Here’s what Angel, Baz and Tiam from WinterBeach had to say when we got a chance to ask them some questions.
Can you tell us a bit about the band?
Angel: “WinterBeach is a darkwave synthpop band whose orchestral songs combine melancholic Nordic EDM with majestic pop refrains about monumental struggles. The icily cinematic soundscapes are as extreme as the weather in Bergen. (e.g. the rain record is 278 rainy days a year!)”
Baz: “hehe yep… it is a wonder that not more of us who live here have gills 😉 But joke aside… the city is placed on the western coast of Norway. It is a fantastic music city and the origin of many great artists like; Kygo, Alan Walker, Kings of Convenience, Sigrid, Aurora and not to forget the world famous black metal scene with bands like Burzum, Immortal etc.”
Tiam: “All three of us met in primary school, when our early musical heroes included Gene Simmons, Blackie Lawless and Morten Harket. The three of us forged our separate paths through a progression of black metal bands, Classical music, Theatre, Eurodisco projects and synthesizer wizardry, some of which achieved not inconsiderable international success, before realizing that we ought to combine our disparate influences”
How did you all meet?
Tiam: “The three of us used to play in another rock band project named Quiet Men but soon learned that 5 band members were at least 2 too many! So we decided to split into two bands which also gave us the opportunity to focus on a fully synthetic route and clean away all traces of guitar. And before WinterBeach, Baz and I played in guitar pop band called Flare for 12 years – so we know each other more than quite well 😉”
Who were your musical influences growing up?
Tiam: “The members of WinterBeach have very different musical sources of inspiration. We can be inspired by everything from classical music to black metal. From discopop to indie rock. And of music all the way back from the 60’s until 2021. But our heart is probably rooted in the 80’s, then primed and sharpened by the decades after”
What made you want to be in a band?
Angel: “I always wanted to play in a band. It goes back as far as kindergarten when I practiced for several hours every single day to get my tongue as far out as Gene Simmons. As a bass guitar I used an old field hockey stick and as boots I used my father’s slalom boots. Watercolor was used several times a week as a make-up. This did not go unnoticed as I always got red rashes on my face from the paint. My answer was always that I was going to be a music star and had to practice”
What has been your best gig?
Baz: “The most fun must have been when a concert was canceled on tour in China. At the hotel, we happened to meet a guy in the elevator who made sure that we instead got to perform on a TV show along with, among others, China’s biggest pop star! Got to go on red carpet and stuff”
Tiam: “I agree! A crazy night from start to beginning, and for long after that!”
Can you tell us a bit about your music?
Angel: “Our music probably has a bit of peculiarity in it as we do not really feel bound to a definite musical period or style. We make pop that draws inspiration from both classical music, rock, pop and disco from the late 70s and up to today. The bandmembers itself has different musical backgrounds where the spectrum goes from Norwegian Black Metal on one side to classical music on the other, all neatly oriented around a pop center. This makes the music both melodic, pompous and sometimes quite cold. WinterBeach has never really been very keen on putting a definite label on their music, but listeners have often used references to darkwave and synthpop. Even though you probably will recognize a song by WinterBeach, you will still experience that there is a relatively large range within our music. You can therefore definitely not say that you know WinterBeach if you have only heard one or 2 songs.”
Tiam: “No, you must at least hear 3 songs 😉”
Angel: “Hehe definitely. Not so long ago we released the single “Sky & Stars”. Now the album has arrived and there is, among other things, the title track on the album “Playing Dead” worth listening to. In addition, a video for that song will be coming soon. So stay tuned 😉”
Can you describe your music in 3 words?
Angel: “Cold – Warm – Dark (and a little light)”
What makes your band stand out from others?
Tiam: “Well, if you’re neither a die-hard fan of list-pop or indie-pop, neither EDM nor Synthpop, neither metal nor jazz, neither rock nor pop –Then WinterBeach is probably right up your alley! We sneak elegantly around all styles of music without being completely engulfed by any of them 😊”
What are your plans for the rest of 2021?
Angel: “Releasing music video and getting on a stage as soon as the pandemic has disappeared!”
If your band had to be remembered for one thing apart from your music what would you want it to be?
Angel: “Norway is a democracy. A country where all people are born equal. Regardless of whether you are poor or rich, you will have the opportunity to get exactly the education you want or the medical care you need. You know that you are safe in your own country, you know that you are allowed to disagree with how the country is governed without being arrested or tortured. We at WinterBeach really care that fundamental human rights are for all of us, no matter where we live in the world. So if we can help someone by having this point of view, it is a worthy thing to be remembered for”.
Any gig’s coming up?
Baz: “Unfortunately no plans for concerts yet (due to the pandemic), but we look forward to doing it again!”
By Siân Parker
That Blogger Music 
Leave a Reply