A Dirty Dozen with WILL RAMOS from LORNA SHORE – August 2021

According to a recent press release: “LORNA SHORE, the triumvirate of songs at the heart of …And I Return to Nothingness EP are nothing short of an exorcism – and a plunge into something darker. In time fo today’s release of the EP, the band is unleashing a band new music video for the title track, “…And I Return To Nothingness”, which was directed by Joey Durango. …And I Return to Nothingness introduces their new frontman, Will Ramos (A Wake In Providence), a longtime friend and veteran of the scene that birthed the band. LORNA SHORE began what was to be both a trial by fire and a victory lap on the European Faces of Death tour, headlined by Polish thrashers, Decapitated. They held their own and won over crowds only to face the challenge of the tour being cancelled and being a continent away as the world shut down amidst the wildfire spread of COVID-19. In that time, the seeds of …And I Return to Nothingness were sown. As the world locked down, DeMicco, Archey, Ramos and guitarist Andrew O’ Connor plunged deeper into the creative instincts that initially made LORNA SHORE a fixture in the extreme metal scene. Embellished with artwork by noted Polish painter Mariusz Lewandowski (Bell Witch, Fuming Mouth), …And I Return to Nothingness reaffirms LORNA SHORE’s creative focus and intensity. LORNA SHORE is Andrew O’Connor (guitars), Will Ramos (vocals), Adam De Micco (guitar) and Austin Archey (drums).” We get new vocalist Will to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Every time someone first listens to the first song “To The Hellfire,” the first thing I hear is how they liked the breakdown and the heaviness of the vocals (which of course I love to hear) but I do believe there is a lot more to this song/ep in general. For this release, we’ve put together all the things that made listeners love Lorna Shore for what it always was. Everything from the orchestration to the melodies, to the slams; it’s all there. We wanted to make sure that we didn’t skip anything. After listening once or twice, the breakdown might wear down, but the rest of the song won’t. I think it’s things like that that are going to separate us from the pack and really reach out to the listeners that can’t stop listening.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

I’ve always been in the music world since I was little. Since elementary school my mom always put me in music programs to see which instrument I’d like the best. I went from violin to saxophone to guitar and eventually to vocals. Long story short, I’ve always wanted to be a musician and I’m glad I can still make the music I love to this day.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

Growing up, I listened to a lot of In Flames. There was something about the way they guided their music that was so inspiring. They knew exactly how to be heavy, and exactly when not to be… and it was absolutely perfect to me. From the synths to the melodies, to the vocals; it all flowed the way it was supposed to flawlessly. Realistically that’s probably why I love how Lorna Shore is as a band; how all the elements come together to bring something out of all of us that honestly can’t be put into words.

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Now? I draw a lot of inspiration from bands such as Infant Annihilator, I Declare War, King Conquer, Shadow of Intent, and (oddly enough) Silent Planet (the lyrics are super poetic).

5. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Honestly if I could collaborate with anyone, it would have to be Anders Friden (In Flames). He knows exactly how to fit into anything he works on.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

It’s hard to say exactly what genre we are because the band (as a whole) gets a lot of inspiration from a lot of different places. We have elements of deathcore, death metal, black metal, extreme metal. We really try to put it all on the plate for our listeners. We’ve been compared to Slaughter to Prevail before and honestly; I can’t get behind it! They’re a fantastic band but so completely different in music styles that I wouldn’t even compare the two. It’s like Apples and Oranges.

7. When the band are all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

When the band gets together its usually me (Will) that cooks, Andrew is getting the drinks, Adam’s probably eating hot dogs somewhere, and Austin is MIA.

8. When was the last time you were star struck and who was it?

Listening to Devin Townsend is always fantastic. He’s fantastic at manipulating his voice to suit any style he’s in.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

For me, the best part about being a musician is that one moment when you find that perfect sound that fits what I’m singing along to. It’s easy to do one style for everything but there’s something about that one moment of perfect harmony that I can’t describe. The feeling of being… one with the music is almost uplifting and aweing for me. To see the progression and be able to learn from it is so incredibly satisfying, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. If I couldn’t be a musician anymore, I’d love to be able to stay in the music industry and help other bands/vocalists grow to make their dreams come true as well.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

Ask me what kind of food my favorite is, I’ll tell you right now its Xian Famous foods. I’m absolutely obsessed with noodles and Asian food in general. Also I am absolutely tired of people asking how old I am! I have a baby face, so people always think I’m younger than I actually am.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”, even if it didn’t change your current situation?

There was a time when I was in college pursuing a dream someone else set for me because I knew it was the safe thing to do. While in school, I was given the opportunity to move up in the music world but turned it down because I wanted to focus on my schoolwork. In the end, I dropped out of school and decided to focus on my dream of being in the entertainment world. It all worked out in the end, but it’s things like that that I can’t help but look back at and try to learn from.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

I would have loved to sit in for the making of the album, Sense of Purpose by In Flames. It was such a masterpiece to me growing up so I can only imagine seeing the process behind it must have been incredible.

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Category: Interviews