Auras Interview

We were lucky enough to talk to Josh of Auras. He told us about their latest album, what its like to play this style of music and their most recent tour. Here is what he had to say:

Info

Genre: Progressive Metal

Years Active: 2010-Present

Hometown: Cambridge, Ontario
Record Label: eOne Entertainment

1) What's your name and role in the band? 

My name is Josh Ligaya and I play guitar and sing in AURAS.

2) What made you want to be in a progressive metal band, write heavy music?

Heavy progressive music is something we all love and have listened to for years. Most of our influences come from that genre of music.  When I started this band, there was no intention in becoming a “progressive metal band”. Over time my taste in music would change and the music we wrote would reflect off that. When Aaron joined the band, we both developed similar tastes in progressive metal so we wrote what we enjoyed at the time. We always like to think outside the box and find new ways in being creative with our music. We also love the energy that “heavy” music can bring to the fans listening in their car, in the audience, and even to the musicians playing on stage themselves.

3) Your band is from Waterloo, What is the scene like there?

All of us are actually from Cambridge, ON but we all lived together a few years ago in Waterloo. The scene is pretty good. Like other places, I feel like it used to be much better back in the day. However when the scene does come together for a show, it’s a great reunion for the Kitchener-Waterloo scene community. We have a hometown show in Cambridge on June 17 that we’re excited about so I’m looking forward to seeing everyone and playing a sweet show so close to home.

4) Why did you guys pick the name Auras? Does the band have an Aura?

There was no specific reason as to why we chose the name AURAS. For me I know I didn’t want a metal-obvious name and I really liked the way it sounded. The band has an aura, I guess (lol).

5) If you were to trying to sell your album to the Warped Tour line, what would you tell them?

I’d say our band has an energetic blend between the heavy and melodic aspects of modern metal. We are rhymically driven and we like to compliment it with a nice atmospheric texture or melody.

6) What was the process like to get signed by eOne? How has it been so far working with them?

We had just finished recording our Crestfallen EP and the timing couldn’t have been any better. It’s been great working with them. We have such an awesome team behind us so we’re looking forward to doing more things with them in the future.

7) How would you describe the progression musically from Panacea to your latest record Heliospectrum?

We wanted each song on Heliospectrum to be unique in its own way so we approached each song differently while composing them. We spent more time experimenting with the atmospheric, heavy, and melodic aspects that both Crestfallen and Panacea had combined. Heliospectrum has been described as a nice blend between the two previous EPs giving a nice balance of everything we love in modern metal music with a more refined sound. There’s a bit of everything in there for everyone.

8) Heliospectrum was released last year, what has the response been like?

The response has been nothing but amazing. We’re all pretty happy that people are enjoying it as much as we did writing it. It’s awesome to see fans screaming and singing along to our music on the road and being able to meet them in person.

9 a) Being a progressive, Djent band, you need to be very talented at guitar, how did your guitarists get so good and what methods do you feel others should look into so they can progress to that level?

Progressive metal can be physically demanding at times with certain techniques but I feel like the creative composition part is very important. You don’t need to be the greatest guitar player in order to play/write progressive music. I’ve been composing ever since I picked up my first guitar so I have put in a lot of time and learned a lot over the years. For any guitarists out there looking compose progressive music, don’t be afraid to think outside the box and try new things. I wouldn’t worry about sounding like “this band” or writing like “this other band”. Just focus on what you like, experiment, practice, and eventually you will become comfortable with how you want to express your music. However, be sure you learn the basic techniques so that you don’t develop any bad habits along the way.

9 b) What is it about the 7 string sound and tone that you like over the traditional 6 string in regards to your band?

I like the heaviness and bottom-end that it can bring in studio and in a live setting. I also like the feel of a 7-string guitar when playing/writing; it just seems more natural for me personally. It can also open up a lot of doors chord-wise with various voicings and expand your creativity riff-wise.

10) We noticed your band has no bassist, how come? how do you get around that? Does it hinder your sound at all?

Our bass is back-tracked for live shows which doesn’t seem to take away from the live performance sound-wise. We are always open to finding a bassist however there are a lot more factors involved with filling that spot. All four of us in the band have been very close friends for a long time. I’m sure there are many bassists out there that can play our material flawlessly but t we would be looking for a person who we can rely on to be committed, have a positive mindset, independent, and just an overall good band member that is compatible with our group. It would also help to have other perks that could benefit the band such as being a graphic designer, social media whizz, sound engineer, or even having vocal ability as well. We just haven’t found the right person yet nor do we feel the need to add another member to our band at this time.

11) You just finished the Canadian run of Miss May I’s Shadows Inside tour, how did that go?

It went really well. We have hit these cities quite a few times in the past so it was nice to come back with such an awesome package so close to home. When you tour with band that has been doing it as long as Miss May I has, you tend to learn a lot. I personally will be forever influenced by them. Their professionalism, positive attitude, and consistent live performance was amazing to see every night. Now we have found ways on how to improve ourselves for the future and hopefully rise to a level that they are at after all these years.

12) Do you notice any differences between US and Canadian crowds? How does the US respond to you guys?

Personally for me I feel like in Canada, the most hyped crowds would be at the shows that land on a weekend. Whereas in the US, it doesn’t matter what day of the week, they are always hyped. Sometimes I feel like the response in the US is a lot more memorable than crowds here at home. US is an exciting market to play in.

13) Anything you can tell us about your plans for the rest of the year? 

Not much I can say at the moment but keep your eyes peeled.

14) Which bands from around the local Kitchener-Waterloo scene would you suggest to someone looking for new music? Who do you miss?

I would say check out Sky Written and The Fatalist. Kingdoms used to kill it back in the day before they ended things I definitely miss those guys. Outside of Kitchener-Waterloo, Structures was a favorite for all of us. 

Listen to and watch the video for the latest Auras single "Spiral". Download or buy their latest album "Heliospectrum" wherever music is sold.

Published May 23rd, 2017