. Since then, they maintained a one guitarist band format. At this point they had only played small local shows in Copenhagen. Most of them were attending Rhythmic Music Conservatory in 2013 when they started writing and composing for their debut record Inmazes. The record was produced, engineered and mixed by Asger Mygind and mastered by Jens Bogren. It was mostly recorded in their dorm rooms at the conservatory and their homes. The record was self released in February 2015. Same year,they were approached by John Sprich, founder of Euroblast Festival, who became their manager and booked their first shows outside of Denmark. The same year they played ProgPower Festival in the Netherlands, Euroblast and a gig in Hamburg. In 2016 they caught the attention of Mascot Label Group which re-released Inmazes under their label. For the re-release, they added 2 bonus tracks, a reinterpretation of two of their Inmazes Tracks, known as the "October Sessions". They kept playing gigs and festivals throughout Europe. Ewert left in 2016, maintaining a solo career and playing with various Danish alternative and pop bands. Simen Sadness joined as a session drummer and in 2016 they also went on their first tour alongside Katatonia and Agent Fresco.^[4] In early 2017 they started looking for a drummer, posting for auditions in a Facebook group. Adam Janzi who was already fairly familiar with their work, recorded himself playing a cover of "Stray the Skies" and after playing a couple of festivals with VOLA he became a permanent member of the band later that year. At this time, most ideas for a second record were written and in late 2017, early 2018 they started recording for "Applause of a Distant Crowd". This time they recorded drums in a studio. The other instruments and vocals were recorded by themselves in their individual home studios. The record was released on the 12th of October, 2018 and around that time they went on a tour with Monuments, Kadinja and Atlas.^[5] The record got nominated for Gaffa Danish Music Awards 2019. In 2019 they kept touring and promoting their latest record, in February-March they toured with Haken and Bent Knee. In June they played 2 gigs in Germany, opening for legendary progressive metal band Dream Theater. By this time, they also announced their very first headliner tour in Europe, alongside Rendezvous Point and Arch Echo, selling out the show in their hometown and a show in Spain. In late 2019 they started writing and working on ideas for a third album. In February 2020 they recorded drums for the third album in Top Floor Studios Gothenburg. At the end of the February they played "Alien Shivers" at Gaffa Awards which was broadcast live on TV 2.^{[6] [7]} Their third record is speculated be released in the late fall of 2020.

Style, themes and influences[edit]

VOLA members have always talked very openly about their influences in interviews.^[8] The wide range of of sounds explored and extreme dynamics between songs and releases are, according to them, the result of having been greatly inspired by bands and artist that come from very different musical backgrounds.^[9] Their most obvious influences are probably legendary extreme metal band Meshuggah , Porcupine Tree , and Mew . ^[10] Asger Mygind recalls being influenced and inspired to pursue a frontman career by James Hetfield, while Martin Werner claims to have been very moved by the play style and songwriting of Jordan Rudess. The combination of very heavy riffs and unexpected electronic & synth elements are probably one of the most defining characteristics of VOLA music, as well as bringing together on the same release rock and metal sounds. Very often the course of their songs shifts from very rigid bass and guitar tones, imposing grooves and riffs to very spacious, atmospheric and eerie sounds, chromatic textures and a shift between uplifting singing and extreme vocals which either appear abruptly or are merged together. They used in their music Djent guitar playing, odd time signatures and polyrhythms which are typical features of Progressive metal but the structure of most of their songs is noticeably classic, verse/chorus/verse/bridge/chorus and their affinity for obvious catchy choruses which are more characteristic to Pop music, thus pushing genre boundaries and stereotypes.^[11]

Discography[edit]

Studio albums[edit]

• Inmazes (2015)^[12]
• Applause of a Distant Crowd (2018)

EPs[edit]

• Homesick Machinery (2008)
• Monsters (2011)

Singles[edit]

• Golden Lighthouse Failure (2010)^[13]
• Glasswork (2010)

Demos, bonus & unreleased tracks[edit]

• 2006 demo record consisting of 3 tracks, "Hidden Inside" , "Confusion Road" and "Scenario"
• "Fireflies" unreleased track^{[14] [15]}
• Gutter Moon & Stray the Skies "October Session" (2016)

Current and former band lineup[edit]

Current members

• Asger Mygind – Lead vocals | Guitar (2006–present)
• Martin Werner – Keyboards (2006–present)
• Nicolai Mogensen – Bass, backing vocals (2011–present)
• Adam Janzi – Drums (2017–present)

Former members

• Niels Dreijer – guitar/backing vocals (2006–2012)
• Jeppe Bloch – bass (2006–2011)
• Niklas Scherfig – drums (2006–2011)
• Felix Evert - drums (2011-2016)
• Simen Sandness -drums (session drummer in 2016)

In the media[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• volaband twitter page
• volaband on spotify
• volaband facebook page
• volaband on youtube
• volaband on gaana.com
• VOLA | Discography | Discogs
• Vola - Metal Storm

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