WINDRUNNER Interview | 2018

Hello everyone, I am here with an interview today with a band from the region of Vietnam, WINDRUNNER. They just recently released a new single track titled Rose. If you want to check that all out after the interview, a music video will be provided below as well as a pre-order link, should you want to invest further into WINDRUNNER and their endeavors. Here is a brief bio from the band itself:

WINDRUNNER is a progressive metalcore quintet hailing from Hanoi, Vietnam. Started in early 2015 from the merger of two renowned Vietnamese metalcore bands: Epione and Alive In Sight, WINDRUNNER quickly made a name for themselves with their unique blend of rhythm and melodies, groovy riffs, soothing ambiance, melodic guitar lines, coupled with catchy vocal choruses. Their debut EP “VUI” was released in June 2015 and received positive acclaims from around the world. Since then, WINDRUNNER has actively toured around Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, and South Korea, supporting bands such as Attila, Secrets, Benighted, Hiss From The Moat, Massacre Conspiracy, Coldburn, Earthists, etc. Their newest single “Orchid” from the upcoming full-length album was released May 4th, 2018.” – WINDRUNNER’s Spotify

 

Something to add is that they are now with Famined Records and are releasing their full length through them. Now that you’ve gotten a chance to get familiar with the band, let’s dive into the interview:

 


[NT] So just as a starter, who all is WINDRUNNER as far as the members go?

[WNDRNR]- We are

– Duong Bui – Vocals

– Trung Ton – Guitar

– Nam Dao – Guitar

– Hieu Nguyen – Bass

– David Hudd – Drums

[NT] What brought you all together for doing music, specifically this genre?

[WNDRNR] Honestly it’s just what we love to do, playing the music we love. Besides, we’ve been playing music together for years and Windrunner’s sound is just a part of our natural progression in music.

[NT] Where did the name WINDRUNNER come from?

[WNDRNR] We took inspirations from a character from a video game we all played called Defense of the Ancients, a game based on the Warcraft universe. We don’t have time to play it much anymore but the game still holds a special meaning for us.

[NT] What are some of your influences for your music?

[WNDRNR] We all listen to various types of music, from blues, to extreme metal styles. We like to blend our own preferences with the original style of the band to make as much of an original sound as possible.

[NT] Being a metal band fronted by a female lead is something that doesn’t happen all too often, at least, not nearly as much as bands fronted by male leads do. Do you feel that your band will maybe inspire other females to start music of their own in this genre?

[WNDRNR] We just want to play our own original music so it’s not necessarily our goal, but we certainly hope so. There is so much talent in Vietnam and throughout the world that has yet to be found because of certain perceptions about heavy music and gender, so we hope that with our music we can inspire others to step out and create their own original art.

[NT] What are some of your current goals with your music?

[WNDRNR] We always try to expand our musical abilities and write better music with each release. Also, we plan to expand as much as possible into the international scene and try to get some exposure abroad, so that in the future we can play music for people all around the world.

[NT] From what I understand, you’re currently in Vietnam, what’s the music scene like for your genre in that area? Do you feel it will be any different in America?

[WNDRNR] In Vietnam, the alternative/heavy scene is very young. But it is rapidly growing, yet still nowhere near the size of the American or European scene. We still have a long ways to go there. It’s fair to say that we have as much scene in our entire country that just one state has in the US. The infrastructure (resources, venues, etc) is not as supportive of alternative music. But we’re getting there!

[NT] How did you become affiliated with Famined Records?

[WNDRNR] We were approached by Famined Records a couple of months ago, and it’s been an honour working with such kind people willing to take a chance with a Vietnamese band. We are proud to be a part of the Famined Records roster!

[NT] What are your hopes for WINDRUNNER?

[WNDRNR] We just want to play what we love to play, and show the world what Vietnam has to offer.

[NT] Do you have anything you’d like to tell people who will soon be introduced to your music?

[WNDRNR] Our full-length album titled “Mai” is coming out on November 30th 2018 on Famined Records so do check us out when you have a chance. We’ve put a lot of passion and time into making our music, and we hope that you will like and support us so that we can continue and spread throughout the world!

Thank you!


Thank you guys for taking time out of your day to read this. I hope that you are as excited for Mai as I am! From the way Rose sounds, it should be a killer album, for sure. A big thank you to Famined Recoords for reaching out and making this interview possible! Keep a lookout November 30th for the full album release of WINDRUNNER’s “Mai“, and if you would like to pre-order, the link will be provided down below. Have a great day, everyone!

 

Links:

Pre-order
Twitter
Facebook
Famined Records

 

WINDRUNNER ROSE (Offical Music Video)