We are very honored to present you the interview that Fernando Ribeiro from Moonspell gave to Rock Overdose and Periklis Sivris and John Pitsakis. Fernando talked about the band's latest album, their next plans and many more! Enjoy!
Rock Overdose: Hello Fernando and welcome once again to Rock Overdose! How are you?
Fernando: Greetings. I am at home in Portugal after some studio work and festivals. All is good and we are setting up for 2016’s second half. There will be quite some Moonspell news soon enough.
Rock Overdose: I would like to congratulate you for your successful album release ‘’Extinct’’ last year. I’m pretty sure that this record holds something special which rejuvenated the whole band’s sound. How do you spend your time these days?
Fernando: Thank you. Extinct was a record done in all honesty, without agenda or making ourselves more likeable to the current trends. I am glad people who liked understood it. I don’t know about rejuvenation but Extinct has a mature signature, maybe the most well written songs we ever done. These days…well, no vacations so the days bounce between working and spending time with my son. Yesterday we went to a fair and played all afternoon in the merry go round.
Rock Overdose: The success of the album continues and very soon you’ll be again on the road for another European Tour, named ‘’Road to Extinction’’. Would you like to share a few words about the band’s songwriting process? Do you write music when you’re on tour, all together or each of you alone?
Fernando: We write as a band. In our own studio in Portugal as that is like our headquarters, a place we feel totally integrated in. We have for over 13 years now and always go there to write. Of course all our songs start with an individual spark that ignites the process, but a Moonspell song is just a Moonspell song when we all play it together in the room. For Extinct we avoided changing the ideas in the computer but used the band for that whenever needed. It adds warmth and truth to the songs.
Rock Overdose: What is the status of the band these days? Is it too early to talk for a new album release?
Fernando: The status is touring mostly. But we’ve been working and recording a new project but for sure not a new album. Something more experimental that might end up in an EP but it’s too soon to speculate. The fact is that we like to write songs and whenever one idea is good enough to take further,we have no problems in pursuing it and see where it leads us. We don’t care about the agenda or the time between albums, we just take the chance whenever we feel inspired.
Rock Overdose: Would you like to describe the music of Moonspell with three words, from your point of view? What does each word represent and mean to you?
Fernando: Lunar: because it deals with both of our sides as human beings, focusing on the moody, desperate, the pathetic, the survivalist on us; Honest: because we really do whatever we want and don’t care if it’s up to date with the Metal scene or not; Free(dom) because I see too many bands, even successful ones closing festivals, stuck to a formula which make them rich but unhappy. With Moonspell we don’t have those strings attached.
Rock Overdose: Is it kind of your motto to always look ahead and never look back? In which way does this affect your music with Moonspell?
Fernando: I look where I have to look. To the past for advise and inspiration; to the present because life’s too short and to the future because I’m curious and a survivor. All the tenses influence Moonspell. I don’t think they are separate but they really define you as you are and run together on a link.
Rock Overdose: From where do you derive your inspiration?
Fernando: I would say from my inevitable curiosity about the end of things, how people react, how the world reacts, how your lover reacts. It’s been present in many of my work since The Antidote. Night Eternal, Extinct there’s definitely a line you can find.
Rock Overdose: Do you have any plans for any future projects?
Fernando: Some. I am finishing translating my poetry into English, I will be a jury for the International Lisbon Horror film fest (Motel X), and some other small projects I have connected with Art but not necessarily music.
Rock Overdose: In the last three albums you’ve collaborated with Seth Siro Anton for the artworks. Are you satisfied with the result? Will you continue with this collaboration in the future and what’s that special thing that Seth provides to each of your album artworks?
Fernando: Of course I am. Seth is a great artist with a direct vison into horror and beauty, which has a lot to do with Moonspell musically. If he wants and if we see it fit we will of course count with him for future releases, but that’s more up for Seth to say as he is master and lord of his art. I always give him carte blanche and always trust his ideas, visual advice and direction. Plus we are true friends, a bond even bigger than Art.
Rock Overdose: In October you’ll visit Greece and I’d like to ask you what your reaction is every time you hear that you’re going to play live in front of the Greek audience? There is undoubtedly a strong connection between the band and the Greek audience every time you play live in Greece. Could you tell us your opinion on this one?
Fernando: It’s no secret we love Greece. Before finally going there in 2001 if I am not mistaken, we toured with Greek bands (Rotting Christ, 1996) and we immediately felt closer to them than to anyone else from any other nationality. The respect for Greece obviously comes from my Philosophy studies and I was quite disgusted for what EC has put such a nation through with the debt crisis. Women in Greece are enchanting, the food is godly, the bands awesome (Flames, RC, Necromantia, Septic Flesh, Varathron,…), all is full of history, wisdom, beauty to be discovered and enjoyed. The Greek audience is just all of this put on a room, warm, into the music, energetic, knowing. I live to play Greece and I always had fun there. Not much sleep, but tons of fun.
Rock Overdose: Between the two Greek Live Shows you’ll also visit Cyprus on October the 8th. What can we expect in these live shows? Maybe a special setlist?
Fernando: Yes. We are so thankful for an opportunity to return. It’s really important for the band and for the tour we play Cyprus. I am not the kind of guy who is anal about the setlist. For me the important is the atmosphere and the songs are there to build it. Old songs, new songs, it’s all a story, a travel, theatre we want you to join as much as you can on a Metal show. We have no plans for any kind of setlist yet but of course the new show is based upon Extinct but also plenty of travels into the past as both our Albums Wolfheart and Irreligious turned twenty years! So it’s a great reason to celebrate with whom made these albums so important: the fans!
Rock Overdose: Thank you very much for your time, Fernando, I’m wishing the very best for you and the people you love. Would you like to leave a message to the Greek and Cyprian audience and the readers of Rock Overdose?
Fernando: Yes.Go to the shows! Moonspell is an independent band trying to avoid package tours or whatever and invest on our own production to headline even if smaller clubs so there will be no mistake that this night, this tour, these shows are created for the Moonspell fans. We hope for thee to fulfil your part of the bargain and in trade we will give you the Moon and the darkest stars.
For Rock Overdose,
Periklis Sivris
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