American melodic black metal band Uada had a blast on August 23rd at Quantic Club, in Bucharest. On this occasion, the band’s mastermind and founder, Jake Superchi has sat with us for a comprehensive discussion. Trying to leave no stone unturned, the conversation delved into the band’s history, the concepts, paranormal experiences, life on the road… As a matter of fact, life as it is… and with what makes us who we are!
DinIntunerec: Hello, Jake, thank you for getting on board with this interview.
Jake Superchi: Hi, it’s a pleasure and I’m happy to be here, in Bucharest.
DinIntunerec: I would like to start our conversation by explaining the context a bit. Could you walk our readers through the inception of the band? What were the plans back then? Also, what do you think makes Uada different from other black metal bands?
Jake Superchi: Well, in 2014, I was playing in another band I had been with for 18 years, playing music with my brother. Yet, I just had this urge to do something different… To start something new. Out of the chaos that was coming from that camp, I had a very profound moment that led me to start this band. Thus, once I had riffs, ideas, and concepts, I reached out to some local musicians in my area. To see if they’d be interested in starting something. I was looking for people to play with. So, I reached out and found some people to put the ideas into effect, and the rest was history.
The plans at the time are everything that I think people are seeing us do now.
It was a very easy thing to see. I just, for some reason, knew that it was going to be… Kind of this new energy and explosion that was going to take us around the world and hopefully change people’s lives for the better, including our own. As far as what makes us different from other black metal bands, I think specifically we are not afraid to venture outside black metal boundaries. That’s not to say that other black metal bands don’t… But I think a lot of black metal bands have a formula or a rulebook… Which to me is kind of contradicting. I understand why people want to pay homage or stick to a script.
But for me, I just have to be myself in my music, and I never wanted to put limitations on the creation of the art based on what the genre is, isn’t, or is supposed to be. I think because we’re honest with ourselves and not afraid to venture outside of one specific genre, it gives us a little bit of a separating point from others.
DinIntunerec: You chose a Latin word for a name… and it means ‘haunted’ (in Latin). Why did you choose this name? Does it reflect your ‘mission’ or is it supposed to be rather metaphorical, stemming from real experiences with the paranormal?
Jake Superchi: It definitely comes from personal experiences that I’ve had all my life since I was a kid, as far back as I can remember. With things I would absolutely consider what we know as paranormal. I chose to go with UADA as the Latin description because at that time when this was coming into creation, that word, ‘haunted’, just kept coming to me. So I took it as a sign that, it was exactly what this has to be.
However, there was already a band, I believe from Sweden, called The Haunted. Obviously, I didn’t want to have the same name as another band. It’s also a bit basic, on a creative level… And I wanted something a bit more dynamic and different.
Moreover, Latin is, I would say, a very important language in black metal. It’s obviously a dead language, but it’s something that, as cliche as it may sound, has been a part of black metal ever since the beginning. Therefore, it just made sense to find the translation to Latin. And that’s how UADA came to be.
DinIntunerec: With each album, Uada’s music seems to grow more ambitious. Can you walk us through your creative process and how it evolved from Devoid of Light to Crepuscule Natura?
Jake Superchi: Well, I am at heart a songwriter. I’m not a very flashy guitar player. I’m not very talented in other fields of music, either. So, for me, anytime I pick up my instrument, I just improvise and write. So, whatever I feel at the time, kind of comes through the guitar. Thus, anytime the creative process starts, it usually begins with a set of ideas. You know, three, four, five riffs that could work together for a single song. Then, I compile the ideas until everything kind of makes sense and flows together. Afterwards, I begin to write the songs from beginning to end.
I always have an idea of the rhythms, the drum patterns, and where the vocals will be… Where we should do harmonies, where a solo might go. So, I’m always laying the foundation first, and then eventually, I’ll bring it to the rest of the band and we’ll sit and develop it. Or maybe it’s just myself and another guitarist… We’ll sit down and just kind of play with the ideas until we’re happy with how it feels and sounds. With Devoid of Light, the idea was to have it very stripped down, kind of a ‘less-is-more’ approach. I wanted to keep it basic, but not too basic. To me, there’s a lot of rock and roll influence, and I know you can hear that on Devoid of Light. Obviously, on Crepuscule Natura, it’s a lot more prominent.
But, I always try to explain this… For me, the first album is a sphere of our sound, and as it continues, that sphere just builds outwards. We incorporate more of our natural influences within that sphere to help it grow. So each album, in a way, is like a timeline of our growth and our sound… And where we were at that time as humans and musicians.
DinIntunerec: Uada’s music often delves into themes of the occult and the supernatural. Can you discuss how your personal experience has been influencing your lyrics and overall artistic vision?
Jake Superchi: So, having so much otherworldly experiences throughout life, that’s always kind of led me into studying esoteric things, cult philosophy, things of that nature. I was raised a Roman Catholic. But as a child, going to church and having to do Sunday school until I was like 10 years old, I knew for whatever reason, everything just felt wrong. It didn’t make sense to me. And, for whatever reason, I just had that feeling something wasn’t right.
So as I got older, I started to look into other types of religions and philosophies and any sort of different types of knowledge that I could find. I don’t completely write off any of them. Also, I don’t completely believe in everything that they all pertain. But I just tried to take what makes sense from each one and apply it to my life to better myself and my music.
With the paranormal experiences, I think that really helped me understand there’s so much more to this existence in our world that most people don’t experience or see or most don’t expect to see. Being three dimensional beings, we can only see in certain dimensions. But, there’s far more than than out there. Sometimes, things come through the veil. That energy and that feeling I get when these experiences happen make some of the most exciting and inspirational moments of my life. So, the other side of it is that music is the same for me. Something I was always passionate about while growing up. Therefore, I just took the two things that impacted my life the most and, used one to influence the other.
DinIntunerec: How important is it for you to explore esoteric and hidden knowledge in your music, and how does that search impact your creative process?
Jake Superchi: Well, I wish I had time to read and study more. Unfortunately, as a writer, most of my time goes to that. As well as all the other things that I do to make the band work and move forward. So I don’t find enough time to read or study. But, for some reason, the life experiences that I’ve had, always showing me signs and messages, guided me. I use these experiences to help create the lyrics for each album.
It’s just my own personal growth and learnings that I came through. Also, I use the little knowledge I have on occult philosophy and esoteric knowledge to analogize these moments… Hoping that, when people connect to my words, that can bring them some sort of beneficial factors that can help them realize things about their lives… And hopefully make changes for the better in their own world.
DinIntunerec: Uada’s hooded image has become iconic. How does this visual aesthetic align with the band’s philosophy and the messages you wish to convey through your music?
Jake Superchi: The image that we came up with, well, I say we came up with, but I suppose a better term would be the image that I was shown at a very profound moment in the beginning… I had a messenger that had spoken to me, and in that moment I knew this was what I was supposed to do, that this was my path. When I was writing the very first riff to what would become the song Black Autumn, White Spring, there had been this strange event…
I can’t say it was a remote viewing, because to my understanding a remote viewing is seeing something that’s happening simultaneously in another part of the world or universe. Whereas I was seeing something that I believe was a glimpse of the future. I was sitting in my office playing this riff over and over when my vision went out. All of a sudden, I found myself walking through a venue and behind the crowd. I couldn’t hear anything. There was no sound or anything… But, I remember walking to the right side of the room, leaning up against a pillar and looking up at the stage. I just saw these figures in hoods…
It was just like that: silhouettes or shadows or whatever you want to call them, in a white wall of fog, in front of a crowd. In that precise moment, I knew that I was seeing myself. I knew it was myself that I was watching.
Uada at Quantic
(c) Carlos Funes
When I came out of the vision and went back to the so-called reality, I was like… OK, I know what everything is supposed to look like. Interesting enough, the very first day after the band formed, we were rehearsing… I think it was Devoid of Light in the first rehearsal. Which was quite a coincidence… (I use the word coincidence, but I believe everything happens for a reason).
So, we were in the process of writing Devoid of Light, at the first rehearsal… When we went outside to take a break and get some fresh air, I remember looking up at the moon. I saw a blood moon eclipse, and it all just made sense. If you look at the image that we have with the lights from behind us, it’s very reminiscent of an eclipse.
DinIntunerec: Don’t hold back… I feel there is something more…
Jake Superchi: Well, that’s true… Another big reason why I wanted to use the anonymity, cover our faces and not show ourselves was not just for the reason of mystique. It was also a stance against what I felt was becoming trendy and fashionable in black metal at the time. Or just in metal generally… It felt like everybody using face paint was kind of becoming, I don’t know how to put it mildly, it was kind of becoming a joke of itself to a degree. Because it had been so accepted by more mainstream media, or mainstream platforms, I should say.
I felt like taking a stance against that. Also, it was a way for us to eclipse ourselves, because at the end of the day it doesn’t matter who we are, where we came from, what we look like. It’s just the music that’s supposed to touch people. Therefore, that was a way for us to allow the music to do what it’s supposed to do. Without any other extra influence, from a visual viewpoint.
DinIntunerec: How does the choice to conceal your identities during performances affect your connection with the audience and the energy of the live show?
Jake Superchi: I don’t know if it actually does, and I don’t think affect would be the right word. It can definitely be challenging. There are days when it’s very hard to see, but at the same time I think that allows us to pay attention to what’s important… Which is the energy that we’re exuding out of ourselves and putting into our instruments. Also, we’re not one of those bands that is very openly trying to connect from a visual standpoint. We don’t have to, because what we do is going to connect with those people regardless.
When people are exuding their energy back to us, it all becomes this whirlwind that just kind of grows, whether the band can see them or not. It’s a feeling that’s being shared through us to the crowd, also from the crowd back to us.
So, I think in various ways it really benefits the whole experience, because we’re not purposely trying to get people to chant… We’re not trying to get people to do anything.
Hence, getting any reaction from the audience in ways that other bands do (i.e. purposely leading them to chant or trying to motivate them or shouting out the name of their city to get a reaction…) Well, I think that, to a certain degree, it’s forced! For us it’s a very natural connection, and we don’t have to force anything. What we put out is what we get in return. So, I think, if anything, it helps us in many ways to alleviate distractions and not have to purposefully force or fish for a reaction.
DinIntunerec: I insisted on this topic because there is actually a story behind that. During the last two years, I’ve been travelling a lot, going to gigs and festivals, speaking with band members, also with people in the audience. I’ve been frequently hearing some judgements like ‘look at that band, they cover their faces, they don’t interact with us, they don’t care about us, they carry a stiff upper lip, they don’t respect their fans’. That’s why, I just wanted to put things straight, ink on paper, and seek out the bands’ reactions to such accusations. So that people understand this is not the case, or at least not all the time.
Jake Superchi: Not at all. Sometimes it’s nothing about it. I mean, we absolutely do care about our fans, and we do care about their experience. Yet, we are there to present a very specific experience and mood. I don’t feel that if I were to talk in between songs or engage, it would really make sense with the philosophy behind the band and why we do what we do.
My first idea has been not to say anything until the end. At the end of every set, of course, we thank the fans and say goodnight. Anyway, the whole idea was that, once we start, we don’t stop until the show is done. And I think a lot of times… From my standout, as I’ve been going to concerts since I was young…. For me, personally, there’s nothing worse than when you’re enjoying a group and then the singer decides to talk for a minute or two in between the songs. It kills the vibe and the energy… Sometimes it’s cool, sometimes it’s great to hear from them. But oftentimes I feel like a lot of people are there because they want to give their opinion. Or they want to shift other people’s minds to believe what they believe.
As for me, I just want people to come, enjoy, or not… But, I want them to just experience it for what it is, again, without any ulterior motive or outside agenda or personal opinions… Without trying to sway them into liking or hating it more, if that makes sense.
DinIntunerec: Actually, it does make sense. Going further… Life in the Pacific Northwest must be challenging, due to the bleak weather… How do you feel the natural landscapes of the Pacific Northwest uniquely shape the atmosphere and sound of Uada’s music?
Jake Superchi: Absolutely. I do believe that everyone is a byproduct of their surroundings, and for me, my time when I am not on the road is spent in the forests, in the mountains. I’m usually secluded from the world and I have a lot of solitude. Which is important for me because that’s how I recharge and that’s where I find my inspiration and motivation to work, write and create. The weather there definitely can be bleak. We get a lot of rain, there’s a lot of overcast. I’m also a night owl, so I usually go to sleep around anywhere from 5 o’clock to 7 o’clock in the morning. I’ll stay up later if I’m really involved in my work at the time. But, usually, if I see the sun coming up, I’m like, okay, it’s time to go to bed.
So there are times in the winter when I won’t see the sun for, you know, could be a month, could be a couple of months. So I’m in, you know, a lot of dark times. But that’s always been where my comfort is. Personally, when I’m comfortable in my surroundings and in my atmosphere, that’s when I can create freely and just be myself, you know. I don’t have to force myself into anything… There are no thoughts of trying to force things through or any urge that I have to do something. It just naturally comes out.
I definitely think that the landscapes and the weather are huge influences. They’re definitely huge influences on my mood. I have a lot of nerve damage. So, cold weather sets in and my joints hurt, which puts me into a certain mood. Therefore, when I write, you know, that pain and that frustration is coming right out through music.
Also, the silence of being out in nature and just listening to nature really helps me connect to myself. To things beyond that I could try to describe, but I can’t give an exact definition of who or what they are. Sometimes, when you sit out in nature and you just listen, things will speak to you. I use that, if I’m ever in a moment of writer’s block or something doesn’t make sense. Or if there’s something happening in my life that I need to get a better grip on. Or, sometimes I just go out into the woods or mountains and just sit in silence… listening. All the answers will come. Most of the times, it’s that way with the lyrical content, as well.
DinIntunerec: Which brings me to my next question. Scandinavian black metal has always been inspired by Paganism, pre-Christian heathenism, while North-American early history belongs to indigenous tribes, practicing Shamanism and believing in natural spirits. In what way has all this been influential to Uada’s specific blend of black metal or to the conceptual dimension?
Jake Superchi: Growing up, things had a natural way of flowing… I was a teenager in the 90s, and getting into black metal. I grew up listening to a lot of 80s heavy metal. Then, I started venturing into more aggressive and heavier types of metal. I was listening to a lot of different types of sounds. Darker types of sounds, too. Once I found Scandinavian black metal, everything kind of clicked in my head musically. It was like, oh, this is who I am. This speaks to me. Also, it hit me on a more spiritual level than most music does. I think it’s because of the content, the energy and what helped create that genre, if you will.
As far as the beliefs, again, growing up Roman Catholic, and then having paranormal experiences and all these other crazy things that I won’t get into, I knew that there was just more out there. And there truly was! I, for some reason, am fortunate enough to have these experiences and connections beyond this dimension. I’ve always been one of those people that doesn’t consider myself anything and yet considers myself everything at the same time. But I’ve never labeled myself as something. I mean, an adept of only something.
Yet, if I were to describe, like, my beliefs and my core, paganism would probably be the best way to describe it.
And if you take the spiritualism of American indigenous people and compare it to the ancient times of anywhere else in the world, you’ll see a lot of similar connections. Everywhere, people were at one time pagan, you know, before Christianity came in and tried to change things. As well as other Abrahamical religions. I do have a very deep connection to what would be considered Shamanism, paganism, that sort of lifestyle. I feel like it’s just something that’s always been with me, something that’s just been inside myself. I think it’s within us all. And it’s definitely something that influences the music and especially the lyrics.
For me, my words are my spells.
So, when I write an album, it is based on whatever is happening in my life at the time. In a way, I write about those concepts not only to get through them. Also, I write about things that I want to see manifest. Thus, I will put these things into my words and then watch it unfold before my eyes. To me, music is magic and again, words are spells. So, when I’m creating, that is my mindset. That is where my heart is. I put everything I can from myself into the creation, in order to see it bring forth the goals and dreams that I’ve had for myself as a human and as a musician. I’ve been fortunate enough to see it work many times over.
I hope that other people are aware of that as well. And I don’t mean aware of it, like, just knowing, or acknowledging that music is magic and words are spells. But really taking that seriously, to a point where they can also bring their life into the fruition that they’ve always wanted it to be.
DinIntunerec: Your music has been described as ‘black metal writ large’—grand, powerful, and full of artistry. How do you respond to such descriptions, and do you consciously aim to expand the boundaries of the genre?
Jake Superchi: That’s quite a compliment. It’s amazing to hear that people would describe what I do in such a way. I know what it means to me and I never expect others to think in such ways of myself or the music that I write. So, when I hear those things, still to this days, kind of shocks me, you know… It’s very humbling and very rewarding as well.
When starting this band, one of my main goals was to try to push the genre into new realms, but not purposefully in a way like set out to change something just for the sake of doing so. It wasn’t in a malevolent way or anything like that. But more like in that old saying, be the change that you want to see in the world. It’s not that I want to change things in a way that makes people stop doing what they’re doing… Or bands to switch their sound or anything like that. What I mean is that at the time, in 2014, black metal was very dissonant. And there was this really ugly, clashing soundscapes that are great and I love that stuff. Yet, I was missing, specifically, the 90s sound Sweden was producing. The guitar harmonies…
I wanted to hear those epic, grandiose, sweeping melodies and, of course, allow myself to put in my influences of rock and roll, grunge and, goth rock that have also inspired me in many ways.
So I knew, setting out to do this, that it was going to challenge a lot of people… Because, when people think of black metal, they think, it has to be this, it has to be that… I just had to create what came naturally, what influenced me.
And I just wanted to be myself within the music and, you know, luckily that seems to have done some wonders for us in ways. Yeah, I really feel fortunate that the world took to it in a way that allows us to travel and share it with other people that are seeking this sort of sound out.
DinIntunerec: Since Uada’s formation in 2014, the band has gained a significant following both within and outside the traditional black metal community. How do you feel about this growing recognition, especially from audiences who might not typically listen to black metal?
Jake Superchi: Right after we put out our first single, it seemed like it just exploded. Then, about three months after the first single came out, our debut album dropped. We found ourselves being invited all over the world… After one 38-minute album, to go play for people everywhere. Festivals, one-offs and headlining tours. I remember at the time it was quite challenging for me. Not necessarily the touring or the playing, but the challenge of sitting interviews. It seemed like everybody, all of a sudden, was interested in what I had to say, and that’s never been a thing that was a part of my life.
You know, in America, up until, I don’t even know, the last ten years I guess, being a musician was very looked down upon. A lot of people looked at us as freaks or wastes of life, people who aren’t providing anything to the community, outcasts… My entire life I’ve been an outcast. Which I have always been enjoying, because that allows me my solitude to do what I do, and I later realized what a blessing being an outcast was.
So, being under everyone’s eye was definitely something I had to get used to. Because, again, I’ve just never expected anybody to be interested in what I have to say or what I’m doing. It was quite shocking to witness at first. I wish I could say I’ve gotten used to it. Maybe it’s just become a little easier. But, as far as the crowds go, to me it doesn’t matter who is there, who comes and listens to us… Whether it’s a black metal crowd, whether it’s not a black metal crowd. To me, art is free, and people should be free to enjoy whatever they want. So, to me it doesn’t matter who’s there, as long as they’re there because they want to enjoy what we do.
If I can share myself through my music to the people in front of me, and they can receive something positive or inspirational from it, then I think that I’ve done what I’m supposed to do.
As a musician and a music lover, that was what I always gained from going to concerts. I would see my heroes on stage, and I would leave that concert a different person… My head would be in the clouds for days, and I would be on this high. I would feel empowered and inspired. That’s kind of all I’ve ever wanted to do… be able to create that same feeling for others. I guess that’s just of my way to give back, maybe the only way I really know how to give back.
So, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what people label themselves, what genre they like, what their creed, their color, their background is, none of that matters. At the end of the day, we’re all human, we’re all the same, we all have the same heart, and I’m just sharing mine through my music, hoping that people can connect to it.
DinIntunerec: How was the experience of sharing the stage with Behemoth and Imperial Triumphant during your recent performance in Heidelberg? Did these interactions, particularly with Nergal and the members of Imperial Triumphant, influence your perspective or approach as you continue on this tour?
Jake Superchi: I’ve actually known the Imperial Triumphant guys for quite a few years now. They toured with us on the very first Uada tour. I used to book festivals, a festival in Portland. I did seven of them, and on the sixth one, I had flown Imperial Triumphant out to play my festival, and then we did a West Coast tour that started with, I think, four dates with Absu. And we had Imperial in the van with us, so we got to know those guys, and then ended up touring with them again a couple of years later. I haven’t seen them in a long time. It was really great to see them. I’m very happy for their success and what they do, they are incredible musicians, and very humble guys, and it was nice to catch up with them briefly.
Behemoth to me is a band that I’ve been listening to since the late 90s, early 2000s, and as far as what people consider black metal or extreme metal, I see them as one of the biggest bands in that genre. They’re kind of a band that’s opening doors for a younger generation, and so I always pay attention to what they do. To be invited as direct support for them at a show was very special for me personally.
I have a lot of respect for Nergal, what he’s been through, what he represents.
He’s one of those people that’s not afraid to be himself, no matter what the cost, no matter what judgment comes his way. He just is who he is with no remorse, and I feel that is someone I can relate to, because I don’t ever feel the need to be anything other than myself, and so, when you see that in other people, especially in this genre, it’s very refreshing. It was very special. I did get to meet him at the end of the show. Some of the other guys got to meet him throughout the day a of couple times, and he kept checking in on us, making sure everything was okay, and we were comfortable.
He came out after the show, asked us how the show was, and where are you going next, where we have been, what festivals we are playing, and that sort of stuff. It was cool, because at that level, it would be easy for them to close themselves off. They don’t have to converse with us, to check in on us. Also, they don’t have to care about us being there. To see that he was interested in what we were doing, and how things went was pretty cool. I really appreciate his coming to us at a human level and saying hello. It was a very cool moment. I definitely won’t forget that one.
DinIntunerec: Crepuscule Natura, your latest release is by far the most adventurous: it is darker than the previous, organic and it highlights the technicality of the guitar riffing. I wish you could walk us through the creative process of this album.
Jake Superchi: Crepuscule Natura was quite a bit different in the creation process, because it was written during the first year of the pandemic. I think I had the entire album written, other than the lead guitars, by the end of 2020. And I remember in January 2021, we were finally able to get together and rehearse briefly before we’d start tracking. Just kind of go through, make little adjustments, you know, stuff like that.
Instead of me bringing the foundation to the band and us getting in a room and playing through, it was me recording the foundation, and then file sharing with everybody, because we were all on lockdown in different parts of the world. There are things about the album, a lot of things, I won’t beat myself up too bad. But there are things that I wish that were slightly different. Things that I love about the album, but also things that I’m not really happy with. And I think a lot of them came out like this because of that I’ve just mentioned.
At that time, there was so much frustration and so much mental illness of being, you know, stuck in a room, not being able to be free to do what we do.
Sometimes I’d send stuff out and then I’d get things in return. Then, I would try to type out, where I felt changes were needed or what could be better, asking for, different options on certain things. And it became so frustrating that eventually it was just, like, kind of accepting it as it was. Like, okay, it is what it is. Also, we ended up re-recording the album three times.
So I just wasn’t happy, you know, each time that we were going through it was just complicated. I think you can hear a lot of the frustrations in that album. So, it’s definitely not my favorite. There are songs on it that are near my favorite because of the meaning and the feeling they have. But again, the words that are in that album… I’ve watched them do what they’re supposed to do and it’s brought us to where we are now. So all I can do is learn from that, you know, and apply that, moving forward.
I know that in the next album, all the things that we’re not content with on this one will be executed in a better way. I can already see that coming through, in the demos that we’re creating… For the next album that will probably see the light of day in a couple more years.
DinIntunerec: You’ve been constantly associated or compared to Mgla. How do you feel about that?
Jake Superchi: Mgla is a great band. I do enjoy what they do. They’re very talented musicians and they create such a deep feeling within their music. When we first came out and dropped our first single, it was February of 2016. I believe Mgla‘s Exercises in Futility came out about September 2015. I remember, when that album came out, it just exploded. And it was kind of the new sound of black metal, I suppose.
And I’ve seen so many bands take influence from that. It’s quite remarkable to see something like that happen. I think the last time we saw something like that happen was when Watain‘s Sworn to the Dark had come out. It was this sound that kind of started to bleed out into others and change.
However, as great as Mgla is, it was not necessarily a musical influence in my writing or the sound that was coming out of us. I think it was just kind of a time and place, maybe a universal frequency that was starting to shift around the world. I noticed in that time that our debut came out, other groups from the US and Canada, just seeing the synchronicities with no way of knowing what anybody else is working on.
Albums take years from writing to recording, mixing, mastering and then planning a release.
A lot of people hear a new album and they’re like, oh, this just came out right now. Because it’s new to them. It’s a now thing. Whereas a lot of times, when we release an album, it’s already two or three years old. And we’re already past that… working on, you know, the next thing.
When Devoid of Light came out, we had, I think, already written all of our second album, Cult of the Dying Sun. Except from the last two songs, which we were working on at the time when Devoid of Light finally came out.
However, being compared to Mgla, I think is a positive thing for us. I think it helped bring a lot of awareness to the band and what we were doing.
And again, I’ll take that as a compliment. I think that’s all I could really do, you know. There was a time when it became so overwhelming, I believe, in 2020, when Djinn came out. I was doing the promotional interviews for the album. I probably sat around a hundred interviews for the album. I think there was only like three interviews out of those hundred that didn’t ask me about Mgla. I remember at that point, it started to become frustrating. I didn’t understand why I always had to talk about these guys? I am joking, of course.
But, at some point, I felt like these guys are going to owe me royalties because every time we’re mentioned, they’re going to get mentioned.
I deserved some sort of promotional profit from this. It’s obviously a joke. Well, now seriously, I just set out to do my own thing and create my own path and, again, just be myself and my music. I don’t mind being compared to others, but at the same time, I know what we do and what they do is vastly different. I’m sure there are similarities. But it’s a completely different energy. I think there are quite a lot more differences between the sound, the message, the energy than the very few similarities that people may pick up on.
DinIntunerec: Actually, are there any bands that have been influential in some way to your music?
Jake Superchi: Absolutely. So many… I can’t list them all, but really the premises of starting this… Sometimes, you have to explain, the idea and the sound that you’re having in your mind that you want to portray and produce. It was a lot of the 90s Swedish black metal, bands like Dissection, Vinterland, Dawn, Unanimated. Those were the bands that really influenced me in my early days of playing guitar, among many others.
Also, the sound I really wanted to encapsulate and mix that with is the 80s new wave of British heavy metal. Bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy… You know, Black Sabbath, although they were definitely not a new wave of British heavy metal.
Taking those classics we all grew up on and then taking another influential sound and trying to mix those through the writing… Also allowing our own region, our own atmosphere and surroundings and make it into something unique…
There are so many influences, you know. Fields of the Nephilim is another band I listen to all the time. I know that there’s a lot of influence from them that comes out through my writing. My Dying Bride too… You probably wouldn’t hear, if you didn’t know, but there’ are a lot of these gothic, doom elements in our music that come through. Also, I often talk about Nirvana, which was my first step into aggressive music.
I was never much into punk music. Grunge, for me, was my punk, and bands like Nirvana and Alice in Chains were so huge at the time where I was, in the Pacific Northwest that I know this also comes through. There’s just so much I could go on and on and on. So many periods of my life that were dedicated to these different types of music. And helped me get through my dark days and so, whether I want them to or not, those natural influences are always going to come out in our music.
DinIntunerec: Let’s talk a bit about the show tonight. It is not your first time in Romania, and it’s been only two years since you last played in our country. What are your thoughts and expectations for tonight’s performance at Quantic?
Jake Superchi: As long as I don’t, I can’t say I have any expectations. I’m not a person that expects anything other than myself to do my best. Hopefully, that will happen. We came to Rockstadt two years ago and it was a great festival, with a great crowd. It was mid-summer with the sun shining in our faces, sweating and playing in a very uncomfortable environment. But, tour is tour and I think the best way to look at touring is finding comfort in the uncomfortable. Tonight, it will be special to share our presentation in the way that it’s supposed to be shared. And I think, sometimes having both and people seeing us in a different light, no pun intended, is also cool.
I feel like we are the most powerful and present when it is exactly what it’s supposed to be. I think when everything is the way it is supposed to be, it’s more impactful to the people experiencing it as well. So I’m very excited.
Everybody that I’ve met here so far has been extremely helpful, very friendly, and that’s one thing I enjoy about touring. Going out into the world and meeting people from all over the places. Seeing how similar we all are and how many good people there are in the world.
I think when we sit at home in our seclusion and we pay attention to social media and whatever narratives are pushed upon us, especially in America, it’s easy to become jaded and resentful. You often see people project their own faults on others, through their own unhappiness. So, being able to come out, visit new places and meet new people restores a bit of faith in humanity for me. Also, I think I find comfort through the hardships of touring and push myself to be a bit more social and talkative with people than I normally would be.
DinIntunerec: As we are getting closer to the end of this interview, I’m curious about something a bit more personal… Is there a moment during your career with Uada that has a special meaning to you? A very special memory, a hilarious moment… a special interaction with the audience… something that you might call memorable?
Jake Superchi: I have so many. So it’s hard to narrow them down. There’s been quite a few, where I’ve been approached by a fan, for lack of a better term, to share their stories about art, our music, getting them through their hard times… It is always something extremely special. Knowing that you can help someone in the way that music has helped me, or all of us, is truly special. I actually had a very special moment last night, when I had met a person for the second time. Much like I’m sitting down with you, doing an interview, I had done the same with this person about a year and a half ago in Vienna.
He was working for the festival we played last night. After our show, he came backstage to tell me that a very good friend of his, is the festival owner. And he is disabled. He’s in a wheelchair. He was at the front of the barrier the whole night, watching all the bands. While we were on stage, he looked over to his friend and saw that he had tears coming down his face. And that he’s never seen him react to a band in such a way.
So, knowing that our music can create such emotion to release something like that in someone is extremely special.
I have my moments in the studio, when creating… Sometimes when recording vocals, there are moments when I find myself in that same state. Whether it’s from pain or happiness, sometimes specific parts of the song will just hit me in such a way to move me to tears. To know that the music we create can also have that effect on other people is quite an amazing thing.
So, to know that we brought this man such joy that he was crying during our set was another one of those special moments that just made me feel like I’m where I’m supposed to be… Doing what I’m supposed to be doing. It’s not that I ever lose sight of that. It’s just nice when you can hear such a reminder. Or, you know, a reinstallation to know that you’re doing the right thing.
DinIntunerec: Also, what is the most valuable lesson that you have learnt during your career?
Jake Superchi: To take my time, which I’m still working on. I’m a workaholic. I’ve driven myself into the ground many times because I just go, go, go, go, go. But now as I am getting older, I don’t feel such pressure to produce. I don’t feel such pressure to force myself to work myself to the bone. I’ve learned patience, which has never been my strongest suit. Now, I think things will get done when they get done. I don’t have to feel any pressure all the time.
I think getting back to that mindset of being in nature and finding my moments to relax and decompress is really vital. Also, I think it will help me in the future to be able to plan and create more efficiently.
I’ve never been in a position where I felt the need to prove myself. Yet, I’m at a point of my life when if I died tomorrow I could be content with what I’ve done and accomplished.
That’s a big thing for me, because when starting this band I felt very inadequate in what I set out to do. At an earlier point, it felt natural to push and push and push… Because I wanted not only to manifest my dreams, but accomplish those goals I set out for myself. Now I feel that I’ve accomplished many of them, even though I’m sure I’ll never accomplish them all. But realizing that has helped me find peace within. I think when I have peace within that’s when I can be my most dangerous and effective.
DinIntunerec: Any special message to your listeners that you’d like to convey?
Jake Superchi: One, I just have to say thank you. The support that we have is overwhelming and I can’t convey how much we appreciate this. If there’s anything I could say is that I hope people that may be struggling with the things I’ve talked about can find their inner peace. Also, know that they don’t have to try to fit in where they don’t belong. They can allow themselves to just be, find that inner peace and that happiness to enjoy life and enjoy their moments.
If anything, I just hope people can not only find that inner peace, but the belief in their own self to achieve anything that they want to achieve.
I don’t think I’m much of an example for anything. But I think that if I was able to achieve my goals, anybody else could do the same. I just hope what we do can instill people to believe in themselves and know that they have a special place in the world. They have the power to be their own God. They have the power to create whatever they want to create. And I just wish them all the best in finding who they are and allowing that world to expand.
DinIntunerec: Thank you very much for your time.
Jake Superchi: I enjoyed the conversation! Enjoy the show!
