Answers by Steve O Leff
Can you tell us about the origin of the band name, a history of the band and a little bit about the various members?
If we go back for about 10 years, Ste Vy Leff (now our lead guitarist) and I met in a martial arts class and I overheard him talking about playing in a small band at his place just for fun. At that time, I was your common basement guitar player and didn’t have a lot of friends I could jam with. So I initiated the subject with him, and soon enough, I was playing in his band as a rhythm guitarist. After a few months, the band decided to split and we were left wondering if we would search for other musicians or just jam together once in a while. At some point, we met Joel (currently our drummer) and we invited him to tag along. After a while, it just made sense to add a bassist and start doing a few shows. So that’s when we started as a cover band and therefore we had to find its name. At the time, we had no idea about the future of the band, so we didn’t worry too much about a “good” name. So that’s when we came up with the stupid name of Rockin’ Engine; because we love rock and anything with an engine! After a few years of covering our favourite hard rock and metal bands, we started writing our own music, just to see where it would bring us. When we released “Midnight Road Rage”, it was more like an experimental album; we didn’t know the exact genre we wanted to fit into yet. It’s only when we wrote our first EP “The Wretched And The Damned” that we knew exactly the direction in which we wanted to go. That’s when we met Jean-Pierre (our current bassist). Between 2018 and 2020, we had to replace our bassist twice, for personal reasons on their end. But I have to admit, I’m very happy to have welcomed JP in the band. He’s a freaking animal on stage!
Are you all from the same area? How did you get together as a band?
Although we did not all grow up in the same area as kids, we somehow ended up in the same region as adults. We all kind of met in unusual circumstances when you think of it. Steve Vy Leff and I met in our martial arts class. We both have the exact same name (first and last name, no joke), so it was very confusing for everyone even though we found it funny at the time; until we ended up in the same band, what a nightmare haha! Afterwards, I met Joel Bilodeau in a tattoo parlour. I was a good client there and friends with the owners, and Joel was an apprentice tattoo artist. We started talking about music and that’s how it all started. Jean-Pierre Proulx was introduced to us a little later, by a friend from another band in Ottawa. We were looking for a bassist before producing “The Wretched And The Damned” so I called him and we had one of the longest chats ever! The chemistry we have together is unimaginable. We’re all very different and unique, with specific skills, and combined all together, it’s just the perfect blend of craziness!
Who are your favourite artists/bands and how have they influenced your own sound?
I’ve had several major influences throughout the years, but in the past two or three years, I’ve been very fond of Gojira and Lamb Of God for everything musical. The guitar riffs and bass runs in both bands are meticulously well-executed and super heavy, which is everything I love about metal music. And what can I say about the drums? Both bands use very particular rhythm patterns that really inspire me when I write my guitar runs for new songs. As for vocals, I’m a huge fan of Corey Taylor and the way he’s able to sing as clean as a whistle or as harsh as a tank whenever he wants to. That kind of vocal range takes a lot of work to develop, and it’s definitely something I’m working on as we speak.
Did you always have the ambition to be a musician and in a band or did you originally have other plans?
Since I was like 4 years old, I’ve always been attracted to music. When MTV was a thing, the first artist that really caught my attention was Billy Idol; he was everything I hoped to be when I grew up… until I grew up haha! As a teenager, I played a lot of music by myself, at home, and I just loved experimenting with different instruments. In all honesty, I never thought about being in a real band until I was in my thirties. Since the age of 18 years old, I’ve always focused on building a career rather than pursuing my dreams, it just made more sense to me and it still does today. As the saying goes: Work hard, play hard!
What songs or albums are on your current playlist?
Well, I do have my regular “go-to”s like “L’enfant Sauvage” by Gojira, and “Redneck” by Lamb Of God. But lately, I’ve been listening to some killer tracks like “Shattered” by Bullet For My Valentine, “Amongst The Shadows And The Stones” by Trivium and “Indoctrinate” by Angelus Apatrida. Angelus Apatrida is one wicked band and we were lucky enough to open for them in Ottawa recently, a very cool bunch of guys!
Do you sing in the shower?
I definitely did when I was young, but now I don’t haha! I don’t know why, I just stopped at some point. I usually take a shower early in the morning or late at night, so if I start singing while others are asleep, all Hell is gonna break loose in the house for sure! Anyway, my kids do it for me, and it doesn’t mean it sounds good haha!
Do you have any plans for the band for this year and into next year?
Right now, we’re focusing on booking shows and festivals for the rest of the year and 2024. We have a few small tours in the making, but we’re still waiting on a few confirmations. We have a pretty wicked Halloween weekend coming up with two different theatrical shows. We’re looking to recreate the stories behind the songs of our new album during our performances, with actors and props from our music videos. We might have a few special effects and maybe new stage props… just saying.
Do you currently have any new songs/albums ready to be released?
Since our new album “Altered By Evil” has just been released, we’ll take a short break from writing, and focus on performing in different cities and perhaps a few festivals. However, if the inspiration for new riffs or new lyrics occurs, I will definitely start working on it right away rather than wait and forget the ideas. Even when I’m at work, if I have a sudden idea for my music, I will write it in my phone, or even record myself humming some melodies that pop into my head. There’s nothing more frustrating than forgetting a great idea.
If you could play at any venue in the world where would you choose?
I guess playing at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal would be freakin’ insane! This place is huge and it’s at the core of one of my favourite cities. The challenge would be to fill the place with enough people to make it look like an ocean wave coming right at us on stage. I’ve seen a few events there and I got to say, Montreal sure knows how to bring the energy.
Do you have a favourite album? If so, what is it?
There are so many, but in the past two years, I would have to say that “Fortitude” from GOJIRA is an album I can’t get tired of listening to from start to finish. The production sounds absolutely massive and the music is amazingly captivating. This album tells a wonderful story from one song to another, exposing the realities of the world we live in. Definitely, an album to listen to!
Do you have any guilty pleasure songs/albums?
Absolutely! In the past few years, I’ve dealt with severe depression and I was going through a really rough patch. I was overloaded with medication and it caused me to experience high anxiety and really dark thoughts. So sometimes, I needed some soft music with a soothing voice to calm me down and relax, and the album 30 by Adele really did the trick. There’s one song in particular that really twisted my heart to the point of tears when I wasn’t feeling well. That song is “I Drink Wine”. Even if you’re not a fan of Adele, the message in that song is quite strong and it really helps you change your perspective on life when feeling low. So thank you Adele for this amazing song!
If you were putting together the greatest show on earth, who would be playing?
Having seen them live, I know for a fact that this show would be sold out! Three bands with amazing energy and charisma. I would open the night with Gojira (imagine that) to set the pace for the rest of the show. Following up would be Lamb Of God, to get the crowd loud and rowdy. And to finish the night, I would get Slipknot on the bill with high intensity and crazy visuals. These three bands know exactly how to drive an audience and make the experience that much better.
Can you remember the first album you bought with your own money? What was it and do you still have it?
Oh yeah! I remember travelling to my home town once in a while with my parents when I was a kid. I loved to spend time with one of my cousins who was really into all kinds of music, but mostly metal. He made me discover many bands and albums I didn’t know about at the time and he’s kind of the reason I listen to pretty much anything nowadays. At one point, he had the entire Ozzy Osbourne library and we would listen to these albums on repeat for as long as his parents could tolerate it haha! My favourite album from that collection was Live & Loud, a live recording with all the greatest hits. So before I travelled back home, I absolutely needed that double album. So my cousin and I walked for about 10 miles (no joke) to the only record store in town and I bought the album on cassette with food money my mother gave me. Who needs to eat when you have your favourite music blasting in your Walkman, right? Yes, I’m that old.
As your fans will be reading this, is there any message you would like to send out to them?
Thank you, thank you and thank you! The genuine love and support we receive from our fans is just mind-blowing. There’s no better feeling in the world than having people come up to you after a show and tell you how much they loved your music, it makes all our hard work absolutely worth it and it motivates us to push ourselves even more. Without our fans, we wouldn’t be where we are now in our musical adventure, so THANK YOU!
Finally, let us know all your social media sites so your fans, old and new, can find and follow/like you!
Our main platforms for promoting purposes are Facebook Instagram and Twitter. We also have a Bandcamp page and most definitely a YouTube channel. We have a Spotify account that we use quite often to promote our music on social media since so many people are using this streaming platform. https://rockinengine.bandcamp.com/music
https://www.facebook.com/rockinengineofficial/
https://www.instagram.com/rockinengine/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/Rockin_Engine
https://youtube.com/@RockinEngine
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2t981sILvRjiJ77UA1tbOp?si=EJPW8no3Sgu-DOTRRfFRZg
We, at The Metal Asylum, would like to thank you for your time. Is there is anything further that you would like to add?
I’d like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who helped us with our latest album. Dark Moon Productions and Light Is Art Studio for music and music video production, Asher Media Relations for an outstanding job promoting our release, to all the media outlets for the amazing reviews and support throughout the process, and most importantly, thank you to all our fans who keep supporting us in every way they can. Without all of you, none of this would be possible!
This interview is the property of The Metal Asylum
Metal Planet Media 