Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Ven Scott (vocals) and Tim Driscoll (guitars) formed Runescarred in May 2017 shortly after the dissolution of our previous band, Dead Earth Politics. We spent the summer writing and auditioning drummers before bringing aboard Payton Holekamp in September. Continuing to write, we recorded our first EP "We Are" in January 2018 and added bassist Josh Robins to our ranks in April of that year. We are set to release "We Are" in June and play our first handful of live dates in Texas and Louisiana throughout the rest of 2018. Needless to say, we're excited!
How would you describe your style? Which bands influenced your music?
I suppose we are what one would call "traditional" heavy metal with thrash and progressive overtones. Like with most bands, our list of influences is rather lengthy, but here's a sampling: Iron Maiden, Nevermore, Megadeth, Lamb of God, Death, Iced Earth. Basically, we like our metal with healthy doses of technique, drama and pathos but not an aversion to good old solid songwriting!
Why should a metalhead buy your demos/albums?
Ummm, because we asked nicely? Hehehehe. I think we make great metal that has enough musicianship and elements from other genres to appeal beyond the "inner circle" without alienating that same circle. Make no mistake: we are a capital "M" Metal band but we bring enough chops and musical diversity to the table to give listeners something more to chew on.
What have you released so far and how were your releases received by the public/media?
We're about to release our first EP "We Are" on June 29th. Although we have a lot more material in the tank, no current plans exist for further recording, but we fully intend on getting back in the studio as soon as we can. As far as the public/media are concerned, there has been near unanimous praise for what little we have been able to share so far, and we figure people will be even more excited once they hear even more! Consider this one an "incomplete" for now.
Do you play live as well? How's your live activity so far?
Again, another "incomplete" haha. Our first shows together are coming up later this month and we're beyond stoked, but anyone doubting our live capabilities can reference our pedigree, which includes bands such as the aforementioned Dead Earth Politics (Ven and myself), Southern Front (Payton) and the Invincible Czars (Josh).
What should labels/zines/promoters know about your band? Why should they be interested in it?
We make dynamic and captivating music, or least that's what we tell ourselves and others. We're all veterans of both the Austin music scene and the "business" in general, so we know both the right and wrong ways to navigate a ship through these stormy waters. It may have taken some time for us to find each other, but we plan on wasting no time in being recognized as a force in the metal community; here, there, and everywhere!
What plans do you have for the near future as a band?
We're looking forward to getting out there and playing live again to establish our foothold in a crowded scene. New songs and ideas keep pouring in too, so we'll have no shortage of material to play. It's a good problem to have!
Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
Here is our Bandcamp link, buy away! We also update our Facebook page frequently.
https://runescarred.bandcamp.com/releases
https://runescarred.bandcamp.com/merch
June 2018