Today, we were able to sit down with Al Aston from Atomic Agent to discuss inspiration to write music, heroes, and much more. Be sure to check out the music of Atomic Agent on Spotify below after the interview.
Interview:
What is your inspiration to write your music? Is it your
surroundings?
I’d say yes, pretty much. Half a year it is very dark here in Finland, so it does affect your mindset. Maybe that is what sets the overall dark tone of Atomic Agent. But I get inspiration from a lot of different sources. Most typical case is where I hear something new, and it makes new melodies play in my head. It also might be a nice drum or a bass pattern that sets it off, a certain sound or a cool story idea, something that has happened to me or my close ones, many ways to get an inspiration.
What type of music did you listen to growing up?
As a very young child, when most of my school mates were still listening to music made for children, I got into Elvis Presley. David Bowie made an impression too, but more with his visuality at that point, even though I did like many of his songs.
When I around ten, I found heavy metal, and that struck really hard. Soon after the music got harder and heavier with Slayer, Dark Angel, Deathrow and such, and before you knew it, we had our own thrash band in my friend’s cellar blasting out at full volume, much to the annoyance of his parents and neighbours.
Is there someone you looked up as a hero?
I take this is a music-related question? If so, I think it’s anyone who’s fought their way through all sorts of prejudice, hardships and whatnot to get their music and voice heard. If I’d have to mention one name right now, it would be the Lebanese all-female thrash/death metal band called Slave To Sirens. I mean I know there are some metal bands even in Iran and such places, but being a woman and playing hard metal in such a conservative, even hostile environment is really something. And which makes it even better is, that Slave To Sirens really kick ass, they are great musicians and write good music!
Me being a white, middle-class bloke in Scandinavia… I know nothing of such obstacles or difficulties, I’m very privileged.
If you weren’t a musician, would you be doing today?
I’m quite gifted when it comes to expressing myself through different forms of art (not being smug here, tho!), so I might be a painter, a cartoonist, an author or something like that, but actually I could be an architect. I might be very artistic, but I’m also pragmatic enough!
What advice do you have for our fans out there that want to create
music?
Go out there and do it, work hard, do not let anything limit you. Enjoy expressing yourself and let it show to all your potential listeners and audiences, you will convince them when they see you enjoying what you do.
Music:
