Review Fix chats with Evereal’s Stephen Roberts, Alicja Monitowicz and Nelson Bennett, who discuss the band’s origin, creative process and goals for 2021.
Review Fix: How did the project start?
Steve: We are a Vancouver based metal band that debuted in 2017 with our first full-length album, and signed a distribution deal with 7Hard Records in Germany. The band recorded their full-length studio album at Turtle Studios in British Columbia with engineer Larry Anshell. The Band caught the attention of famed RUSH artist Hugh Syme who signed on as artistic director for their debut release and merchandising. The band raised 10K through a successful Go-Fund-Me campaign for help in completing the CD.
Their debut single “Sinful” debuted in Amazons Top Ten Metal charts while the release received positive reviews in many websites and magazines.
The original line up consisted of Stephanie Neufeld , Stephen Roberts , Gord Esau , Rob Queen and David Bevis. Rob Left the band shortly after the Album release and was replaced by Nelson Bennett. Stephanie and Dave left a short time later to pursue other opportunities.
Singer/songwriter Alicja Moniatowicz was then recruited for the project who brought a new flavour and sensibility to the music. She was the perfect fit for Evereal. In 2019, the band began writing and recording new material. The result is a new four-song EP, entitled Falling Down, and two new music videos.
Alicja: I came along late in the game, the project had already been started and had a change in roster for drums. Nelson came along and I was invited into the field shortly after to take over as lead vocalist. I had known Nelson through another project that he and I had worked on and that’s how I met Stephen and Gord after we all started a cover tribute band for Evanescence music.
Nelson: I was also a later addition to the band. They went through a couple of different drummers before I joined. It had started as a studio project with the first album. Steve had actually started on the project about 10 years ago. But it wasn’t really a band per se at first. Steve was just writing music and bringing in different players until they finally cut an album in 2017. And then a few members drifted off. Steve and Gord are the two original members. But we’ve been together as a unit now for about, what, three years now? I think the chemistry just really works now. It seems pretty solid.
Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?
Alicja: I will listen to the instrumental track of a song Stephen has prepared and I usually start humming to it right away and then I’m off! Other times I start with my acoustic guitar or piano and then the song is developed and metalized to make it a band song.
Steve: Generally speaking I hear music in my head and often put together those ideas then sit down and record them. It could be something like a song I hear or just a fleeting idea. Once I have a couple ideas and a theme going I send it to everyone to see if it sparks ideas or inspires them.
Nelson: My only input into the writing is sometimes adding to the lyrics, so I just basically try to write to the theme that’s already been decided on.
Review Fix: What’s your standout song? How was it written?
Steve: When you’re Gone from our new “Falling Down†EP is the standout. racking up over 500,000 streams worldwide you can expect something different with each listen. There’s a little something for everyone in our music. Clean vocals with heavy guitars and layered strings and keys gives you something new to pick out with each listen.
Alicja: Stephen and I worked together on the song, Either he will bring an idea forward or I will by various means and he will be the music and I will develop the melody and lyrics. This song was very much a collaboration.
Review Fix: What are your goals for 2021?
Steve: Working on new music and releasing some new material along with live performance.
Review Fix: How do you want your music to affect people?
Alicia: Hopefully people enjoy our music for what it is. We add many elements and try to reach an emotional level that people feel. We don’t take ourselves too seriously and write what we want. We don’t write music to fit any particular genre or appeal to a specific audience. We write what we feel at the moment and put it out for people to enjoy with no expectations. This gives us a wide variety of sounds so you won’t find every song sounding the same and cut from the same formula.
Review Fix: What’s next?
Nelson: We are working on new music including cover tunes. So you should see new music this year along with more videos and pay per view live performances.
Really looking forward to seeing everyone perform in November 2021!