Interview A Moment of Violence

Meet the creators behind 'A Moment of Violence' as they unveil the band's genesis, genre fusion, live energy, and future aspirations in this exclusive interview.

1. Can you share the story behind the formation of "A Moment of Violence"? How did each of you come together to create the band?

This is Desi, first of all thank you for having us! In the summer of  2021, Scotty and I were playing on a men’s softball team together. We were on the same team for literally six months prior to knowing each other played instruments. We finally did find out when some pop music came on in the parking lot after a game and both Scotty and I were hoping to hear some metal instead. We then spoke about our musical passion. It was a big part of the conversation to start a band, but it still didn’t happen for a few months. We finally buckled down and started jamming together. Next, the hunt for the other members was on. We searched for another guitarist to complement me for months via social media etc. We found out that my neighbor Brent played guitar. He quickly learned the parts for our few songs that we had at the time, and boom. Just like that the infamous AMoV guitar duo was born. Searched and tried many bass players, but couldn’t actually find the right person for the job yet. We ended up meeting Alex via social media. We heard the aggression that he possessed on the mic and knew he was a great fit for what we were doing. Again, we tried another bassist, and still didn’t find what we were looking for. We then met Russ at an open mic that he was hosting. We found out quickly that he was a seriously talented vocalist with an excellent stage presence. I scouted him for a bit until his gigging schedule had an opening and he decided to join us. Last but certainly not least, we found Miguel (Miggz). He is a super talented musician, songwriter, photographer, and videographer. He fit in right away. We are stoked to have him as part of the team, as we were previously having no luck in finding the right guy on bass. 

2. Desi, as the primary songwriter and producer, what inspires your music creation process, especially within the NuMetalCore genre?

I’m inspired by many things in the studio. I pride myself on being a very diligent student to the beautiful craft of songwriting. When I listen to a track, I listen to it differently than most. Not only to enjoy the song and the feeling that it gives me, but to analyze the production and song writing characteristics that it has. It’s quite amazing to hear how creative and talented many artists are and pick out what makes them different from one another. I have my favorites though. As of late, I’ve been digging a lot of “Beartooth”, and “Jaime’s Elsewhere”. I feel that if I can emulate the productions from their latest records even 95% as good, then we’re on the right track. The production of a song in my opinion plays such a vital role in the creation of the song as a whole. It can really make or break a tune overall. 

3. Scott, coming from a strong presence in the northeast hardcore scene, how has your background influenced the band's sound and live performances?

My background in the northeast hardcore scene has had a profound influence on AMOv's sound and live performances. Growing up in that scene exposed me to the raw energy and passion that hardcore music embodies. It instilled in me a strong work ethic, a sense of community, and a drive to create music that connects with people on a visceral level.

In our music, you can hear the heavy and aggressive elements of hardcore on the drums combined with the technicality and intensity of metalcore. The influence of bands like Hatebreed, terror , and Every Time I Die can be felt in our hard-hitting riffs, driving rhythms, and intense vocals.

When we hit the stage, we bring that same energy and intensity that I experienced in the northeast hardcore scene. Our live performances are known for their high-octane energy, crowd interaction, and a sense of unity with our audience. We thrive on creating an immersive and cathartic experience for everyone in attendance.

Overall, my background in the northeast hardcore scene has shaped AMOv's sound and live performances, allowing us to connect with fans of both genres and create music that resonates with a wide audience.

4. Brent, known as "The Heavy Metal Cowboy," how did your roots in Country and Blues music shape your transition into heavy metal with AMoV?

Honestly, it wasn’t hard to switch over, I have always had an appreciation for all kinds of music, but growing up my father listened to metal, and my mother listened to country, my sister listened to a lot of grunge stuff that she later got me into, but as far as playing the parts it was a different beast to tackle so it was fun to challenge myself and learn the Desi Pena style of playing, and once I started to learn the songs we drilled them over and over until you couldn’t squeeze a dime between me and Dez playing together, so the roots of country and blues weren’t really a hard thing to transition from, and just knowing how to play guitar and accept a new challenge paved the way for AMoV’s infamous guitar duo

5. Alex, your background as a professional wrestler and screaming vocalist is quite unique. How does your experience in wrestling contribute to your stage presence and energy as a performer?

Professional wrestling is essentially just a big performance. Feeding off the energy of a live crowd is universally the same. Beyond that, screaming lets out the aggression formerly consumed by wrestling. 

6. Miguel, as the bassist providing the low end for AMoV, how do you approach creating a balanced and impactful sound within the band's compositions?

As the bassist my main focus is to be the middle ground between the guitars and drums, my goal is tone that has clarity and low end punch enough to get out the way of guitars and vocals but still tie the band together as a unit.

7. How has the recent signing with "Wake Up Music Rocks" influenced the band's goals and aspirations for the future?

We have the same goals and aspirations as we did prior to the signing. We are on a direct mission to the moon! And fight daily to ensure this happens. The journey simply became easier having an awesome label partner in our corner to help make it a reality. 

8. Can you describe the collaborative songwriting process within AMoV? 

Typically, a song will start with me (Desi). Either it’s a brand new guitar riff that I’ve come up with, or it’s something that I’ve had in my arsenal for a while, I tend to build the composition musically from there. Once I have what feels to be a mostly complete song musically, I will bring it to the other guys and ask for their input on their respective instruments etc. I will also write a lot or most of the lyrics to it as well. Then I’ll ask that Russ and Alex come into the studio and track their parts. Sometimes the words remain “as is”. However, we do collaborate on the lyric writing to craft what we feel is the perfect song. To take it even one step further, I’ve had many of our songs that start off with one arrangement but during the production phase, I’ve completely transformed it to something similar yet different. A lot of times it’s extremely different but always for the betterment of the song. 

9. How do you blend each member's unique style and contributions into cohesive tracks?

Well similar to the above, I am always open to their input and creative ideas once we have a musically organized track. Each of us are very different people. Especially with our taste in music. That said, it’s like a recipe for your favorite food that just kicks serious ass whenever it’s served! 

10. What are some challenges you've faced as a band, and how have you overcome them to strengthen your musical journey together?

Well first it would’ve been finding the right core guys to fill out the lineup. I do believe that we have the winning team at this point and look forward to our journey ahead. On a different front. Most things seem to take far less time for us as a band in relation to our competitors and peers. For example, if it’s taken a band ten years to get a recording contract and have many people who enjoy their music, we’re blessed with it only taking us two years to accomplish that same thing. This is said not to be overly confident or arrogant by any stretch. More that we’re grateful that we have a level of determination that’s above and beyond most. However, the area that we live in is extremely difficult to land shows in for the heavier music. We’ve been able to crack a few clubs. So one of the biggest challenges is having to travel pretty far to play live. 

11. Are there any specific themes or messages that you aim to convey through your music and lyrics?

Most of the songs are written about past life experiences. Or an experience that you may not have personally encountered but know someone that has. We are always aiming to write something that is relatable to an abundance of people. Always trying to increase the chance of mass amounts of listeners to enjoy it. 

12. Looking ahead, what can fans expect from AMoV in terms of upcoming projects, tours, or creative endeavors?

I’d say to simply follow our journey closely, and subscribe to us on every possible outlet that you can as we will attempt to surprise you at every corner. Additionally, we’re always putting out great creative content and try to keep everything as fun and entertaining as possible. We will complete our EP with “Wake Up! Music Rocks” likely this year in 2024. Also, keep your eyes peeled for AMoV to play on a stage near you. We have an excellent live show with a full on live production that anyone would love! 

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