One of the most awesome things on this planet are women who rock. Now I am not saying that just because I am a woman and feel the need to strike some sort feminist statement or anything, but when you get a group of women together who know their shit and how to bring it, its just killer. And when they bring the kind of class, elegance, heart and heaviness like the ladies of Octavia Sperati, you're getting pretty close to perfection. I got the chance to chat with Octavia Sperati to talk about all things metal, history and haunted theaters.

How did you ladies come to form Octavia Sperati?

OCTAVIA SPERATI took shape in Bergen (Norway) in 2000, basically as a result of new friendships and common musical preferences. Sharing a general interest in heavy metal, the girls met through the local metal scene, where they so far had been compelled to enjoy the music from outside the stage lights, as spectators and not performers. Getting to know each other, and getting along really well, they decided form their own band, and OCTAVIA was born.

The first line-up consisted of Silje Wergeland (vocals, synth), Trine C. Johansen (bass), Bodil Myklebust (guitars) and Gyri Losnegaard (guitars). Shortly after, drummer Silje Røyseth joined the band. In 2001, Silje W met Tone Midtgaard and invited her to replace her on keys, completing the line-up. The line up has remained the same, except from 4 drummers coming and going. Ivar Alver has now been a permanent member in Octavia Sperati for over a year.


Octavia Sperati and a wonderful and unusual name for a band. How did
you come to it? Does it have any sort significance to your native
Norway?

The name was Trine's (bass) idea, and it is taken from the most beloved sister of the Emperor Augustus of Imperium Romanum. Octavia was wise, beautiful and strong, `a pearl among women', according to her brother. A rival to Cleopatra, she was just as beautiful (or even more) and the story tells that she was just as clever as her famous brother. Octavia was loved and admired by the people of the Roman Empire, meaning whole Europe at that time. We like the idea of using the name of a woman who symbolizes both strength and integrity and the grand era that she was a part of.

When we discovered that there was another band called Octavia, we added the `surname' of another Octavia; Octavia Sperati. She was an actress at the local theatre, and is now haunting the building. We usually just use the short version of the name, but officially it's Octavia Sperati.

For some of your work you were granted some funds from the Norwegian
government. Does having a small bit of political backing place any
sort of obligations on you as artists?


No. Then we would never have used the money. That is very important to us. I know it isn’t very common in many other countries (expect Nordic countries and Holland). Giving money to bands is just to increase the chances to build the music life of Norway. We are a very small country where everything cost a shit load of money. Norway is one of the riches countries in the world, so I guess this is just to help bands get out there and be part of building up a solid music industry. You know if you don’t have any good bands you don’t have any music industry. I know many bands say they don’t want any money from their shite Government, but hey! It`s free money with no obligations (except that you have make a solid application and report afterwards of what the money were spent on) and they give you a chance to make your dreams come true heheJ

Since the beginning you have been able to play with some incredible
bands. Who has been you favorite to work with thus far?

Oh, that is a difficult one. Most bands are just a pleasure to be around with. We always have a lot of fun on tour and usually meet great people. Last tour we did was with Finntroll and Amon Amarth and those guys were so cool and so fun to hang around with. We were all very sad it was just a week tour.


While there are more women in Metal now than there used to be, do you
still find it difficult to be taken seriously as a mostly female band?

Well, sometimes yes. Some men get surprised that we actually can play and put up our own equipment. It is really annoying. There is a lot of skepticism out there, but mainly when they get to know us it disappears.



The position of drummer has been a difficult for Octavia to fill in
the past. Do you feel that bringing Ivar into the fold has permantly
filled the position?

Yes. He is a very solid drummer, and we go on very well with him.



Norway has always been a country known for their incredible bands,
especially all of the different sub genres of Metal. Why do you think
such brutal music comes from Norway? Where do you feel Octavia fits
into Norway's Metal tradition?

Well it is so f…… cold and rainy up here so I guess we are all a bit depressed and stay a lot inside our caves and take out all our misery in the music hehe.

I feel that Norway is mainly known for black and gothic metal. We are neither, but we have parts of both and many other different genres in our music. It is not easy to bring something new into the music scene these days, but by the feedback we get it looks like we have created something different and solid that seems to be very welcoming.

How would you compare the creation of Grace Submerged to you first
album Winter Enclosure? Was it easier for the second album? Or was
there more pressure to match or surpass what was done on the first
album?

We knew that this album was going to be better than the last one, so it wasn’t much of a pressure to match the WE. Mainly because we have worked hard to improve our musical skills and developed in the right direction as a band. GS is heavier and has more of a musical approach we wanted on the first album. We wanted more frames around the songs, but at the same time we were open for whatever we liked that popped into our minds. GS might be slightly more rocky some places, but the sound is better and more heavy. In a way it was easier to create, but we always spend a lot of time on each song, so it feels very much the same. We are of course hoping that people will like this one just as much (or more;) than WE because this is more of the right direction for us. But I mean it isn’t a big difference from the first one, we are still doing that Octavian soundJ



With Grace Submerged finished, I would like to hope you will be
touring in support of the album. Will any plans to hit the road
include North America? *crosses fingers*

Thank youJ We have heard that our record company over there (Candlelight records) has some touring plans for us, but at this point there isn’t much I can tell you about that right now. We would very much like to come over, so we will try to make it happenJ


Some have compared your sound to bands like The Gathering and
Candlemass. Does it bother you when people compare you to other
artists? If you had to classify or define your music how would you
describe it?

It is something we have to live with. As long as the comparison is based on reality (hehe) we don’t mind, but when we get compared to other bands like Epica or Nightwish just because we have a female singer we don’t really understand where it comes from.

I know many people have problems defining our music, and I understand it can be difficult because we don’t play just one type of metal, but I think the Kerrang!/Metal Hammer journalist Dom Lawson had a good description once: ‘Extravagant, dramatic doom with a rock ‘n roll heart`.


Is there anything else you would like to add before we wrap?
Many thanks for the interview and hope to see you “over there” soonJ