In this interview, I was able to catch up with Jonas D. Rocha-guitarist of the Brazilian band BELONGER to ask him some questions about their debut album 'Belonger'.
(Jacob) It's so good to finally be having this interview with your band:
(Jonas D. Rocha) Hello Jacob! We are grateful for the opportunity and privilege of being interviewed by you.
(Jacob) So, can you give us some insight into what got you involved in the music industry and what is the ultimate purpose of the band?
(Jonas D. Rocha) From a very young age, we have all been moved by the great wave of rock in our country with the first editions of Rock in Rio and other festivals in the 1980's. And this whole movement gave us the desire to have a band and repeat the feats of the big names on the scene at the time. However, throughout our journey, especially after our confession of faith, the desire to become a successful mega rockstar gave way to a more noble purpose, which would be to deliver a message of faith and hope through Heavy Metal, even if we didn't reach audiences like Queen, at Live AID or in Brazil.
(Jacob) Who was the founding member(s) and when did the band officially form?
(Jonas D. Rocha) The band was formed in 2006, in the city of Santos, Brazil, by our vocalist and bassist Mauro Duarte. There were some formations until I joined, in 2009. In 2016, drummer Thiago Batista joined us. With this lineup, we recorded the album which was released on December 20th and is available on all digital platforms. After the period of the Covid-19 pandemic, Thiago chose to leave the band. We recruited an old friend of Mauro, drummer Carlos Fleury, who took over the drumsticks with great mastery.
(Jacob) Can you shed some light on where your band's name came from and what is the meaning behind it? (Jonas D. Rocha) I wasn't present at this moment, but I know the story. Mauro was looking for a name that would be memorable for the band he had just founded. While analyzing options, he came across a newspaper that was circulated internally in his congregation. One of the articles had a reflection whose title was: “Are we BELIEVERS or BELONGERS?” This reflective question “exploded the mind” of our founder and this was seen as a sign, with incredible phonetic power, because, more important than simply believing that there is a God over us all, is belonging to His Kingdom.
(Jacob) What brand of instruments do you all use and why do you prefer that specific brand over another? (Jonas D. Rocha) In Brazil, we don't have many facilities for purchasing musical instruments. We do not always use the brands or models we would like due to high acquisition costs, fees, taxes... We are not yet sponsored by any brand. Our instruments were acquired by our own investment. I have an Epiphone Les Paul Special equipped with pickups from a Brazilian brand called Malagoli, which demonstrated a lot of power in our recording. Mauro has a bass made by a Brazilian luthier called Eduardo Ladessa. Carlos has cymbals from several different brands (Paiste, Sabian, etc.), but with resonances compatible with our sound.
(Jacob) Do you all have any hobbies outside of music that help to rejuvenate or inspire creativity within your music?
(Jonas D. Rocha) We still don't live on music. Each of us works professionally in a different job sector in our city, from where we support our families. And the scale of working hours ends up dominating a good part of our week, leaving room only for moments with our family, friends and of course, to get together as a band, rehearse and produce more songs. In other words, our meeting as a band ends up being our awakening point for creativity and musical rejuvenation.
(Jacob) Are there any artists that have played a part in influencing the members of your band along with your band's sound?
(Jonas D. Rocha) As I mentioned, the 1970's and 1980's are full of references for what we like to listen to and play. The big names in traditional Heavy Metal, the precursors of our style, are unanimous among the three of us. From the Christian scene, we cannot fail to mention Stryper, Impellitteri/Rob Rock, Theocracy and many other names that are in the same boat as us.
(Jacob) What is the biggest problem that you have had to overcome as a band?
(Jonas D. Rocha) The departure of former members is always difficult to overcome. As we have always been a three-piece band, the band doesn't work very well without the tripod being firmly in place. And the process of searching for new musicians is not easy, as it involves many factors. But, all the departures we had were understandable and we managed to find suitable musicians to replace the team and continue our journey.
(Jacob) Can you go into some detail about the musical direction on your latest release BELONGER?
(Jonas D. Rocha) We have a partnership with a long-time friend, Ivan Pellicciotti, an experienced producer of bands in our region and with a recent history in one of the most important bands in the history of Brazilian Metal, the band Vulcano. Having his support in recording this album was essential. His technical and refined vision guided our decisions and today we can have our best recorded in the songs.
(Jacob) Do you feel like you achieved what you set out to accomplish on your latest project?
(Jonas D. Rocha) Yes, we are seeing impressive results. Our songs, in less than a month, reached more than 60 countries around the world and a region in Europe has frequent listeners. But, we believe we can go further. We understand that we can take more steps with this release if supporters emerge so that this album can impact more people. And we are open, available, if there are labels willing to join us in this dream.
(Jacob) What is your favorite song to perform, whether live or in studio, and why?
(Jonas D. Rocha) Personally, I have many favorites. I'm like a father to my daughters, I have affection and love for them all equally, as each one gives me something different, a different feeling. None of the songs are completely similar. The compositions have a variety of riffs and melodies that make us enjoy each part of the album in a different way.
(Jacob) Were there any special or funny moments during the recording process of the album?
(Jonas D. Rocha) Maybe the composition of the album itself was something interesting. We estimated a smaller number of songs, but suddenly, songs appeared that we were really excited about and, before we knew it, there were 12 tracks! Many old compositions were left out due to our excitement in composing some songs that, because they moved us a lot, took the lead in this first release.
(Jacob) At this time, are you planning to keep moving forward as a band and are there any plans for future projects in the works?
(Jonas D. Rocha) Yes, there are many plans ahead! We want to explore this album a lot, touring our country and outside of Brazil (why not?), perhaps recording a music video for one of the songs and, most importantly, going back to the studio, recording new compositions and sharing them with our fans. and friends the sound that moves our hearts.
(Jacob) Thank you for your time and thoughtful responses to each and every question. I am excited about your latest release and am looking forward to hearing more from the band in the future.
(Jonas D. Rocha) I thank Jacob! Success in your work this year 2024! And I hope you enjoyed our launch! Don't forget to listen to Belonger on your favorite music app or on YouTube. Be with us on our social networks to stay up to date with our upcoming news!
(Jacob) It's so good to finally be having this interview with your band:
(Jonas D. Rocha) Hello Jacob! We are grateful for the opportunity and privilege of being interviewed by you.
(Jacob) So, can you give us some insight into what got you involved in the music industry and what is the ultimate purpose of the band?
(Jonas D. Rocha) From a very young age, we have all been moved by the great wave of rock in our country with the first editions of Rock in Rio and other festivals in the 1980's. And this whole movement gave us the desire to have a band and repeat the feats of the big names on the scene at the time. However, throughout our journey, especially after our confession of faith, the desire to become a successful mega rockstar gave way to a more noble purpose, which would be to deliver a message of faith and hope through Heavy Metal, even if we didn't reach audiences like Queen, at Live AID or in Brazil.
(Jacob) Who was the founding member(s) and when did the band officially form?
(Jonas D. Rocha) The band was formed in 2006, in the city of Santos, Brazil, by our vocalist and bassist Mauro Duarte. There were some formations until I joined, in 2009. In 2016, drummer Thiago Batista joined us. With this lineup, we recorded the album which was released on December 20th and is available on all digital platforms. After the period of the Covid-19 pandemic, Thiago chose to leave the band. We recruited an old friend of Mauro, drummer Carlos Fleury, who took over the drumsticks with great mastery.
(Jacob) Can you shed some light on where your band's name came from and what is the meaning behind it? (Jonas D. Rocha) I wasn't present at this moment, but I know the story. Mauro was looking for a name that would be memorable for the band he had just founded. While analyzing options, he came across a newspaper that was circulated internally in his congregation. One of the articles had a reflection whose title was: “Are we BELIEVERS or BELONGERS?” This reflective question “exploded the mind” of our founder and this was seen as a sign, with incredible phonetic power, because, more important than simply believing that there is a God over us all, is belonging to His Kingdom.
(Jacob) What brand of instruments do you all use and why do you prefer that specific brand over another? (Jonas D. Rocha) In Brazil, we don't have many facilities for purchasing musical instruments. We do not always use the brands or models we would like due to high acquisition costs, fees, taxes... We are not yet sponsored by any brand. Our instruments were acquired by our own investment. I have an Epiphone Les Paul Special equipped with pickups from a Brazilian brand called Malagoli, which demonstrated a lot of power in our recording. Mauro has a bass made by a Brazilian luthier called Eduardo Ladessa. Carlos has cymbals from several different brands (Paiste, Sabian, etc.), but with resonances compatible with our sound.
(Jacob) Do you all have any hobbies outside of music that help to rejuvenate or inspire creativity within your music?
(Jonas D. Rocha) We still don't live on music. Each of us works professionally in a different job sector in our city, from where we support our families. And the scale of working hours ends up dominating a good part of our week, leaving room only for moments with our family, friends and of course, to get together as a band, rehearse and produce more songs. In other words, our meeting as a band ends up being our awakening point for creativity and musical rejuvenation.
(Jacob) Are there any artists that have played a part in influencing the members of your band along with your band's sound?
(Jonas D. Rocha) As I mentioned, the 1970's and 1980's are full of references for what we like to listen to and play. The big names in traditional Heavy Metal, the precursors of our style, are unanimous among the three of us. From the Christian scene, we cannot fail to mention Stryper, Impellitteri/Rob Rock, Theocracy and many other names that are in the same boat as us.
(Jacob) What is the biggest problem that you have had to overcome as a band?
(Jonas D. Rocha) The departure of former members is always difficult to overcome. As we have always been a three-piece band, the band doesn't work very well without the tripod being firmly in place. And the process of searching for new musicians is not easy, as it involves many factors. But, all the departures we had were understandable and we managed to find suitable musicians to replace the team and continue our journey.
(Jacob) Can you go into some detail about the musical direction on your latest release BELONGER?
(Jonas D. Rocha) We have a partnership with a long-time friend, Ivan Pellicciotti, an experienced producer of bands in our region and with a recent history in one of the most important bands in the history of Brazilian Metal, the band Vulcano. Having his support in recording this album was essential. His technical and refined vision guided our decisions and today we can have our best recorded in the songs.
(Jacob) Do you feel like you achieved what you set out to accomplish on your latest project?
(Jonas D. Rocha) Yes, we are seeing impressive results. Our songs, in less than a month, reached more than 60 countries around the world and a region in Europe has frequent listeners. But, we believe we can go further. We understand that we can take more steps with this release if supporters emerge so that this album can impact more people. And we are open, available, if there are labels willing to join us in this dream.
(Jacob) What is your favorite song to perform, whether live or in studio, and why?
(Jonas D. Rocha) Personally, I have many favorites. I'm like a father to my daughters, I have affection and love for them all equally, as each one gives me something different, a different feeling. None of the songs are completely similar. The compositions have a variety of riffs and melodies that make us enjoy each part of the album in a different way.
(Jacob) Were there any special or funny moments during the recording process of the album?
(Jonas D. Rocha) Maybe the composition of the album itself was something interesting. We estimated a smaller number of songs, but suddenly, songs appeared that we were really excited about and, before we knew it, there were 12 tracks! Many old compositions were left out due to our excitement in composing some songs that, because they moved us a lot, took the lead in this first release.
(Jacob) At this time, are you planning to keep moving forward as a band and are there any plans for future projects in the works?
(Jonas D. Rocha) Yes, there are many plans ahead! We want to explore this album a lot, touring our country and outside of Brazil (why not?), perhaps recording a music video for one of the songs and, most importantly, going back to the studio, recording new compositions and sharing them with our fans. and friends the sound that moves our hearts.
(Jacob) Thank you for your time and thoughtful responses to each and every question. I am excited about your latest release and am looking forward to hearing more from the band in the future.
(Jonas D. Rocha) I thank Jacob! Success in your work this year 2024! And I hope you enjoyed our launch! Don't forget to listen to Belonger on your favorite music app or on YouTube. Be with us on our social networks to stay up to date with our upcoming news!