TERAVOLT is a Post-Rock/Groove Metal band from Orange County, California (USA), active since 2019. For ISKC Radio Group, Lucas Biela (LB) interviewed Yoyo Bianchi (YB), drummer and founder of the band.
1/ LB: Yoyo, could you let us know about the background of the 5 of you? Do you share similar tastes in music, or do you complement each other in the band with distinct influences?
YB: We all come from pretty diverse musical backgrounds. I personally don’t listen to the new era of Metal, though my bandmates do. I grew up completely submerged in 70s – early 00s Rock and Metal, and believe that those formative years resonate with me to this day in terms of style and influence, especially when writing music.
Interestingly enough, listening to music today, I’ll usually tune in to bands like Massive Attack, Zero 7, Richard Spaven, Morcheeba, Pink Floyd or Jamiroquai – artists I love that have little to do with Metal.
Circling back to your question, I believe that each of our diverse influences and musical tastes ultimately create TERAVOLT’s unique sound that can be loosely categorized as hard rock. However, as we evolve as a band, I’m sure our sound will too.
2/ LB: When I discovered your music, the first thing that struck me was the use of latin percussions (Brazilian?) in a heavy metal context. It immediately picked my interest.
Where does the idea of incorporating latin percussions in your music come from?
YB: Percussion definitely brings flavor to the mix! It was a very natural process adding these elements to our songs, they just called for it. That’s also cool about the songwriting process. If you have resources that could elevate your sound, and an innate cultural influence (such as my South American roots), it would be a shame not to include them in your musical experiments.
I grew up in Santiago, Chile and had been exposed to very rich cultural music styles that use hand drums and other very interesting rhythmic elements. Growing up, percussion was always around hanging with friends and often we’d go to drum circles. My favorite drum was usually the Djembe, Darbuka or Bongoes. The energy was amazing! It’s nearly impossible not to engage with the vibe of a drum circle if you stumble upon it.
If we were to pinpoint a band that really opened my eyes to the use of percussion in Metal, that would have to be Sepultura (Brazilian power 100%). I mean, what those guys did in their albums like Chaos A.D and Roots was brilliant, and they were just being true to their culture! So, it was beautiful and honest. Don’t get me wrong, their new music is AMAZING too, Quadra is a masterpiece produced by Jens Bogren and Eloy Casagrande – one of my top 3 favorite Metal drummers.
3/ LB: Your single was released in 2019, but your first album in 2022 only. Is the gap between the 2 releases linked to COVID or is there any other reason?
YB: The first singles (“Waking Up”, “Bloodless” & “No Risk”) were indeed released during late 2019, early 2020. At that point we did not have the entirety of the album written but we wanted to share a “preview” of what was coming, and get an idea of the audience. It was a really fun process and the feedback was super positive.
We took our songwriting and experimenting a bit farther for the whole Waking Up album. So, those 3 songs definitely set the path that inspired us to dig deeper into our roots and write the additional 8 songs.
In terms of how COVID affected our songwriting dynamic… we had to do a lot of the work remotely, and when we did get together to write in person, we would mask up, etc. Similar with studio sessions for the album, following basic safety precautions, and it all went well.
4/ LB: Your debut album is very good, original, and highly competent both on instrumental and vocal levels. We have included 5 songs in regular play on ISKC Hard Rock channel. How are medias receiving it in general (be honest, we want to know all reactions)?
YB: It’s been so interesting to see such a widely diverse group of people connect with our music – all age ranges and different countries – people that reach out to us for the mutual love of Hard Rock. Music brings us together and that’s a very powerful thing.
5/ LB: Are you working on a new album? Do you plan to keep your groovy prog metal trademark for future plans or will you keep surprising us with new ingredients?
YB: You can expect some exciting changes!
As with anything in life, we’ve been thrown a few curve balls. The most recent significant change being that our brother, Chaz Terra, has stepped away as lead singer to explore other musical ventures. This will certainly steer us on a new creative path as a band, but we’re embracing this musical journey and every step along the way. We wish Chaz nothing but the best!
That being said, our co-founder, producer and master lyricist, Heather McAndress, will now take on the role of TERAVOLT’s lead singer! Heather already sings lead on several songs from our Waking Up album, and that blend of her vocal style with our heavy sound really takes the band to another level. Comparatively, her songs have often become fan favorites!
The new music is Heavy and Whimsical, we are exploring a new melodic side without losing our signature sound. Exploring more of our roots.
Now regarding short-term goals, we have a surprise single and video coming out very soon featuring Heather McAndress on lead vocals, Andrew Faust on bass and myself on drums. With special guests: Jonas Wisner (YONA) on guitar and Allie Kay on keys! It’ll be a little preview of what this new lineup has to offer!
6/ LB: Are there plans for tours, be they local or international?
YB: We’re taking it one step at a time, adjusting to the new lineup. So, there is no tour planned just yet. In the meantime, we have a few projects in the works.
7/ LB: If any of you is involved in other projects, could you let us know?
YB: Of course! We all have creative outlets and projects outside of TERAVOLT, I’m happy to share some of the links below:
– Heather McAndress: https://www.tiktok.com/@heathermcandress
– Yoyo Bianchi: https://www.instagram.com/yoyobianchi/
– Andrew Faust: https://instagram.com/andrewfaust789/
– Ben Lechuga: https://www.instagram.com/blechugag/
8/ LB: where can anyone buy your album?
YB: Copies of our Limited Edition Waking Up Digipak CD are available here:
There are still a few signed copies left and we ship worldwide!
9/ LB: Is there anything you want to add?
YB: We want to thank you Lucas and ISKC Radio Group for reaching out and giving us a platform to share our music and journey. It always feels good to connect with fellow Rock lovers across the globe, and we look forward to more opportunities with you guys!
We also want to thank our amazing fans, the old and the new! We are beyond excited to share new music and videos with everyone. Hoping to perform at a venue near you very soon!
Last but not least, make sure to visit our new Merch Store! (link below) – We have a brand new batch of CD’s and T-Shirts available! We’re an independent band and all sales help us keeping our dream and vision alive. Rock on!
LINKS:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teravoltband/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teravoltband
Official website: http://teravolt.band/
Merch store: http://teravolt.band/merch/
Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@teravoltband
Full Waking Up album on streaming platforms: https://tr.ee/dpQPrP11JJ