We had a quick chat with Alexander "Aor" Osipov, frontman of Imperial Age, after their performance on the Ronnie James Dio Main Stage at this year's Bloodstock Festival. We chatted about the importance of their fans in pushing them to new heights, all whilst remaining a fully independent band, the new album that is in the pipeline, and the inspirations behind their sound.
MSM: You were the only independent band to have the accolade of playing the Main Stage today.
Aor: This is a dream come true, a privilege and a great honour to be invited to do this. This day will forever stay in our hearts as a very special day of our lives.
MSM: That surely is a testament to not only what you guys are doing as a band and where you've come from, but the fans that you've managed to bring up behind you to. I know the fans are so important to you, your recent single "Gnosis" got to like 750K views in a month on YouTube, I guess it's such a huge thing to have the fans behind you.
Aor: It actually crossed 1 million yesterday. The fans are everything, a band is nothing without the fans, the fact that I am here and talking to you now is completely down them. The credit goes to our fans; it's only because of them.
Images by @siarinze
MSM: I heard you mention onstage earlier that you are currently crowdfunding to be able to put the new album out there.
Aor: Yes, on Monday we started a Kickstarter for the new album (Rebirth); as of today (Saturday), it's already 82% funded, £44,377 in what, only 5 days? I'm absolutely flattered; it's insane.
MSM: When are we expecting the new album?
Aor: In April, the very first song, the one we started playing today but didn't get to finish, that one drops in October.
MSM: From that little snippet we heard of the new track ("Reborn"), kind of like your previous single "Gnosis" it feels like you've gone a lot heavier with your sound. Is that sort of the progression where things are going with your sound?
Aor: Yeah, we're going to introduce a lot of heavier styles, a lot of modern styles, bits of deathcore, bits of metalcore, but we'll always stay true to our own selves, so it will always have the symphonic Imperial Age thing at the core.
Images by @siarinze
MSM: From the little snippet of "Reborn" that we were able to hear, it sounded very "spicy." I enjoyed it.
Aor: Thanks. I'm very sorry that you didn't hear all of it; it was my f*** up entirely. I had planned for a 45-minute set, but then I realised on stage that we actually only had 40 minutes.
MSM: That's a shame, these things happen.
Aor: Yes, this happens when you manage everything yourselves. Yeah, you occasionally forget things.
Images by @siarinze
MSM: Ignoring heavy music altogether, would you say there is one particular artist, one particular musician outside of the realm of heavy that you think has influenced you and your band and your music the most?
Aor: Two Steps From Hell.
MSM: And lastly, this time next year, if you could achieve one absolute highlight goal, manifest one thing, what would it be?
Aor: Sell out the O2.
