Interview mit Kris Vega von Cobra Spell
Kurz vor Release des neuen Debutalbums hatte ich die Chance mit Kris Vega (Sängerin) von Cobra Spell zu sprechen. Sie war gut drauf und hatte viel zu erzählen. Um der Band und auch nicht deutschen Fans die Chance zu geben das Interview zu lesen, behalten wir den Englischen Text bei.
Sven
Hello Kris, thank you for having me.
Kris Vega
Thank you. You’re welcome.
Sven
I was happy to listen to your album already. It’s an awesome piece of work, I must admit. Enjoyed it very much.
Kris Vega
Thank you.
Sven
Let me ask you, how did you get to COBRA Spell in the first place? I mean you are part of another band already and then you joined the group. So how did this happen?
Kris Vega
I started my musical endeavors since I was a kid, but I sang in a lot of bands here in my home city in Barcelona, Spain. I started to play bass acts at 15/16 years old. I played bass in four bands. I was singing in other bands, but the ones that I was really in there are the bands that I have nowadays too, like” I’m the singer of Cobra spell, but I have two side projects which are Born in Exile”. We do progressive metal and the other one is a project, which is conceptual. Progressive rock, metal. I really like the progressive metal because it keeps me in shape. Vocal wise, you know, and when I was giving my lessons because I am a vocal coach here in Barcelona too and I was giving my lessons and my phone started to ring a lot like a lot of messages.
And I said to my students, hey, can you give me one minute or so because my phone is crazy right now and I do not know what’s happening. And I checked the phone and almost 40 messages saying, hey, Sonia, this is looking for a singer. And I was redirected to the Instagram to Sonia’s Instagram.
And I called my friend Jako, which is the guitar player of my bands and he said “Definitely you have to go for it”.
I was like, OK, so let’s do that and I texted, Sonia. Hey, can I apply?
She said yes, of course you must sing “Poison bite” from “Cobra Spell” and send the Song to me and I will tell you if we like it or not.
I was going home really fast. As fast as I could, I entered my studio. I started to learn the song and to record. I send it in one hour. Record at 10 and at 11 at night I have send it.
Sonia told me like, “wow” , I really like your voice. Can you go to the Netherlands? To do an audition and I was like. “Let’s go.”
I then went to replacing Alex Spencer. He was the previous singer but have not had the time to continue with his normal life and obligations and commit fully with Sonia on “Cobra Spell”.
That’s how I became the new Singer of Cobra Spell
Sven
That’s awesome. I mean the band did go through a huge change of band members. But that’s how it’s going to stick, hopefully?
Kris Vega
The Band is a job. How many times did you change your job? Everyone starts to work in a company and dies in that company, you know. Sometimes when Life changes, you change. Many bands have line-up changes.
This gift from universe that I give lessons vocal lessons. Then for me it’s easy to go travelling to go on tour because if I am not giving the lessons somebody will give the lessons for me or my students will wait. Yes, I’m so grateful to be now with Cobra Spell.
Sven
The Debut Album has 10 tracks, + Intro, and a mid-fill track. So how was the songwriting and recording?
Kris Vega
Sonia is the main composer, of Cobra Spell, and all the compositions are created by Sonia. What I like that she always likes to share every step of the composition with us like a I produced this ref and now I’m developing the chorus. What do you think about that? Any idea for the lyrics?
Writing the lyrics with Noelle, Sonia and I, three of us writing the lyrics and Noelle did a few solos there. She is super talented too and she was giving so much.
And then I think the next album be even greater and better because we are working now on the next album already.
She must keep the essence, you know, because the thing that makes Cobra Spell special and great. Then I think that if we all start to write music.
Sven
It’s pure 80s glam rock album through and through. I must admit it feels like pure joy listening to it. So, you must have had a lot of fun. Creating it and playing with it and finding the right mix, especially for your voice.
Kris Vega
Going to the studio was a very big challenge. Uh. As I said before, I really love progressive metal. And I’m influenced a little bit of all the wonderful singers that, for example, from Opeth, Dream Theatre, Symphony XI; love this type of music. Opeth is my platonic love.
Here at Cobra Spell, I want to sound like Ronnie James Dio. Dio l is one of my biggest inspirations.
I really love my father because he’s, my father. But Ronnie James, he is my mental father, you know, like he showed me so much in the music world. And progressive music too. Because with Rainbow I started to. I had a lot of pressure by my shoulders like. This is going to be released by Napalm Records. People are going to hear my voice in this music. I must do a good job and I must bring the 80s here. And it was like, wow. This is difficult. But I managed to record everything in five days.
Sven
That sounds very intense.
Kris Vega
Super intense and I remember I posted a picture in my Instagram. And I was talking about when I finished the recordings, that it was the hardest time. Huge challenge for me. And I’m so proud of what I did. Even I recorded things technical and really high and really difficult and really sharp and super. Never underestimate 80s music. It has a lot of work in it, like you cannot imagine. How, for example the vocals the Harmonization to be created with that like catchy choruses?
Express with your voice. Even if my first language is not English because I’m Spanish. I know that sometimes I don’t talk correctly and sometimes I make a lot of mistakes, or my pronunciation is not that good, but for me, that was the most difficult part. Like wow, man, I have to sing in in English, I have to express the message I have go to the soul of a metal head who is listening to this song right now, like the devil inside of me. I must. I must touch your feelings.
Say as you mentioned this song, it’s clearly one of my absolute favorites on the album.
For everybody, everybody says that like.
Sven
The previously released single sex is also hilariously funny.
Kris Vega
Yeah, it is. It was like for me as S.E.X is like screaming for attention. Like, hey, I’m here.
And you press the like button of that video.
Yeah. And then we give you “The Devil inside of me”. It’s like, wow. Now, you have the Heavy Metal stuff here.
Sven
Do you have a favorite song on the album?
Kris Vega
Ohh, “The Devil inside of me” is one of the one of my favorites because it has a lot of meaning.
For us, of course, the song has more meaning that you can see. On the lyrics, 80s Music sometimes the lyrics were sometimes simple. Sometimes cheesy. Sometimes like. Burn, baby, burn, burn. I’m a fire like. For me too, for example, love is love. Love equals love. I really enjoy it. That song? Yeah. Own studio recording. That was so powerful. Like, I was really feeling that the message and “You’re a cheater” Is super happy. It’s a happy song with a with a bad message, you know, like, wow, someone cheated on me. And I am singing super happy that someone cheated on me.
And it something that I think, it can be inspiring because when you discover that someone has been cheating on you. This song talks about of one of my exes. I felt. OK. I’m not gonna be sad about this. I must be super strong. I must keep going, my things keep on going. Don’t lose my point. Don’t lose my direction and. Yeah. You’re a cheater, OK?
Yeah, you don’t deserve to be with me because you’re a cheater. OK, let’s go with your girlfriend or with your friends. I will go with mine then. But it’s like having the opportunity to express yourself and to get to the people and touch their feelings, you know, like, hey, I’m talking about something, and I think some people out there will listen to my songs or to our songs. And they will feel like touched by us like. Like I really feel. That Song has a strong vibe that, wow, I really love and that’s why.
We make music. You know, to touch other people’s feelings and to encourage them to do something. And to go over things like I went like through that situation in my life. That is not the best but is something that can happen to everybody.
Sven
With all the 80s glamour stuff. You’re playing with a lot of stereotypes. Are you enjoying that or is that all just a role you’re fitting into?
Kris Vega
We really love that like. OK, let’s do something crazy. Worries OK I want to be in a cage surrounded by woman and let’s do it. Yay. I want a car in a video. Yeah, let’s do it. Wow. Women in the past, were like the devil. We used to be demonized. Like chained. I don’t know. You know that even Madame Curie, she was the first person to win 2 Noble awards in in the world and 20 years before she was not allowed to study. They say to her you cannot study because you are a woman.
Then I will go my way. Thanks to that, women and now Cobra spell, we can do what we are doing, and express ourselves. For the people out there, I’m doing this because I can.
And maybe you like it, maybe you don’t. And it’s perfectly OK because we all have different music taste. I’m so much into the progressive stuff. And so yeah, there’s some tracks which are awesome, but sometimes it’s too much, if I’m honest. Yeah.
You can access any band, like a super famous KISS or you can go to check a Band from Czech Republic that is followed by 100 people, and they do amazing music, and you just discovered them today. Amazing thing that you can discover new music every day. You can find the band boring or not. It’s perfectly OK. I like these variety of plenty of music like that. It’s super nice to have this opportunity to live nowadays where we can have access to everything.
More women are doing music, more women are creating. Female fronts in the bands and so on.
Inspire other people. Making dreams come true? You make music to inspire other people. To make other people’s bad times go better and to make people smile, to make people laugh.
Sven
What are the Tour plans for 2024?
Kris Vega
We have Tour through Spain which starts in April, and we have a few festivals confirmed. We are working on the next dates. I cannot say too much, but we are we want to play everywhere all the time. A lot. Without rest! You will see it on our social media!
Sven
I’m really looking forward for the release on the 1st of December.
Kris Vega
Yeah, we are so excited. Doing it a good chart entry, I hope. We will look out.
Sven
What are you hearing in your private life? What is on in your CD-Player now?
Kris Vega
I really love OPETH! I really love progressive music. Music that touches my heart.
For example, I really love Satyricon. I don’t know why. But when I was 16, I started to dig into black metal. And I found Satyricon. I cannot get bored of them. And for example, I used to listen to Unleash the Archers of course music from the 80th. Rainbow!
I really love Lady Gaga, because of their vocals. Bring me the Horizon also.
Sven
Good luck with the Band and an awesome chart entry with the new Album and a good Tour. I will see you for sure, I promise.
Kris
Yes, thank you so much for your time. It’s been amazing to be talking with.
Albumreview bei Moshpit Passion:
https://moshpitpassion.de/cobra-spell-666
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Bildnachweis: Napalm Records.