The 5 Question Challenge with Bad Wolf’s Kota Wade & Tommy O.

By: Jacob Elyachar

Bad Wolf ‘s lead vocalist and pianist Kota Wade and guitarist Tommy O are the latest artists tackling The 5 Question Challenge.

Together with their drummer Tim Falco and bassist Alicia Vigil, this Los Angeles-based band successfully merges alternative rock with their love of science fiction, fantasy and steampunk to create a sound that is already grabbing the interest of countless fans.

Recently, the quartet released their first EP, Once Upon…, which not only was critically acclaimed but also caught the attention of Ladies of Steampunk Magazine, Teen Info and Zoiks! Online.

The duo talked about their unique sound, their recent single and music video: “Drowning Beautiful” and what can fans expect from them next year.

Jacob Elyachar: Could you please share Bad Wolf’s origin story?

Kota Wade: Tommy and I were both in our own separate bands, and happened to play a couple of shows on the same bill, by chance, where we met and then within months we had started our own musical project, which eventually turned into the Bad Wolf you see today!

Tommy O: Kota and I found each other at the El Rey Theatre in LA where our respective bands were playing on the same night. I actually lent her guitarist my amp that night and found out later that she was the owner of Amplyfi – the Hollywood venue where my band would be playing the next month. We soon began writing music together and then decided to part ways with our previous bands to start a new project together. I eventually asked Tim, my old band’s drummer to join since he and I have been playing music together on and off for over 10 years. We developed our songs and played a few shows and met Alicia on the set of our first music video for “A Better World.” After finding out she played guitar, we asked her to play bass for us to complete our “faerie rock” family.

JE: How has Bad Wolf’s fusion of sci-fi, fantasy and steampunk helped you stand out in the crowded music industry?

KW: When we started writing songs, we didn’t try to fit them into any one category, but as we wrote, it became clear that we wanted to infuse an element of fantasy, such as xylophones, strings, and piano, which in turn gave us a fresh sound. Being so into fantasy/sci-fi/steampunk culture myself, it seemed natural to let that leak into our musical style as well, and it’s given us a niche. There is a huge underground following of people who are into that kind of style, so I feel like because we represent ourselves in that style, we have a built-in audience of people who don’t have many other similar bands to listen to.

TO: My goal has always been to make music that is interesting and different. For example our first single, “A Better World” changes both key and time signature from verse to chorus (D minor to D major; 4/4 to 3/4). Incorporating sci-fi, fantasy and steampunk seemed like a natural fit as I, personally get a lot of musical inspiration from outer space and ocean/water imagery. I like creating a moody and ambient feel to our music that I think works really well within the backdrop of our image and style.

JE: How long does it take the group to write a song from conception to release? What are the challenges that you have with the songwriting process and how do you overcome them?

KW: I think that we are all perfectionists in some way or another, so the songwriting process can take a while if we’re trying to really lock in a song. We usually start with guitar, and then either drums or vocals, but the challenging part is taking the wonky guitar parts that Tommy writes and giving it a structure and turning it into an actual song. Some times it takes weeks for us to come up with an arrangement that we can all agree on, but we’re always very happy in the end that we took the time to do it right!

TO: I think that we are all perfectionists in some way or another, so the songwriting process can take a while if we’re trying to really lock in a song. We usually start with guitar, and then either drums or vocals, but the challenging part is taking the wonky guitar parts that Tommy writes and giving it a structure and turning it into an actual song. Some times it takes weeks for us to come up with an arrangement that we can all agree on, but we’re always very happy in the end that we took the time to do it right!

JE: Let’s talk about your new single and music video: “Drowning Beautiful.” What are some of the themes of both the song and music video? What message do you hope that your fans take away from both of these items?

KW: The major theme of the song is to create the world you want to leave behind. We should all try our best to make the world a better place. The video takes this concept and takes it one step further, by showing that we are each the key to our own destiny. The video explores three different fantasy worlds, and it is up to you to choose the world you want to live in. We hope that fans take away a message of change, that they can do whatever they set their mind to, and that we are all capable of happiness!

JE: What can fans expect from you in 2014?

KW: We have a couple of new singles that we will be releasing at the end of 2013 and beginning of 2014, so expect lots of new music and maybe some new videos!

TO: We are excited to release new songs that we have been working on furiously in the studio. We promise them to be our most epic and ambitious work yet. We also hope to play some shows outside of the LA area so look out for that!

For more information about Bad Wolf, visit their website: http://www.wearebadwolf.com/

You can also connect with Bad Wolf on their Facebook and Twitter pages.