Recently, my band recorded our first single. Having the opportunity to finally release music after a year of playing shows has made me reflect back on the band, and the experiences we’ve had together. It’s always been a dream of mine to “make it” in a band, and though we’re far from it, recording has brought new life to that dream.

I should start off by saying we’re a metal band. So, if you “ain’t about that life”, then that’s fine, just don’t judge harshly. We come from a crazy diverse background of music, so we all have a pretty great appreciation of all types of music. I only ask that you give my band the same respect as I would give any other band/artist/DJ/whatever.

So, as I said, we come from a wide spectrum of music training. Let’s start off with the most important member, and the reason this whole crazy adventure started: Chandler. She is the singer of Not My Forte, and she comes from a choir and classical music background. I must say, she has a powerful voice. Once, when we were interviewed, the interviewer compared her vocals to Amy Lee of Evanescence. Needless to say, she was flatter, and he was spot on. Her voice carries the whole band, bringing life into an otherwise droning rhythm section. It was her idea to start the band, and take inspiration from One-Eyed Doll, which is an amazing band that you should check out after you listen to our single. She writes 99.9% of the lyrics, and helps greatly in making sense of the random riffs I write. Not only does she have a powerful singing voice though, she can scream like nobody else I know. The raw power behind it is incredible, and simply impressive. As someone who spent a great amount of time practicing screaming, I’m baffled by how she seems to have a natural talent for it. Especially considering the fact she still sings amazingly well after screaming.

Taking a bit of a different turn is Alex, the drummer of Not My Forte. He comes from a mostly classic rock, punk, and early metal background. His skills never cease to impress me. I play some drums as well, and I would always try to throw complex rhythms at him, asking him to play stuff I didn’t really expect he could, considering his background. However, he nails it every time, and gives the band the driving force we need. It’s amazing to hear how he takes influences from his favorite bands, and adds it to our stuff, making a very unique style that we’ve come to love. It leads to a lot of unorthodox things, like using the bell of the ride cymbal during verses, and hi-hat during choruses (for anyone not musically-versed, it’s the opposite of what you’d expect to hear in any normal metal song). It makes for a very powerful force, which keeps the energy up, and the crowd on their feet.

Finally, there’s me, the guitarist of Not My Forte. My guitar background consists mostly of black metal and jazz. Quite the strange combination, I know, but I like to use the influences to create some riffs and melodies that have a very moving feeling. Something that never really rests, keeping the song moving along without hesitation. When writing, I tend to stick with mostly thrash metal kind of stuff, but still adding in my own desired style and twists.

So that’s the band, Not My Forte. By the time this is posted, our song should (hopefully) be released, and I’ll be sure to have a link for anyone who’s interested to hear it. I’ve gotta say, this year has been awesome, and I never even thought I’d be playing shows. It really caught me off guard how many venues wanted us to play a show, and it never seemed to stop. We, of course, had to take a hiatus for school, but we definitely do not plan on stopping for good. We all love music, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that it’d be a dream come true to be able to do this full time. So if you have ever thought about forming a band, having a solo career, or anything like it, do it. It’s such a rewarding experience, and it really is life changing. If you’re not interested in making music, then I urge you to go check out some local bands. These artists pour their heart and soul into their work, and there’s nothing more rewarding than being appreciated for that. Every word is a risk, every note is a risk, every single decision in a band is a risk, and these people risk it all just to make the audience happy. Because, in the end, if the audience is happy, then the band is ecstatic. So take some time to show these people that their stuff is awesome, and support them so they can keep doing it. I hope you enjoy our song, Sociodegradable, if you happen to check it out, and if you do like it, then it’d mean the world to us if you spread it around. Infect the world with the sound of Not My Forte. Thank you all for your support, and good luck in your endeavors, whether they be music related, or not. Have a heavy fucking metal day |\m/|