Spotlight: Three Times Royal

Three Times Royal is een door metalcore geïnspireerde alt-rockband uit Los Angeles, CA. Het project kenmerkt zich door bloedstollende screams, sterke popmelodieën, frisse hooks en powergedreven instrumentals. Frontvrouw Iris Goessens is zeker geen onbekende, ze was jaren het gezicht van het alomgeprezen Spoil Engine! Ze hadden zelfs tijd voor een interview, lees hierover meer verder in het artikel.

Three Times Royal is geïnspireerd op de harde reset van 2021.
Ze creëren een louterende ervaring van een veelbewogen verleden en aangrijpende verhalen van femme fatales. De femme fatales brengen straight to your face metalcore met waanzinige clean vocals, brute screams van hoog tot laag, opzweepende riffs en breakdowns die je gehoorkanaal aan diggelen slaan!

Zangeres Iris Goessens heeft veel succes geboekt in West-Europa voor haar werk in Spoil Engine. Ze wordt door de media geprezen om haar schreeuwende bereik en opwindende podiumpresentatie. Bassist Mayson Ivy groeide op in de hardcore punkscene in San Diego, CA. Ze vond haar thuis in metal en is sindsdien overal in de scene te vinden. Je hebt haar misschien wel eens zien rondsluipen in de backstage, FOH en muziekstudio's in de VS en Europa. Ze is een vertrouwd gezicht achter de schermen, maar songwriting en live optredens is haar passie en ze is klaar om haar langverwachte positie op het podium in te nemen. Willa Rose Ashley is een in LA opgegroeide gitariste, geboren in een familie uit de muziekindustrie, met een gitaar in haar hand. Haar vader werkte met Blink-182, New Found Glory en BB-King. Ze groeide backstage op bij poppunkshows. Na een paar jaar te hebben gerouwd om het overlijden van haar vader, is ze klaar om terug te keren naar de industrie waarin ze is opgevoed en om contact te maken met de mensen die ze als familie beschouwt. Ze hebben een zinderende indruk nagelaten op hun eerste optreden bij de album release show van Mantah. Deze badass femme fatales gaan de wereld veroveren dat staat vast!
Bekijk zeker eens de videoclip Do You Know What It's Like? op YouTube via volgende link: https://youtu.be/iyI98O3nsVk

Interview

 At what point in your life did you decide to make music?

Willa Rose Ashley: " Growing up in a musical family it was always around, I’ve had a guitar since I could hold one. I didn’t take it seriously though until joining Three Times Royal, there is a learning curve, but it’s been a beautiful challenge "

Mason Ivy:  "I went to my first show at seven. It was a riot girl show. I got into metal/core when I was 12 years old. I started going to concerts by myself and only saw a chick on stage with Winds Of Plague. I wanted to see badass chicks, on stage, playing metalcore, without their tits out. And after years decided, I was going to have to be the one to put the band together."

Iris Goessens: "I was late. We don’t really have professional musicians in my family. So I had to discover music and develop a music taste through friends. I started playing guitar around 12 years old. I started singing a few years after that. I’ve always been obsessed with sound and music though. As a kid, I always asked my grandmother to turn on the radio and dance with me."

How would you characterize the band’s sound?

Willa Rose Ashley:  "I would describe it as a cathartic release of fury "  

Mason Ivy:  "We all come from very different backgrounds with a common love of the alternative scenes. Although metalcore has evolved a lot since I started listening to it, it would still fall under “metalcore”, some metal guitars, core drums, and metal/ pop vocals. Poptalcore?"
   

There is still severe sexism against female band members in the world, what is your opinion on this matter (behind the scenes)? Do You have experience with this? how do you deal with it?
 
Willa Rose Ashley: " There is sexism in almost every field, as much as I hate it I think we are all used to it. I’ve only dealt with a small amount as a musician, mainly people being surprised that girls can play hard, I find that funny. The best way to deal with it is to ignore it, and continue playing, if someone is going to be a brat it’s their problem."

Mason Ivy: " Female-bodied people often do not get a platform or an opportunity to be on stage without their tits out. Behind the scenes, I experience a boys club, but that’s everywhere in the world. I move by finding supportive communities that embrace  creativity and new ideas. From my perspective at the moment, I see less sexism/ misogyny, and more people just not having the opportunity to be exposed to female-bodied creatives in the alternative scene."
  
Iris Goessens:  "Honestly, it’s horrible. It took me some time to reflect and realize what kind of bullshit I’ve been through with some men. I think that’s also part of getting older as a woman. At some point you think wait a minute... what did that grown-ass man actually say to me!? I’ve laughed things off in the past that I wouldn’t accept anymore if it would happen at this age. It’s a process. Now I really try to stay centered and listen to my gut feeling. Especially when it comes down to who I want to work with and who I want in my life in general."  
 
Iris, how do you look back on your decision to live in America? 

Iris Goessens:  "Oh man. That’s been a wild ride! I will spare you the details cause most of it is dealing with visa and government stuff. I love the States cause the people are so open and down to do crazy stuff. When I get back to The Netherlands I need some time to adjust to the energy level here. It’s so different. Both countries have positive and negative attributes. I love traveling and moving around. So you guys will still see me in Europe a lot! Especially around the festival season."
    

 It's been quiet for a while, but I suspect you're busy working on new material, can you give us a glimpse of what we can expect? 

Mason Ivy:  "We are working on new material. You can expect a big theatrical production and inspiration from outside scenes."    

Iris Goessens:  "Yes! I’m always writing and creating new stuff. Not only metal though. For me personally, it’s important to only put music out that carries something special. Metalcore songs are being massed produced nowadays, all using the same tricks and home production technology. In the past, I’ve put out some stuff that I’m not 100% in love with. I don’t want to do that anymore. Music is emotion and if it doesn’t have that magic part it’s not worth it for me. I’d rather put out one good song a year than a whole album with mostly fillers."

Are you still looking for a drummer or have you already found someone?

Mason Ivy: " Were we ever looking for a drummer? Nah, we love our current dynamic and we move around a lot. With the three of us going back and forth to Europe, it is easier to have our go-to’s in the States and in Europe. It would be a very special person to be able to drop everything for a few weeks to dip to Europe for shows."  

Iris Goessens:  "As Mayson said, I think we’re very comfortable with the 3 of us. So we’re not actively searching for a 4th person. We’ve met and connected with some really lovely talented people over the past year. If there’s a point where we want to get this band on the road more we will see who’s the best fit to do the job."
     
Iris can be heard on the hardstyle track 'Levitate'. How did this happen? You also performed as a guest artist at the Rebirth festival, how did you experience this?    

Iris Goessens:  "Both were such wonderful and exciting experiences. The whole Warface team is so kind and professional. We originally connected through Instagram. They had a vision/theme for the song that it should move around gravity, pulling and pushing forces, the positive and negative. It started with a guitar loop/sample with a beat under it that slowly builds up to a drop. I wrote and recorded the vocal melody + lyrics on that. Then they built the rest of the track around it. When we finished ‘Levitate’ they invited me for a second track, which turned out to be the title track of the album: Rest In Pieces."

Discografie:


Three Times Royal - Do You Know What It's Like? - Rockportaal.nl

Single's:

Do You Know What It's Like?
Deathbells

Beluister Three Times Royal op Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5YZi1xKvgcAXfjNDKMOXJk?si=Gol80ZkdRmqFFJDEUuGN5w

Three Times Royal is: 

Iris Goessens - Vocals
Mason Ivy - Bas
Willa Rose Ashley - Gitaar

bandfoto credits: Lyndsey Byrnes

 

 

 

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