Simov (Mr Woland)

The italian punk metal band Mr Woland recently released their second album, Burn The Streets Again. We asked them a few question to learn more about them, their music, their punk rock roots and the merging between music genres.

Can you tell us about the inspiration and creative process behind your latest album “Burn The Streets Again”?

“Our second album Burn the Streets Again represents a step forward for us both compositionally and sonically. We wanted an impactful record that was true to our DNA and spoke about important themes such as love, freedom, rebellion, struggle, justice, the need for independence and self-awareness. We wanted to push mostly on the depth of the lyrics and darker musical atmospheres, also trying to enrich the sound with additional instruments and vocals. There was also a lot more time to produce it, because it was recorded and mixed in the pandemic period.”

Your latest single and video “Put on a Show” has just come out. Can you tell us about the story behind the song and how the video concept came about?

“It is the song that opens the record, and it does so with the message we care about most, encapsulated in the chorus. We wanted to make the sense of why to go ahead and get on stage. It is, in short, a kind of manifesto. In the background, in the stanzas, there is an ended love. The director of the video, Marco Fantacuzzi, wanted to give his own interpretation of the lyrics, telling of an unconventional love that manages to overcome conventions while remaining true to itself.”

Mr Woland’s music seems to blend punk and metal sounds. Who are some of your biggest influences in creating your unique sound?

“Punk and metal are among the main listening of all band members, two genres often seen as rivals but at the same time brothers. Especially when we were born as a band we decided to take inspiration precisely from some bands that in this sense were able to marry punk and metal, such as Motorhead, Turbonegro, Danzig or Gluecifer. Some other big influences are Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest and Zeke.”

In the age where most bands seem to be formed by younger musicians, how important is it to keep making music even when you’re not in your 20s anymore?

“For us it is a fundamental thing, we grew up loving to play music and we want to carry on this passion like so many other “old farts,” as long as possible. It is a natural way of expressing ourselves, an art form that belongs to us 100%. The ambition is to continue to do this in a creative, fun and high quality way, perhaps playing our music for as international an audience as possible.”

How has your music evolved since your first album, and what can fans expect from your upcoming projects?

“Compared to the first album, which is very instinctive and urgent in all its aspects, from sound to production, from musical references to lyrics, with Burn the Streets Again we have tried to expand our sonic horizon and take great care of the structures of the songs, to make it more full and powerful but at the same time elegant. We will surprise our fans with our next project, which will also be a tribute towards many artists.”

Can you describe the most memorable moment of your musical career so far?

“It would be easy to say opening for Therapy? or Valient Thorr: two amazing bands we have loved since the beginning and we were honoured to meet and share the stage with. But to be honest, the most memorable memory is rocking Sala Upload in Barcelona for Rifle Riff Festival 2019: our first gig abroad, as headliners, in a great hall packed of a fun and wild crowd.”

How has your hometown and local music scene influenced your music and performances?

“Padova was quite big in rock in the 90s and early 2000, when we were in our 20s or still teenagers, with so many different lively scenes: punk, metal, hardcore, noise, emo, crossover, ska, reggae, hip-hop, plus the still ongoing beat and psychedelia and prog musicians and bands from the 60s and 70s. We listened, played and enjoyed a lot of music… so in this sense Mr. Woland has deep and solid roots in our local music scene”