What are your main music influences, and how did you decide you wanted to get into the post-hardcore and metal genre? Ryan: My main music influences are a variety of bands. Bands range from Bad Omens to Slipknot. Damon: I have a ton! Bands like Linkin Park, Slipknot, Korn, and Sevendust got me into heavier music and others like Thrice, Misery Signals, Killswitch Engage, Story Of The Year and a host of others have guided me on an incredible musical journey so far.
How would you describe Of Virtue's music to someone who's just discovered it from the new album? Ryan: I would definitely tell them to check out every single track. There’s something for everyone on this record. We are inspired by so many different genres of music and I truly believe that translates to the music we put out today. Damon: Emotional, passionate, honest, vulnerable, dynamic, cathartic, and most of all, hopeful. If you are a long-time listener of heavy music, it can remind you of artists that may have been a gateway for you and if you are new, there is a little bit of something for everyone to help shape and sculpt your tastes! You guys just dropped you're brand new record Omen. I love it a lot! How has the response been so far from fans and the media? Ryan: Amazing! It’s so cool to see people listening to our music. We are seeing great reception from the singles while we were on tour. I cannot wait to play the rest of the album live as well. Damon: The response has been incredible! After three very long years, it feels great to finally have a new piece of art for everyone in the world to digest and so far, we are not disappointed. What's something you hope fans will take away from this record? Damon: That you do not have to be a slave to past mistakes or let them define you moving forward in your life. We are all human beings and throughout our lives, we may misstep at times. It is our job to learn from those mistakes, listen and learn to love and understand ourselves and spread that light into the world for others who may be going through their own troubles. What's each band member's favourite track off of Omen? Ryan: "Omen." Damon: There's a few! In a live setting, I love the energy of "Hypocrite" and the seductive power of "Sinner." "Omen" is one of my favorites to jam while I'm out and about! How was the overall process of making the record? Was it a lot more planned and thought out? Damon: The process of this record was an exercise in trust. On previous records, we would demo out a bunch of ideas, pick the best ones and go to record them. With Omen, the four of us would just get in a room with no preconceived ideas and see where the wind would take everything. Several songs would start as a conversation about something non-musical - just catching up on life or talking about the things that are important and relevant to us in those moments. It took a conscious effort for us to take a hard of a look into ourselves, take the best elements of how we made our last record, What Defines You, and push as hard as we can. Were there a few songs that didn't make the cut for the record that will see the light of day possibly even acoustic songs at some point for a deluxe or even an Omen sessions EP? Ryan: Oh my god, we have so many songs written it’s not even funny. They’ll see the light of day eventually though. Damon: There are a lot of songs that didn't make it but we will see! We love acoustic and stripped songs so you never know… Something could be in the works! I know you guys just got a tour offer for Any Given Day in 2024, as well as performing at a festival with Parkway Drive next year. What was that call like? Tell me about it.
Damon: It was super sick to get those calls. Germany has always been one of the best places for us and we couldn't wait to say yes. Those dudes are a great band and we can't wait to get out on the road this upcoming February! The festival you mentioned is called Pulp Summer Slam in Manila, Philippines - which is one of the largest heavy music festivals in Southeast Asia. We honestly didn't believe it at first, but the last time we were there in 2019, the energy was unmatched. Needless to say, we're excited! About a month ago, Live Nation dropped the bombshell of news about ending merch cuts for venues for the rest of 2023. Did you guys read up on it at all and what do you all think about Live Nation venues and venues overall taking merch cuts from touring acts? Damon: We have done our fair share of research in the matter and it honestly feels like a wait-and-see game with Live Nation suspending their merch cuts for bands. We aren't fans of cuts personally, so seeing venues looking for ways to eliminate this from the touring world has piqued all of our collective interests. What do you wish fans knew about each of you, but they don't know about? Damon: I love a good junkie action movie! I catch flack for enjoying The Fast and The Furious as much as I do so maybe one day we can write a song for one of those! If you can have your listeners and fans remember one thing about yourselves what would you want them to remember you by and why?
Damon: We put everything we have into what we do and hope it can reach the people that needed this just like we still do now. This band has helped us in the journey of becoming the best versions of ourselves and without it, I am not sure where we would have ended up. If each of you could pick two bands right now that you all would pick to tour with for your dream tour with Of Virtue who would they be? Ryan: Bad Omens and A Day To Remember Damon: Bring Me The Horizon and Spiritbox. Finally, what are your guy's plans for 2024? Damon: Tour, write a new record, and tour some more!