EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: BRONZE (FORMERLY KRAMP)

2023 marks a new chapter as we celebrate the introduction of Bronze known formerly as Kramp. In a candid interview, front woman Mina Walkure delves deep into her musical origins, talks about the history of Kramp, and provides a captivating glimpse into the forthcoming chapter embodied by Bronze. Get ready as exciting things are on the way…

THE NWOTHM: Thanks for agreeing to this interview! First of all for our readers, can you introduce the band, yourself and where you are from?

I’m Mina from Kramp, now known as Bronze. And we play heavy metal.
I was born in Spain, but relocated to Sweden, as well as the band. 

THE NWOTHM: Starting at the very beginning, what can you tell us about your musical background? When did you discover your love and passion for singing and did you have any bands you were involved in in the early days?

Mina: I always loved music, since I was a little kid. I was often playing with toy instruments (keyboards, guitars, flute…) , but never got to study any, so I was learning by instinct.

When I was a teenager, I asked for my first serious instrument: drums.
I did nothing of value with it, as I was too ashamed of making noise and felt sloppy not knowing how to start. But I still wanted to do music, I was already very stubborn and decided… I got a electric guitar, and then one string broke and I had no clue how to change it, so the guitar grabbed dust for years. There was no access to information or to anyone to guide me… tough times hahaha

Not having a proper instrument, besides the shitties and loveliest Casio keyboard,  I was forced to face my fears and sing. I wanted to sing, it’s all I wanted. But I was scared as shit because I didn’t want others to hear me. I was in some bands, and I barely sang a couple of times. To my defence: the bands sucked so much that it was impossible to put together a song, so I didn’t have much opportunity to sing, but I can’t deny that I was very pleased with having an excuse to not do it in front of people, hahahaha. It took me many years to be comfortable with the idea.

After all those attempts of bands, my boyfriend at the time on drums, my brother on bass and I, tried to keep playing. We were trying some covers and also, nothing came out. To give you some background: the guy often said that he had some bands, playing keyboard and drums. We tried in several bands with him in different instruments and he always found excuses, but not because he was shy. There he had no scape, but of course he didn’t know how to play drums, despite bragging about it. One day, he got so frustrated that he started screaming at me that I didn’t know how to sing, that I would never be a singer and 

THE NWOTHM: How did Kramp come about?

Mina: During my teenage years, I was obssessed with the idea of forming a traditional heavy metal band. 

Me and my brother were together in other projects before, so we continued the adventure looking for a line up for this new band. It took many years to find people to work with, so in the meantime I kept writing material.

Back in the day, the more traditional side of heavy metal was mostly buried in the underground. Not that now it’s super popular, but at least we have that sense of “something moving”. When I started the band, stubborn with the idea of raising the flag of traditional heavy metal… every band around was playing a more European type of power metal, symphonic or “gothic” or whatever. I never gave up, and here we are.

THE NWOTHM: The direction for the bands music, image and the art is very interesting! Can you tell us how you decided on this style for the band?

Mina: I don’t have a particular way to decide anything. I have a clear concept of what the band represents and doesn’t represent, and I keep incorporating elements. I guess it’s natural evolution like life itself.

I gather what I like and what I am. The most traditional heavy metal, medieval influences, Mad Max 2, crafts and DIY, rebel mindset, outsider heart and other ingredients for the combo, I guess.

THE NWOTHM: And when Kramp hit the Spanish metal circuit how was the band received? Do you feel you guys have better reception in Spain or over seas?

Mina: I honestly don’t know how to answer this. When the band started, we were located in a tiny city with no metal scene. I moved to Madrid to find musicians. Pretty much, every gig was set by myself.

I’ve never attempted to be “the popular kid at school. Just to work on the music that I love, so I don’t really measure the reception or anything.

If we’re being objective. While we were “ignored” in most places inside the country, while there was people from abroad mailing us and asking for more even back when we had just a shitty song recorded and put out on Youtube/Myspace lead to some mails asking for more. We got some support, of course, but we were not “friends of” like other bands, and the social aspect does a lot in small circles.

I always had clear that nobody is a prophet on their own land. I know how this works, so I’m not offended. I just keep doing what I want to do, and I’m very grateful of every part of support that we get, everyone that decides to listen to our music, book us, buy our merch or download, no matter where are they from.

THE NWOTHM: You love to do vocal covers in your spare time! Who would you say has been your particular favourite band/artist to cover and why?

Mina: I love playing songs, yes! Sometimes on vocals, sometimes with other instruments. I only choose songs and bands that I adore, so it’s hard to pick, hahaha.

One of the covers that I wanted to do since forever, was Red Sharks by Crimson Glory. Back in the day, I was considering including it as a bonus track on Wield Revenge, but that idea was discarded. 

THE NWOTHM: After the demos can you tell us about Kramp’s first EP release ‘Wield Revenge’ and what you remember from that period?

Mina: After the demos and other failed recordings, I was pretty much in despair for not finding people to work with, so I moved with the sole intention of giving it all for my project.

Most of the songs for that EP were old, except Assault and Dare to Face Fear.

With a “complete” line up, lacking drummer, it was possible to record the EP.

We didn’t have much at our hands. I remember using a guitar microphone attached to a broom stick to record my vocals. And I did a pop filter with a plastic glass and some tights that someone threw away on a bag of clothing. Recycling like a pro.

The biggest issue was to do drums… we had no access to a proper place to record drums, or anyone who could do it properly.

We didn’t have someone for that, neither for pictures. So for the promo pictures we got a long haired guy to pose with us and be “the drummer”. As a tribute to Running Wild, I gave him the nick name of “Ángel Sasso”. Because it was shamelessly programmed and we never hide it.

It was released on CD-R and sold out pretty fast. After a year or so, I did a tape edition myself at home, and was very well received as well.

The EP was the perfect excuse to make some noise and let people start to know more about Kramp, with something released physically. 

THE NWOTHM: What is it like to be in a band with your brother? Do you have a strong bond and does he have the same musical drive as you? 

Mina: Lap has always been there for me. When I was a teenager and I managed to find a band, we were in need of a bass player, so I asked him “hey… would you like to join?”. The next day, we were traveling to the city near us to buy the cheapest bass so he could learn. And since then.

After that band, we tried with other guys and one of them told him “if you want to play bass, maybe you can join the conservatory and play cello to learn more”. And he did. He’s my brother, but we’re best buddies. Always ready for some crazy project or adventure.

THE NWOTHM: When your not making music what do you like to do in your spare time?

Mina: The thing is that most of the things I do, are around music. When I’m not writing, playing or listening music, I’m preparing things for my projects or other bands, like Blazon Stone. Graphics, merch, outfits, crafts, props, promo, videos, lyric videos…

I have “a drawer of doom” with all the unfinished new hobbies that I’ve been starting over the years. Some things that I do are chainmail making, history podcast, repaint/repair toys, neurodivergence & mental health awareness, vulturing second hand stores, writing, photography, sewing…

But yeah, mostly everything is music, or at least related somehow. 

THE NWOTHM: ‘Gods of Death’ was released in 2020 and has the epic track ‘Speed of Light.’ How did you go about writing the songs for that album? Who recorded and mixed the record? Any favourite tracks?

Mina: We recorded that album in our own houses. Each one on their own.
I did the pre-production and then I sent it to Cederick Forsberg to handle the mix and master. Plus drums. He ended up re-recording guitars as well.

I can’t choose a fav. I always say that’s a crime, because all my songs are my children. Tell me what’s your favourite instead! I can tell you something special about all of them in exchange hehehe.

-Underground Rebellion has that “folk-medieval” darkness that I love to bring out. I’m very proud of the lyrics because it represents me 100%. I remember I started writing this way before going to a rehearsal session, so I had to stop working on the band, to work on the band in a different way… hahaha, the irony!!!

-Night Witches is a fast killer song with historical lyrics and I wanted to be a punch on the face. That’s why there’s no intro.

-End of the World is a mid tempo with personal lyrics and I like the atmosphere very much.

-Gods of Death is twisted and energetic, and gives name to the album for a reason!

-Dare to Face Fear is another one with that epic touch and has some cool melodies. One night, I saw there was a concert in a bar in front of my apartment. I went. I was surprised in a negative way of how unprofessional the band was, and I thought “damn, these guys are here instead of another band that would do a good show. I want to be on stage! I’m going to work fucking hard for that.” And I went back home, grabbed my guitar and that song came out. The lyrics are inspired in Hellraiser. In the Coenobites actually… which is an interesting contrast with the “medieval” melodies.

-Assault keeps the epicness and it’s the first song I wrote when I moved to Madrid. There was fire in my veins and I wanted to conquer the world. The song is about another type of conquer tho, hahah, but not so different in reality.

After a crazy weekend of partying and surreal scenarios where I felt like some sort of sober Alice in Wonderland, I was very fired up and inspired and despited being tired as fuck, I wrote the song in one session before lunch.

-Speed of Light was supposed to be on “Wield Revenge”, but was unfinished.
When we were preparing the EP, the motherfucker that was supposed to record and mix said “you’re too boring and you don’t know how to write fast songs”. It was not an objective critique, it was a very mean comment with mean intentions to try to make us feel insecure. A bit before that supposed recording session, my brother and I were laughing about that comment and started writing Speed of Light.

The guy never showed up, by the way. Bunch of excuses. We didn’t get to record the EP, but we got a great song, so: thanks, asshole!

-Walkyrie is one of the earlier songs of the band, rescued for the album. Seems to be one of the fans’ favourites.

Fun detail: the song never got an official end. It was recorded for other releases before Gods of Death, and it had no ending. Neither for the album, so it got cut and that’s it. Woops.

-Leather Warrior is also from that era and it’s pure heavy metal. The chorus is an earworm and I wrote the lyric on my favourite way: “nothing is what it seems”.

I was taking a shower and started singing the lines of the chorus on loop until I finished. I had the decency to rinse my hair, but I didn’t bother to dry my feet before running to the computer to record the idea… so I was sliding through my apartment and I stumbling all the time. It was very pathetic/comedic, but a bunch of future bruises didn’t stop me to record the idea.

The lyrics came out very smooth and natural. I enjoyed the process very much.

-Preserved in Time is the closure for the album, with a strong epic and solemn tint and varely vocals, if you think about it. I had much fun developing the song and making the ideas evolve through the whole piece. 

THE NWOTHM: You have has some bumps in the road in recent years with band member injuries etc! How have you kept the machine going? What mindset have you had to have to keep things on track?

Mina: Lap is a metal machine! I guess you’re referring to the latest big accident, and it was the most serious of his collection so far, haha. Now we can “laugh” about it, but it’s been pretty hard.

During the pandemic, when people started to be allowed to go outside to the street again in Spain, he took the bike for the first time in a long time. It was not his, and it wasn’t in the greatest shape. He fell and broke his elbow in one arm and the clavicle on the other. He was left alone in the middle of the place, because nobody even aimed to help him. He had to drag himself to the hospital with two fucking broken arms, because there was no way to call an ambulance.

In a period when the whole world was asking for solidarity: those who were there in the moment, acted like fucking selfish assholes when they saw someone in real need.  Just a month before, he was recovering from a fracture on his ankle.

While he was not able to play or perform, he always encouraged the band to keep going. Some weeks after the accident, and we got some offers to play but it was tricky to get the vacciness on time, and it was impossible for us to find a replacement. 

Later on we played some gigs when he was still waiting to be called for surgery. Imagine the pain and struggle that he had.  Finally, after more than a year, he was called for surgery.

I can say that I’m very proud of my brother. Back in the day maybe around 2009, when we finally found a line up for Kramp after so long trying… he had an accident with a knife that slipped, and cut the tendons of his right hand.
He plays bass with fingers and no pick, and he did everything to recover the movement to be able to do what he loves. You know, when there’s passion: nothing stops you.

THE NWOTHM: Time for some celebrating! You are starting a new and exciting chapter as Kramp is officially changing its name to Bronze! What made you decide this would be a great time for a change and why the name Bronze?

Mina: For many years I had the idea in my mind, but it was a very hard step to take. Kramp is my baby and I was denying myself the idea of a change on the name for a long time. The band is a strong concept and it’s essentially me, so it felt impossible to find the right name. But over the years the name of Kramp gave some problems and it was exhausting.

I tried for years, I tell you! And I’m awful at picking names and titles, so I was not convinced by any means. Every idea that I had, I hated, hahaha. I had long lists of awful ideas and I was very grumpy and desperate. I needed something very special for my strong concept.

But then my brain sparked: BRONZE.
I remember I was shacking of excitement as I was checking if the name was available… and it was!!! Not only is a cool sounding word that reads mostly the same in many languages (Bronze, Brons, Bronce…), but it’s heaviest of metals, which fits damn good well! Besides that… damn, the colour palette that I’ve been using for the band since the beginning, match perfectly the description of “bronze”. The name has that hint of epicness and ancient vibe that can be heard in the music. Pure perfection of a match!!!!!

In February of 2022 I was able to finally iniciate the legalization of the name. Damn slow process.

After that, there’s been many changes and new things in my life, and I guess people will want to relate the events to the change of name. But far from that… this was a slow cooking process and can finally see the light!

THE NWOTHM: You will be keeping the same musical style and direction that fans are familiar with Kramp! You are simply changing the name? So are you planning on injecting anything else that is fresh into the band for the next chapter?

Mina: As said: it’s a change of name.Just that. My goal, my vision, my influences and my spirit hasn’t changed, so it’s the same ideals and the same style. Expanded, as you can expect… the more material from a band out, the more you get to understand and taste what’s made of.

I don’t plan to inject anything. I love writing music that comes natural and I don’t force anything. Under the name of Kramp, Bronze or whatever you want to name it: I write heavy metal. 

THE NWOTHM: What plans do you have for music with Bronze? Can we a expect a new single to drop any time soon?

Mina: There will be a single soon: REALM OF THE DAMNED.
And there will be an album. The details for the release are not fully decided yet. But I can tell you that the songs are recorded. Titles decided, artwork ready.

There will be one re-recorded song from the first years of Kramp, and I’m very happy to finally give it the justice it deserves

It was “easy” to decide the songs for this album. I had a good bunch of material written and while some songs were meant to be on the release, others were a bit improvised in a very natural way. And others that I thought at first that should be on this album, will go on the next one.

THE NWOTHM: And further down the line when do you plan on releasing a new album? Do you have anything written already?

Mina: The first album is already recorded and ready to be release. Keep an eye for new announcements!! For now on, there will be some singles in advance.

THE NWOTHM: Kramp has always had a bit of a DIY approach with things like artwork and production etc ? Will this continue with this new chapter?

Mina: Not a bit of DIY approach… it is the whole spine of the project! In many aspects, was original due to the lack of money, resources, support… there are some things that I do for the band that enjoy more than others, and some tasks that I would gladly get rid off if I could hire someone hahaha.

But so far, we handled the recording in the most humble way: at our rehearsal room and apartment. Same with the mix and master, in Ced’s hands.
I’m doing artworks, merch design and production, and most probably, the release will be independent as well. 

Right now as I’m writing, I’m waiting for the laundry to finish with some new black fabrics that we bought on second hand stores, to be used as backing drop for some music videos this weekend and will also be edited by the band. And I still need to sew some details for the outfits!

THE NWOTHM: Are you big fans of releasing music on vinyl and cassette? Do you feel the digital age has had a massive impact on the industry? 

Mina: I like the idea. At this point, both are collector items, let’s be honest.
But I like the idea of releasing in vinyl.

As a graphic designer, vinyl is awesome to work on because it allows more detail. However, I prefer CDs on my own collection.

Of course the digital age had a massive impact. The digital age is everything!!!
Those who deny it, are fighting against the world just because.

THE NWOTHM: Talking about your live shows, before you hit the stage, do you have any pre show warm up or ritual?

Mina: Warm up like motherfuckers! I’m very strict on that because my shows are very demanding and I need my body and voice to be on point.
Besides that, I pay attention to the food I get before singing, and in most cases I have to have dinner after. 

THE NWOTHM: And what are your touring plans for 2023 and beyond? Any shows or big events you would like to highlight?

Mina: We have some gigs already confirmed, but mostly for 2024. Call us! We would like to play everywhere!!! 

THE NWOTHM: Where will fans be able to buy your music/ merchandise?

There’s access through our Bandcamp and website, or just get in touch with us through our social media! 

I just changed the whole layout on Bandcamp, so please go ahead and take a look around, hehehe.

THE NWOTHM: Is there anything else you would like to mention to our readers?

This is the Age of Bronze!!!! 

Bandcamp: https://bronzeofficial.bandcamp.com/album/gods-of-death