“I think it’s really helpful when people who are high profile talk about it [mental health]”

AONIA were one of the most anticipated bands on the line up, it had been a while since they were seen and they have some exciting ventures in store. At the fifth edition of Power Metal Quest Fest, Rock Out Stand Out’s Lotty Whittingham grabbed a chat with lead vocalist Melissa Adams, bassist Matt Black joined later on. They discussed the band’s sound, running their own festival whilst performing, mental health and who would be in their dream opera.

For those who missed your set or haven’t heard of Aonia before, how would you describe your sound?

Mel:  We are very heavily inspired by opera, Jo and I met doing Gilbert & Sullivan together. She’s had the proper training and everything, she’s really good. Definitely very on the opera and theatre influences, both in terms of what we do on stage and also in the music itself. We use keys quite heavily as well, Tim does a lot with pads and synths to try and set it apart from the usual symphonic sound.

With vocals, how do you and Jo decide between you who is taking what vocal lines?

Mel:  Generally what will happen is either one of us will write some lyrics and the guys write music around it or it happens the other way around. Our keyboardist is really good at writing melodies. We then score it out, we use music software to write scores for ourselves and then we tend to break stuff up a little bit. She’s more of a natural soprano and I’m more of a mezzo; so if we have a high note and we want it to sound loud and uncontrolled, I will take it. If, however we want the high note to sound beautifully controlled and artistic, Jo will take it. We split it that way.

Is there a new album in the works?

Mel:  We are working on a new album yes. We released a single during lockdown which was an acoustic version of the song If You Dare from Seven and the other side of that was a cover of Queen’s The Show Must Go On. Since then, we have been working on material for album number two so that’s in the works. We don’t have a release date for that currently. Jo got married three weeks ago so now she is back from her honeymoon, she has a little studio in her house so we will be sitting there and working on the new album.

You run AoniaFest, I asked Amie [Chatterley] earlier in the week about maintaining the balance of performing and running your own festival. If you had to do that, how did you manage to maintain the balance?

Mel:  Lots of caffiene and very lovely, helpful people. It can be quite stressful because you don’t want to lose your voice. For example, it was at the second Aoniafest and Jo compared but she gets really excited and doesn’t control her voice, so she was shouting with excitement. By the time we got to our set, she shot her voice. She was fine and she performed through it but you notice when you listen back. She was finding it difficult so we now have someone else compare and we have people who volunteer to run merch. The Corp at Sheffield, where it takes place, are fantastic so they provide lighting and sound engineers. So we are there to point people in the right direction, Stu did that a lot this year.

Which bands are you looking forward to seeing today?

Mel:  Dakesis, I love them and they were brilliant at Bloodstock. I’ve heard really good things about the headliners as well so very excited.

One of the things we do at Rock Out Stand Out is keep the conversation about mental health going, what’s awareness like in your local area?

Mel:  I think it’s getting a lot more socially acceptable to talk about it. I’m friends with people who are aged between 20 – 65; I notice within my friendship group, particularly the younger generation that they will message and say “sorry, I have really bad social anxiety today so I can’t make it” whereas ten years ago they might say “oh I’ve hurt my back”. One of the songs that is going to be on the next album is a song called Ghosts In The Wind, it’s about anxiety and when you’re trying to fall asleep at night when voice in your head says “hey, remember that stupid thing you did years ago”. Those voices are the ghosts in the wind and it’s about battling those thoughts and memories.

Matt:  I get a slightly different perspective. Being a man, talking about mental health is a different thing. One of the things we have in our area and you see it in the media is Andy’s Man Club; it’s been growing. We know a very good friend of ours who wrote our blog and he’s really into spreading mental health awareness. Getting men to talk is a lot more difficult but what is good to see is that we’re seeing it being done on social media now. It’s definitely being pushed. Ten years ago, you would have never heard a man say “I’ve had to go to the doctor because of a mental breakdown”.

Mel:  It’s so important, it’s the number one killer for men aged between eighteen and thirty four.

Is there anything we can do more of as loved ones so people feel more comfortable reaching out if they are struggling?

Mel:  I think it’s really helpful when people who are high profile talk about it. Becky Baldwin from Fury posts quite openly about her mental health; she’s this amazing, badass woman and she gets anxious. I was watching The Last Leg and there was comedian, he was asked what the best thing he did this year and his reply was starting therapy. He was so matter of fact about it.

Matt:  Culturally, there are very different boundaries that are crossed by women and men being able to talk about it. If it’s coming from popular people in the media then the message is getting out there.

Is there anything you both like to do to relax and unwind?

Mel:  I like to play with my cats, I love them very much and they are my world. I live very close to a beautiful park so going for a walk there helps. I flip between being introverted and extraverted, Andy is laughing at me thinking ‘you’re not an introvert’ [laughs]

Matt:  We’re extraverted introverts.

Mel:  Sometimes I do recharge by spending time with friends.

Matt:  Fluffy bunnies and animals always help calm me down. I am also into my health and fitness where I go to the gym.

Mel:  He’s being really humble here. He is the British National Body Building champion.

Going back to theatre, you hear about metal operas. Who would be in your dream metal opera?

Mel:  Obviously Floor Jansen; because of the four and half octave range, the belt, the opera and the growl. She has so much versatility.

Matt:  That’s a difficult one. I would go with Ronnie James Dio.

Do you have a message for your fans and our readers?

Mel:  Thank you so much for being the reason we do this weird thing that we do.

Matt:  Thank you for all your support over the years.

Mel:  We love you.

Thank you so much Mel and Andy for speaking with Rock Out Stand Out today and enjoy the rest of the festival.