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E-mail interview with Jason Myers of Icarus Witch

February 18th 2010, Los Angeles CA

Andrew: How does it feel touring with Paul DiAnno?
Jason: Fantastic. Paul is a great guy, very down to earth and easy to work with. He treats us all as his band mates as opposed to just some hired guns and that is quite an honor to say the least.

Andrew: I have to ask this one just for the people who attended the show (which was amazing by the way) last night at the Brixton. Why did it take an hour between the end of your set and the start of Paul's? The stage and gear set up was the same anyway.
Jason: Paul chooses his set time each night. He likes us to take 30-40 minutes after the Icarus Witch set for us to rest so that we can give him 100%. Some nights it's less, some nights he needs a bit more time to warm up his voice, as he's been battling laryngitis. He doesn't want to let down his fans and would rather take a bit of extra time to get himself prepared than to rush out and give a lesser performance.

Andrew: Talk a little bit about your just released new album Draw Down The Moon.
Jason: This is our 3rd full length CD and 4th overall. It's our proudest accomplishment and we've worked very hard at honing our song writing skills over the years. Draw Down The Moon continues in the tradition of classic heavy metal that we've always put forth but the songs this time seem to have a bit more of an edge in terms of raw energy and immediate, hook based song structures. Less noodling, and more straight for the throat killer hard rocking metal. The lyrics are as dark and occult as usual with the art and layout being perhaps a bit more sinister and sleazy than past offerings. If you liked where we left off with Songs For The Lost, you'll get into this easily, but I feel there will be a larger group of listeners this time around as well.

Andrew: What touring plans have you guys got after this one?
Jason: There are a few bigger things being mentioned behind the scenes at the moment, but nothing solid enough to announce yet. We really just want to stay on the road as long as possible to promote this. The studio is fantastic from an artistic perspective, but once that bit is sorted, we just prefer to take the music live to the metal heads of the world. If we can rock a different city every night, we're a happy crew.

Andrew: The band has been regarded as the 'carriers of the New Wave Of Traditional Heavy Metal' by a few magazines. What do you think about that and how much pressure does it put on you as a band?
Jason: Well, the press always seems to look for new tags for this or that "wave" of music. We're simply doing the same thing we did when we formed 5 years ago, just doing it a bit better and on bigger stages at the moment. So it's a bit odd to feel we're part of a movement when we really just set out to play good old fashioned heavy metal, despite all the movements and genres that were going on at the time. But of course if we're going to be attached to any tags, trad metal is something we've never denied being and it's certainly promising to see a new crop of bands coming up around us as well. I don't feel pressure because we do what we do and the people either like it or they don't. Fortunately, more and more kids seem to be opening their minds and embracing the old school metal ways. So between those new listeners and the old guard guys that actually were around for the original NWoBHM and such, we're looking better all the time.

Andrew: You have toured with great bands like Heaven And Hell and 3 Inches Of Blood. How much did you learn from them and progress as musicians on these tours?
Jason: We really enjoy playing with a variety of different music styles when it comes to bands we support or those who support us. Heaven And Hell taught us that regardless of how huge and godlike your band may be, you can still be a class act and treat others on the rise with great dignity and respect. I will forever remember how great that whole crew was to us. Touring with an iconic underground band like Trouble was also fantastic in that it showed us if your heart is really in the right place and you stick to your guns, you can make a go of this for years and years even if you may not be a household name. Those guys are the real deal. Die hard rock and doom legends with a real passion for the music.

Andrew: What's your opinion on Paul DiAnno? Surely he has been a hugely underrated vocalist and not been given near enough credit as he should be?
Jason: Oh, I don't know that I would say underrated. I think he is quite revered within the rock world. Just traveling with him for the past month has shown me how iconic the man is. We were sitting in a restaurant in a San Diego golf resort a few days ago, the service was slow, and we were sort of being looked at with "that" look by the snooty golfers and bewildered wait staff as we're all there in our black, metal road gear. Yet someone, one of the kitchen workers found out who Paul was and the next thing you know the entire waitress, bus and kitchen staff are coming out to the table, getting autographs, shaking hands, comping drinks. That may be a reflection on his fame more than his voice, but it's his voice and musical art that got him to that level of respect. I think if people heard some of the other aspects of his vocal range that we get to hear he would be revered by an even more diverse fan base. The man does a mean Barry White and Elvis!

Andrew: What other bands do you listen to, or take musical inspiration from, in this NWOTHM sub-genre?
Jason: I wouldn't say we take inspiration from any of the contemporary bands at all, but we're all drawing inspiration from the same vintage sources. We've developed friendships and correspondences with many cool new school bands such as Cauldron, White Wizzard, Enforcer, Wolf, Holy Grail, Widow, Twisted Tower Dire and others over the past few years. There's an underground brotherhood of sorts and most of us still trade shows and stay at each other's houses when we're traveling. I'm a big fan also of Black Bonzo, Eclipse and Witchcraft. Something about Sweden, those vikings really know how to do the classic style best.