Hey! First of all, for those who may not be familiar with your band, what is OWLS OVER OAKS all about?
We are Owls Over Oaks, and we play Extreme Drone Doom. We are not young musicians but each of us has serious experience behind, about me, I’m Ex Enisum bass player, on vocals Aeretica, ex Amethista, on drums Bob Rip, currently also with Nihili Locus and Nerocapra.
What can you tell us about OWLS OVER OAKS latest album, O.O.O.?
O.O.O. is our debut album, the first of a trilogy about the animal world, especially owls, where pain, perdition and blindness are the key elements.
When can your fans expect to hear new music after O.O.O.? Is there any info on a new album in the works?
I think and hope in the end of 2027, something is already wrote butI’m waiting for the right amount of discomfort to finish it. In the meantime, between some months, you’ll be able to hear our reinterpretation of a Sleep song, very noise and dark.
Have you received enough positive feedback on the album so far?
I’m very satisfied so far, considering that O.O.O. is a very particular album, Witching Buzz, Metalitalia, Outlaws of the Sun, Ever Metal, In Your Eyes Zine, have spoked very well about the album, only one review didn’t fully satisfy me, it seemed rushed, as if he had listened the album half time, O.O.O. to be understood must be listened several times. It’s not a one-time album; it’s an experience.
O.O.O. was released via Argonauta Records. How would you describe your collaboration with them? Do you plan to continue working with Argonauta Records?
I met Gero (Argonauta's owner) eleven years ago, we collaborated with some live shows, I always had a deep respect for him and sooner or later our paths would have crossed. Of course, the next works will be released again with Argonauta.
What keeps you motivated to continue making music?
The malaise I experience almost every day.
How easy (or difficult) is it to play music and maintain a stable line-up in Italy? Is it possible to make a living from album sales?
Owls Over Oaks is my personal project where I write everything. As I said, I twill be a trilogy and I hope to have the same musicians for all three works. No, you don’t make a living from album sales. I have a shitty job.
How did you manage to establish a solid and permanent line-up?
I hope it will be stable until the third album. We are not kids, so for now we have always managed to think about everything and I hope it continues like this, otherwise I will make some changes, everything has a beginning and everything has an end.
If you had to introduce a new listener to OWLS OVER OAKS, which song from O.O.O. would you choose and why?
O.O.O. is a single 40 minutes litany, the album must be listened from the beginning to the end, each track is connected. Immerse yourself in our world and you will find desperation, my desperation.
Was there a specific band that made you say, “That’s it-I’m starting a band!”?
Maybe you can say that you hear echoes of Thorr’s Hammer, Burning Witch, Sunn O))), etc, but honestly, I was not inspired by anyone in particular. I’m a very modest guy but I think it, I created something of strange, the use of two basses to have a very deep sound, the total absence of guitars and analog recording. In short, you may like it or not but no one will ever be able to say that we made a copy and past of any artist.
Any final words for the readers of Iron Backstage?
Open your mind and let yourself be transported for 40 minutes, you will hear very little melody but a lot of pain and distortion.
Thanks for your time! Thanks to you,
Valerio “Leynir” Possetto, Owls Over Oaks
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