"CHANGE AS IT HAPPENS" WITH NIVIANE
Niviane is an American power metal band formed in 2015 hailing from Sacramento California. Co-founders, guitarists Mark Miner & Claudeous Creamer along with bassist Rick Stallkamp and drummer Mark Sprague created the band’s sound by melding together their collective influences of classic heavy metal fused with modern European metal stylings.
Answered by Gary Tarplee (Guitars):
Please describe to our audience how you came about on the music scene and what is the biggest difference between your first piece of music to your latest!
Niviane was the brainchild of guitarist Mark Miner and Claudeous Creamer from Possessed. They had an idea and a vision of what they wanted this band to be. Other members joined and the writing for the first album “The Druid King” had started. During the writing of that album, Noe Luna had replaced the original drummer and Claudeous and Niviane continued forward to finish writing and record The Druid King.
What are you doing to push a positive message as the year comes to an end and there is a new beginning coming up with this new year?
Don’t really know what we are doing to push a positive message. We don’t put out a negative message for sure. We want everyone to be safe and happy this holiday season. We are hard at work at finishing up the vocal tracks for our new album, so we keep putting positive messages out on social media about this.
Are there any rituals you have developed over the years that are helpful for any upcoming changes happening?
No, We just take change as it happens and deal with it.
Could you talk about a success that happened this year that you would attribute to all your hard work?
The biggest success we have had this year has been internally and we have just really been working hard at getting this new album ready for our fans. We are proud of this album, it's a heavier, more mature Niviane and we can't wait to get it out to everyone.
Could you talk about an obstacle that you persevered through?
The biggest obstacle we seem to persevere through is change of band members. We parted ways with our drummer earlier this year and finding someone to replace him has been a challenge. We are working on finding the right guy and getting the audition in place, but it's a difficult task when you have had these super talented musicians come in and write music, leave the band and then find someone who can not only keep up with them, but be as talented as them in the long run and have a good personality to be around with. We don't give up. We keep going forward no matter what.
How do you think these experiences have helped you shape your career and approach your music?
Niviane is and always will be a mindset of musicians who have the same goals and drive to continue and succeed with our brand of music. We all have the same goals and each of us collectively brings a piece to the puzzle that fits perfectly and makes Niviane what it is. Our greatest attribute is our individuality as musicians, then collectively bringing it together to create music.
How do you continue to develop your community of fans over the years?
We do a lot to continue to reach out to and expand our fan base. Social media seems to have the most impact when we are not on the road, but it also has its place when we are on the road. We can connect with our fans and let them know when we are in their city, we have done interviews prior to shows to introduce the band to the metal community. I love meeting new people at shows that may have never heard of us, then...they see us and love what they hear. I have developed many friendships over the years just by stopping and talking to fans before or after a show, adding them to my social media platforms and staying connected with them. This is something we all do and it really keeps us connected on a personal level with a lot of our fans.
Thank you for sharing all your music with us! Can you give us any exclusive on more music coming up?
Look for our new album coming out in 2023. I think that Niviane will have some big things to offer to our new and current fans. Stay Tuned!!!!