Welcome to In Conversation, a special interview column on the site where we sit down with artists and dive deep into everything music. This week, Max sat down with Lorna Shore vocalist Will Ramos over Zoom to discuss the band’s new EP, what it’s like being the new frontman, what he’s been listening to, and how the band has stayed busy over lockdown. Lorna Shore’s new EP, …And I Return To Nothingness, is due for release on Friday, August 13th, and you can find pre-orders here.
Max: I’ve been listening to the EP for a couple of days, it’s very very sick. You joined the guys [Lorna Shore] on the Faces of Death tour last year right? What’s it like filling the role and becoming the new face of such a beloved, prestigious act? I know you were in A Wake in Providence, and Monument of a Memory prior to this, right?
Will: I was in Monument [of a Memory], and I had a death metal band after A Wake in Providence called Euclid. [They’re still going] right now, they got Matt Kohanowski in there so, still a fucking awesome powerhouse of dudes. If you know In Depths in Tides when Ben Duerr (Shadow of Intent, Hollow Prophet) was in it. So obviously Ben left he’s doing Shadow [of Intent], and the rest of the band stayed together and made a new band. Fulfilling the role, for me, I always listened to Lorna [Shore]. When Godmaker came out I was like, this is my favorite band, period. I always jammed them a lot. Regardless of the fact that I was in anything else, I’m always, as a vocalist, self-criticizing. So when they asked me to do this, I was incredibly stressed out. I was like ‘man if I mess up,’ you know what I mean? That’s the only thing that I’m thinking of in my mind, its not like “oh this is gonna go so good,” its gonna be like “if I mess up how do I take it.” But I really feel like if I practice the crap out of it and [it’ll translate], you know what I mean? It was definitely very stressful, but I’m very happy we did it.
I’m always, as a vocalist, self-criticizing.
So when they asked me to do this, I was incredibly stressed out.
I was like ‘man if I mess this up,’ you know what I mean?
Max: I’m glad, because you fit the band perfectly. I feel like you’ve come to this role in the right time. Around Immortal and then with this new EP the band found the sound they were working towards for quite a long time. It just kind of brought that to life. Have there been any, other then just general anxiety, new challenges from being in a band like Lorna Shore? Obviously, because of the past year and a half you haven’t been able to tour, there might not be as much facing you in that regard, but has there been anything interesting or challenging in your experience with Lorna Shore versus an older band or something?
Will: I will say holding on to music for as long as Lorna holds on to music before it gets put out is new to me. ‘Cause that was killing me man, we had these songs I’ve been jamming for so long where I don’t even like ’em anymore. I mean, obviously I love them, but you know what I mean? Its like you listen to it for so many times and you’re like ‘yeah, this a good song, yeah this is sick’ and then like ‘man I hope everybody else likes it‘ – and then everybody happened to fricken like it. But a lot of it was just going through that stress of like, ‘is this going to come out soon, whats going on?’ You know what I mean? A lot of it, because I couldn’t talk about it to anybody, nobody really knew I was in [Lorna Shore]. So I was just kinda like sitting on the sidelines just watching all these people talk, and me not being able to say anything, and that’s all definitely new for me for sure.
Max: So on that note, I suppose, I wonder what the process was like recording this. Did you record this over lockdown, or was this like, something that just kind of naturally happened over the course of the year? Did you make a conscious decision to be like, ‘okay well we have a bunch of time off, let’s record something,‘ how did that happen?
Will: Well basically, when the whole shit hit the fan, everybody had no work period. I’m a freelancer and all of my jobs stopped immediately. It was the craziest thing ever, and nobody really had anything to do and I guess the timeline is I fulfilled whatever tour experience that we could have at the time. Then when we came back we were like ‘alright, obviously there’s nothing to do, we want to hit the studio, let’s go into the studio.‘ All of it was written partially when we were in Europe, and partially when we came back from Europe. With this COVID thing, a lot of people lost people in their lives, and I am one of those people as well. And I felt that when I was Europe actually I had lost someone that was very close to me and I used that experience and those feelings to help write something else, you know what I mean? And uh, when we all met up in the studio it kind of just channeled, it just came out exactly the way we wanted to. And yeah it was literally just tour, write as much as possible, go see Josh Schroeder, the best dude in the world by the way. He’s the nicest guy ever his house is awesome, and he is a fantastic studio guy. Its literally like a 10/10 right there. And we banged it out, that was it, it was awesome, fantastic experience.
When we came back, were were like ‘alright,
obviously there’s nothing to do, we want to
hit the studio, let’s go into the studio.
Max: So I take it, from the fact that you’ve been home you’ve probably written more than just this EP. I’m not gonna go too far deep into that, because I assume you can’t talk about it, but I assume you’ve got quite a bit of stuff coming up with Lorna Shore now. Especially because you guys are on big tours next year with Chelsea Grin, Carnifex, in the UK and the EU and stuff. So I imagine you guys have been pretty busy. I also hear that you guys sold out a homestate headliner recently right?
Will: We sold out friggen Asbury Park, which is like one of the biggest concert places that’s left, because all the places keep closing because of COVID and stuff. But its one of the biggest ones that I was aware of in Jersey, House of Independents is friggen awesome. I didn’t think that was gonna sell out, but I’m so stoked that it did. The next closest one to us also sold out, I’m stoked, I hope that they all sell out. I’ve not been expecting this to happen period, so I mean like, whatever happens I’m like cool dude, keep it coming!
Max: I can only imagine. What’s it like being in that situation where you’re in a band that can sell out venues like that? It must be a bit of a weird shock to the system.
Will: Its very weird for me, I mean, literally in my mind a month ago I only knew how my local bands and every band that I was in worked like ‘oh here we go, we’re going on a tour.‘ When I was in A Wake In Providence it was like ‘alright so we’re going on a tour with these bands, we’re not selling any tickets or anything but hopefully there will be people there,‘ there weren’t a lot of people there necessarily, but it was fine. I was like “okay, this is a metal thing.” But then when I was in Lorna and we went to Europe and we saw how much European people love metal we were like, I was like, ‘woah this is completely different.’ And then once we came back and we released the music, and now its sold out, I was like ‘I did not expect this to happen.’ Like I just finished playing like a year and a half ago playing in front of 60-70 people max, especially in Monument. Its just a shock, honestly a shock and kind of humbling because I’m still not prepared mentally for it, but its all happening so I can’t be upset about it.
I just finished playing like a year and a half ago
playing in front of 60-70 people max, especially in
Monument [of a Memory]. Its just a shock, honestly a shock
and kind of humbling because I’m still not prepared
mentally for it, but its all happening so I can’t be upset about it.
Max: Its such a weird thought isn’t it, that so many people are so dedicated to a genre that seems so, on the surface, inaccessible. Like this crazy extreme blackened death metal stuff, and its like, I don’t know its super cool to see that thing can take off nowadays. I know that A Wake in Providence was kinda like that too, this kinda seems like your sector of metal.
Will: Literally, like, I originally met the Lorna dudes when I was with AWIP. We went on tour with AWIP and In Depths and Tides when Ben Duerr was in it, and that’s how I became boys with them. And I was like these guys are making the same kind of music, obviously they’re doing it better then us, but you know like this was right up my thing. And so, when they asked me I was like wow this is awesome, you know, fuck yeah this isn’t too far off of what I’ve already been doing.
Max: Was there a moment, because you joined them for the tour, where they were like ‘okay Will is now our main vocalist’, or did it just kind of happen? Or was that always on the cards from when they asked you the first time?
Will: I didn’t even know what was gonna happen at all, I honestly didn’t know what was gonna happen at all. In my mind, I was just filling in on the tour, but like after obviously we were on the tour I figured out alright I’m in the band but I had to tell everybody I was a fill in vocalist kind a thing. But ya know. I pretty much knew while we were on the tour it was happening official. But again, it was a trial run kinda thing, so I didn’t do good obviously they would have been like nope. But I think they thought it was alright, and I’ll stick with that, and say I did okay.
Max: Did you guys finish that tour or was that cut short?
Will: It was cut hella short, we were literally half way and they were like ‘okaaaay, we’re pulling the cord.’
Max: That’s such a shame, did you guys hit UK yet or did you just hit Europe?
Will: We literally like, just got to the UK. We did London, and then that was the last show we ever did. And then I remember being in London waiting for that plane or whatever it was and I was just… ahh dude, the most excruciating three days of waiting to leave. Sitting in a hotel, it was bad. But it was great at the same time, the worst things come out as the best memories at the end of the day. That’s why I’m happy to be coming back next year, its time to do better this time.
Max: And hopefully the whole thing actually happens rather then being cut short.
Will: Literally, exactly.
Max: I’m sure it will though, that’s a huge lineup as well. I’m gonna be there, I’m gonna be there for sure.
Will: You better be, I’ll be looking out for you.
Max: I’ll be there, you’ll be looking out for me I’ll be in the pit.
Will: Woooaahhh okay, that’s what I’m talking about!
Max: I’m super looking forward to that, I was gonna see you guys on the faces of death tour and then everything kind of felt a bit, like, ‘mmm whats going on’, and then obviously after that everything shut down.
Will: That was when like, in my mind, I was like ‘COVID is a thing, but I’m not too worried about it’, ya know? I could shake everyone’s hand.
Max: Everyone was like ‘nah it’ll be fine, it’ll be over in two months its fine.’
Will: Exactly, and then it was like, I shook everyone’s hand, I was getting too close to people. I actually ended up coming home from that tour and then had COVID, like immediately. I was like ‘yay I’m good guys, it was the escape from Europe tour and I fucking escaped.’ And then it was like two days later, and I’m bedridden. And I’m like ‘nooooooooooo’, I was this close dude, this close. I feel like the incubation time is like three or four days, it was like the third day after I got back I was like maaaaan.
I actually ended up coming home from that tour
and then had COVID, like immediately. I was like
‘yay I’m good guys, it was the escape from Europe tour
and I fucking escaped.’ And then it was like two
days later, and I’m bedridden.
Max: You get yourself a bit hyped up, you’re like ‘I’ll be fine, I’ve been fine for two days, theres no way my body is gonna make me wait the entire incubation period.’ And then you end up like, ‘oh shit, well, I guess I’m sick.’
Will: Yupp, exactly! And that’s what happens, it was great.
Max: Hopefully none of that happens on the tours that happen this year.
Will: Literally, when I knew I was like, this is it, its only good from here, good things.
Max: The tours you’re doing in like Asbury Park, and the other US dates, are they this year?
Will: Yes, August 12th through the 14th.
Max: Oh shit, we’re close then.
Will: Literally we’re releasing the EP, and then its boom. Shows. Immediately.
Max: You can immediately start playing them live. That must be a really nice experience, not a very common one over the past year and a half. People have been like, holding on to music and not releasing it, or releasing it and not being able to play it. It must be so fucking frustrating.
Will: It is, but now its like immediate, its like now we’re releasing it, and now we’re running on the stage and then we’re dropping it. And everyone’s just gonna be like ‘WOOOOOOO‘. I mean, I’m happy, you know what I mean, like I said I’ve had these songs. I honestly like these other two songs more than “To the Hellfire”.
Max: I would agree with that, from an outside perspective as well.
Will: Okay sweet so you already know. Fuckin’, its great, I’m excited to finally put them out and perform them, ya know?
Max: And I would imagine you’re quite excited to play those old favorites of yours from like Maleficium and stuff?
Will: Oh man, dude, when we play “Godmaker“, my inner scene kid from when I was, I don’t even know… too young, like 17 or something [will] be screaming inside. We were at practice and then uh Austin [Archey, drums] and Adam [De Micco, guitar] were like ‘dude I wonder if we should do “Godmaker“‘ I was like YES. We should play “Godmaker” that would be so sick, and they were like ‘naaahhh‘. And I was like UGH.
When we play “Godmaker”, my inner scene
kid from when I was … like 17 or
something [will] be screaming inside
Max: You should convince them to play “Accumulatory Genophage“. That one is an absolute banger.
Will: That’s what I told them right afterwards! I was like, alright, we don’t have to play “Godmaker“, but, “Accumulatory Genophage“, and they were like, no. My heart cries.
Max: You should definitely just record yourself doing it be like, ‘no guys look, this would pop off.’
Will: You might actually be on to something! I might have to do it, I’ll have to do it in my free time. I’ll be like alright dude this is my cover, and its sick, and now you gotta do it, so we’re doing it.
Max: And now you gotta do it live because people like it, and people are asking for it, you can’t say no now.
Will: Exactly, its like you force the hand.
Max: Exactly, exactly. And if you do actually end up playing anything from that EP I will be going insane for that one. I just have a couple more very general questions. Are there any music releases you’re looking forward to over the next half year, anything maybe a bit off kilter for someone who makes stuff in your genre? I know you’re a fan of Spiritbox, you did the “Holy Roller” cover.
Will: Love Spiritbox, fantastic, so good. I’m looking forward to Spiritbox, all of my like, I’m looking forward to Loathe. I don’t know if you know the band Loathe?
Max: Oh I love Loathe.
Will: Dude Loathe, please keep putting out music. It’s weird because a lot of the music I do listen to now because, ya know I just do hard vocals all the time, I feel like now I don’t want to listen to hard vocals necessarily all the time. So like Spiritbox, that’s why I love Spiritbox, that’s why I love Loathe, like all these metal bands that are like..
Max: Ethereal.
Will: Exactly! Exactly. I love that kind of stuff. I love Silent Planet, it’s the exact opposite, its like Christian metal, which is like the exact opposite of what we are but I still just love the way he words stuff, like fantastic.
Max: Poetic.
Will: Incredibly poetic, and like inspirational for sure. So definitely looking forward to all these bands.
Max: I completely understand the search for almost the opposite of what you do. Most of the stuff I listen to nowadays I’m trying to find like, sick vocal melodies, big atmospheres, stuff like that.
Will: Yeah dude, that stuff is sick.
Max: The stuff that I can’t do myself, I’m like you know what I want to hear that. Especially Loathe.
Will: Exactly dude, exactly. You already know.
Max: Already know yeah, Loathe is one of my favorite bands. I fucking love that album they released last year. Even their like, did you hear the ambient one they did early this year?
Will: I did, and I was like, I didn’t know what it was, I had no idea what to expect. I was just in Colorado doing a roadtrip with a couple friends, and I was like I’m gonna put on this album and I think its gonna be metal as hell, but also like I’m floating through the sky type shit. And they were like alright lets do it. And I put it on and I was like, its gonna start any minute now. And It was just meditation music the whole time, super sick, but like not what I was expecting.
Max: Super sick, but definitely not the vibe I was expecting from Loathe.
Will: Yeah dude I was expecting more “Two-Way Mirror” times ten for a whole album, I’ll do it, I’ll listen to that.
Max: Hell yeah. Is there anything that came out in the past half year or year or so that caught your ear?
Will: 100%, Left to Suffer, they dropped some fuckin’ bangers. So many people dropped music in the past year its like hard to keep track of everything.
Max: I wonder why (laughs)
Will: Yeah exactly, its so hard to keep track of everything. Did Tool release their album in the past year?
Max: That was two years ago I think now, time’s going fast.
Will: I don’t even know man. Dude when COVID hit everything just stopped. And its like did the last year even happen? It did. But its just like wow.
Max: I feel like everyone has been inside now so everyone is gonna start releasing things even more now.
Will: I’m not gonna lie, I’ve been jamming the old jams. I’ve been jamming em. I know a couple bands that released stuff this year. But I try to stay off social media unless somebody is like ‘yooo check out this fuckin band dude.‘ And I’m like alright I’ll check em out ya know. So yeah, I don’t even know, couldn’t tell ya.
Max: What kind of old jams have you been listening to recently?
Will: I don’t know if you know, I listen to like a lot of indie music, surprisingly.
Max: Oh yeah, I’m a big fan of Phoebe Bridgers if you know her.
Will: Okay, dude, fuckin, indie music I don’t know what happened I was like I’m gonna be a metalhead til the day I die. Now, still love metal, but, indie music its up there man. Still Woozy, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, I’ve been listening to King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard. Really random psychedelic like rock bands, love that stuff. Things that I can’t do, that’s what I listen to.
Max: Exactly, again it’s like you gravitate toward the things that you can’t do. ‘Cause I feel like once you’ve done it, its still cool, but, I feel like there’s something more special in the unknown of it when you’re a creative.
Will: Yes, exactly.
Max: So I have no idea how the hell they wrote that, but that’s sick.
Will: Exactly, that’s exactly how I feel about it dude, its crazy.
Max: Hell yeah. Alright, well I don’t have any more questions. Is there anything you want to shout out or say before we finish up?
Will: Honestly, I’m just very excited to put out this EP. I hope you guys like it, its not exactly like “To the Hellfire” everyone is gonna expect this to be the heaviest EP ever, but ya know I don’t think that was what we were trying to go for necessarily. I think we were trying to hit the nail on many different points, and I really do feel that we hit that and I just hope that everybody loves it. I think its gonna be great. I had a good time and I hope everybody else does too.
Max: I think its gonna have a good response,. I mean, yeah, the other two songs are not so breakdown heavy which I suppose a lot of people are gonna be like ‘oh what the hell happened.’ But I think they’re like way more maturely structured I guess?
Will: Exactly
Max: The hard songs will translate well live, I think all of them will translate well live. I hope so at least.
Will: Yup, I think so too. We want to hit the breakdown people, but we also want to hit the death metal people because we are death metal people at heart as a band. Like that’s where we try and stick to, so um, yeah, I mean, I think its sick I love em. We’ll see what happens, I think its gonna come off well, I think the whole, the effort that we put into these three songs will translate accordingly when people hear it.
We want to hit the breakdown people,
but we also want to hit the death metal
people because we are death metal
people at heart as a band.
Max: I hope so as well, and you know I’ll see you when you play in London next year, I’ll be there lookin’ out for ya.
Will: I’ll be looking out for you man. You better be there, I’m serious.
Max: I’ll be there, I’ll be there.
Will: Well dude, thank you for having me on your show seriously this was a good time.
Many thanks to Will Ramos for sitting down for a chat with us, and make sure to tune in early next week for our full review of …And I Return To Nothingness! For all things Lorna Shore, deathcore and music in general, keep it locked on Boolin Tunes.