ROX Alive: Octavian Winters new interview

The band Octavian Winters met with us to discuss their music, loves and more. Read on; Winter comes early in Octavia.

Let’s get to know each other shall we? First off, who’s in the band?

Stephan Salit, guitars and backing vocals

Jay Denton, bass

Ria Aursjoen, lead vocals and keyboards

Randy Gzebb, drums

How would you describe your music?

Randy: To be trueful all these songs came together fairly quickly . At no point did we ever discuss genres where we fit into. Thats the magic of this band.

Stephan: Let’s file it under Darkwave but I’d like to leave that up to our listeners.

Ria: I might say, Dreamwave with an edge.

What are your musical influences and songwriting inspirations?

Jay: The Cure, Joy Division and New Order, in that order.

Stephan: Too many influences to mention, actually. My songwriting happens more in the moment. Sometimes the muse is in my pocket, sometimes not.

Ria: Stylistically my vocal influences are Ronny James Dio and other neoclassical metal vocalists like Ian Gillan, crossed with Clannad’s Moya Ui Bhraonáin.

Randy: So many influences, Killing Joke, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, Cocteau Twins

When did you form Octavian Winters?

Randy: Octavian Winters came about in San Francisco in 2022. I was staring out to the emptiness contemplating my next musical move and decided to start calling talented musicians that I had worked at some point, in the midst of deadly pandemic.

How did you come up with your band name?

Jay: We rehearse near Octavian street in SF and sometimes our demos would get auto-named Octavian. We formed in somewhat of a wintery mood, and it fit that aesthetic.

Ria: Stephan came up with the name. We had generated a list of around fifty name ideas and when we showed the list to close friends and family everyone picked Octavian Winters. So it clearly had something special.

Were any of you in bands before?

Randy: I played in Love Club and then with Stephan in Thrill Of The Pull.

Stephan: Besides Thrill Of The Pull with Randy I’ve been involved with Specimen, Sky Cries Mary, Until December and numerous others over the years.

Jay: Midnight Bombers & Inferno of Joy

Ria: Yes, many. I’ve worked as a solo artist quite a lot also, on Celtic harp especially.

You’ve only been together since 2022. How quickly did your sound develop into what we hear now?

Jay: I started to hear it right away, from the very first demos, it's almost unavoidable, it's just the way we all respond to each other's playing.

Steph; Yes it’s been flowing since day one actually!

You’ve got quite a reputation on the live circuit too. You’ve certainly earned your stripes. What do you love most about playing in front of an audience.?

Ria: Playing live is very sacred; the audience has made the effort to travel there and to give you their time and attention, I respect and appreciate that very much – I think of the performance like a beautiful, fantastical house that the band and the audience enter together that exists only for that one night.

Randy: We love playing live! The look on people’s faces when they are getting taken to another place while watching and listening to the band live is special.

Jay: I like being part of something and contributing to the local music scene, being there to put on a show and support the other bands.

Stephan: I like to get lost in the eyes of the ones up front. Time kind of stands still. I’m really working on being less concerned and self-conscious and more along for the spiritual ride.

You’ve just released your new single “Nebula “ Tell us about it and that wonderful remix of “Velveteen” done by Mark Pistel!

Ria: I wrote Nebula thinking about the idea of the world ending, and then beginning again – how would it be, to experience that last day of this universe?

Jay - Nebula was one of those songs where we sat down to learn it and everyone added their twist to it and suddenly it was way more than the sum of its parts.

Stephan - I believe Ria had the bones of this one pretty much sussed. Her Magick pulls me in and well, then I added mine as did Jay and Randy

Randy: I called Mark Pistel and asked him if he would do a remix of one of the tracks off the EP. He worked his magic with the powerful remix of Velveteen, super happy of the outcome!

The single follows your previous EP “The Line or Curve“. You’ve not hung around when it comes to releases!..? With such quality singles and EPs, how about a full length album now?

Stephan: We have more In the works! We don’t want to leave you hungry for too long. Our Music has a life of its own and has been very giving so far. We shall see what the next few months have to offer.

What live shows are lined up?

Randy: We are heading out on the road playing our first tour with our east coast friends Black Rose Burning.

Sat Sept 28 - Los Angeles @Redwood Room

Sun Sept 29 - Sacramento @Cafe Colonial

Tue Oct 1 - Oakland @Thee Stork Club

Wed Oct 2 - Chico @Naked Lounge

Thur Oct 3 - Reno @Alturas Bar

Sat Oct 19 Alameda @USS Hornet - The Gathering of the Goths Festival

What would be your dream gig?

Randy: Playing at Wave-Gotik-Treffen in Leipzig, Germany

Stephan & Jay:Cruel World would be fun!

Do you have any embarrassing tales from the road?

Jay: Let’s just say watch out for road side food spots.

Ria: Not with this band. Bu in the past, I once accidently flung my mic right through the bass drum. I’ll try not to do that to Randy on this tour.

Randy: Playing the Pain In The Grass Festival performing under the Seattle Space Needle at 4 pm in a 100 degree temps with blaring sun dressed in leather with no shade

Pick 5 songs that you guys couldn’t live without

Ria: Second Skin by the Chameleons and Holy Diver by Dio would be my picks. Guys?

Randy: There are so many! The Damned "Shadow of Love", Crystal Castles w/Robert Smith "Not in Love", Wire "Ahead", The Velvet Underground "Venus in Furs" Bauhaus "Double Dare"

Is there anything you’d like to say to the fans out there?

Ria: We appreciate you! The kind words and lovely gestures we receive from fans are so incredible. We make our music to be shared, and we are so happy you are there to share it with. It means everything.

Randy: Without music fans out there to support bands, we wouldn’t be where we are today – we love you!