Lauren Wishnie (Vocals for The Last Reign)
We've been fans of Lauren Wishnie and her vocals since we first heard the Buffalo melodic death metal band, DAMAGES, back in the pre-Covid days. Fast-forwarding a bit, however, Lauren has been fronting the Buffalo melodic death metal band, THE LAST REIGN, since early 2022 and the results have already been tremendous.
When we last interviewed Lauren in June of 2021, everyone's circumstances in life were a lot different than they are today. The scene was still almost at a standstill due to the pandemic, and Lauren was on the verge of releasing the new DAMAGES EP, totally unaware of where her musical path would lead her in the months to come.
In formulating this month's issue of Wretched Sound, I didn't have a solid plan in place. I knew I wanted to interview the females in the scene I look up to, whether they make their moves on or offstage, but I also wanted to talk about all the things in music, in our personal lives, and even in nature that fuel our collective passion for content creation. That was when I realized that Lauren is one of the only people I've interviewed who I've still never met in-person. It was that lack of previous in-person interaction that sparked an extensive, and entirely new line of questioning when it came to our October 2023 interview. This will not be a typical WRETCHED SOUND interview, and I'm opening up this month's issue with my questions for Lauren because this new, almost existential format perfectly sets the tone for the rest of this edition.
I hope you all enjoy this month's issue, and thank you as always for your continued support of this publication! I've been releasing WRETCHED SOUND paperbacks once a month for over two years now and our readers are the ones making that possible! THANK YOU!
1. Can you recall a specific album or song that first inspired you to become a vocalist?
I remember coming across Arch Enemy's music video for "My Apocalypse" and finding Angela Gossow so intense and terrifying. I wanted to be her. She definitely sparked my interest in trying harsh vocals, but for a few years I was too scared. "War Eternal" was the album that made me want to actually give it a go.
2. Who is the one vocalist or band you can listen to anytime regardless of your mood or the time of year? Is there a sound out there that heals you no matter what the circumstances?
I go through phases with this, but I've been obsessed with Aborted for like a year now. They do something to my soul.
3. What do you find yourself writing about more often than anything else when it comes to song lyrics? What is it that drives your words above all other concepts or subject matters?
Lately I have been on more of a melancholic bent. I've been writing a lot about just feeling stuck. People who read my lyrics will pick up on themes of depression and anxiety. Many of my lyrics also explore the relationship between systems and individuals–real "get a load of this society" type of thing. Many of my lyrics could be described as "political", though all art is political on some level. We are not islands, and our problems don't exist in a vacuum. These struggles are not just individual. As a collective, we are anxious, we are paralyzed by fear, and it's hard for us to believe sometimes that a better life is possible. Much of my writing reflects that.
4. Discuss some bands or albums you're listening to right now on repeat and why they stand out to you.
I'm late to the game on this, but I have gotten into Hypocrisy recently. I've been enjoying "The Arrival." Testament's "The Gathering" has been a mainstay for a while now. I have also been fascinated by this incredibly weird, distressing project called The Body. They're so strange and unsettling and agonizing. It's great.
5. Take a moment to reflect on an event in your personal life that instantly sparked an idea for a song. Describe that event and the inspiration that followed as long as it's a comfortable subject.
Oh, man. The first thing that comes to mind is a song I wrote nearly two years ago. It's called "Violent Red" and it's about a breakup I went through with a woman I'd been seeing. I was totally distraught and needed to process the feelings, so this song came out of that heartache. That song will hopefully be on an upcoming TLR release.
6. What sort of vocal warmups or practice routines have you adopted since performing harsh vocals more regularly these past few years?
I usually warm up in the car on my way to practice or to shows. Usually that's singing along to songs I enjoy and doing these weird vocal trills/raspberries (no idea what they're called). Weirdly, I've also found that gargling a bit of water helps me relax my throat a bit more. When I'm not in the car, I find that movement (jumping around a bit, loosening up my body, doing some stretches or yoga) all help me feel more at home in my body, and therefore better able to listen to it.
7. What's your advice for someone looking to form or join their first band?
Don't let the mean voice in your head win. Metal is art, and art is for everyone. Music is a way for us to express ourselves. It's essential to humanity. I put off even trying to learn harsh vocals for years because I was afraid of sucking. I put off trying to join a band for months because I was afraid of rejection. The mean voice in your head wants you to fear failure so much that you don't try. The mean voice is your brain trying to protect you from the pain of failure, but it will also stop you from enjoying your life. So, try not to listen to it.
Also, do not be afraid to have standards for how you are treated in a band. Don't be afraid to advocate for yourself and your other band mates when needed. Make sure you are properly credited for your contributions to the project. Don't accept sexism, racism, homophobia, etc. just because that's "how the scene is" or "it's to be expected." If we keep normalizing it, people will keep doing it.
8. Talk about some things in nature that spark lyrical ideas for you.
The sound of the wind as it moves through the trees in summer, especially right before it rains. There's something significant about that sound. It's a lush whisper, promising a storm.
I'm fascinated by fungi, bacteria, insects, reptiles… all the creepy crawlies. The scavengers and the decomposers. I appreciate how they thrive on death and decay.
9. Is music your first outlet or release when other things in your life aren't going so well?
Music is usually one of the first things to suffer when things aren't going well for me. It's still an outlet/release, but if things aren't going well, I tend to neglect the things I love the most, which are also things that help me feel better. It makes me sad.
10. What are some of your hobbies or passions outside of music?
I have an adorable tortoiseshell kitty & several houseplants that I love to care for. Running has been a passion of mine for years. I have a 5K coming up at the end of this month, wish me luck!
11. Recall your first underground metal show to the best of your ability.
I'm pretty sure it was at Mr. Goodbar around 2018. It was an album release party for a local band, but I can't remember the name.
12. Talk about some underground bands you love, that you've discovered recently as a result of performing with bands yourself.
We toured earlier this year with a band called Malphas (from Philly). They're absolutely amazing and you bet your ass I went home with a CD. On that same tour, in Connecticut, we played with a death metal band called Cryptic Entity, who fucking tore it up. Definitely check them out. There's also this amazing black metal band called Deiphage (from Oneonta, NY). We played with them in Norwich a few weeks ago. Their album "Searching Still…" is in my car CD player right now. It's a beautiful album.
13. Do you play any instruments?
Not yet!
14. Describe the darkest or angriest lyrics you've ever written.
I have some lyrics about childhood/family trauma that are really dark and sad. Many of my angriest lyrics, such as the ones I wrote with Damages, are full of rage at capitalism. "Desecrator" comes to mind as particularly pissed off.
15. In contrast, talk about the most uplifting lyrics you've written that you can think of.
I wrote more inspiring/uplifting songs earlier in my life, before I was really able to acknowledge all the pain and anger I felt inside. So, those songs might be on the lighter side, but many of them don't feel true for me now. They probably weren't really true for me back then, either. They represented what I wanted to be true, or what I thought I should be writing about. Some of my earlier work is also from when I was religious, which I'm not anymore, so many of those lyrics feel more toxic than uplifting to me now.
16. Between Damages and The Last Reign, you clearly gravitate towards melodic death metal. Without thinking much about it and just going with your immediate response, what is it about melodic death that draws you in?
The groove. I love music that makes me want to headbang, dance, & sing along.
17. Just touch on some of your favorite melodic death albums of all-time in no particular order.
Arch Enemy's "Wages of Sin" and "Doomsday Machine", Soilwork's "The Living Infinite", The Black Dahlia Murder's "Nocturnal", Carcass' "Heartwork".
18. You're a huge Black Dahlia fan like me, so I'm just wondering if the passing of Trevor Strnad influenced or inspired your vocals or lyric writing in any way? Or, even going back to when Trevor was alive, do you feel like he had a direct influence on your tones or writing in general?
Trevor absolutely did have a huge influence on me. I love the vivid, horrifying imagery of his lyrics. And what a fucking voice. His breath control and enunciation make it so every word cuts like a knife. He was a huge inspiration to me.
19. Talk about any upcoming shows or recording sessions you have coming up with TLR or any musical project you're involved with that you're at liberty to discuss.
We have two tentative shows coming up: November 11th in Erie, and December 30th in NYC.
Until then, we're taking the time to work on new material. The newer stuff is heavily inspired by albums like In Flames' Whoracle and Soilwork's The Chainheart Machine. Hopefully we can channel these sounds that we love into something totally different!
20. Discuss your most memorable live performances and what made them so special to you. Please include your thoughts on some of your favorite bands you've shared the stage with and your favorite underground music venues, etc.
My mom was able to come to a show at Mohawk Place last year, so that was really cool!
The tour we went on in April was such a blast. The Connecticut show was especially great, despite the fact that we weren't allowed to play cover songs there. We just had such enthusiasm from the crowd. I met this lovely grandpa and his grandson who loved going to metal shows together. It was very wholesome. In general, people were really into us. It was super gratifying.
And, of course, it was fabulous to hang out with the other touring bands, Winter Nights and Malphas. They killed every show & definitely made a fan out of me.
We recently played a show at Stamps with a D&D-themed death metal band called Dethlehem and oh my god…. They were phenomenal. Just fucking brutal. And of course, they were dressed up as fantasy characters. Probably one of my favorite live acts I've ever shared the stage with.
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