Interview with Conquer Divide drummer Tamara Tadic | By Natasha Van Duser
There’s been heavy debate on social media lately about why people feel there aren’t enough women in metal or hardcore, but when Conquer Divide‘s debut record dropped on July 24, the world will see some of the six strongest women in the metalcore scene rising to the occasion.
“We just felt if guys can make all of the guy bands, then let’s make a girl band. Why not?” says drummer Tamara Tadic. “We aren’t any different, we all do the same thing: we play music.”
Conquer Divide came together just three years ago when guitarist Kristen Marie set out to form her own metalcore group. After finding Tadic on YouTube, though they lived several hundred miles apart, the ladies were able to collaborate on demos and eventually bring together the remaining members to round out their sound. “I don’t think there was a reason as far as ‘Let’s be all girls and show the world we’re an all girl band.’ We didn’t like putting that in the caption,” says Tadic. “We just wanted to work as if we had sisters in the band.”
Drawing influences from bands like August Burns Red, Nightwish and even more traditional icons like Iron Maiden, the world first got a taste of Conquer Divide when they released the single “Eyes Wide Shut” in late 2013. This single, a classic sounding metalcore track, not only gained them notoriety on the internet, but first got labels and producers interested in them. Shortly afterwards the fierce females of Conquer Divide hit the studio with acclaimed producer Joey Sturgis (The Devil Wears Prada, Miss May I, Attack Attack!) after signing to Artery Recordings to bring this ten-track record to life. “[Sturgis] is really an amazing person,” explains Tadic. “You always get a bit nervous with him in the studio […]He really helps with your improvement because he is so honest. And that’s what it takes, I believe, to be a producer.”
Sturgis is well known for his ability to bring genre-defying debut records to top critical acclaim–Asking Alexandria‘s Stand Up And Scream being one of his best known productions–thus Conquer Divide were in good hands when they relayed that their writing came from a wide range of influences on the metal spectrum. “All of us listen to different styles of music, different metal genres,” notes Tadic. “We have really heavy songs on our album and then we have more rock oriented songs. So we’re pretty much everywhere.”
After weeks in the studio and their self-titled album finally complete, Conquer Divide can sit back and smile at the solid effort they put forth. “It’s definitely written by life experiences that we’ve been through,” explains Tadic. “I’m sure everyone will at least find one song they can relate to.” From the melodic vocals on “Sink Your Teeth Into This” featuring current Asking Alexandria vocalist Denis Shaforostov to the heavier, breakdown oriented “Heavy Lies the Crown” Conquer Divide touches on themes of betrayal, unavoidable responsibilities, and moving forward. All the while the record upholds a steady balance of Sturgis staples such as smooth djent riffs accompanied by double bass pedal work and catchy pop melodies. There’s even a hidden piano instrumental track to bring the whole thing to a close.
Studio sessions and touring are some of the few times that the women in Conquer Divide are all brought together, as the members are located everywhere from Detroit to the United Kingdom, though distance has never hindered these women, simply made them stronger. “I believe we chose [the name] Conquer Divide because we’re all living far away from each other,” explains Tadic who lives in California. “We’re divided and we need to conquer the distance to make it work.”
This August, however, Conquer Divide will once again come together to show what kind of splash they are making on the music scene as they prepare for their time on the 2015 All Stars Tour. “We’re so excited about the tour,” says Tadic. “It won’t be one of the easy ones, but it’s definitely going to be fun. We might even switch sets every night just so we can play all of the songs on our album.”
With the release of their debut record, Conquer Divide is finally able to watch their three years of hard work pay off. “This album will open the door for us to the world,” Tadic concludes. “We’re able to express ourselves and people will know about us. Finally our work has come alive.”
Pick up Conquer Divide’s self-titled debut on iTunes | Amazon | Physical
