It’s been quite a while since we had an interview/conversation on the blog. I meant to do them more often but got sidetracked a few times earlier this year. I’m back on track now and will do my best to have interesting guests, whether it’s bands or labels. Whenever I come across a band that has a unique voice, I want to know more about them and this time around, it’s a Deathgaze duo by the name of VAZUM. They’ve just released a new album titled V+ this past Friday and it’s their most accomplished record yet, in my opinion. Seriously, folks, this is one of the finest albums I’ve heard this year thus far. Not only that, but I highly recommend checking out their videos on YouTube as they complement their music perfectly. At the bottom of this conversation, you’ll find links to all their social media and platforms they’re on if you feel like exploring their catalogue and supporting them.
Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: Today we’re sitting to chat with Zach Pliska, founding member and singer/guitarist/drummer along with Emily Sturm, singer/bassist of the deathgaze duo VAZUM. Congratulations on the release of your brand new album, V+. VAZUM has only been around for a few years, but you’ve been very prolific in terms of musical output. Can you tell us, in a nutshell, how the band has evolved to the stage where it’s at now as a duo?
Zach: Previously I played drums in probably a dozen different bands, so it was important to me that I form a band for VAZUM shows. I didn’t want to be a solo act, even though I recorded the first album solo. I recruited some of my friends but had a difficult time with drummers. We went through a handful of drummers. I even played drums and sang for some shows. Then my bandmates started losing interest, their level of commitment just wasn’t really there. And that’s around the time I met Emily. Me and Emily were friends first, then we started playing music together. By the time the pandemic hit my previous band members had faded out and it was just me and Emily.
Emily: I had been in bands previously but decided to focus on creating jewelry and running my own business. I kept a lot of songs and ideas filed away for a while. When I met Zach it seemed he was focused on his own music, but once we realized how similar our tastes and backgrounds were we began working on ideas. It was obvious we had chemistry. Jamming was fun, easy and inspiring and music quickly became a priority again.
Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: V+ is an amalgam of diverse musical genres and influences; we can hear echoes of Bauhaus, The Cure, Joy Division, and I can even detect hints of Siouxsie and the Banshees at times. You’ve even done a terrific rendition of one of my all-time favorite Bauhaus songs, “She’s in Parties”, on your 2019 album Variant. What would you say are the main influences that have contributed to shape your sound?
Zach: I spent my teen years obsessed with some of the 90’s rock bands like Smashing Pumpkins and Soundgarden. That style of guitar playing and drumming is very important to me. I studied jazz in college which threw me for a loop but opened me up to a whole other world. And also showed me the discipline needed to learn and master an instrument. It wasn’t until later that I got into 80’s bands like Depeche Mode and Bauhaus. In 2018 I signed VAZUM up for a local Halloween cover show and we did a Bauhaus set. Trying to cop the Peter Murphy singing style really opened my eyes to a different vocal approach. Previously I was trying to do a more 90’s voice which I have decided to stray from. Currently I’m much more interested in a David Bowie vocal sound. And I’m still discovering a lot of 80’s goth, deathrock and industrial music which Emily has introduced me to.
Emily: I moved to LA when I was ten years old and listened to the radio station KROQ which introduced me to artists like Gary Numan and Echo and the Bunnymen. My first concert was Adam Ant. Once I started going to clubs I fell in love with Christian Death. The deathrock scene had a profound impact on me and I’ve always wanted to do something similar musically. I like things that are intense and dissonant.
Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: You’ve also released a Halloween concept album, Rated V, where half the album consisted of songs and the second half was dark ambient instrumental tracks. Those instrumentals were incredibly atmospheric and spooky. Is that something you’d like to explore further in the future, doing maybe a complete album of instrumentals or perhaps horror movie scores?
Zach: Yes, we plan to continue exploring ambient and instrumental music. I could see us even going into a progressive rock direction a bit. The possibilities are endless and Rated V was a good starting point for us.
Emily: Absolutely, we’re just getting our feet wet. We have a lot of different concepts and ideas for more Halloween-themed stuff.
Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: Videos are an integral part of VAZUM. Emily’s background in the visual arts has no doubt been an important addition to the aesthetic of the band’s visually-striking videos. The song “Loved 2 Death” is a strong example of that, providing a deliciously eerie cemetery shoot that serves as a backdrop to the music. You guys are obviously horror movie fans; is making short films or delving more in depth into the cinematic aspect of the business something you’d have an interest in?
Zach: I’ve always associated visuals with the music I listen to. And it was important to create an aesthetic as well as a sound from the get-go. I grew up watching MTV and music videos are essential to me. Emily has taken our look and videos to another level.
Emily: I never thought I’d have the technology available for filming and editing videos that I do now on my phone. There was definitely a learning curve with the apps I use. But now that we have a grasp of our tools, we will only continue creating more video content. I’m a huge film buff. My favorite movies include Suspiria, The Thing, and Beyond the Black Rainbow. I’ve studied many films and have been obsessed with film making my whole life. Now I have an opportunity to put everything I absorbed to use.
Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: In my opinion, the best way to fully experience a band is to see them perform live on a stage with a crowd. Have you missed playing live gigs during the pandemic? Have you started playing in front of audiences again now that things are slowly going back to normal?
Zach: We haven’t played any live shows since the pandemic began but we’re starting to put our plans into motion. We want to tour and perform outside of Michigan. I haven’t missed playing live very much because I had been doing it for years mostly as a drummer and it became very routine. The break from shows gave me the opportunity to focus on recording and learn more about producing and engineering.
Emily: Our live show is very important to us and we are constantly working to make it more engaging. I had only played a few shows with VAZUM before the pandemic. Now we have a completely different set-up and sound for playing live which we are excited to unveil.
Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: I want to thank you for taking the time to chat with us today and I wish you much-deserved success with V+. Is there anything you’d like to add for people who aren’t familiar with your music or the deathgaze/shoegaze genres in general?
Zach: Thanks for talking with us and listening to our music. We really appreciate it. Ultimately we are trying to push rock music forward. There’s a lot of stagnation with scenes and genres. People are hung up on the past and some bands simply settle for a familiar sound because it has proven to be successful. I think there is still an undiscovered sound out there that people haven’t tapped into. Deathgaze is a new genre and it hasn’t been defined. We are going to show what it means to be a deathgaze band. We are going to define the genre and create our own algorithm.
Emily: We enjoyed speaking with you, the questions were very thoughtful. Thank you for giving new and obscure bands like ourselves a chance to speak our minds.
All photographs by VAZUM
VAZUM on Bandcamp
VAZUM on Facebook
VAZUM on Twitter
VAZUM on Spotify
VAZUM on YouTube
VAZUM on Instagram
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