Can you tell us about the origin of the band name, a history of the band and a little bit about the various members?

Ah… The band name. I get this one quite a bit. That seems to be an enduring mystery.
I truly hate coming up with names for bands. It seems a simple task, but once chosen, you are stuck with it for good or ill. The name Nova Skellis was originally a ghost name I had created to use on recordings of songs I was writing. Then comes along this really great project and the ghost project became a flesh and blood reality. The name has its roots in both Gaelic and Latin and the very uninteresting reality is that I really did just like the sound of it. It evoked a bit of fog enshrouded mystery, but didn’t either give anything away or
create a pigeon-hole to get stuck into so I thought it was perfect for what we were doing.

Are you all from the same area? How did you get together as a band?

Insofar as we are all from the same planet on an outer arm of the galaxy, yes. Hahaha

We’re what might be called an international conglomeration. I’m in the U.S, Alex, our guitarist, hails from Italy and our drummer, Jörg, is from Germany. So, we are from pretty much all over the western hemisphere. The entire thing began when my good friend, Dirk, sent me a track from some local musicians who had written some music, but were not having any luck finding a vocalist. He asked if I wouldn’t mind giving it a listen
and maybe coming up with some ideas. The long and short of it is that I liked the track, so I sat down and sketched out some ideas. Then I wrote lyrics. And before I knew it I had
written and recorded an entire vocal arrangement which I promptly sent to Dirk. He loved it. Jörg loved it. The rest of the band? Not so much. The band didn’t last long after. I couldn’t tell you the dynamics of why or whatever, but there it is. After that happened Jörg asked if I would possibly like to do some writing together and I thought, “Why not?” It took a while to find a guitarist, but when Alex came along I knew we had our man. Bass players were a completely different story. So I decided I would take on that slot so as not to waste any more time searching for someone who may or may not work out. From there it was down to us getting the songs written.

Who are your favourite artists/bands and how have they influenced your own sound?

If I absolutely had to boil things down so we’re not sitting here all day I would have to say my biggest heavy influences were Mark ll Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Those three made the biggest impact on me early in my career. I really don’t know how to even begin to dissect the ‘how’ of their influence, but I did learn you have to go big or go home. Thematically all three couldn’t be more different from one another, but I took something
from each that informed me both musically and lyrically making my writing either an amalgam of different great ideas or a giant mash of shite… listener’s choice.

Did you always have the ambition to be a musician and in a band or did you originally have other plans?

Like many kids I changed my mind almost daily as to what I would be when I “grew up”, but I always loved music. It was almost always going on in the house. I started singing in a band when I was about 16. From then on I dreamed of being on stage. Of course, everybody says you have to have “real” aims in life, so I went to college for advertising art and design. Then I
realized just how painfully mind numbing it actually was.

After that I found what jobs I could that wouldn’t interfere with my goal of being a working musician. The rest is a litany of failures tempered by a few small successes. In other words – the same story as almost every musician save a very few who lucked out. Now here I am.

What songs or albums are on your current playlist?

This is the moment where we hear a collective gasp of horror issue from the metal faithful. Hahaha

My current playlist doesn’t actually include much in the way of heavy metal. I listen to a lot of Chris Stapleton and Luke Combs with a bit of Bob Marley and Zac Brown mixed in. When I’m working on, writing or just finished with a project I don’t like listening to the same genre of music. It gets in the way and muddles the process. It’s also a surefire way to unintentionally slip in a bit of someone else’s music. When I am listening to the heavier side of things I like to put on my Heavy Metal station on Pandora. I like a mix of old school with the newer stuff, but I do find to a large extent the older stuff is better written and performed. I’m not much for the growling demon-speak vocals, but then I am a singer, so it should be no shock. But there’s space for everything and I’m good with that.

Do you sing in the shower?

Hahahaa…. rarely, but the acoustics! However, I do sing in the car, in the house… pretty much everywhere else. I actually don’t really care for the sound of my own voice, but I do love singing. I’m sure people will find that passing strange.

Do you have any plans for the band for this year and into next year?

Unfortunately there are no plans for anything this year, but we would like to do some more writing with an eye toward a second CD. There’s a lot more crossed fingers than plans right now. There’s an old axiom that goes, “Want to hear God laugh? Make plans.”

I’ve come to a point in life where I have become very cautious about making predictions. A few thousand dreams and plans blown out of the water have a way of making one somewhat circumspect. All that aside we hope to do more. We’ll see what the Fates hold for us. Right now I’m just happy to have the thing out there.

Do you currently have any new songs/albums ready to be released?

We just released “Life Amongst the Damned” in April, so we’re good for now. Hopefully that will gain some traction and garner some attention. I think it’s a damned great CD and not because I’m in the band. It’s the first time I can listen front to finish and not wish I’d done something different somewhere. From here on out it’s out of our hands. It’s up to the fans, so we’ll see.

If you could play at any venue in the world where would you choose?

Anyone worth their salt would once have said the Garden – and I still do – but these days there are some seriously nice festivals and venues. Having been to the Rock Hard festival in Gelsenkirchen I would say that gig would be pretty cool. I loved the vibe and listening to all that great music on the river was just amazing. Of course that doesn’t take anything away from Keep It True, Wacken, Donnington, or any of the myriad others. They all seem really
great. I just haven’t been there, so I made my choice based on my experience.

Do you have a favourite album? If so, what is it?

Wow… you really know how to pose a skull scratcher. Haha Right out of the box I would say, “Dark Side of the Moon”. Start to finish it’s a masterpiece. One other would be “Rising” by Rainbow. It still rocks. I know. That was two, but I was never terribly good at following
directions.

Do you have any guilty pleasure songs/albums?

Anything by Tony Bennett or Tom Jones. Two absolutely amazing singers; each of whom at 96 and 89 respectively still sound absolutely amazing. No guilt. Just pure pleasure. As a singer I am drawn to great voices no matter the genre.

If you were putting together the greatest show on earth, who would be playing?

Well… That’s not subjective at all. For me it would be Mark ll Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin – each in their prime, mind you – Motorhead… hmmm… too many bands, so little time. The show would never end! Then again by tomorrow it would be a different list.

Can you remember the first album you bought with your own money? What was it and do you still have it?

First album I ever purchased was Chuck Berry – “London Sessions”. Yes, I still have it. It’s sitting in a milk crate in the shed right now. There wasn’t much money for LP’s, so most of the music was from the radio or singles. It made for a very eclectic experience that carries me to this day.

As your fans will be reading this, is there any message you would like to send out to them?

To the fans I always like to express my thanks for sticking by me all these years – especially since there was that endless silence after “Cyberchrist”. Metal fans have proven themselves to be the best in the world. You don’t follow trends. You follow your heart and I respect that.
They actually proved it out a few years ago when Phantom reunited for a show at Legions of Metal in Chicago. People came from South America, Mexico and Europe just to see us. That is dedication! You all are why I even contemplated continuing to write… even when I thought there was no longer an audience to hear what I was doing.

Finally, let us know all your social media sites so your fans, old and new, can find and follow/like you!

Metalloscope Records has engaged a promotions company to make sure the word gets out. Musicians are notoriously bad at doing that. Best bet is to check us out on Facebook and like us there so you get all the news. We’re also on Instagram and a few others. Basically if you look on FB the other media sites are listed, I believe. I readily admit to not keeping up with all the social media stuff. It’s not an ‘old guy’ thing. I just have other things I’d rather be doing. D’you want me to write great songs or scroll through media? Hahaha

We, at The Metal Asylum, would like to thank you for your time. Is there is anything further that you would like to add?

First off…Thank you for reaching out and taking an interest in our little band of misfits. When we set off on this project we did it for the love of the music not knowing if anyone would give a shit once it was done. In a word – if fans want to hear more of Nova Skellis or possibly see us live at some point everybody has to spread the word, ‘like’ posts and sites, and all that. That is what moves the world these days. Bands live or die by the fan response – or lack thereof. I’ll continue to make music as long as I am able in the hope someone will hear it and like what they hear. As musicians, it’s what we do – sometimes to our own detriment. We shall see what we shall see. For now… So long and thanks for all the fish.

This interview is the property of The Metal Asylum