Metal Southern Belles Media welcomes you to join us as we continue on our journey of badass interviews. Every week, we have a conversation about Metal music with those who create and LIVE it. For the last interview of 2022, we have Micah Murphy of As Tides Rise. This Metalcore vocalist tells us about the band’s tough beginnings, the deep purpose behind the music, details about the upcoming EP, and more…

MSBM: Hi, Micah! I’m happy to be given the opportunity to chat with you about As Tides Rise. Your band formed during the late 2020 and early 2021 period. As we all know, those were trying times for the music industry and the world, in general. So, how did the band get started?

MM: With the outbreak of covid, it really did put the music world on hold for quite some time. The whole world pretty much shut down, making it difficult to get any projects going. For me, the decision to start a band was right before covid, and so it really put a damper on setting up auditions or jam sessions at all. The attempt at getting potential members didn’t come easy because no one wanted to leave the house, which was completely understandable. So, we had to make sure we were going through the proper precautions, as well as making sure everyone was comfortable meeting up due to the outbreak. Eventually, enough of the guys stuck around and we were able to put together the members of As Tides Rise today!

MSBM: You guys truly persevered! Despite of the difficulties in the music industry during and post pandemic, the band released a couple of songs in 2021. Can you walk me through your process of song writing and recording during this time?

MM: Even after we established the members, meeting up was still rough. If one of us got sick then we didn’t practice, so it delayed song writing alot. But when we were able to meet, I think like most bands, the first few practices consisted of us just hanging out and playing random stuff. Our drummer, Alex, would lay a simple beat, then Tristan, Austin, and Brandon on guitars would throw a riff over it, then I’d just scream and sing stuff that made no sense at all. We continued that until things started to stick, and we actually started to structure songs. Probably a few months later, we had written “Break the Waves” and “Yours Truly”. We were fortunate enough to find a studio that was allowing bands to still come in and record during these times. The recording process was so much fun in my opinion; this is my very first band and it was my first time getting to do anything like that. So, I thought it was so cool to see and experience the whole process. I learned so much and it was really interesting.

MSBM: Since we’re on the subject of song creation, where does your band typically find influence for lyrical content and the music itself? Who and what are your biggest influences?

MM: From a lyrical standpoint, I try to incorporate the everyday struggles of mental health. It’s a big thing for me, and I think it’s very important. I feel over the years the discussion about it is being brought to light more and more everyday, and that’s great to see. But there are still so many people everyday that are taking their own lives, feeling too embarrassed to talk about issues going on in their lives. I believe everyone deserves to have someone to talk to. When people listen to our music, my hope is that they not only relate to what I’m saying, but they take something away from it that helps them hold on for another day. Everyone is fighting demons, but we’re here to say you don’t have to fight them alone. Our musical influence is hard to narrow down, in my opinion. We all come from different backgrounds of music that we enjoy. Personally, Metalcore has my heart. I love jamming old Asking Alexandria, Of Mice and Men, Crown the Empire, and so many more. I’ve always liked when bands have that balance of melodic and heavy. It’s like a roller coaster throughout the songs, and I think that’s transferred into the way we write.

MSBM: That’s some powerful stuff, Micah. I think being open about mental health and giving space to others to not feel so alone is admirable and vital. This being spoken through music is a lifeline for some people, literally. So, you’re doing a good thing. The influential bands that you mentioned were a big part of my teenage years and their balance of melodic and heavy appealed to me as well. Comparing it to a roller coaster is an accurate way to put it. Now, that I have an idea of what your music means to you, what about your band name? What does “As Tides Rise” mean to you?

MM: To me, the name “As Tides Rise” represents how life can constantly make you feel like no matter how hard you try to stay afloat, the tides of life continue to rise higher and higher, making it hard to keep your head above water. I think everyone has felt like that at some point in their lives. I think our name hopefully furthers our connection with our listeners because that’s the most important part to us.

MSBM: Great answer. That feeling is definitely relatable and I think your listeners can find some comfort in knowing that your band understands those “tides”. So, I was told that there is a new EP on the way. What can you tell me about that?

MM: We are super excited about the release of our debut EP; we’ve titled it ‘Losing Myself’. It will have 5 songs on it that we can’t wait to share with the world. We don’t have a release day set just yet. We’re still cooking up some things behind the scenes that we’re really excited about. We’ve been working really hard and we’re continuing to work hard to make sure this is our best release yet.

MSBM: Awesome! I have a feeling that it’s going to be great… So, how will this new music differ from the previous releases?

MM: I think the really cool thing about this EP is that the songs all have something about them that’s unique in their own way. I think it will show how we’ve grown so far as a band. We’ve taken a lot of things we’ve learned from our last releases and applied it into this EP. Hopefully, people will really be able to see the growth we’ve made with our music over the past year since we dropped “Yours Truly”. Also, we’ve played loads of shows over the past year, so some of the songs people have already heard if they’ve been to one of our shows. So, it’ll be cool to have actual recorded versions of them that people can listen to whenever they want! Plus, we have a couple of brand new ones that we’ve never played before. So, I’m excited for people to hear those. I think as a band we’re still kind of finding our sound, and the direction we want to go, so we tried to fill the songs with a little bit of everything. The songs are heavy, light, fast, and slow. I think they all have something that people can gravitate towards.

MSBM: My interest is piqued! I’m definitely looking forward to the EP. You mentioned that the band has played some shows as of late, how has that been going for you?

MM: Throughout 2022, we did play quite a few shows with TONS of really cool bands, all over the Omaha and Lincoln area. We also got the chance to play our first out of town show in Kearney, Nebraska last July with Attack Attack! It was so cool! We’ve opened for some really cool regional and national acts. Some of the fun ones I remember, we’ve played with Kingdom Collapse a couple times now, Saving Abel, Hinder, Blacktop Mojo, Convictions, and Like Moths to Flames most recently. We always have a blast at our shows. We love getting up on stage watching people vibe with us to the music; there’s nothing like it.

MSBM: It sounds like the band has had quite the year when it comes to shows. Which is always awesome! Now, along with the upcoming EP, what else can be expected from As Tides Rise as we move into 2023?

MM: I think what people can expect from us next year aside from the EP, would be a bigger and better show. This past year for us has really been about playing lots of shows and getting our name out there as much as we can. Just to kind of let people know we exist. Now, we want to take that next step. So, when we go out there, people are getting a good show. I don’t want people to just like our songs; I want them to have as much fun as possible while we have their attention for those 30 minutes.

MSBM: The performance and entertainment aspects of concerts are very important because people want to have a good time. You know this, so I think you’ll only improve from here! By the way, what’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?

MM: The best concert I’ve ever been to, I’d have to say, was probably when I saw Asking Alexandria with We Came As Romans, Bless the Fall, and The Word Alive. At the Sokol Auditorium in Omaha. The energy in the room was insane; everyone looked like they were lost in the music, just having the most amazing time. I’ve been to a lot of really cool shows, but I have yet to go to one that tops that one.

MSBM: Shows with crazy energy that affect everyone in the room are the best, no doubt about it. Obviously, you’ve seen and played with some really cool bands. But what would be the dream lineup for you?

MM: My dream lineup is such a hard question; there’s so many bands that I’d love to get the chance to play with. So, I guess I’d say it’d be us with Hollow Front, Wage War, Our Last Night, maybe throw Fit For a King in there too. No particular order of course, but that sounds like such a crazy show and would be a lot of fun!

MSBM: That would be a good one for sure! I think it SHOULD happen. To conclude, where can As Tides Rise be kept up to date with and listened to?

MM: If you’d like to keep up with the band and all our upcoming content, we would appreciate it so much! We do have accounts on most all main social media sites. I’d say we’re probably the most active on Facebook! We also have a couple of songs “Break the Waves” and “Yours Truly” available on all streaming platforms. As well as a music video for “Break the Waves” out on YouTube! So make sure to give us a follow on your prefered platform and get ready for the EP when it drops!

Follow As Tides Rise on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AsTidesRiseOfficial?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Instagram: https://instagram.com/astidesrise_official?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ=

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