Interview Daísa Munhoz - Vandroya, February 2013

Could you please introduce our readers to the band and give a short version of the biography?

Daísa: Vandroya was born in 2001, and we were just a group of kids playing cover songs of the bands we admire the most. We had, at that time, no pretensions about composing, about having an album of ours, actually. Then, when we realized that we could do more than that, we recorded an EP named Within Shadows. But Vandroya went through many lineup changes after that, a lot of problems and we decided to put an end in the band activities in 2008. But in 2010 everything changed, and we felt that that was the time for us to get back on our feet and finished what we wanted the most: our own album. 

In 2001 the band started, what took you so long to release your debut ‘One’?

Because of this break time we were obliged to enter in. We passed through a lot since we released that EP. We didn´t have any intension of making our own songs at first, but one day Marco Lambert appeared at a rehearsal with a song of his own, and this was our start, it was when we felt able to do more than just cover songs, so we recorded this EP named “Within Shadows”, in 2005. It was well accepted and we gained respect and fans on the scene we were inserted. But after that, problems came, many members left, we had no support and money at all, so we decided to give a break on the band’s activities. It was only 2010 when we felt we needed to finish what we started back in 2005. I use to say that this break time was extremely necessary to the band’s health, because everybody learned and grown a lot musically and personally speaking, and I’m pretty sure that if we had recorded and launched this album at that time, it wouldn’t have such positive impact like it has been right now. ONE came at the right time, with the best band lineup we ever had. 

Who is responsible for the song writing in the band?

Marco Lambert is this guy. Of course all of us collaborate with him, but he really has that talent of making music, you know? Our compositions process sometimes is a mess, actually, with a lot of influences of every member, and Marco is the maestro, the person who coordinates all of our ideas, and he really has flair to lead and organize a band. He is a true natural leader. Regarding the lyrics, they were all written by me, except “Change the Tide”, written by Heleno Vale, and “Anthem (for the Sun)” and “This World of Yours”, that I wrote along with Otávio Nuñez, our drummer. 

The most popular power metal band from Brazil is Angra, how well known is Vandroya back in Brazil?

We are getting known right now, actually. It is our first album and the feedback we’re receiving here has been amazing to be honest. I don’t know if we’re going to be as known as Angra is, but we don’t have this pretension: we just want to do our songs, and we are extremely thankful with all that’s going on. 

Your style is a mix of Kamelot, Angra, Sonata Arctica,  Stratovarius and a lot of others. Don’t you think it will be difficult for you to catch the eye of the power metal fan?

Well, we really don’t know about that. When we write a song we don’t care that much about market. We don’t know how to classify what we create, and I think we will never be able to do so. Of course you can clearly hear our influences in the album, but we prefer not to label it, because we’ll never know what kind of music we are going to create next. The truth is this is intrinsically linked to the fact that we’re always will feel like that band formed by friends back in 2001, you know? We don’t think about it, we just do it. It’s only heavy metal, despite of styles, genre and sub-genre, that’s the only way we know how to do it. 

I have to admit that the album sounds very great, who is responsible for the production?

Marco Lambert, again. We trust a lot in his good taste, we are very glad with this result he achieved in ONE. Marco learned a lot over these years and his partnership with Heros Trench (guitarist of Korzus) who mixed the album was very well succeeded.

I think it will be financially impossible to promote the album live in Europe, for example. What are the next steps for the band?

Recording an album is awesome, but playing your own songs live is even better, so our plans right now is perform live for the most amount of cities we can here in Brazil. You’re right about the financial impossibilities, but I can assure you we’ll do the best we can to achieve that, since it really would be a dream coming true if we could perform live in Europe. 

Are there already a lot of new tracks written, because you already started with this album in 2010, I can imagine you have a lot of new ideas already.

You are right; we already have a lot of ideas taking shape. We are working a lot right now with this launch and we are about to begin a tour here in Brazil. But still, we don’t want things to cool down, so we are, indeed, composing for the next album.  

Which 5 albums should every metal fan have in his/her collection?

This is an impossible task, for sure, and I’m not able to do that, but I can list 5 heavy metal albums that changed my life. I grew up listening to a lot of classic rock bands as well as hard rock ones, and I never hide I’m fanatic for Led Zeppelin. But there are 5 heavy metal albums that really caught my attentions to this style: Pink Bubbles Go Ape (Helloween), Cowboys from Hell (Pantera), And Justice for All (Metallica), The Number of the Beast (Iron Maiden) and Black Sabbath (Black Sabbath). 

Anything else you want to share with our readers?

Gratitude. That’s all I want to share right now. I’m really thankful with everything that’s going on with Vandroya. I also want to invite everybody to “like” our fan page at facebook and to visit our website as well (vandroya.com). Thank you very much for this opportunity to talk about this album, I really appreciate it!

Thanks for answering the questions!

Interviewed by Reinier de Vries