Interview: Pvriah (Written)
Welsh newcomers Pvriah are ready to strike out to the masses backed by the release of their riveting new single and video, Mammoth Stomp, out now. In this interview we get to know them a little better.
1. Hello! Thank you for taking the time to chat to us. First things first, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started.
We are PVRIAH, from Swansea, Wales. Me (Lewis) and Sam have known each other since around 2018, both as part of various other bands in the local scene. We got to know each other properly when Sam filled in on drums for my band at the time when we supported Budgie drummer Ray Phillips, and bonded over our love of doomy music. We attempted to start a band together years ago but were thwarted by Covid, but were finally able to start PVRIAH together in 2023. To complete the puzzle, we met Matt in that same year after putting out an ad for a bass player.
2. Someone comes to you and asks you to sum up what kind of music you play – what do you tell them?
We are very much a band of two hemispheres: our music is generally a mix of heavy doom-laden riffs and more shimmering psychedelic soundscapes. Most of our songs feature a mix of the two halves. Our newest single Mammoth Stomp is an exception, fully embracing the heavier side of our nature.
3. What’s currently keeping you busy? A new album/EP/single release? A new video? Playing live, or planning ahead?
At the moment, mainly writing and recording. We constantly have new ideas on the go and are working to get these polished into a new batch of songs. Currently we are actively recording one of these songs and have several more lined up. These will likely be condensed into an EP release later this year.
4. What is about this current period that is particularly exciting for you?
The fact that we are creating more music and getting it out there into the world. Our debut EP was well received and we’re very excited to see what our new releases can go on to do.
5. Tell me about the work that has gone into making it a reality and what it means to you.
It’s no walk in the park, that’s for sure! Getting our new single Mammoth Stomp out there has taken significant work, from the writing process to recording/mixing/mastering (which we have all done ourselves) to video creation to the pre-release campaign. There’s something to do every day to make this as good a release as possible, but we feel the track deserves this. To see it getting radio plays, shares, and listens is so rewarding for us and encourages us to keep going.
6. Making music and being creative can be a very positive experience and can be very good for the mind. In what way has making music had a positive impact on your mental health?
For us, making music is our escape from normal working life. We’re the kind of people who, in our down time, will constantly be humming a new tune, grabbing a guitar to quickly record the melody, thinking of a new lyric, tapping a rhythm on various surfaces, etc. Music and making it is a huge factor in stopping us becoming despondent with the modern world.
7. It can also be incredibly challenging, more so in the modern times. What have been some challenging aspects of making music and how have you overcome them?
We often find ourselves with lots of ideas, both good and not-so-good. One would be filtering through all these ideas to find a cohesive set of musical movements that work together as a song. As you can imagine, there is frequently some debate about what works where, what would be the best way to open/close the song etc (thankfully we are never at each other’s throats over these but do our best to respect each other’s opinions!).
Another is standing out amongst the crowd: in these modern times things like home recording methods have become much more accessible, and social media has levelled the playing field in a way promotion-wise. This absolutely isn’t a bad thing as it means the music scene can thrive and bands need to work harder to elevate themselves, hopefully creating a far better product in the process than they otherwise would have.
8. How do you handle the online aspects of being in a band? Having to put out content constantly, promoting across several different social media platforms, and having your success measured in likes and follows?
Social media is a difficult beast to manage and keeping up with trends is a challenge (such as the recent emergence of TikTok pulling traffic away from more ‘classic’ social media platforms like Facebook). Whether we like it or not, likes and follows have become a way of measuring a band’s success. We understand the importance of an active social media presence and focus a large part of our time to keeping on top of posts.
9. How do you make this part of things enjoyable, and fulfilling, for yourself?
We find enjoyment in the sheer process of creation. Crafting the music and lyrics from scratch to suit a theme we had in mind, and then performing our creation live. While managing social media and pushing engagement can be quite full-on, the fulfilment comes from the responses we get from our fans both old and new.
10. Speaking directly to listeners – what would you ask they do to help support you?
Three things! Spread the word: if you at all enjoy our music, mention us to someone you know who you think might also find enjoyment in it. Come to a show: there is nothing like a live show and we feel it is where we thrive and can deliver the true experience of our sound. Consider grabbing some merch: it helps us immensely in generally keeping the band going, playing more shows, making more music.
11. Outside of music, what do you like to do to relax?
We all have our own hobbies, we can usually be found reading a good book, at the gym, spending time with our loved ones (although not all at once).
12. Where can people find you?
Physically, in our hometown of Swansea, Wales.
Online, via:
LinkTree | Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube