Uada exists in a state of obscurity shrouded by fog and clad in black leather as one faceless entity. While their silhouetted live shows are certainly eye-catching, their monochromatic mystery allows the senses to focus entirely on the sound of the raw shrieks, crisp and melodic riffs and reworked influences from European predecessors. Still riding the wave of their impeccable debut, Devoid of Light, Uada has universally piqued interests and garnered high-praises in their three short years of existence. Jake Superchi (vocals, guitar) chatted with us about haunts, the group’s anonymity and nature.
Your name means “haunted,” so what haunts you?
There are many things in this world that we can all be haunted by. For many years there have been visitors and beings from realms beyond, lurking in the corners, in the shadows and even in our homes. Things we cannot quite explain. These have haunted me my entire life. But beyond the “paranormal” take, anyone can be haunted by anything – be it their past, a lost love one or family member, and so on. There are many things that haunt the mind. Personally, the thing that haunts me most is not living my life the way I see fit and to the fullest. Starting this band was a way to achieve my goals so that I would not one day die haunted by that feeling and the question of, “What if?”
Doom and black metal seem to thrive in the PNW. Do you think it’s environmental?
While I think everything is due to its nature, I’m not sure if the scene here is based or influenced fully from the environment, but there are many that embrace this atmosphere to their benefit. Since there is Doom and Black Metal from everywhere in the world, we have to acknowledge the differences in those atmospheres. We are fortunate to live in an area that does, however, provide much inspiration, and nature is an absolute inspiration to what we do in UADA. If it is to every single band from these genres in the area, I do not know.
Although a relatively new project, what have always been your goals (musically/live shows/etc.) for Uada?
This band was started in the image of smoke and shadow with the intent to light the Black Metal world afire. There was a spiritual and telepathic guide that led us to this destination with our goals in mind. Universal signs to help us achieve everything we’ve always wanted to achieve as musicians. And those goals are what we’re seeing unfold before our eyes. As fast as we are climbing from our debut, the dark future we’ve always envisioned looks very bright. With that said, these are just the beginning steps in the vast journey we have ahead of us.
You are a rather faceless band. What prompted that?
Like anything, image can often ruin everything. So this is our stance against image in music. Sadly, image now has become a huge part of Black Metal and is a cliche’ subject. What we look like is not important – what is important is the music and the raw emotion that spawns from creating and performing it. So for us it is better to be focused on the right things, and who we are and what we look like should be of no concern to outsiders.
Like every other musical project, you’re compared to other bands, specifically Mgla. What do you do to that makes you unique?
There is a soul & a driving force behind our music that I do not think many bands can recreate or accomplish. And while there is always influence and homage within our music, it is very personal on many levels. Yes, we all have our influences, but there are many unique factors from the compositions and riffs to the vocals and lyrics. We are indeed a Black Metal band, but we do not conform to a certain idea or limitation to where our music takes us. While this is definitely Black Metal it is very much performed and written in a “Rock N Roll” spirit. We are and always will be true to ourselves and to our roots. I think that true stance is why people from all around the world are connecting with the first album.
Does nature inspire you? How?
Absolutely. Growing up in small country towns, I’ve always taken to the woods. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we have great forests that provide shelter and guidance. Hiking is something that always helps keep a clear mind. I often find myself in the mountains when I’m searching for guidance or an answer. In those moments of silence comes wisdom. From that wisdom, I write my words/lyrics from what I see around me. The music comes from a much more physical element. While the climate here can be very damp and cold, it often brings immense pain to the bones and joints. Often in those moments, music become medicinal and I let that pain come out through that suffering and into the riffs. Nature really is everything, whether we realize it or not. We are our surroundings and our surroundings help create and shape our art.
Are you still planning to release new material this year?
We are working on new material, but no plans for a release this year. I believe our next album will be released in 2018.
Which new artists and/or albums should we be listening to?
I’m listening to a brand new self-titled album from Selbst at the moment, which is one of the best albums I’ve heard this year. I’d also like to recommend some other bands like Void Omnia, Deletere, Isenordal, Fellwarden, Sjukdom and much more. I’ll also say keep a look out for the new Veiled album later this year, I have a feeling it will be special. There are a lot of newer bands coming up and these are some I’ve been enjoying lately, I hope they find you well. Thank you for the interview.
