INTERVIEW: TYRANTS AND MARTYRS: MUSIC IN THEIR BLOOD
You played your very first show on October 4th. How did you feel throughout the night? How do you feel tonight (right before your second show)? What do you want to do better tonight?
Timothe: I had done a few shows before that one so I wasn't too stressed. It was our first show in a real venue that we organized ourselves. It was a little stressful. I feel better than last time.
Tom: I played a lot of shows. If you get booed for a cover, it's somebody else's music but if they boo us while we play our original songs, they're booing us. It's more nerve wracking to perform originals. It's more personal. We are playing with click tracks for the first time tonight. That's what is stressing me the most right now; the idea of having technical issues with that.
Alex: I'm a guy with no expectations. I envision things, dream about a lot of things but I have no expectations. I'm here. I'm having fun. Music is literally my life. I'm not here to get criticized. I get to do something I love with wonderful people. I always want to get better.
Guillaume: Like Tom said, I wasn't stressed about the performance side of things. I have a lot of experience on stage. I was more stressed about the organisation. For the first time in our lives, we didn't have a safety net. It was stressful to be on our own for the first time.
What did particularly go well during that first show?
Alex: We did a good job engaging the crowd. We based a lot of our songs on crowd reaction. What gets people moving. We are a very ambitious band. On "Disorder Song", there is a breakdown, we have a bunch of ideas of what to do during that part. For example, during our first show, we asked the crowd to do a "Wall of Death". I saw Mastodon at FEQ and I feel like the circle pits there were smaller.
Tom: I'll never forget the feeling I experienced when we played "Blind" by Korn and I saw the biggest circle pit.
Timothee: People's energy is so contagious.
Can you each tell me what or who has inspired you to start learning the instrument you play in the band?
Tom: I started with guitar in 2018. I now play bass. There were guys I used to play with 2 years ago. One time, they were about to cancel a show because they didn't have a bassist. I had a bass sitting at home which I only used twice. I learned the songs for the show on bass. "Holy fuck, bass is so much better!" I always liked playing music but not like that. I still play guitar a lot.
Alex: My music journey is weird. I started on drums but never took it seriously. Then, I went into a music program and did violin for 5 years. I also play piano. My dad put me on Megadeath. I saw Dave Mustaine and thought: "I want to play guitar." I bought my first guitar only a couple years ago. My music taste has evolved like crazy. I went from Punk and Trash to Progressive Metal. I'm a very technical player.
Timothee: Our favourite bands are quite different from one another. My favourite band is Slipknot. We need to blend all our influences together in our music. I think we could create something special. If it wasn't for Covid, I would have been a DJ instead of starting to play drums. I used to listen to Marshmello. One night, I was listening to music with my dad. We would take turns putting different songs on. At some point, my dad puts on "Wait and Bleed" by Slipknot. I had a revelation. "Wow, this is amazing!" I did my research and found out about Joey Jordison. I saw a clip of him doing his drum solo. "Wow, I want to play drums!" When I discovered Slipknot, I would hit pillows as if I was playing drums. "Toxicity" by System of a Down and "Killing in the Name" by Rage Against the Machine were the first songs I played. I developed my ear by hitting those pillows. I also used to play Guitar Hero.
Guillaume: I don't have any influence. One day, I just decided I wanted to play guitar. I used to listen to Bon Jovi and other bands my dad listens to. I discovered more music because I started playing an instrument.
You have a song called "Just Another Pop Punk Song". What is your personal favourite Pop Punk song of all time?
Tom:I'll give you a top 3 in no particular order. "Kill All of Your Friends" by My Chemical Romance, "Build God, Then We'll Talk" by Panic! at the Disco, "The Brews" by NOFX.
Timothee: I would say "Carousel" by Blink-182
Alex: "This is how I Disappear" by My Chemical Romance and "Brainstew" by Green Day.
Guillaume: "Still Waiting" by Sum 41, "The Hell Song" by Sum 41, "Boy Division" by My Chemical Romance, "Teenagers" by My Chemical Romance, and "Brainstew" by Green Day.
In terms of shows, music released, and any other goals you can think of, where would you like to be in a year from now?
Alex: I think expectations and ambition are different. I'm not going to talk about venues because that's not important. If people come to my shows, that's the main goal. I want them to be happy about the show when they leave. I would like for us to have a signature sound.
Tom: If I'm being realistic, I want to keep playing shows. I want to release an album. We need to record it. I want to have people listen to it. If I'm not being realistic, I would like to play Club Soda. Guillaume and I went to see Despised Icon not long ago at that venue. The bassist is the dad of our good friend. He got us in. The sound was so good. In the next year, we want to sound as good as most professional bands.
If any of your released songs could be featured in any video game, tv show or movie, which song would it be and for what media?
Timothe: "Wanna be friends?" for a final boss of any video game.
Tom: I would use "Wanna be friends" but a more Punk, sped up version of it in a chase scene in Fast and Furious while someone is getting away from the cops .
Guillaume: "Just Another Pop Punk song" in Tony Hawk Pro Skater.
Can we expect more merch in the near future? What kind of merch would you like to have?
Lego! My Chemical Romance Lego exists.
Tom: We are making t-shirts for our next show at Toscadura! There will be black t-shirts with our logo in white in the front and on the back, it will be a line from a song. We aren't sure which one yet." I would want a black cap with the white logo embroidered on it or hoodies even.
There is an intro and an outro on your EP. What made you want to include them? What has inspired you to do so? Can you think of a memorable intro or outro from an album you love?
Tom: Guillaume and I are big Radiohead fans. We are prog fans. We listen to a lot of weird music. I have always been a fan of concept albums. We always knew there was going to be some sort of transition. Originally, we wanted the album to loop. If you listen to the EP from beginning to end, it loops. We were feeling trippy. As for the album with a memorable intro, I would say "Songs for the Deaf” by Queen of the Stone Age. It's a concept album. It paints a picture of a guy driving across California. At the beginning of some songs, you can hear radio stations playing and different city names being mentioned. The names are mentioned in order of where they are on the map of the coast of California. You can hear the sound of a car starting in the first song.
Alex: As for an album, we love that has an intro and an outro, I would say "Metropolis Part 2" by Dream Theater.
Timothe: "Compter les corps" by Vulgaires Machins!
What can we expect from Tyrants and Martyrs for 2026?
Tom: We have a self-titled album coming out. More shows. Maybe some shows in Toronto.
LINKS TO FURTHER DISCOVER AND SUPPORT TYRANTS AND MARTYRS
Tyrants and Martyr's Instagram
Tyrants and Martyrs on YouTube
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