EMQ’s with NUCLEAR
Hi Everyone. Welcome to our new EMQ’s interview with Santiago, Chile Thrash/Death/Punk Metal band Nuclear Huge thanks to them for taking part!
What is your name, what do you play and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
Hey, thanks for this interview. My name is Francisco Haussmann, I play guitars in Nuclear. To make the long story short, Nuclear was born from the ashes of another band called Escoria back in 2003. After a few line-up changes and 5 albums in the bag, the band is writing music for the 6th album. In 2014 we got signed by Candlelight Records, UK (now Spinefarm Records/Universal Music) and we released one album under that label.
How did you come up with your band name?
To be honest, I don’t recall exactly how, but we did want to have a powerful name representing our music and live performances. We thought of the nuclear power and how uncontrollable and potentially dangerous is.
What country are you from and what is the metal scene like there?
Chile, South America. I’d say metal scene here is like any other. You can find an excellent feedback and support for foreign acts but not that much for local bands. I think it is constantly growing for the better though. People understand the importance of the local scene and how difficult it is for a band to build a fan base. Our geography does not help much either as it becomes pretty difficult for bands to visit other countries in South America and vice versa (quite the opposite as Europe for instance).
What is your latest release (Album, EP, Single, Video)
Our latest album is called “Formula For Anarchy” from 2015. However, we released a single in 2016 called “Libertad Condicionada”. It is a cover song from Chilean punk rock band.
Who have been your greatest influences?
There are too many to write, but I’d say Old School Thrash and Death metal were the first influences we had. Sepultura, Kreator, Dismember, Benediction, Entombed, Slayer, Exodus, Unleashed. In time, we have been widening our taste of music and a lot of Punk, Hardcore and Grindcore have given us pretty rad ideas for our music.
What first got you into music?
I’d say something happened when I first watched Live Corruption VHS from Napalm Death back in the day. It was so intense, so brutal and I instantly knew that I wanted to have a band. I was perhaps 12 years old and did not have any instruments at home so I asked some friends to lend me theirs and that’s how it started.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
I would love to have LG Petrov or Alex Camargo from Krisiun singing one of our songs. Both are big influences on Nuclear’s work and how we see metal music nowadays.
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
For some reason, I have always wanted to play Bloodstock Festival in UK. I think that festival has a really good vibe and the line-ups over the years have been brutal AF!
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
We’ve received a lot of gifts from fans and nothing really weird to be honest. We’ve got flags, CDs, tees, beers, etc. We did receive a very cool gift once. It was a hand-painted very detailed and dedicated portrait of us as a band. We have it in our rehearsal room.
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Many thanks for these years of constant support. Underground music is difficult in every sense of the word and it would be ever more difficult if we hadn’t got our fans supporting us at every show. We are lucky to have a very strong and loyal fanbase backing us up from many countries around the world.
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
That’s a tough one. I don’t know about rock star but I’d say Chuck Schuldiner. He was one of a kind and he left us way too early.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
I rarely think of this. I enjoy pretty much everything about being a musician. Playing music gives you something only musicians know how to describe it. Those goosebumps you get when you play live or when you finish a new song, It’s something unique. I don’t think I hate anything about this. Maybe the lack of support between bands or the constant hatred in social media.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
I don’t think there’s commitment from labels towards new bands. I understand that this is a business but it looks like A&Rs are not getting out as much as they are supposed to. There are tons of bands out there that don’t stand a chance. I believe it is very short-term thinking if you consider that many of the big bands are about to finish their careers.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
Benediction – “Subconscious Terror”.
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?
I collect vinyl. I love the way they sound and everything about the package.
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
That’s a really tough one. We’ve had many memorable gigs in the past!
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
I am actually also a Chemical Engineer, so I’d say that I would be working full time as one.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
My band. Besides being band mates, we are also best friends and I believe that’s why we have stayed strong as long as we have. You can have a discussion or fight from time to time but in the end, everything comes back to normal and keep having a good time. This might sound as a cliché, but metal music is not about money and if you’re not making tons of it, what’s the point of staying together if you don’t remain friends and have a good time?
What’s next for the band?
We are right in the middle of a new album recording. As soon as we finish it, we will start touring everywhere we can to support it. Stay tuned for upcoming news!
What Social Media/Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
https://www.facebook.com/nuclearcl/
https://www.instagram.com/nuclearthrash/
https://nuclear.bandcamp.com
You can actually visit www.nuclear.cl and find pretty much anything you want.
Jaffa Cakes? Are they a cake or a biscuit?
Cake definitely.
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Many thanks for the interview! We cannot wait to have the new stuff ready to show everyone! Stay tuned!
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