Born In Winter

Through rock and roll’s long and admittedly nefarious history, there have been lots of bands who indulge in pre-show rituals. For some, it’s getting retarded drunk and/or high, and rocking the walls down. For others, they pray. For even more, they all get together, like prayer, and focus on what they’re about to do. Nicole, from Born in Winter, has a preshow ritual, too. Though in comparison, it may seem a bit G-rated, and yet
I understand it better than most. Her pre-show ritual? Cotton candy, and a good chunk of it, no less. I understand, though. Born in Winter is a high energy live show, and a bit of sugar rush can’t hurt her any. I learned this lovely little tidbit of information while doing a promotional photo shoot for them before their set at this year’s Localpalooza in Civic Center Park, in downtown Denver.
I will say without hesitation, that Born in Winter is one of those rare local bands who’s sound is so good, their live game even better, and yet they’re almost unheard of around here. They’re one of those bands you hear that you swear must be signed, they’re THAT good, and yet, no label has capitalized on their smooth, heavy sound, or the fact that their lead singer is beyond gorgeous. Now, I know, looks don’t equal talent, but anyone with half a brain knows a talented band with a hot lead singer will go far, so don’t call me sexist, you’re thinking it too, don’t lie...
I sat down with Born in Winter at one of their shows earlier this year at The Gothic Theater, in Englewood, Colorado. It struck me how shy Nicole was, and how mostly Forest and Izzy were answering my questions. I hadn’t seen them perform live yet then, and wondered if this quiet, shy little thing could actually open up enough on stage. I had a strange feeling she’s be able to pull it off, though, and I was not wrong.
Nudge: “Who are some of your major influences?” BIW: “In This Moment, Victor Wooten, Mudvayne, Paramour, In Flames, Soil, Lacuna Coil.” Forest: “Red Hot Chili Peppers! Flea is a big influence.”
Izzy: “Kirk Hammett, of Metallica!” Nicole: “I like Flyleaf.”
Nudge: “What are some of the things you’re inspired by?” BIW: “General life experiences. Anything rhythmic, and that will get people moving.”
Nudge: “What are some of your love and hates of touring?” BIW: “We love the actual PLAYING part of the tour, and the travel. Hate would have to be nightly breakdowns, that’s a lot of gear!”
Nudge: “Do you find you’ve been discriminated against for having a female singer, and bassist?” Forest: “It was hard at first, a lot of people didn’t want to work with us because we are a female-fronted band.”
Nudge: “Seriously?? Their loss...”
Nudge: “What do you think about the obvious Evanescense references I’m sure you must get?” Forest: “Hey, if they want to compare us to a band that well known, and that makes that much money, we’re fine with it!”
Nudge: “What do you guys think of the Gothic Theatre?” BIW: “We love it! A friend’s band had a CD release party here and it was great! It’s a really fun place, with great, friendly staff.”
Nudge: “So have you have had
any unusual fan encounters?” Forest: “We’ve actually had to sign boobs before!” Nudge: “That’s always fun!” BIW: “For one show in Wyoming, we were playing on the back of a semi-truck in the pouring rain, the fans were going CRAZY! They didn’t care that it was raining!”
Nudge: “What would be your dream label to work with?” BIW: “We’d love to work with Atlantic Records, Roadrunner, or Century Media, labels like that.”
Nudge: “Lastly, how did you come up with the name Born in Winter?” Forest: “Mike read it in a biography, and he just really liked the sound of it. ‘He was born in winter....’ And that’s how Born in Winter came about.”
Thanks again to Mike, Forest, Nicole, Gary, and Izzy for sparing me some of your precious time! So, for those of you who haven’t heard of them yet, please, please, get on your little interactive idiot box, and go to your Myspace, and enter this url. www.myspace.com/ borninwinter. You won’t regret it, I promise. To see the promotional shots we took for them, be sure to look into our Bands Gallery, www.thesavageside.com!



- The Savage Side Magazine

Through rock and roll’s long and admittedly nefarious history, there have been lots of bands who indulge in pre-show rituals. For some, it’s getting retarded drunk and/or high, and rocking the walls down. For others, they pray. For even more, they all get together, like prayer, and focus on what they’re about to do. Nicole, from Born in Winter, has a preshow ritual, too. Though in comparison, it may seem a bit G-rated, and yet
I understand it better than most. Her pre-show ritual? Cotton candy, and a good chunk of it, no less. I understand, though. Born in Winter is a high energy live show, and a bit of sugar rush can’t hurt her any. I learned this lovely little tidbit of information while doing a promotional photo shoot for them before their set at this year’s Localpalooza in Civic Center Park, in downtown Denver.
I will say without hesitation, that Born in Winter is one of those rare local bands who’s sound is so good, their live game even better, and yet they’re almost unheard of around here. They’re one of those bands you hear that you swear must be signed, they’re THAT good, and yet, no label has capitalized on their smooth, heavy sound, or the fact that their lead singer is beyond gorgeous. Now, I know, looks don’t equal talent, but anyone with half a brain knows a talented band with a hot lead singer will go far, so don’t call me sexist, you’re thinking it too, don’t lie...
I sat down with Born in Winter at one of their shows earlier this year at The Gothic Theater, in Englewood, Colorado. It struck me how shy Nicole was, and how mostly Forest and Izzy were answering my questions. I hadn’t seen them perform live yet then, and wondered if this quiet, shy little thing could actually open up enough on stage. I had a strange feeling she’s be able to pull it off, though, and I was not wrong.
Nudge: “Who are some of your major influences?” BIW: “In This Moment, Victor Wooten, Mudvayne, Paramour, In Flames, Soil, Lacuna Coil.” Forest: “Red Hot Chili Peppers! Flea is a big influence.”
Izzy: “Kirk Hammett, of Metallica!” Nicole: “I like Flyleaf.”
Nudge: “What are some of the things you’re inspired by?” BIW: “General life experiences. Anything rhythmic, and that will get people moving.”
Nudge: “What are some of your love and hates of touring?” BIW: “We love the actual PLAYING part of the tour, and the travel. Hate would have to be nightly breakdowns, that’s a lot of gear!”
Nudge: “Do you find you’ve been discriminated against for having a female singer, and bassist?” Forest: “It was hard at first, a lot of people didn’t want to work with us because we are a female-fronted band.”
Nudge: “Seriously?? Their loss...”
Nudge: “What do you think about the obvious Evanescense references I’m sure you must get?” Forest: “Hey, if they want to compare us to a band that well known, and that makes that much money, we’re fine with it!”
Nudge: “What do you guys think of the Gothic Theatre?” BIW: “We love it! A friend’s band had a CD release party here and it was great! It’s a really fun place, with great, friendly staff.”
Nudge: “So have you have had
any unusual fan encounters?” Forest: “We’ve actually had to sign boobs before!” Nudge: “That’s always fun!” BIW: “For one show in Wyoming, we were playing on the back of a semi-truck in the pouring rain, the fans were going CRAZY! They didn’t care that it was raining!”
Nudge: “What would be your dream label to work with?” BIW: “We’d love to work with Atlantic Records, Roadrunner, or Century Media, labels like that.”
Nudge: “Lastly, how did you come up with the name Born in Winter?” Forest: “Mike read it in a biography, and he just really liked the sound of it. ‘He was born in winter....’ And that’s how Born in Winter came about.”
Thanks again to Mike, Forest, Nicole, Gary, and Izzy for sparing me some of your precious time! So, for those of you who haven’t heard of them yet, please, please, get on your little interactive idiot box, and go to your Myspace, and enter this url. www.myspace.com/ borninwinter. You won’t regret it, I promise. To see the promotional shots we took for them, be sure to look into our Bands Gallery, www.thesavageside.com!



- The Savage Side Magazine

Local Band on Demand offers a friendly, easy-to-use interface that helps musicians meet the needs of their fans to find, access and support local musicians. Not only does LBOD provide a platform for music lovers to buy mp3 downloads for virtually all of the Indie Artists that are being played on MileHiRadio.com, but through their local gig calendar, they create a way for potential new fans to discover awesome music in their own area, no matter where that may be! Join Lisa as she interviews bands from around the globe and plays their incredible music each and every week on MileHiRadio.com!

If you miss a "LIVE" show, you can always listen to it "On Demand".

- Mile Hi Radio

Born in Winter

Dreaming in Seasons

Scene meet Born in Winter, Born in Winter meet scene. Its better you two meet now because after listening to Dreaming in Seasons, the band’s latest release, you’re probably going to want to get better acquainted.

First and foremost, frontwoman Nicole Benton has an unbelievable voice, one blessed with stunning depth and range. She has all the makings of a star, and with the band she has behind her, her time in the spotlight might come sooner than later. And speaking of her backing band, though every member of Born in Winter pitches in to carry the vocal load, when the vocals cross over the heavier side of the tracks, things tend to get ugly. Born in Winter’s vocal aesthetic closely mirrors that of Eyes Set to Kill or the Bunny the Bear – two distinct vocal styles – incredible melodic vocals with forgettable screams/growls sprinkled in that do nothing but muddy up the overall product.
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Still, there isn’t much not to like on Dreaming in Seasons. The album delivers crushing heft in spades, complete with chugging guitars and galloping riffs (“Martyr,” “Buried in Ashes”), darker, almost gothic metal, moments full of room-filling melodies (“Like You,” “No Where to Hide”), and even a Black Sabbath-esque heavy-hitting slow dirge (“More Than I Deserve”).

Dreaming in Seasons is one of the year’s best releases from an unsigned act, and while the production is raw every now and again, it only gives Born in Winter room improve, room they really don’t have all that much of to be honest. Dreaming in Seasons is very good, and if the band manages to get better on future releases, look out.

Grade: B+

Go Download: “Martyr”


- Buffalo Rock Music Examiner

Born In Winter
Waiting in the Dark
Self Released
Street: 07.21.07

Born in Winter = In This Moment – the screaming + Flyleaf + the Gathering

Denver ’s Born in Winter picked a pretty damn good name from the hat of band names; the dark suggestion perfectly fits the group’s music. The group actually played Utah ’s Dark Arts Festival, but as to what year, their bio doesn’t say. However, I wouldn’t consider their music fully gothic or even like the n�-metal acts they compare themselves to. The sound comes off as a female-fronted progressive metal band, kind of a heavier version of some of what The Gathering did years ago. Better production would suit the band better; the bulk of the guitars come through as quite thin in the mix, while the bass as excellent as it is comes in quite clear, even at times overbearing. The vocal mix from Michelle Huerd is fantastic, though, her voice is haunting, beautiful and emotionally packed. Waiting in the Dark is the band’s third record, with a supposed 2008 release coming soon. The group would do well to ditch the tags of being compared to bands like Sevendust or Atreyu. The music is in a completely different realm and for the fact of the matter, more heartfelt, honest and deserving of attention. –Bryer Wharton - Slug Magazine

Music Buzz Magazine Concert Review

Born In Winter, a melodic and edgy rock band with strong female vocals, brought patrons at Iliff Park Saloon to their knees on July 21st. This band has been around for a while and, with a new and harder sound, is hitting the local scene by storm. Original members Michelle (vocals) and Mike (guitar) reached out with the three new band mates Forest (bass, formally from Kronow) Isidore (guitar, backup vocals), and Jeff (drummer, replacing a drum machine). This show marked the release of the now five-piece band’s new album “Waiting In The Dark.” The band put on a chilling set, with passion in all the right places. I couldn’t believe how connected they were and how well they reacted to each other – it’s good to see a band that appreciates each member so much. They started out strong and presented to the crowd a brilliant set with all new songs. What do they have to say to the fans? “Thank you. Simply thank you. Without you, we’re nothing.” You can catch Born In Winter again at the Iliff Park Saloon on August 5th (an all ages show) or August 18th (21+) with Lost Point, Faultline, 4 Barrel Binge, Less Than Under and Saved By Ruin.

By Alyx Webb
Alyx@coloradomusicbuzz.com
Music Buzz Magazine
August 2007
- Music Buzz Magazine

Born in the winter of 2000, a hard rock/metal band began a long journey, leading five years ago to the Denver music scene. They’ve withstood a series of personnel changes (most recently with new lead vocals: enter Nicole Benton), and Mike Gilligan (guitar) is the only original member.

Looking very much the dark mistress, bassist, Forest, was available for a brief interview about Born in Winter’s song writing process. Usually the music comes first, and as they are arranging riffs and sections, the words and vocal melodies are written. Forest says song ideas can come from anything in everyday life, “Weird stuff in our heads or just something that seems to fit with the song melody or structure. Musically, it's a lot about our moods on whether we want something aggressive, laid back and groovy or soft and pretty.”

Her best advice is: “Just play what feels and sounds good to the band, don't worry about trying to be something you're not. Try to create your own unique sound or twist.”

The band has a lot of different influences. Each member brings their own style into the mix. Some of them include: Mudvayne, In Flames, Atreyu, Boy Sets Fire, Evanescence, In This Moment, Paramore and Flyleaf.

In 8 years, the band has produced four full-length albums. Their newest, Paper & Roses, was produced by Ahrue Lustar with Illustrious Productions. And they have previously toured the west coast and much of the Midwest.

“Touring is a blast, but it's also a lot of work. I don't think musicians realize the work it takes to first get the tour booked, do the promotions and get things prepared. Then when you get out there you have to worry about money for gas, food and hoping you’re not gonna get screwed by someone. Then you get to haul your own gear night after night and usually you’re so sore in the first couple days that you can barely walk.

In the end though I think it's all worth it. I could easily live on the road and tour for months at a time, wouldn't bother me a bit. I love showing up in a new city every night not knowing what kind of venue we'll play or different people we'll meet. Born In Winter is well on its way - our longest tour was about 3 weeks last fall to the East coast and back. This spring we're heading south to Texas and back up through the Midwest. We are definitely looking forward to getting back on the road again!”

You can catch them this weekend at Herman’s Hideaway (4/10, benefit show for Deadly Atropine) and Club Inferno (4/11). Their tour starts with three days of camping in Dripping Springs, TX for the Thunder of the Gods Festival (May 7-10) - three stages, four days and a whole lot of heavy music.

Born in Winter is: Nicole (lead vocals), Mike (guitar), Izzy (guitar & vocals), Forest (bass) and Gary (drums).

Web Link:
http://www.examiner.com/x-4127-Denver-Original-Music-Examiner~y2009m4d6-Born-in-Winter--maturing-in-Denver
- Examiner.com - Inside Denver

If you're born in winter, you're happy to see the sunshine - and if you're Born in Winter, doubly so, because that means it's time to take your textured, Evanescence-y hard rock to the unsuspecting foothills outside Fort Collins and rock Mishawaka. We caught up with them before a weekend of high-elevation thrash to get a clear picture of the group's recent weekendery.

* What did Born in Winter do last weekend?

"Born in Winter decided last weekend that it was time to get some new promo pictures of the band. We piled the band and crew into our touring vehicle, a Chevy Suburban. We headed up the mountains to a place just outside Central City, outdoors of course. It had just snowed a couple of days prior, and the weather was still bitterly cold. We were strong, though, and ended up taking some really cool shots, even with some squinty eyes, cold red noses and bluish skin. I guess if you're going to name your band after a coldest time of year, it's something you just have to have fun with."

* What do you all have going on for next?

"Next weekend will be a new milestone for the band, our first mini- tour! We purchased a trailer a few weeks back and are ready to hit the road. We're playing Mishawaka Amphitheatre in Poudre Canyon today. The show should be a lot of fun, as it's a camp and jam. All the fans can stay the night at the venue and hang out with the bands. Our show on Saturday will be either in Salt Lake City or Cody, Wyo.; the details are still being worked out. Then our last show is on Sunday in Riverton, Wyo. Born in Winter is playing a wedding, of all things! Although I'm sure it will be unlike any wedding most people have: three metal bands, a pig roast and everyone in town!

Check out Born in Winter's tunes and tour schedule online at myspace.com/borninwinter and borninwinter.com.

- Rocky Mountain News

Born In Winter

Denver

Born In Winter is like Evanescence in a knife fight with In Flames and you are never quite sure who is going to win. 8 years in the making with 3 CDs under the bridge this female fronted band are all veterans in the music scene. Fresh off of a national tour supporting their new CD Paper and Roses, this gothic metal five piece have caused some damage in the minds of the nation already. The start of this tour was the CD release party at the Gothic Theatre which was wall to wall metal fans. It was one of the best selling local music shows in years at the Gothic. And its one of the few times where the lead singer wearing a tutu wasn't funny. It was actually kind of cool. - Westword newspaper

Born In Winter
Band Profile

By Jake Ryan
Published: May 18, 2008
In Denver, local metal bands with a female lead singer are few and far between. Local metal bands with more than one female member are even fewer. Born In Winter is one of these rare bands, and they relate to music fans in a manner that the vast majority of Colorado bands as a whole cannot.

Denver-based Born In Winter (borninwinter.com and myspace.com/borninwinter) is comprised of Michelle Huerd (vocals), Michael Gilligan (guitar), Isidore "Izzy" Chavez (guitar/vocals), Forest (bass) and Gary Stafford (drums). Together, they have formed and continued a force that is able to fit in and appeal to every rock and metal fan, regardless of their usual individual taste in sub-genres of music.

Born In Winter’s original roots stretched back to Portland, Ore. going back nearly eight years.

"I was living in Eugene, and the band started with two people as a joke," Huerd says. "We were listening to a lot of doom metal, and the music was a lot slower. We had a kind of funny name, and I sang a lot higher. We talked to some people in Portland about joining up, so we moved there, and that’s pretty much how it began. It was more melodic, dark, and sadder music. But we’ve grown a lot since then."

The band shares some musical influences, and have others that appear to be polar opposites. The list seems to cover the gamut of music, including Sevendust, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tori Amos, Lamb of God and Mudvayne, to name a few. They also credit bands that their friends are in. But one band had a different impact on the group, one in which they are now constantly compared to.

Born In Winter band - Photo by Shutterfire Photography ...Click to view larger image "Lacuna Coil is what changed my opinion about female singers in metal bands," Forest says. "Now, we seem to only be compared to bands like Lacuna Coil and Evanescence just because we have a female singer."

The members of Born In Winter don’t exactly know how to pinpoint their sound, thanks largely in part to an ever-evolving sound. As they have lost and added members, the sound changes along with it, mainly due to the effect of the different musicians’ influences. And, because of this evolving musical style, Born In Winter has become almost a sub-genre of metal in-and-of itself.

"We’ve gotten harder edged in the past two years, so it’s hard to explain what we sound like," Gilligan says. "Each member has different influences, and our music shows it."

Vocalist MichelleHuerd ...Click to view larger image A shade more reveling, Huerd says, "We’re all so equal in the writing process, so when one member changes, the entire dynamic of the band changes. We’ve been getting heavier every time the lineup changes."

The members of Born In Winter say the origin or their name comes from a band bio written for them when they first started.

"In our original bio, it started with, ’Born in the winter of…,’ and we liked the way it sounded," Gilligan says. "But the strange thing is that we seem to be cursed by snow when it comes to shows in the winter. We’ve had to cancel a lot of shows because of the snow."

"But we do most of our creative writing in the winter time," Huerd adds. "We’re not as good at it in the summer for some reason."

When it comes to fans’ and critics’ perception of Born In Winter, they usually tend to focus on the band’s two female members, Huerd and Forest. However, the group doesn’t use this as a marketing tool. They all view the two women as members of the band just like the others.

"The dynamic of two females in the band works for us. Forest is more of a boy anyway, and neither of us are girly-girly," Huerd says.

Forest adds, "We’re not prissy girls by any means. We’re just a band that happens to have two chicks that can throw down on stage. We’re serious about our music."

Born In Winter says they offer a music style that is completely original, which fits in well with every other band they play along with on any given night. And, these concert performances are exactly why the members of the group joined a band in the beginning, with Gilligan saying performing live is the main point in being a musician.

Drummer Gary Stafford ...Click to view larger image "Playing live is what makes it worth doing," Stafford says, with Izzy adding, "I don’t know if it’s the same for everyone, but you feel powerful playing in front of people. It’s not ego, it’s more of the fact that you have the privilege to perform in front of an audience, and that they’ve come out to see you."

"I get up there on stage, and there’s nothing like it," Huerd says. "It’s the one moment where I don’t care what anyone thinks."

Born In Winter is now setting up to embark on a tour across the country, with shows as far east as New York. They are still in the process of finalizing show locations for the tour, which is set to begin in late-August.

Bassist Forest ...Click to view larger image "I’m booking it myself," Forest says. "I’ve been in enough bands, so I know how to do it. It takes a lot of time, and it can be a pain in the ass. But I like touring. I think it’s exciting waking up in a different city and state every day."

In the history of Born In Winter, they have technically released three albums. However, two of them are out of print. The one album that remains and fans can buy from the band is their 2007 release, "Waiting In The Dark." The public’s reaction to the album has been very positive as far as the music goes, with the only criticism being in the area of sound quality.

"People like the songs, but they say the recording quality is off. They say we’re a lot better live," Forest says, with Izzy adding, "We did the recording ourselves, so that’s why it sounds like it does."

Being constant music writers, the members of Born In Winter already have enough material to record a new album.

"I just joined the band not too long ago, and it’s like I just started playing the songs and they’re already tired of playing them. They have new songs they want to perform," Stafford says, with Huerd adding, "We like to write, so it’s good to get your songs out and recorded so you can move on to writing the next ones."

They are currently planning on a tentative release timeframe of mid-August for their next album.

Guitarist Michael Gilligan ...Click to view larger image "We have to work hard to get the CD recorded, and we’re looking for somebody to mix it. There’s a lot to get done by August," Forest says, with Gilligan adding, "That’s what is so hard about being in a band, everything costs money. And that’s what makes it so hard to make that jump from an unsigned original band to a signed band."

Merchandising is one of the main sources of income for a local band to help fund such recordings, and Born In Winter isn’t any different. As a matter of fact, they design the CD covers and t-shirts themselves.

"We have our merchandise printed through one of my friends in Washington, but we’re thinking about going with local printers for the new designs," Forest says.

The local metal music scene, as great as it is, also has its problems. For Born In Winter, the core problems revolve around support and rivalries.

"There are too many bands at war with each other here," Huerd says. "There’s not as much helping between bands, when what we need is more unification. And a lot of people only support who they like. You see it a lot; people will go to a show for one band, and leave right after they finish their set. That’s when you have to ask, ’Do you have the right crowd?’"

Picking up where Huerd left off, Forest adds, "A lot of bands are very cliquey. I’ve been in the scene long enough to see it; it’s like high school all over again. If the whole scene could come together, Colorado would explode."

"If bands could support everyone else, it would make it better for everyone, " Gilligan says. "It just takes one band making it big, and that can launch the entire scene, because there’s a lot of talent in Denver."

Guitarist Izzy ...Click to view larger image Aside from the mild setbacks, the members of Born In Winter love being a part of the metal scene. With aspirations of so much more, and a never-say-die attitude, they have set their sights next on getting a manager and signing to a record label. And the honesty and integrity of the band is best summed up through the words of guitarist Izzy:

"We mean it when we play our music and perform onstage. We’re not just going through the motions."

Check it out online at:
http://www.coloradolocallegends.com/index.php?p=200805_02
- Colorado Local Legends