Hail Sagan – Intermetal

By starrymag | December 7, 2023

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) Each song is unique and ranges from easy going electronic to heavy thrash metal, and everything in between. Sagan has a dynamic vocal style that shifts between dreamy, clean lines to blood-curdling screams, and Nick mixes in a multi-instrumental perspective.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) Type O Negative, Danzig, Nine Inch Nails, Skinny Puppy, Depeche Mode, Pantera, Hatebreed and Pink Floyd.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Intermetal.”

 

A) We’re into sci-fi stories and movies, and we delve heavily into UFO-ology, so we wanted to incorporate it into our music. Intermetal is set on a planet in another universe, where evil snakelike creatures have infiltrated society from the inside. They use tech devices to lull the population into subservience. It’s a call to action from those who have awoken to the truth, they’re saying “peace and love is the way out. Negativity is easy, and that’s the currency the snakes thrive on. So, stop feeding them.”

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) We think they love the heaviness. We have always mixed in metal elements, but this was our first hardcore and thrash fusion. Our heaviest song previous to this, “Doors Will Open,” is very popular, especially because it was featured in the video game “Wreckfest” that’s available on all major gaming platforms including XBox, PlayStation, Nintendo and Steam.

 

Q) I love the AI – sci-fi aspect to the video! Where did the concept for it come from?

 

A) Once we had the lyrics down, we knew exactly what the video would look like. We utilized our graphic design and videography skills to put together something interesting, fed it into AI and then continued to produce it with standard video editing software. It wasn’t a “type in some words and let AI do all of the work” scenario. We used it as it was meant to be used, as a tool to enhance what we were already creating. It just gives it that extra wow factor and drives home the creepiness of the story in a way that standard video couldn’t.

 

Q) How does the video for “Intermetal” play into the message behind it?

 

A) The interesting thing about a song is the lyrics are always up for interpretation. Even if musicians tell the world exactly what they meant when they wrote it, fans are gonna interpret and apply the meaning the way it feels to them at the time. Sagan writes the lyrics through a process of automatic writing, a lyrical type of mediumship and connection to the universe. We hope that people will hear the words and understand them for what they are, but sometimes you need video footage to illustrate the idea. We think the visuals for “Intermetal” do this well.

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) Sagan is a writer, so she’s always jotting down lyric ideas. However, we begin with a sound structure and build off of it. Nick prefers to use drums for the skeleton of the song, the rest is built off of many other instruments including synths, and strings. We’re both featured artists for several music companies including Dean Guitars and DiMarzio Inc. who provide pickups and straps. So, we lean into guitar as much as possible and ensure it’s showcased as much as we can in each song.

 

Q) Will there be a full album or EP coming in the near future or are you more focused on singles for the time being?

 

A) We released a few singles ahead of the EP Disclosure, but now we’re working on the follow up EP Transparency, which will include more sci-fi adventures. We’ve thought of combining the two and adding some more singles to turn it into a full album, but we also change our minds a lot. So, we can’t promise anything. However, there will definitely be a full length in the future, but the focus will be single by single.

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

 

A) We’ve played so many amazing venues, cities, and festivals, but one of the most memorable was the Cotillion Ballroom in Wichita, Kansas. It was such a beautiful venue, and we had a really great time there.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) We’d love to collaborate with Peter Steele of Type O Negative, but since that’s impossible we’ve put Type O “Easter eggs” in some of our songs. For instance, in “Stealing the Crown” you can hear crickets, which is an homage to the chirping birds in a few songs off the album “October Rust.”

 

Q) What artist/musician are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?

 

A) We have a radio show on KGMR Gunn Music Radio called “Obscure Oasis” where we play all kinds of rock, metal, punk, post punk, dark wave, synth pop and anything that fits our theme – which is dark and gothy. We’ve been playing The Cure, Living Sacrifice, Depeche Mode, Björk, Skinny Puppy, Acid Bath, Hatebreed, and a bunch of local and national bands that have submitted their songs. We also talk about sci-fi, ufology, and the weird stuff that happens in the desert.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) We are grateful that you like our music and art, and we’re always doing our best to keep you fueled up with new material. Thank you for following along and being a part of our family. We can’t wait to share what’s next.