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Interview with Veil Of Maya; Vocalist Brandon Butler and Guitarist Marc Okubo Talk Mayhem Festival, New Music and Pooping

Veil Of Maya is known for being in their own category of unique, highly technical and gut-wrenchingly heavy metal. They took their talents on the road this Summer as part of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival where they’ve been blowing the minds of new and longstanding fans across the United States. Recently, on August 2nd, I was lucky enough to catch up with Veil Of Maya’s vocalist Brandon Butler and guitarist Marc Okubo at Mayhem Festival in Scranton, PA. After tearing it up on the Sumerian Stage, these progressive deathcore giants took the time to talk with me about what’s next for the band, swap some crazy stories and even share a secret or two.

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Veil Of Maya is known for being in their own category of unique, highly technical and gut-wrenchingly heavy metal. They took their talents on the road this Summer as part of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival where they’ve been blowing the minds of new and longstanding fans across the United States. Recently, on August 2nd, I was lucky enough to catch up with Veil Of Maya’s vocalist Brandon Butler and guitarist Marc Okubo at Mayhem Festival in Scranton, PA. After tearing it up on the Sumerian Stage, these progressive deathcore giants took the time to talk with me about what’s next for the band, swap some crazy stories and even share a secret or two.

I was lucky enough to see you perform on last Summer’s All Stars Tour. Mayhem Fest is a lot bigger – how is this Summer comparing?
Okubo: Bad-ass. I like Mayhem more than All Stars, it’s really organized and well put together. I could do this every Summer.

Butler: Now that we’re on this, we might try to get on Warped next year. Though I’d like to do this too.

What’s the best/worst part of Mayhem Festival?
Okubo: Honestly, the worst parts for me are the days off. I legitimately miss everybody that I’m used to seeing everyday and I get all bummed out, bored, and lonely.

Butler: I think playing everyday is pretty awesome. There are lots of people, and a lot of them are new ears that have never heard us before so that right there makes me stoked everyday.

Okubo: We get to play in front of hundreds of new people, and I get to hang out with 100 or 200 of my best friends everyday, which is really cool. We just have to play for like 20 minutes, and then we get to party all day and eat great food.

So you kind of teased me and all of the other fans with the single “Subject Zero,” and I can speak for everyone else when I say we cannot wait to hear more new material. What’s next for you guys?
Okubo: We’re going to finish the album as soon as this tour is over. That’s being booked right now actually. We’re going to fly out to Taylor Larson’s studio where Periphery is recording right now. Then I’m going to finish the rest of the music that I have, and Brandon’s going to go to Will Putney to do vocals.

Butler: It’s about 85% written, it still needs some work.

What can we expect to see on this new album or EP?
Okubo: It’s still going to sound like us, and everyone we’ve shown it to says it’s our best stuff so far.

Butler: We put a lot into this. More time than any other album, so I hope it pays off.

Okubo: It sounds more futuristic than our old stuff.

Butler: Slightly more digestible I think.

Okubo: It’s still just as technical, but it’s a little more camouflaged.

Check out the song “Subject Zero”

What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ll admit to listening to?
Okubo: I listen to Sleeping With Sirens sometimes. I’m a huge fan of house music and electro. Last show I went to was Spring Awakening, my friend DJ Ookay got me in. The whole Rockstar crew went to Datsik, and it was so heavy that the bass made the ceiling tiles fall from the ceiling and they had to cancel the show, ambulances came. It was really crazy. I like all that stuff, I even like Skrillex.

Butler: I listen to a lot of lame ’90s music like Third Eye Blind, sometimes. Also Ellie Goulding. I like her a lot, she has a cool voice.

Okubo: Skrillex dated her!

Tell me about your weirdest fan interaction.
Butler: The Slovakia guy!

Okubo:Oh yeah! This Guy in Slovakia tried to kiss me, I think he kissed me.

Butler: He kept trying to kiss us and get us to go outside and drink in his car. He made us these cool mugs though.

Okubo: He told me I could have sex with his mother, which weirded me out. He kept licking at us and stuff. But today somebody spilled beer on me which was rude.

Butler: Lots of interesting people on Mayhem.

What are some of your pet-peeves?
Okubo: I have a bunch. Okay so we’re sharing a bus with another band, so every time you sit down you need to sit next to another dude. And I don’t have a lot of hair, but whenever I sit next to other dudes I can feel their arm hair tickling my skin and it drives me insane. They can’t even tell, they can’t feel it.

Butler: I don’t like that half the guys on our bus just fart constantly. I try to avoid it but it freaks me out.

What’s your drink of choice?
Okubo: Well I had surgery on my nose right before this tour, and it’s the second time I had this particular surgery, so my sense of taste isn’t that good. So I’ll just drink beer.

Butler: I just like Whiskey.

Any alcohol-fueled adventures you want to tell me about?
Okubo: Everyday. I’m on one right now. Actually last night there was this big-ass drum circle with like everyone on the tour on it. And everyone got drunk and just started beating the drums.

Butler: There were two Spider-Mans riding around on motorcycles. That’s why everyone’s hungover today!

Okubo: I did throw up at the border!

Butler: Yeah that was great, Marc just started walking out at the border and the guard was like, “Where are you going? Come back right now!” and Marc was like “I need to get rid of some fluids” and our tech guy Joe was like “I think he needs to throw up.” They followed him out there and made fun of him the whole time.

Okubo: Yeah they kept making fun of me and saying, “Ahh you need to learn to hold your liquor!” But they let me back in because they had to. I didn’t have any drugs, I was just hungover because they woke me up at 4 in the morning.

Check out the song “20/200”

Do you have any secret talents?
Okubo: I’m gonna be a dubstep DJ! Look out for me next year. I got you on the guest list!

Butler: I don’t really have any.

Okubo: Brandon is really into video games, and he’s really into football. He’s like an encyclopedia on football.

You don’t have to answer this, but I hope you do. What is the weirdest place you’ve ever taken a shit?
Butler: In France they have these holes in the ground that you’re supposed to squat on top of.

Okubo: They have these handle bars, it looks like a shower. They love it there.

Butler: Yeah, they think it’s healthier for you.

Okubo: I’ll tell you a secret. Not on Mayhem, but on every other tour ever, every dude on the tour shits in the women’s bathroom. So you’re sharing butt cheeks every time you go pee with every dude in every band in the world. Think about it! You definitely touched butts. The men’s room is disgusting, but the women’s room is always so clean and smells like roses so we go in and destroy it.

That’s all I have! Thanks for taking the time and chilling with me!
Okubo: That was good!

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