Artist Spotlight Interview: OMENS

Tell our Rock Fans about the band’s latest release? Where did the band record with and who? The latest single from our upcoming second album is a heavy roller called “Won’t Save Us Again.” We recorded it as we always do, in our secret studio HQ, with guitarist and co-founder Mike Keller at the helm.

How long was the writing process and what inspired you on this new release? We wrote it and continued working at it over a period of around 3 months. We’re not exactly a political band, but the state of the world right now, and the notion that there’s no saviour that’s going to magically appear to get us out of this mess are at the heart of the lyrics. It’s basically saying there’s power in people, and in all of us individually, to effect change if we truly dig in and go after it.
What changed during this process from previous releases? Releasing an album one single at a time every 6-8 weeks in order to hotwire algorithmic activity has been an interesting experiment for us. Even though 90% of each song has been written before we embarked on this little caper, every song has presented unique challenges once we move from the rehearsal floor to the recording studio. We then might realize, “Oh, we need to add something here to keep things interesting.” or suddenly we notice a vocal piece is clashing with something on guitar. It’s always different. Each song is a bit of a puzzle and this one was no different.

What’s next for the band? Any Tours or festivals Lined up? We have a few shows lined up in our homeland of Canada for the rest of the year, and two more singles to release before the whole second album, tentatively titled OMENS II: Burn It Down, comes out in October.

Describe your live show to a fan that has not seen you perform before? I think people are surprised at how much of a wallop we deliver. But there’s no trickery or backing tracks. It’s just the energy of four guys committed to their instruments, each other, and the power of the sound we make when we get together. We’ve purposely tried to show a certain amount of restraint with our studio recordings so everything you hear is represented live as well. Mike’s guitar sound really is that huge. I’m a seasoned singer who can belt this stuff out. And Don and Mo are an absolutely rock-solid rhythm section anchoring it all down. When you come to an OMENS show, you’re seeing what these days might be a little bit of a throwback to bands who can just—quite simply—throw down.

What is your favorite song to play live? Always a tough question to answer. Oof. Yeah, that IS a tough one. Most recently, “Any Means” is a song that I feel we’ve really gotten on top of. It’s a big, unrelenting battle cry of a song that I think took us a couple shows before we started owning it instead of the other way around. lol

If you could collaborate on a song or tour, what band would you choose and why? Each band member probably has their own answers for this one, but for me it’d be working on a duet with either Glenn Danzig or Chelsea Wolfe. And we’d gladly tour with just about anybody who’d have us, but opening for Metallica, Megadeth, Queens of the Stone Age, or Nine Inch Nails would be nothing short of dreamy.

What drives you as a musician? Definitely songwriting, being in a band, and the enjoyment that comes from conceiving and putting new music into the world. It’s always felt a bit like being in a gang to me, and when you stumble onto a new idea or have a new song you’re working on, it’s like you’re walking around with this really cool secret nobody else knows yet.

What band member gets the most *Attention* from the fans? I think Mike and I both get a lot of attention, if only by virtue of the fact that some people remember us from our old band, Jet Set Satellite, which got quite a bit of play on MuchMusic and MTV in the early 2000s.

Who is the laziest band member when it comes to load in and load out each night? We always joke that it’s me because….well, singers. But I actually go out of my way to make SURE I’m humping the most gear just so I’m not living up to the cliché!

What is the single greatest musical memory so far while being in the band? In this band, for me, it was the day the double-LP vinyl came back from the production house. That’s when all of our work on the first album and developing the sound of OMENS kind of all crystallized for me in a real moment of pride. In previous bands, playing a free show in our hometown on Canada Day in front of 80,000 people was nothing short of mind boggling.

If the band were thrown into a wrestling battle royal, which member would win? Well, if you watch our video for “Shallow Holes,” which stars a few well-known wrestlers from our area, you can see we get the shit kicked out of us. lol But I think, in a battle royale scenario, I’d have to give it to our guitarist Mike Keller as he’s simply a mountain of a man. Or our drummer Don Jacks. He’s not only a beast behind the kit, he’s actually a Hall of Fame lacrosse player and coach who’s played for both Germany and Canada in international competitions. So, the fitness and stamina is definitely there. Mo and I would probably be tossed over the top rope first and second. lol

What can fans expect next from the band? More music and more videos! We’ve got 3 singles coming out before October, then the second album will officially drop, and then probably a covers EP. We’ve released a few already, including our version of “Unsung” by Helmet and “Planet of Sound” by Pixies, but we’ve got a lot more tricks up our sleeves.

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