Can you tell us about the origin of the band name, a history of the band and a little bit about the various members?
– The band name has been around quite a while, I think it was probably 2015 when it came about. I’ll be honest, I’m not entirely sure where it came from! I think the XIII came from me growing up in house number 13 on the street as a kid, and the Roman numerals were because I’m a huge history fan. I’m sure the Doors part had some reasoning behind it but I can’t remember what it was.
Are you all from the same area? How did you get together as a band?
– We’re actually spread out across Ireland. I’m (DJ) based in Shannon, Co. Clare and grew up here. Ed is originally from London but has been living in Portumna, Co. Galway for the last number of years. Alex is originally from Spain but is living in Dublin. Pat is a Limerick City man through and through. I think we all just met over the years via mutual connections and realised that we’re into the same music and we all get along really well. I feel that getting along as people is more important than having the exact same music taste in this industry!
Who are your favourite artists/bands and how have they influenced your own sound?
– I can only speak for myself but the list is pretty large and varied. In terms of our sound I think we sit somewhere in the realm of Alter Bridge, Alice in Chains, Five Finger Death Punch (not that I’m comparing us to those amazing artists). In terms of personal influence I tend to listen to a lot of music. Everything from Hindustani Classical (thanks to George Harrison), to Irish Traditional up as far as the likes of Slipknot and Rammstein. Growing up I was heavily influenced by the likes of Slash, Gary Moore and Mark Tremonti in terms of guitar.
Ed is a huge fan of all things 80s. Bon Jovi, Toto, Journey etc. who are all very melodic bands, which I think comes through in our music. Pat loves absolutely everything from Jazz to Metal and Alex is a huge fan of the likes of Danny Carey from Tool. I think the blend of all these influences creates our sound!
Did you always have the ambition to be a musician and in a band or did you originally have other plans?
– My (DJ) very first ambition was to be a professional soccer player which fizzled out at about age 10. From there I wanted to be a soldier, after watching Band of Brothers. From about the age of 13 onwards, music has been my life and my dream and I knew that’s really what I was destined to do. Every single day after school I’d get home as quick as I could, go into the room and just play guitar all evening. I used to watch videos of Guns N Roses, Thin Lizzy, Pink Floyd and always thought “that’s what I want to do!”.
What songs or albums are on your current playlist?
– I’m more of an album than playlist person! Most recently it’s been Pawns and Kings by Alter Bridge, Revolver by the Beatles, and Permission to Land by the Darkness
Do you sing in the shower?
– Rarely…but sometimes
Do you have any plans for the band for this year and into next year?
– Yeah definitely, so we released “Lead The Way” on 1st September. We plan to release our 2nd single “Unleash The Beast” either late October or early November. Album wise, we’re planning to release the debut sometime around March/April 2024 with the hopes of touring in the summer.
Do you currently have any new songs/albums ready to be released?
– Yep, Unleash The Beast is coming very soon!
If you could play at any venue in the world where would you choose?
– There’s so many to choose from, but I think the Royal Albert Hall has to be up there. It’s an amazing venue and some of the worlds best acts have played there over the years.
Do you have a favourite album? If so, what is it?
– I don’t know if I have a favourite album…but according to Spotify, my most listened to albums are The Dark Side of The Moon by Pink Floyd, and Chants of India by Ravi Shankar!
Do you have any guilty pleasure songs/albums?
– Hmm…I don’t think there’s any guilty pleasure songs/albums. We’ve all got quite a varied music taste and a good song is a good song.
If you were putting together the greatest show on earth, who would be playing?
– There’s too many amazing bands in the world to decide! It would be a show that lasted for weeks.
Can you remember the first album you bought with your own money? What was it and do you still have it?
– I’m pretty sure it was Appetite for Destruction by Guns N Roses. It was out about 20 years when I bought it, but for some reason I can picture going into the CD shop and immediately being drawn to the album cover. It probably is hiding in the house somewhere.
As your fans will be reading this, is there any message you would like to send out to them?
– We’d just like to say a huge thank you to everyone that has supported us on this journey so far. We can’t wait to see what the future holds and we hope that the fans enjoy the journey with us.
Finally, let us know all your social media sites so your fans, old and new, can find and follow/like you!
– All our sites should be @xiiidoors but here’s a list anyways!
https://www.youtube.com/@xiiidoors
https://www.facebook.com/XIIIDOORS
https://www.instagram.com/xiiidoors/
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 don’t think so! Thanks for helping us promote our music 😊
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Metal Planet Media 