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ROCKNATION ISSUE 9                                                                                                                   PAGE 9
                                                                                                             there?
                                                                                                             Hugo:  I’m just so excited. I’ll tell you one
                                                                                                             thing, I have already lost everything I had
                                                                                                             once before so from the point that I was at
                                                                                                             I can only go up again. I just leave every-
                                                                                                             thing with my faith and know that God is
                                                                                                             looking over me and I have a lot of faith in
                                                                                                             the record. With those two things I’m going
                                                                                                             to beat all of the odds. I’m going to do it or
                                                                                                             die trying.
                                                                                                             Rocknation:  I haven’t heard the entire
                                                                                                             album yet but I’ve read reviews that have
                                                                                                             been calling it a lot heavier than stuff
                                                                                                             you’ve done in the past. Do you agree with
                                                                                                             this? Where is that edge coming from?
                                                                                                             Hugo:  I really don’t think it’s anything
                                                                                                             heavier than I’ve done in the past. There
                                                                                                             are some heavy songs on there and the
                                                                                                             single is definitely heavier but when you
                                                                                                             write something that’s a little heavier it’s to
                                                                                                             emphasize a point. “Down and Out” is defi-
                                                                                                             nitely heavier but it’s contrasted with a lot of
                                                                                                             pretty stuff in there too. I don’t know that it’s
                                                                                                             heavier than the other records, I just know
                                                                                                             that it’s better than the other records.
   Hugo Ferreira of Tantric                                                                                  Rocknation:  Since most of us have to wait
                                                                                                             until the 22nd to hear the whole album, can
   Interviewed by: Mary Ouellette                                                                            you walk us through a few of your favorite
                                                                                                             songs on the album?
                                                                                                             Hugo:  Well lyrically they are all near and
                                                                                                             dear to me. Probably one of my favorite
                                                                                                             songs is “Regret,” just because I think the
                                                                                                             groove is really cool. I love singing that
                                                                              From front to back: Hugo Ferriera,   song, I just love that whole song. To pick
                                                                                                             one favorite song would be impossible, it’s
                                                                                    Joe Pessia, Erik Leonhardt,   like saying which one of your children do
                                                                           Marcus Ratzenboeck and Kevin Miller  you like the most. I’m so close to every one
                                                                                                             and there’s really no song when I listen to
  Four years ago, Hugo Ferreira of Tantric   way. I dedicated my whole life to this. I’ve   band I thought it would be a good addition   this record that I skip through, I love every
                                                                                                             single one of them.
  was feeling pretty down and out. First their  been down before and I always find a way  and a good twist to add on electric violin   Rocknation:  And you named the album
  record label folded, then he lost his man-  to put myself back on my feet. I think with   and to use it in a way that hasn’t necessar-  after one of the songs as well - "The End
  ager, and the final blow came when the rest  perseverance you can overcome the great- ily been used before. Like I thought it would   Begins." What prompted that decision?
  of his band walked out on him. Having lost  est obstacles. I definitely wasn’t going to do  go over, it is going over. Everyone is just   Hugo:  That song was really talking about
  everything he had, this might be enough for  down without a fight. I worked really hard to  totally enamored by it. I don’t know how I   the end of one incarnation and the begin-
  most people to call it quits, but for Ferreira  get it done and it’s paying off.   did it but whatever decisions I made were   ning of another. People say that to every
  it just added fuel to the fire that churned   Rocknation:  You’ve got a group of pretty   good ones so I’m pretty happy about that.   end there is a beginning and that’s basi-
  inside. With a passion burning strong and   heavy hitters in the band now from Kevin   Rocknation:  How does he feel about being   cally what that whole song is about so I
  the will to persevere he locked himself in   Miller on drums who was in Fuel to Joe   in a rock band?  That has to be a bit of a   thought it was appropriate to name the
  his studio and wrote a new album.   Pessia on guitar who a lot of us are very   diversion for him?         record that also.
  Fast forward to the present. Having resur-  familiar with from Dramagods and other   Hugo:  He was always a rock star. This guy   Rocknation:  How did you get hooked up
  rected an all-star line-up to support him   assorted Nuno projects, how did everybody  is the craziest one in the band by far, it was   with Silent Majority Group? And do you feel
  with Kevin Miller on drums, Joe Pessia on   come together?             more like, how does it feel to be in a clas-  that these smaller more indie/boutique type
  guitar, Erik Leonhardt on bass and Mar-  Hugo:  By the grace of God! I do have   sical environment for him. He parties like a   labels are the way to go in today’s music
  cus Ratzenboeck on violin, Tantric is set   probably one of the best bands right now   rock star, he’s crazy.   industry because they can give more atten-
  to release their new album on April 22nd.   supporting me. They are all just incred-  Rocknation:  Let’s talk about the writing   tion to each artist?
  Aptly titled The End Begins, this album will  ibly seasoned and just badasses. I’ve   process for the album because you wrote   Hugo:  I think our particular label is incred-
  signify both an end and a beginning for   known Kevin from touring with him when   the majority of the album on your own   ible. I don’t know how other labels work. At
  both Tantric and Ferreira.          he was in Fuel. When I ran into him again   didn’t you?                this point I’m really happy with our decision
  With the first single “Down And Out” al-  I asked him if he’d be interested in doing   Hugo:  I did write most of the songs on   to go with Silent Majority and I’m really
  ready making it's mark on rock radio from   this project and it was actually a different   my own, but I just demoed them out in   happy that they wanted us. So far they’ve
  coast to coast, the band is getting an early  project. When the whole thing happened   my studio and then the other guys in the   been doing everything right and it’s been
  start on promoting their new digs and has   with Tantric I just asked him to join and   band came in and threw their twists in.   awesome.
  already hit the road in support of the new   he agreed and he brought his bass player   They made their parts individually, I didn’t   Rocknation:  I know you’re out on tour right
  album. On a busy afternoon full of inter-  that he’d already been playing with. Joey   write the drum parts, etc. I would just write   now. It hasn’t been too long but how has
  views and cleaning the tour bus Ferreira   I actually met through Nuno because he’s   the basic idea, and there’s a few songs   the response been to the new material?
  took some time to fill us in on the new al-  a mutual friend of ours, so I stole him from  like “Regret” and “Something Better” and   Hugo:  Incredible. This is our fourth show
  bum, the new band, and how he managed  Nuno. Basically I stole all of my musicians   “Monopoly” that were more of a collec-  on this tour and it seems like everybody al-
  to go from rock bottom to rock renegade.  from other bands, I’m a thief. Nobody lets   tive band thing that we wrote together but   ready knows the lyrics. Every time we play
                                      me into their green room anymore they’re   initially “Down and Out” and all those songs   “Down and Out” people are freaking out, it’s
  Rocknation:  So let’s start with filling   like "Whoa what are you trying to steal our  I started. In a sense everyone did collabo-  just going fantastic. Right now we’re in the
  everyone in who’s not familiar with what’s   drummer!?"                rate because the initial version of the songs   process of rebuilding our fanbase because
  been going on, it’s been around four years  Rocknation:  So your poster is hanging   and the final outcome of the songs are a lot   a lot of people probably thought that we
  since the last Tantric album and a lot has   outside everyone’s green room now right?  different because of everyone’s flavors that   were gone. A lot of people are coming to
  happened, can you give us a brief rundown  Hugo:  Yeah…WANTED!         they’ve added. I definitely could not have   the shows and they are loving it. I couldn’t
  of what has been happening in the Tantric   Rocknation:  I think it’s an amazing line up.   done it by myself.   ask for anything else.
  world?                              I’m a big fan of Joe and Kevin, but what I’m  Rocknation:  You’ve noted that your   Rocknation:  I think that your story is pretty
  Hugo:  The last record that we released   wondering is when you started putting the   songwriting has taken on a more literal   inspirational, what advice would you give
  was in 2004 with the original members.   band back together, did you ever consider   approach, do you credit that just to your   to musicians who may be in the same
  What happened was that we recorded   changing the name or did you feel that   experience as a writer or was that a delib-  place you were when the bottom fell out
  another record after that but our label went  the name was tied to your own personal   erate change?       on Tantric who may be wanting to give up?
  out of business. We found ourselves with-  identity?                   Hugo:  I think that I had more literal stories   What advice can you offer up to them to
  out a label, subsequently without a man-  Hugo:  It was definitely tied to my personal  to tell. On the previous records I was more   help them persevere?
  ager, subsequently without anything. That   identity, plus, I just wasn’t about to start   writing about a color of emotion. I was writ-  Hugo:  I would just use me as an example.
  was just really discouraging to the whole   over from scratch. I’ve got the thing tat-  ing it vague enough so that people could   Ultimately when you’re struggling emotion-
  band and Matt and Todd decided that they  tooed on my arm. The way I looked at it   relate. On this particular record, just with   ally or in life that seems to be when you
  didn’t want to do it anymore. What I did   was that I was part of what put this band   the last four years of experiences that I   get really in touch with your emotions and
  was, I went down to my studio and I wiped  where it is right now so I was definitely   had, I really had something to say. I defi-  you write a lot of your best stuff like that.
  the tears off and started writing a new   entitled to use the name. I didn’t quit on the  nitely wanted the people that I was direct-  The music is the most important thing, so
  record. Slowly put together a whole new   band, everyone else did. I’m the one who   ing it towards to know that it was for them   turn all that negative energy or whatever
  band behind me again with the material   still believes in it.         and about them. I guess that’s probably the   you’re feeling into music and just don’t give
  that I had written. I found myself another   Rocknation:  I love the fact that you’ve add- reason that I made it so literal this time.   up. Get up off of the ground, shake it off,
  deal and we recorded a record with Toby   ed a violin player to rock the electric violin.  Rocknation:  Have you heard any feedback   and keep your eye on the prize and look
  Wright who produced the first two records,  Was that always part of your vision when   from those individuals that it was directed   forward. There’s nothing to lose and you
  and here we are! We’re out on the road,   resurrecting Tantric or how did that element  towards yet?       don’t want to waste your life wishing you
  the single is kicking ass and I’m grateful to  become part of what you were doing?  Hugo:  No. But I know that it’s going in their   had gone for it.
  God every day for it.               Hugo:  I had been jamming with Marcus,   ears and that’s all I need to know.   Rocknation: Parting words?
  Rocknation:  When the remaining mem-  our violin player, for a minute. He was a   Rocknation:  The album drops on the 22nd,  Hugo:  Please call radio and request our
  bers of Tantric left, did you ever have any   classically trained violin player. I always   with the success of your past albums, do   song and join our MySpace!
  thoughts of giving it all up for good?  wanted to do something like that. When   you feel any pressure with this release or   www.myspace.com/tantric
  Hugo:  I can’t say that I was thinking that   this opportunity came up to resurrect the   is it just a relief to be getting the music out
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