New Music
Interview
VOWER: “We want to create the kind of rock songs that we want to hear”
One of the alt metal scene’s most exciting new exports on the development of their live show and the importance of not overcomplicating things
Instinct, intention, and a shared desire to shake up the foundations of their scene; these are the core values that underpin UK alt metal newcomers VOWER.
Taking shape through a series of jam sessions after the dissolution of their former band, Black Peaks, drummer Liam Kearley and guitarist Joe Gosney uncovered a mutual hunger to bring something new to the genre. Joined by guitar wizard Rabea Massaad [formerly of Toska], Josh McKeown [formerly of Palm Reader] on vocals, and bassist Rory McLean, a supergroup of sorts was forged – and a vision was born.
Channelling the crushing intensity of post-metal, the melodic dynamics of alternative rock, and a passion for old-school rock ‘n’ roll energy – VOWER aren’t here to tick boxes. Focused on simply making music that feels good, their explosive debut EP, apricity, served as a loud, cathartic, and refreshingly unpretentious statement of intent. Remaining wholly independent, all of the band’s decisions have been led by music alone.
As their Great Escape and Download Festival debuts approaches, we sat down with Kearley to talk about rediscovering the joy of music-making, the thrill of live shows, and how VOWER are building something special entirely on their own terms.
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VOWER | SATELLITES (Official Music Video)
Going back to the inception of VOWER, you had all been in bands across the British rock scene before this. How did you wind up coming together for this project?
So, Joe and I used to play in Black Peaks, but that band split up in 2021. Rabea and I started a little side project together, and we came up with what we called “crazy instrumental ADHD music”. It came together quickly, but it was so natural and fun. We realised that we could play music together, and as I had played with Joe for so long, we decided to get together in the September of 2021 for a jam. It took two years to find a vocalist and bassist, but we were writing songs in the meantime. We asked a good friend of ours, Rory, if he wanted to come down and jam, and he fit in perfectly. At a similar time, Joe was playing some shows with Palm Reader, and their vocalist Josh had heard about our band somehow. He heard some of the songs, and he said he’d give it a go. It was this super natural thing made up of old friends getting together, having fun and playing music.
Given the breadth of experience and taste you have between you, when you began working on new music together what were you drawn towards?
We all wear our influences on our sleeves, but we’re also not trying to sound like anybody else. We love Mastodon, we love Deftones, we love heavy hardcore bands, and we like everything in between as well. We want to create the kind of rock songs that we want to hear, the kind of songs that we are excited to hear ourselves. We hoped that in doing that, the feeling would be translated to other people, and they could get the same energy that we got out of it. It might seem a bit obvious to say that, but we were hearing a lot of bands doing a similar formula of sound. That’s cool, and it works, but we wanted something that was a bit more old-school. Initially we wanted to write straight-up rock songs with the frantic elements I brought as a drummer to Black Peaks, and what Joe brought to the band as a songwriter. Now, we’re all bringing in so many different elements. It’s exciting to see where the band is going, but ultimately, we just want to make songs that we enjoy hearing.
That should always be the approach, but it’s easy to overthink it…
Yeah, hopefully if we like it, someone else will. That’s the idea anyway! More often than not, it starts with the band going, ‘This sounds really cool’. When we wrote the last track on the EP ‘Eyes Of A Nihilist’, we all heard it and could picture the crowd when we played it live. It felt like a moment, and we couldn’t wait to see people nodding their heads to it.
VOWER | Eyes Of A Nihilist | Live in Nijmegen
Your debut EP, apricity, has been out in the world for almost a year now. How has it been to see how it’s settled with people?
It’s crazy, because it’s only been a year since we announced this whole thing. It’s wild to see what we’ve done in that time, especially as an independent band. We have help from our agent and PR, but it’s so nice to have a core team of people that really care about what we’re doing. The songs are translating to other people in greater audiences, and seeing people sing back the words at shows is wild. Our set at 2000trees was the first time we noticed that people were aware of what we’re doing, and it’s been an incredible year. Some core memories have been formed for me personally, that’s for sure.
I think what’s important about VOWER is that you’re combining post-metal, prog and post-hardcore in a way that feels accessible. There’s no snobbery to it, and no matter what territory you’re exploring there are always hooks and melodies to bring it back around…
That’s exactly it. Joe and I have always said with music that you shouldn’t close any doors, and you shouldn’t pigeonhole yourself into a genre. It’s about keeping things open so that people can interpret it in their own way and enjoy it. We’re just doing it because it sounds good, and it feels good.
VOWER | False Rituals (Official Music Video)
Catharsis is a huge part of that, especially in the music industry of today where there’s so much emphasis on the aesthetics and branding of a project. Has working with VOWER allowed you to rediscover the simple joy that comes with music-making?
Absolutely, and it all started with that. It started with the music, and the music will always come first. The business side of things, the branding, the imagery, and even the shows… That all comes after. It follows on from the music, and I think it’s important it always stays that way.
It’s about escapism too, not just for you as musicians but for anyone who listens to these songs. For many people, music is a distraction from whatever else is going on in their lives. Is being able to provide that something that drives you?
I can only speak for myself, but I live for touring and the escape of that. It’s incredible, and to get back out there after a few years off is so special. It’s incredible to see people relating to the music and just getting to hang out again. Touring is a big part of what we do, and we know how important it is to share our music with different audiences. We want to get out there and play, do some support tours with different bands, and meet as many people as we can. From the grassroots all the way up to the larger shows, playing live is such a huge part of this. It’s something that we’re always going to push as hard as we can for.
Was the community and spirit of live shows something you found growing up, or more of a recent discovery?
I didn’t actually see many live shows when I was younger. The first show I went to was Red Hot Chili Peppers at Hyde Park, and it was amazing, but it was a huge show. Listening to music has always been that thing for me though, and at live shows I can see when people are truly listening to what we’re doing. As a drummer, I’m always looking at the people at the front of the crowd, and I’m very aware of how it transcends for those people and how it affects them. I’ve definitely had moments where I’m listening to music and it’s taken me somewhere else, and I think that seeing a band live can sometimes change your opinion on them entirely. You can listen to it on record and think it’s pretty good, but often when you see it live… You really get it. It helps you to understand what the band are trying to do, and I think that definitely applies to our music. If you see our live show, it’s cathartic. We want to create this experience and bring everybody into that with us.
VOWER | Shroud (Official Music Video)
With plenty of plans already in place for 2025, are we any closer to the debut album?
Yes. We’re cracking on, recording songs, and hopefully we’ll have an album at some point. There’s no schedule yet, we’re just focusing on the music and letting everything else follow from that. It’s only been a year, but an album is something that we’ve always been excited to put together. We’ve been working on some of those songs for a long time, even before the EP came out, so it’s a long process. It’s coming though.
Looking towards Download, that’s a huge opportunity to showcase what you do to people who may not have been familiar with it before that weekend. Have you thought about plans for your set?
We haven’t spoken about it much as a band yet, but it’s always on my mind. We have our rescheduled headline shows in May, so I want to change up our set at Download. I want to make it special because it’s an opportunity to get our music heard by a lot more people. That’s the thing about Download Festival, it’s hallowed ground. It’s the place to get your music heard by so many people, and it’s a great opportunity for us to do something a bit different. I hope we can do something cool production-wise, but we’re going to focus on keeping the set as interesting as possible. We’ll be utilising our half hour as best we can, packing it full of songs that we can see people headbanging to. We want to see people getting into it, and that’s the key. You want to create a story in the small amount of time you have for your set.
How does it feel to know that these opportunities are coming your way so early in the band’s career?
Every time an opportunity like that comes up, it doesn’t feel like it’s ever going to get old. It’s wild, and it really does make us take stock of things. We’re so focused on the actual music and the day-to-day of things, so when things like Download come up it’s a validation to keep going. It’s a big one, especially after one year. Not a lot of people get to do things like this. We’ve all been in different bands over the years, but this one feels different in many ways. It’s special.
With so much on the horizon for VOWER, what’s the ultimate goal for you at the moment?
The main goals are finishing an album and getting some great support slots. We want to reach new audiences, build up our live show, play bigger venues, and bring the production that we want to bring to the shows. I can’t wait to be able to elevate the sound with imagery, and the vision is always huge. We understand where we’re at right now, but we understand where we’d like to see ourselves in the future too. We’ll take any and every opportunity we can to reach that point, as long as it aligns with our vision. I’m stoked for it all.
Life certainly isn’t easy for independent artists these days, but what is it that keeps that fire burning inside you?
It is tough, but I think that’s what drives us. It’s a struggle just to survive at the moment if you’re not a full-time musician, so sustaining a career in music is the drive in itself. Anything I do outside of music goes towards being in a band, and I’m always thinking about how I can focus my energy on being positive and looking towards the future. Playing live, releasing music, and sharing that with others… That makes it all worth it. We’re all very driven. For example, we’re recording at the moment, and Rabea is engineering, producing, and mixing it. He’s been doing seven-day weeks, and it’s wild. It’s knackering, but we’re doing it because we love it. We want to take this thing as far as it can go.
