Winter Gate is Sudeep Saxena at the drums, Ankit Yadav at the bass, Devashish Dutt at the Vocals ( and guitar ) and Lovenish Sharma at the Guitar. The band originally got together in ’08, but became Winter Gate in 2010.
You came together in 2008. How did you meet each other?
I (Devashish Dutt) was in a different band back in 2006 when my long time friend kartik Ahuja (Former Guitar Player) and I started jamming up on some songs for we shared common interests in thrash metal and classic rock.
Since then we were trying to form a band together, we did actually make a band called “Dirge” together but then it didn’t survive and some time later I’d joined another band. In 2007’s end, I’d just moved out of that band, when Kartik & Devashish (me) again picked up some songs. The Bass Guitar duties were taken up by Ankit Yadav (Present Bass Player) who shared an apartment with kartik and was my class mate during the entire Engineering.
We just wanted a Drummer. But “it is so hard to find musicians in Jaipur with your interests, and back in those days it was like “Finding Nemo”. But then we jammed for months with different drummer until in mid 2008 we found one. I believe that it is where I can say it actually started properly.
You started your musical journey under the name Alath and now you have metamorphosed into Wintergate, How did that come about?
There are several reasons for the changes, like the constant changes in the line ups and the genre changes. In Alath we did lots of Thrash Metal, but then we started doing obituary and six feet under covers and it didn’t feel right under the same name. Constant changes in line ups also had a major part to play in it. Finally when we found our sound, or should I put like what we were enjoying playing more was Progressive stuff. We wanted to mix our influences like Cannibal Corpse, Death, Obituary, Opeth, Katatonia, BloodBath, Rush, Yes, Kansas, Camel and so many bands we love listening to. So, with an Idea like this, “War Autopsy” didn’t fit somehow and we needed a change.
The Band’s present name is Wintergate , so how did you come up with that?
As I said earlier, we were looking for a name that felt right for what music we were trying to make or to cover. So, we landed upon “Winter Gate”, which is a bit puzzling. It has not got any particular meaning. It felt extremely right for stuff we wanted to do, like gave us freedom, freedom from being totally contained in a genre.
How do you make music? Who does what?
I generally come up with the riffs, lyrics and the structures. When I have a proper structure I would give the tracks and Ideas to all the members in the band. The good thing is everybody has a large taste in music. Like we love listening to Blues and Classic Rock as much we love Old School Thrash/Doom/Black/Speed & Death Metal. Ankit (Bass Player) & Sudeep (Drummer) enjoys Jazz style playing. So we love mixing
Progressive Death Metal with their jazzy bass lines and swings drum patters in some parts. So everybody puts their feel into it. I believe, that is how it works for us.
How much time do you spend on a track and how much energy do you have to put in?
Every Track sucks the life out of us and feels like it is going to take a life time or something. Jokes apart, we want every song to sound like nothing we’ve already done, but it is hard I guess. We try not to over do a song, but also we don’t keep a time limitation, I mean we want to make flowing music.
In the digital era, people don’t like to pay for recorded music. What do you think of this? Have you been able to use free distribution of music in your favour.
I am a record collector, I’m buying cassettes and CD’s since I was a kid. I love the Hard Copies. I Mean, you can feel good about the old cassettes and CD collection you have but you cannot feel the same way for the downloaded song collection. But yes, downloading gives an easy access to music. I don’t know but it is hard to say if it is good or bad.
But yes, for a new band and for debut records it is actually good. Yes, we felt good about the free distribution. We want people to listen to us, this is what every new band expects and expecting that people will buy a new band’s debut record is like expecting too much too early.
In a nation where music is almost synonymous with bollywood , how difficult is it to create a band in india and successfully launch an EP?
It is actually difficult, especially if the band is not from a major city. And then think about playing Death Metal. Actually finding dedicated musician who share the similar goals and taste in music is the most difficult deal. Once you have that, everything else feels easier.
Well then the final question – what would be your advice for all those budding rock bands who want to make it big?
We are not the proper guys to answer this question as we haven’t made it big at all, though we have this undying hope.
Only one thing – ask yourselves, if you really want to do this for the rest of your lives. If the answers comes Yes, then forget everything else, stick in, keep doing it, just believe that things will work out.
FAST FIVE :
1: What is the craziest moment/experience you’ve had while on stage?
Nothing that I can remember.
2: Whats the one thing you hate during practice/recording?
Re-Takes: Which is a good thing, makes your recording sound much better. But yeah too many takes usually drains the confidence out.
3: The Band’s favourite top three songs of all time?
Impossible to answer, but: Together As One – Death, The Promise Of Fever – Cradle Of Filth, Heart Of The Sunrise – Yes
4: What according to you is the worst song you have heard so far and why?
Cannot pick one, but we’re not big fans of 15 sec grind-core songs. (No Offence)
5: If you had the power to bring back a music legend back to life, which would it, be and why?
It will certainly be Ronnie James Dio. He has been a big hero since our childhood days. Be it the Rainbow, Black Sabbath or the Dio Years, Listening to his vocals were so amazing.
If given another pick we would go with Chuk Schuldiner.
Listen to their EP DisIllumination below, or download it for free.
You can find Winter Gate on Facebook and SoundCloud.