Interview with Pete Devine of Pete’s Rock News and Views (https://petesrocknewsandviews.com)
PD: How would you describe yourself or your band as an artist?
BG: We are more than just a band. We are a circle of friends who have come together to transform our shared passion for music into an immersive experience. Our primary aim is to take our audience on a journey, using our music to ignite a similar passion in their lives.
PD: Can you tell us briefly about your background – i.e. where you’re from, how you came to make music, etc.
BG: Hailing from the scenic locales of Rotterdam and Eindhoven in the Netherlands, and with a Polish-born guitarist adding to our dynamic mix, we each carry diverse backgrounds. This diversity is not only our strength but also reflects in our music. The reason each of us took to our instruments is unique, yet we all share a common mission: to spread our love for music. The band as we know it today was born through the power of the internet, a platform that sustained our musical collaboration and camaraderie during the trying times of the pandemic. But with that chapter behind us, we are thrilled to be creating and playing together in person once again.
PD: Who and what inspires you to make music, both in terms of musical and other influences? What do you like to write about in your songs?
BG: Inspiration is a dynamic entity, it evolves as we grow and change. This is why our music is always evolving. From the raw intensity of old school death metal and symphonic metal to the timeless tunes of Barbra Streisand, we draw our musical inspirations from a myriad of sources. What fuels our music is the joy of creation and our shared passion for the craft. The gratification we feel when a song we’ve poured our time and energy into receives positive feedback, that’s a massive source of inspiration for us. Our songs encompass a range of themes, from life’s challenges to fantastical tales and personal growth. Whether inspired by an intriguing story, a compelling news piece, or an ancient myth, we add a touch of our own creative flair to each composition.
PD: What are your aspirations as an artist?
BG: Our ultimate aspiration is to resonate our music and passion as far and wide as possible. Even if just one person connects with a song we’ve composed, we feel we’ve accomplished our objective. But, naturally, the more people our music reaches, the merrier! While the dream of performing at the world’s largest festivals before thousands of fans does entice us, we understand the dedication, effort, and countless hours it requires. With all this in mind, our fundamental goal remains simple: to bring joy to people and ourselves through our music.
PD: What is the proudest moment in your music career so far?
BG: Our proudest moment has to be our performance at the Metaldays festival in Slovenia during the summer of 2023. In addition, we embarked on what we fondly termed as a ‘world tour’ back in 2018 – it may have been just a string of five shows across north-western Europe, but for us, it was a huge step towards realizing our global dreams!
PD: Promoting one’s music is such a challenge these days, especially with so many new
artists emerging from bedrooms in the day of the home studio. How is that going?
BG: Indeed, promoting music in today’s digital age can be quite a labyrinth. While the internet can be a powerful tool, it also presents its own set of challenges. Much of it boils down to the strength of your network and the impact your music can make. With the right push, a song can surge in popularity and potentially go ‘viral’. We are fortunate to have external assistance to help navigate the complex world of music promotion. While our forte lies in creating music rather than marketing, we’re grateful for the support from those who excel in this domain.
PD: And how do you book and promote your live shows and tours? Any performances coming up?
BG: In this highly networked world, we leverage our connections with other bands and our established rapport with various venues we’ve performed at in the past to schedule our shows. Coupling this with a proactive approach, we either initiate outreach or respond to invitations that come our way. Social media plays an enormous role in this process, serving as a platform to interact with our fans and announce upcoming gigs. As for future performances, our social media channels are your best bet for the most recent updates!
PD: What do you think about downloading music online? What about streaming sites like Spotify?
BG: The digital revolution in music distribution is a double-edged sword. It’s fantastic for disseminating our music, but it doesn’t yield the same financial return as physical album sales would. Despite this, we see immense value in this new landscape, as it widens our audience reach. Nevertheless, it can be a bit disheartening for full-time musicians to witness the relatively meager financial compensation streaming platforms like Spotify offer, considering the blood, sweat, and tears invested into crafting a hit song. But on the flip side, we are grateful to these platforms for enabling fans from every corner of the globe to access our music.
PD: What song do you wish you’d written and why?
BG: Oh, that’s a thought-provoking question, and we believe it could spark different answers depending on the person and timing. A universally satisfying answer would be a song that has made a lasting impact on music history, a song that continues to resonate and inspire people long after its creation. Classics like “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Stairway To Heaven” come to mind. Of course, we could be cheeky and say the highest-grossing song of all time after a quick Google search! But jests aside, we have an enormous amount of respect for countless songs and their creators that have crafted such brilliant pieces of art.
PD: Is there anything you don’t like about the music industry, which you would change if you could?
BG: We’re fortunate to have largely positive experiences thus far. But gleaning from tales told by other bands, the music industry can at times foster a toxic environment, with rampant exploitation of artists for monetary gains. In our journey, we’ve been relatively unscathed. That being said, we do wish it was easier to get our music heard by everyone, a challenge that isn’t exclusive to the music industry, but a reflection of the vast amount of music being created, the choices made by distribution companies, and the implications of data-driven algorithms.
PD: So, what are you working on at the moment?
BG: Our current focus is on our forthcoming album, with a few singles already out in the open for our fans to enjoy! The longer answer: we’re pouring our hearts and souls into crafting an album that we believe will not only meet but exceed the expectations of our loyal fanbase, slated for release at the end of 2023!
PD: Where can we learn more about you and buy your music/merch online?
BG: To dive deeper into the world of Beyond God, we welcome you to follow us on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Our official website, www.beyondgod.nl, serves as a hub for all things Beyond God, including our online webshop for music and merch. We take pride in our strong relationship with our fans, so don’t hesitate to drop us a message! We’re always thrilled to connect and converse with those who support our journey.
Beyond God links:
Band/Artist location – Helmond, The Netherlands
Website – Facebook – You Tube – Bandcamp – Merch – Reverbnation –
Instagram – Apple – Spotify – Amazon – Deezer – LinkTree – Last Fm –
Check our page for Beyond God
