Specialising in an outrageously heavy fusion of Metal and Hardcore, LaVein truly are a formidable live experience. With little pomp and circumstance, their intentions are simple, raw, honest and pure. To give 100% on any stage they may grace, and provide a non-toxic celebration of all things HEAVY.
Despite the brutal delivery of their music, you will struggle to find a more genuine and humble group of individuals. LaVein care not for agendas. They simply want to play as many shows as possible, and as a result, have been rather busy with an array of live shows (Chelsea Grin, Unsane, Burner,) and are already booking ahead with confirmed dates with Whores in September.
We caught up band members, Lachlan and Peter to talk about their journey from M2TM Ireland to present day and, of course, their electrifying debut EP, ‘Fine Failure‘, and what to expect from their Bloodstock Festival / UK debut performance…
With Bloodstock literally just a few days away, how have you guys been gearing up for your UK debut?
PETER – We want to make sure our set is up to par with the incredible standard of the bigger bands playing the festival, so we’ve been working hard to be as tight as possible, and iron out all the imperfections in the set. We’ve been getting a lot of live experience with some of the best bands in the Irish scene, and we’re ready as we’ll ever be to head across the water for the first time.
Since being handpicked by Simon Hall at Ireland’s Metal 2 The Masses Final back in May, has the impact of that affected the bands ability to write more, knowing that you have a huge gig on the horizon?
Photo – Down The Barrel Photography © 2023
LACHLAN – We’ve shifted our focus from writing to honing our craft, and delivering the best show we possibly can. There’s some new material ready for Bloodstock, but the last few months have been spent predominantly fine-tuning the live show.
Looking back on M2TM, what do you make of the whole experience?
PETER – We wouldn’t have the reach we have now without the platform that Metal 2 The Masses Ireland provided. It was amazing to play a packed out venue multiple times within just a few months of forming as a band, and the atmosphere just got better and better as the weeks went on.
What advice would you have for any bands looking to take part in M2TM in 2024?
LACHLAN – Just do it! We were apprehensive about applying in the first place, because we only had three very rough demos, and didn’t even have a full lineup yet, so we’re delighted that we took a shot at it in the end. It takes a lot of work, and a good bit of confidence, but there’s no reason why any band should doubt themselves going in.
Since we last spoke, the debut EP ‘Fine Failure’ has been released to a very positive reaction from the press. Can you tell us if there is any more new music due before the end of the year?
LACHLAN – We are currently in the process of fleshing out ideas, and there’s some new material in the live set. The music video for ‘Crash the Gates’ is in post production, and will be released ahead of Bloodstock (August 7th), and we’ll be heading back into the studio before the end of 2023.
The last few months has seen LaVein perform with some killer bands. What sticks out as one of the most memorable shows for you all to date?
LACHLAN – Kublai Khan TX were one of the biggest influences we all had when we were writing the first EP, so supporting them and Chelsea Grin at a gig that we would have been going to anyway, was amazing. We got a huge response from the crowd, and it was great to see the venue packed out from the moment doors opened.
It’s no secret that heavy music struggles to get noticed by bigger media platforms in Ireland. Do you find that this ultimately cuts most bands off from potential success or do you believe that the way forward it just to concentrate on the UK, mainland EU, and America, etc?
PETER – It’s a small country that doesn’t traditionally have a strong history of positive media representation of the genre, so the UK and Europe is usually the best direction to go. As a metal band in this country, you really have to be proactive and can’t sit around waiting for offers to come to you, so we’re really trying hard to make our way over and hope to be back in the UK soon after Bloodstock.
With regards to Bloodstock, will you be sticking around for the full weekend and if so, what bands are you keen on catching?
LACHLAN – Most of us will be around from Friday, so we’ll be catching as many bands as we can. There’s too many to name off, but Knocked Loose, Decapitated, Meshuggah, Fit for an Autopsy and Biohazard will be some of the highlights! There’s also a great selection of Irish bands heading over with us – Dead Label, Acid Age, Skypilot, Soothsayer, and The Enigma Division– so we’ll definitely be seeing them too.
What can we expect from LaVein as we roll into the last quarter of ’23 and into 2024?
PETER – We have a few more shows coming up before the end of the year, and then we’ll be jumping right back into writing for the next release, which will be announced at the start of the new year. It’s been a busy year so far so it’ll be nice to get back into the creative process for the last few months.
‘Fine Failure‘ is out now and can be accessed here. LaVein will take to the New Blood Stage at Bloodstock Open Air on Sunday, August 13th. Stage times will be released in the coming days.
Oran O’Beirne
www.overdrive.ie 2023
