Morning Metal – Interview with Sovereign Council
Sovereign Council – May 15th, 2014
James Rockso – Ottawa Showbox
Sovereign Council – thank you for joining me again! We’ll start off with the beginning – where and how did Sovereign Council form?
Chris: Sovereign Council came together in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Originally Alex came to me with the idea of getting a band together. This must have been about three or four years ago. I hadn’t played my guitar in about three years at this point so I was pretty skeptical at first. Eventually Alex managed to convince me to go for it and we started writing songs. The original material we came up with was less than inspiring; but gradually our writing and play styles developed into what you hear on “New Reign.”
Vocalists Alex MacWilliam/Lisa Thompson – Primal Fear, May 3rd, 2014
Who are the members of the band and what do you do, respectively?
Chris: The current lineup is Alex MacWilliam (Vocals) Lisa Thompson (Vocals) Jessica Marsden (Keys & Vocals) Chris Thompson (Guitar) Patrick Buczynski (Guitar) Shaun Vanhooser (Bass) and Brandon Schneider (Drums).
Other than playing our respective instruments we also all contribute to the creative process in some form or another. Alex and I are still the primary songwriters, as with “New Reign,” but the whole group pitches in with suggestions and ideas.
How was your most recent show with Primal Fear?
Chris: That show was unbelievable. It was our first time opening for a truly established touring act. It must have been nearly a sold out show because the crowd was packed in quite tight. The level of professionalism by the crew at the venue was quite refreshing; I think that was what made the biggest impression on me. I couldn’t have asked for better. On top of that, we had the chance to meet Primal Fear and learn from them as well which was an invaluable experience.
Riff masters Patrick Buczynski/Chris Thompson – Primal Fear, May 3rd, 2014
For fans who haven’t heard of you, why should they check you out?
Chris: This is always a tough question. There are millions of bands out there so it can be very hard to stand out from the crowd. I think the edge we have that separates us from some of the others is our dynamic sound. It’s very hard to pigeonhole us into one specific genre, and that has allowed us to have a very broad fan base. I’ve had eighty-year-old people listen to our music and truly love certain songs like “Moonlight” and “Siren’s Song” or even “Dolos” and “Sweet Poison.” At the same time we have our heavier, more traditional, metal edge to us that seems to keep the metal fans happy. Most of our international reviews keep praising us for our unique sound and they’re always shocked that we’re from Canada.
I think I would simply tell people to check us out because we most likely have something that will appeal to them. Whether it’s the more metal and hard hitting rhythms, the melodic leads, or the theatrical vocals. We like to think of ourselves as easily accessible and relatable yet still heavy enough to be edgy.   Â
The beautiful Jessica Marsden – Primal Fear, May 3rd, 2014
When we had our interview at CKCU 93.1 FM, Lisa and I talked about new material coming soon. How is the new album coming?
Chris: There must be more than ten or fifteen tracks written now. I don’t want to say too much about it, but we’ve been very aware of our need to best our debut release. “New Reign” was so well received, and that definitely increases the pressure to release something of that caliber, hopefully higher. That being said, I am personally very excited about the new material and I really look forward to releasing it!
Where are you going to record the new album? Have you selected a producer?
Chris: We haven’t settled on a studio or anything like that yet. It is possible that we could home record like last time, at least with guitars and synth anyway. I would personally prefer to run drums and vocals in a studio. But ultimately it will come down to budget and time. As for a producer, we’re just going to keep rolling like we did on the first album. The great reception we got from that release leads me to believe that we’re doing something right, so I personally don’t see any need to bring a producer into the mix at the moment.   Â
When will you be hoping to release it?
Chris: When it’s right. With the first release we were very careful to only release once we were sure it was ready. The same rules apply with any upcoming work. That being said, we are aiming for this year.   Â
Sovereign Council is known for it’s very diverse range of songs, keeping ballads and the heaviness close together – what influences drove you to play symphonic metal?
Chris: Another good question. My largest influence in this particular genre is Kamelot. That being said, most of the band doesn’t actually listen to a lot of symphonic metal. We’re into all genres of music, from melodic death metal to rap and hip-hop, classic rock, groove metal, jazz, swing, classical. You name it; at least one of us probably listens to it.
Lisa: What drove me to sing symphonic metal…my cousin hahaha. I wasn’t really introduced to Symphonic metal until I joined this band to be honest. I was a big Evanescence fan about 11 years ago but that was the extent of my knowledge about what was out there.
Patrick: What brought me to symphonic metal was the fact that I like any song that has power or drives me. I am really drawn to tension that usually derives from a classical approach. I also enjoy that this genre likes to draw from many instruments to create a more powerful and commanding presence on the stage.
Alex: I am driven by a love of deep and heavy guitars, fast drums, and complex interwoven melodies into symphonic metal. In a large way my theatre training comes through, as you will get these soft lamenting ballads either backed up against or even placed inside of massively powerful choral pieces. And since it’s hard to get 30 people to cooperate and into a practice space, symphonic metal seemed the easier solution!
Shaun: Personally I’ve never been a big fan of the “symphonic” metal genre until joining Sovereign Council. Since then I’ve found an appreciation for the genre and the talent that lies in it.
Brandon: I never really decided I wanted to play symphonic metal since I never listened to this genre. Most of what I used to play before Sovereign Council was metal core, prog, and groove metal. When I joined the band I saw it as an opportunity to expand my playing style and collaborate my style with symphonic music.
Jessica: Symphonic metal is an extremely diverse genre within itself. I believe that it has the power and depth to bring the most people together with its wide range of sounds and stories; and that’s what metal is all about – bringing people together, sharing in the music we all love, and rocking out together!
“The Drumminator”, Brandon Schneider – Primal Fear, May 3rd, 2014
What musician would you consider your main influence on your respective instrument?
Chris: I don’t personally have any one musician that I draw from more than others. Certainly Aaron Marshall and Lukas Guyader from Intervals, Tosin Abasi from Animals as Leaders, Thomas Youngblood from Kamelot, Dan Donegan from Disturbed, just to name a few.
Lisa: My main vocal influence has always been and continues to be Eva Cassidy.
Patrick: My main guitar influences are split between Jeff Loomis and Keith Merrow.
Alex: Roy Khan!
Shaun: My biggest bass guitar influence is Martin Mendez.
Brandon: My main influence/inspiration for drumming is Chris Adler from Lamb Of God.
Jessica: My main influence for the piano/keyboards is absolutely Tuomas Holopainen. His skills are so refined, and I truly respect the diversity within everything he composes, which is always masterfully executed. I can tell that he has an extremely deep emotional bond with his instrument, which is something I have always felt myself, and makes it so much easier to look up to him as a musical role model. I feel it also brings out much of what is pure, moving, elegant and rich in Nightwish’s music.
If you could collaborate with any artist – doesn’t have to be a metal musician – who would you choose?
Chris: Aaron Marshall would be a cool experience, I enjoy his play style and I imagine I could learn a lot from working with him. Also, of course, our good friends from Santuarium in Rio de Janeiro. It was a pleasure touring with them and I imagine it would also be great to work with them on a future project!
Lisa: The artist I would like to collaborate with is Chris Martin because of his progressive writing style and musical creativity.
Patrick: I would love to collaborate with Tosin Abasi just for the fact I believe his progressive and technical approach to music has actually changed my view of music in a melodic and chaotic approach.
Alex: I would love to just meet Tony Kakko and ask him “How? How did you get so good?” Haha. Also I would jump at the chance to work with Roy Khan, as he is such a large influence on me, and reason I chose to do what I do. But also Stu Block. As a Canadian artist, with such a huge vocal range and diverse style, switching back and forth from clean to harsh vocals like I do, he would be a great artist to sit down and collaborate with.
Shaun: I would like to have the opportunity to collaborate with Ryan Martinie because he is such a diverse player; I feel I could learn a lot from him.
Brandon: If I could collaborate with anyone it’d be Alex Rudinger because of his progressive/diverse playing style.
Jessica: If I could collaborate with any artist at this time, it would be Floor Jansen. I was absolutely blown away by her voice and stage presence when I watched her full 2013 Wacken Open Air show. Her voice suits both softer and heavier songs. Which, of course, comes along with having such a dynamic voice and exceptional skill paired with a hell of a lot of power. I respect and admire that woman.
Mr. Shaun Vanhooser – Primal Fear, May 3rd, 2014
What can we expect from the May 16th show with Endemise, Valfreya, The Night Watch & DIABHOLICO?
Chris: You can expect the same high-energy, professional, and fun performance that we always bring to our shows! These bands are all great, and it’s going to be an awesome night!
Where can your fans buy “New Reign” as well as merchandise?
Chris: You can purchase “New Reign” at any of our shows or online or our Facebook page. Simply message us with your email address and we’ll send you an invoice via PayPal. From there we’ll mail it right to you.
 You can also download it on iTunes, Amazon, ReverbNation, and many more sites.
With the new album in the works and the upcoming shows – what else are you guys up to?
Chris: Our main focus is the new music. We’ve just set up a few of us on Ask.fm to connect to people a little more. Soon you’ll likely see some play though videos, new photos, and hopefully a music video.
Sovereign Council –Â https://www.facebook.com/SovereignCouncilpage
Stream “New Reign” –Â http://www.reverbnation.com/sovereigncouncil
James Rockso – Host of CKCU 93.1 FM’s “Morning Metal” & Producer/Engineer at “Pebble Studios”
Morning Metal 2014.
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