Interview with October Changes

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

Lhana: Ever since I was a child, I had a very clear vision on wanting to become a singer. Despite some ups and downs, music always found its way back to me, so I knew that this must be my destiny. If I didn't sing, I would probably do my other passion more, which is art.

Luk: Everything concerning rock caught my interest at a young age (The Sweet, Guitar King, Black Sabbath….) then I discovered Headbangers Ball (MTV) who brought Cannibal Corpse, Napalm Death, Bolt Thrower and from there one I got dragged into the heavier genres.

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

Lhana: As I mentioned before, my other big passion is art. To me, it's the perfect recharging time after a long day to just turn on my tablet and draw, while listening to criminal documentaries.

Luk: I’m quite fond of Lounge Music and instrumental metal like Animals as Leaders, Vitalismn, Polyphia… Since it’s mostly Polyrhythm style, it’s inspirational in many ways.

How long has your band been around?

Luk: October Changes is around since 2019, had some line up switches and since last year, October 2022 we have our solid line up.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

Luk: Most members live in Belgium and the Netherlands. In Belgium, the local music scene is mostly limited to smaller venues, while the bigger venues are booking the bigger bands. We have some very nice venues nearby, like the Ragnarok club in Bree. There are some very good bands in the local scene, like our friends at Ylisia from the Netherlands.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

Luk: There are 2 parts in this answer. When the Roman calendar was adjusted to the Gregorian calendar, October shifted to the 10th month in this calendar. So October Changed.I wanted to provide a name for my band that has the intention to bring change and have an impact on people’s musical journey. Moreover, the majority of the changes within the band happened in October so this name is very fitting.

The other part of the answer is about the influence other groups have on OC: Texas In July, August Burns Red, Dead by April, Death in December (less known post hardcore), Novembers Doom…. All these names contain a month which always caught my attention ���. They are all really great. 

Nice side note, the first names were “Urban Core” and “Cyanide Season”...

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

Lhana: With October Changes, I must say that my favorite so far has been our EP release party in Eindhoven, together with our friends from Ylisia. It was a very special moment with the music video premiere, the vibe and the nice people around.

Luk: Well, my personal fav at this point was at Pulptuur Kapellen, it was about 33 degrees and had an open air gig. When we arrived, not many people stayed on location, but when we started our gig, people turned heads, and stayed…More or less the same happened at Eindhoven, King’s Rock. People passing on the street, basically returned to check us out.

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

Lhana: 013 and Effenaar are very much on the top of my list right now.  Other than that, the bigger the merrier! :)

Luk: There is no favorite, all places are just plain awesome and we hope to visit a lot of them and party with the crowd.

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

Luk: Within Temptation, Amaranthe, Electric Callboy…

Lhana: Tarja, Within Temptation, Amaranthe!

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

Lhana: Start creating. Start writing those thoughts down. It WILL be cringy. It WILL sound awful. But try to think less and do more. We often want to create something memorable immediately but you must take the falls as part of the progress. Best band advice I can give? Leave your ego outside the rehearsal room. Being a band is a team effort.

Luk: Just go with what you really want to play, be open to any influence and combine it at your own taste. Never let anyone tell you the idea sucks, usually that is a sign you are heading in the right direction. If not, at least you tried.

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

Luk: Never let anyone tell you, it’s not a good idea.

Lhana: You are beautiful just the way you are. There are gonna be people who will try to kill your flame. Don't let them succeed. They are just too afraid to be their true selves,unlike you.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

Lhana: That's a really difficult question! I love all the songs, because they are all my “children” in a sense. But if i must choose, I'd go for Shutter, Sleeping Beauty and Lost Utopia.

Shutter was the first-ever song I wrote lyrics for, when I got into OC. It's about how true self will always know who we are and we must not let it be pushed down for the sake of other people.

Sleeping Beauty is an alternative interpretation of the old story. The girl wakes up and wanders around inside the castle she spent her life in. She remains longing for a time that has already passed, the world moved on and the end Is left to the listener, what she will do next. It's a philosophical piece that means a lot to me. I myself often felt like I'm not from this time period, that time must've “left me behind”.

Lost Utopia was written in inspiration of the Netflix series Edgerunners, about a futuristic world, where people have gone so far with developing their technology that they can't even keep up with it anymore. I wanted to make a piece that talks about this, because our world concerns me right now. We have a lot of great things that have been developed for the sake of humanity…but what if we go so far that we will forget how to be human?

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

 Lhana: Sleeping Beauty and Shutter are definitely favorites when it comes to crowds. Amor Fati also gets quite a lot of applause, which always surprises me, haha.

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

Lhana: I like to think. I like philosophical thoughts. Usually when I write the lyrics, I listen to the melody and see what kind of feelings i get about it. I take some notes in the form of words. Then I make it a story.

Luk: Daily events… It’s in my case it’s whenever something pops into my head, I turn on Reaper with the plugins and record right away not to forget. Record it on the bpm, share it to Wesley and Lhana who do the cut and paste work around new drums. Later on it’s finished by Bert, lead guitar, who adds the cherry on top.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

Lhana: I like to talk and wonder about the endless possibilities us, humans can do and achieve. I grew up with people who tried to push me into a certain mold, trying to convince me about who I was. I like to encourage people through my music that there are just so many options In our Universe about anything and everything.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

Lhana: Oh, yes we do, haha. Sometimes things get heated but eventually, we always try to talk it out. I think that's how it should be at all times. That's how it's healthy. Showing empathy and understanding is key.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

Lhana: We are currently looking into possible tour destinations. We would like to spread our music and share these stories with as many people as possible. If you're interested in our music, please, don't be afraid to show some love through our socials!