Shortly after Seven Kingdoms' freshly finished North American tour, one of the band's guitarists Camden Cruz sat down to talk everything about the tour and their recently released EP, The Square.
Let’s jump right into discussing your new EP, The Square. How do these four new songs and one cover differ from anything you’ve released on your previous two EPs and five albums?
Camden: These songs are, of course, newer than those older ones, so it’s more of a current snapshot of the band. We try to offer distinct sounds on EPs so that way it helps us mold the sounds as they weave in and out of each other on the full-length releases. It’s nice to get the feedback on these tracks and then move into the larger body of work. It helps us put the finishing touches on things as we move forward rather than just going for a full-length album out of the blue. It also allows us to get more material out faster with a little less in-between time.
In your own words, how would you describe the band’s music to someone who has or hasn’t discovered it yet?
Camden: I always tell people that are not super familiar with hard rock or heavy metal that it sounds like Metallica had a baby with Journey but there was a female singing.
What were some of the heavier influences that drew up what is now the track, “Through These Waves”?
Camden: Kevin and I have been fans of the heavier side of metal for some time and we are slowly adding some more of that into our sound. I think that moving forward we will see more tracks like this with some heaviness involved with the power metal spectrum. I think it really helps shape our "Power Metal" into "American Power Metal," by getting away a little bit from the super Neo-classical or fantasy lore when it comes to dragons, wizards, and elves [Laughs]. That's been done so many times so for this track, we explored some heavy themes and some more darker sounds almost in a Powerwolf style.
What do these four new songs cover subject-wise? I would, and I’m sure some people eagerly who have heard the EP, might want to know what some of these songs touch upon from the source? If you’re willing to share, of course.
Camden: There is a lot of life experience in this lyrical content. The EP is about struggles of all sorts and essentially the movements between getting through those things. Sabrina has a much more detailed and elaborate explanation of this but it’s also symbolic of an Astrology term when things are "Squaring" one another. So it’s about dealing with a lot of life stuff that sometimes may not be the fun parts. Many people we know are dealing with struggles themselves and you may never even know, and the stories are about struggles like that.
Do you have a profound moment from writing or tracking The Square EP that still sticks with you to this day?
Camden: A lot of times we have a moment as the music is almost finished getting mixed where everything is finally together and you can see what the song has become after so much work. It’s like the song is a flower or a fruit and you finally see the end product that it has become. It’s a cool moment. I think that's probably one of my favourite times during the writing and recording process. Was there any song on the album that you personally had trouble writing at all? Any that were simple to write?
Camden: Honestly, most of these songs came together pretty well. There wasn’t much struggle. There were some challenges that just took sleep and some fresh ears, but that was about the extent of it. We are super happy that the process was fairly painless and we could just go with the flow on these.
How would you describe the album in three words or less?
Camden: American power metal. What are some of your favourite tracks on the album? Any that stick out to you that you have now had a chance to test out on a live audience and may’ve even got a great reaction for?
Camden: I really enjoy "Wilted Pieces." It's a bit more on the slower, melodic side, but it's translated pretty well on the stage and it's just also a fun song to play! The new EP ends off with a cover of Mr. Mister’s 1985 classic “Kyrie.” How did you land on that cover, as it is pretty out of the wheelhouse of metal? Were there any other songs up for consideration to be covered instead?
Camden: When we do our Kickstarter campaigns, there is always a perk called "Pick The Cover." This was a choice from that. We get with the backer and we go over a list of songs and end up picking one that we like with them involved. "Kyrie" was the winner of this most recent list. It was a clear choice for us and it was a great song!
What do you hope people can take away from your new music?
Camden: We hope they enjoy it and are able to connect with the music in any way they can. We are lucky to have amazing fans and we hope that this is something that you will love and enjoy as we do.
You’re now freshly finished your recent North American tour. How was the tour? Are there any funny or crazy stories you can share?
Camden: There was a lot of wild moments, mostly dealing with logistics and weather. It was the coldest tour we have ever done ranging from -9 degrees F to the single digits while we were in Canada. We have lived almost our whole lives as Floridians, so it was a drastic change of pace in the cold for us [Laughs]. The drives on the West Coast and Western Canada are brutal when it comes to distance, but it has to be done. Other than that, the shows all ripped and it was a great time. We are stoked we got to tour on this EP here in the USA and Canada so far!
You came through Western Canada on the tour. Was this your first time through the prairies?
Camden: We have toured up there a few times, but it’s really nice to have come back and we had some great shows! We hope it's not too long before we can come back again! The drives are long through the prairies, did you have anything to do to pass the time driving between cities, or did you just take in the flat scenery of Canada?
Camden: Well, we were so concentrated on the roads that we didn't have time to do anything but look and white-knuckle grip that steering wheel [Laughs]. It was icy but we got lucky with decent road conditions minus a few spots. Sometimes a barren, non-exciting trip is the safest and we liked keeping it that way!
Are there any more plans for the band for the rest of the year besides the current North American tour?
Camden: We are just planning some downtime over the holidays, working on some new music, and some technical stuff for the Europe tour next spring, but that's about it! I hope everyone is able to get a few months of much-needed rest and downtime. Thanks for taking the time to talk today, Camden! It was nice to see you in Winnipeg on the tour! But, before you go, is there anything you would like to add?
Camden: Thank you to all those who have supported us! Thanks again to you for the interview! See ya 'round!