Interview with Hemoptysis By: Macavity
March 12, 2011 by: Shauna O'Donnell
Hemoptysis
Phoenix, Arizona
By: Macavity
MUEN: Thanks for talking to us about the band.
Masaki: Thank you for the support!
MUEN: Well, I have to start with your name. Not a usual name for a band so what made you chose it?
Travis: We were originally called Misanthrope but we found a signed band in Europe that had the same name and had already released several albums. We wanted something different and original, preferable one word. My wife is a pharmacist who specializes in infectious diseases. When we were stuck, I asked her for help in the form of medical terms. The third one she said was “Hemoptysis.” It means “coughing up blood.” We loved the meaning and how it sounded when pronounced correctly, so we went with it.
MUEN: You have already made quite a name for yourselves in the southwest part of the states. When did you get together and how did you decide on the band members?
Masaki: Travis and I started Hemoptysis in mid 2007. It was definitely not an easy process to find talented musicians who had the same vision. Sunao was the only bassist we ever had but it wasn’t until early 2008 when he joined the band. Ryan Miller, who is also in a band called Excessive Bleeding, has been with us for over a year now.
MUEN: One of many things that is outstanding about the band is your list of endorsers. How did they come about and what difference do they make in achieving your goals?
Masaki: We are very fortunate to have those many companies’ support. They know we work really hard and that we are doing our best to promote their products in return, too. It is give and take. Nothing is free in this world and we are very proud to be able to represent our sponsors. Having support by them definitely help us in many ways. It makes our life easier using the products we prefer and they help us get our name out, too
MUEN: Another outstanding aspect of the band is the way you get yourselves out there to get know by playing shows as much as possible. Is that the advice you would give to other upcoming bands to get notice?
Masaki: Absolutely. Do what you can. I wouldn’t recommend them to stay on the road 365 days of the year unless they have major tour support, but it is important to do as much as you can. As you all know, it is not easy to tour nowadays for many reasons and that’s why many signed bands can’t tour either.
MUEN: With all those shows it appears you have a very loyal legion of fans. How do they help in getting you known to world?
Masaki: We love them. A lot of them are helping us get the name out there by online activities and spreading the word out, which is very important because word of mouth is the most important thing. People in general are more likely to pay more attention when their friends said the band is cool than seeing their name elsewhere.
MUEN: To those that have not heard your music, how would best describe your sounds?
Travis: Hemoptysis is a buffet of metal. We have a major thrash influence but we also have influences from death metal, melodic death metal, black metal, and non-metal music.
MUEN: Who writes the music for the band and how is it written?
Masaki: I normally write the music and bring it to the band at the rehearsals and we nail it down. I am excited to work with our new lead guitarist, Ryan Miller, when we write new material for the next record.
Travis: Usually the music comes first, then we write lyrics to it. Masaki and I both write lyrics for the band.
MUEN: You have an EP out and a debut CD coming out in a few days. How did you choose what was to go on the CD and what can fans expect from your recordings?
Masaki: We worked so hard to get this new CD done. We wanted to make a record that has a top-notch production behind it to represent our sound in its best form. People can except to hear the things that are missing in today’s Metal in general from this new record.
Travis: Each song sounds distinct and unique. All the songs stand out from each other.
MUEN: You chose “Shadow of Death” for a video for the band. Do you have plans to highlight any other songs and if so which ones?
Travis: We are thinking about making another music video. We have one song in mind because we think it will be one of the most popular songs on the album. I don’t think we’re allowed to say what song it is. Stay tuned. And if you’re a fan of ours, let us know what your favorite songs are from the CD!
MUEN: What has been the most memorable event or accomplishment for the band so far?
Masaki: For me, it was when we got this new record done. It was my first dream since I started this band with Travis to have a full-length record, Produced/Engineered/Mixed by Ryan Greene.
MUEN: What are your plans for the rest of 2011 and beyond?
Masaki: We have a music video shoot coming soon and after that, touring to promote the new album “Misanthropic Slaughter” and writing new songs for the next record.
MUEN: Any touring plans for the immediate or for later this year and if so where?
Masaki: Yes. We are working on a South West American Tour now and trying tour as many different cities as possible. It is not easy to tour being an independent band and not having tour support, but we do what we can.
MUEN: Is there anything you would like for the world to know about the band that I have not asked?
Masaki: Our debut full length album “Misanthropic Slaughter” is available on March 8th. The best way to get it is at our merchandise store, www.misanthropicslaughter.com . Please purchase and support us if you like our music. We hope to get to see you on the road soon. We have a killer announcement soon, so follow us on www.facebook.com/hemoptysis . Thank you for your support!
MUEN: Thanks again for talking to MUEN about the band. We look forward to talking to you again about what you have accomplished in the future.
Masaki: Thank you so much for your support! Hope to see all of you at the shows soon!