For this latest Profile it is once again time to roll the calendar back a handful of weeks. But, once again, it will absolutely be worth it. Denver-based metalcore outfit Under Auburn Skies dropped their latest effort, a new EP titled Diminisher of Hope, back on July 17th. Energetic and honest, Under Auburn Skies make good work of this sub-20 minute listen, packing it with that certain balance of melody and intensity that we love so much. And to offer up just a bit more on this project and release, Oscar Morales (guitars) stepped in to answer our questions. Give it a read and, since this album is already out there in the world, give it a listen while you’re at it. A couple videos embedded for your viewing pleasure as well. So, enjoy!

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How and when did you first get into playing music, or metal more specifically, and how did your band get its start? Any pushback from family/those close to you?

Personally, I started playing bass at the age of 16 and moved into guitar around the age of 18. Under Auburn Skies is mostly a friend project; Everyone who’s in this band has been a close friend to one another at some point or another. Like, we have a picture of our new members Sebastian (vocals) and Zach (guitarist) taking a picture with our previous line up. So it’s cool seeing us stay close and trust these positions to friends who show their same passion in music as the rest of us.

How would you describe your band and what you play to someone who is completely in the dark?

If you’re new to metal or metalcore, I’d like to think we’re like Avenged Sevenfold during their Nightmare album…but like heavier. We love guitar harmonies and doing duel guitar stuff all the time, we just don’t solo like them haha.

Is there one anything about your latest album or about your band that no one will find in any interview or review that you care to divulge?

Regarding the record, we were stoked to get Chris Wiseman of Currents to mix and master it. We’re all pretty big fans of him and the band! Aside from that, we do have a “hidden” little Cuban/Mexican type of beat hidden in a song. We’d love if anyone was able to find it!

Any funny stories from playing shows / tours / festivals, etc?

I mean, we’ve had some really cool moments for sure! We started this new thing for our pit warriors that we incorporated regarding inflated lightsabers and letting them go ham on each other! Our first show doing it was opening for Born of Osiris and we managed to get 3 fans to get matching lightsaber tattoos because of the moment and a fan also got a huge print of one of the photos taken that night of people using them. Pretty solid night!

What do you see as some of the great things happening in and around the metal scene (yours or just in general) and what are some of the worst things happening right now?

As far as the good, it has to be the inclusion. New to the scene or being a vet and having pit etiquette for those around you at whatever show you go to is always so nice to see. Knock someone down, you pick them up, help find lost shoes or whatever. Just willing to lend a hand to a random stranger but bonding over the same music and moments, that never gets old to see. We can’t say much about the bad though, but it’s mainly because we aren’t involved. We want everyone having fun at our shows and that’s it. We don’t see much hate or animosity in our pits and we’d love for everyone to have a good time. We feel like that is the basic principle of going to shows; So why go causing problems? Just don’t be awful to one another.

Most folks have passions for a cause or causes that are close to them. What, if any, are some of the most important issues (social/political/humorous/etc.) for you / your band and how do you insert those issues into your music?

Quite a few songs regard several social standings in life. In this new record, our song “World-Eater” is somewhat political, but more so that things aren’t so black and white. Things don’t have to pertain to one party or another, but we are to blame if we can’t find a solution together. We also have other songs like “Afraid” and “Invention of Reason” that are more social in finding more to life than being a cog in the machine that is life. We all have several feelings towards topics like this and as the band goes, we are all very empathetic towards people as a whole and understand that it’s not hard to be a good person. There is no need to be selfish over your own means that can potentially hurt others. We don’t stand with that.

Do you have day jobs or hobbies you want to share?

Most of our jobs aren’t anything fancy haha. One works with optometrists, one does roofing, another is about to be a journeyman for his electrician job, one works in pharmaceuticals and the other is a bartender. The main hobbies that we all collectively share though is that we love music and we’re all nerds for a lot of pop culture stuff and anime. There might be an argument once every other month about the best Star Wars movies in order but nothing crazy.

What advice do you have for music critics and outlets out there? How can we all better serve the genre in the eyes of a hard-working musician?

Regarding critics, I would say take an attempt and try to learn to play the music you’re critiquing. It’s easier to say something about it if you’re just listening to a song but it’s a whole other appreciation when you find the layers in the playing/writing of the song. There’s been many songs I haven’t been a big fan of from pop artists but when learning all the different layers that play and take part in the production, it definitely takes us a step back to remember there’s more than what you hear in that initial listen. I think we as listeners should take this in some form and also appreciate how much difference a producer can actually take part in helping shape and find a sound for some of your favorite artists. We learn more and more with each song we record but it’s harder to appreciate things like that when you don’t experience those moments yourself.

Any specific long term goal(s) in mind?

Honestly, we just want to do this for a living. Traveling as best friends and sharing music that we care deeply about that others can connect with as we explore the world sharing our songs. It’s cliche but I mean, we all know there’s more to life than just working a job that keeps your life stagnant and brings no fulfillment (not all jobs but for most). Make enough money to survive doing what we love most, that would be a life goal for sure!

When you’re not obsessing over your own material, what are some of your favorite albums to listen to currently?

I know we all have different habits of what we’re listening to at the moment, I’ve been big on “Syndicate” by The Midnight, “All That Follows” – Currents, “Through Shadows” – Born of Osiris, “The Lost Years” – Dreamwake, “Perpetual Termina” – Darkest Hour, Make Them Suffer’s self titled and a whole lot of Rise Against (as a whole). There’s a whole more in between like 80’s pop and 00’s hip hop but this list has been on repeat for a minute now!

What is the near future outlook for you or your band? Any specific events on the horizon that the masses should be aware of?

So we have two main things coming up. First is our record release show on 07/31 @ The Oriental Theater here in Denver. This one will be very exciting for people to experience with us! Aside from that, we also have a show on 11/14 also at The Oriental Theater supporting Fear Factory and Darkest Hour. This will be our second time opening up for Darkest Hour and we’re all pretty big fans of theirs so we plan on putting on a solid show and setting the tone for the night! We’re in the middle of planning a tour at the moment as well but that’s behind the scenes at the moment; Waiting for real confirmations to come through before we can announce more!

Summarize your band in one word.

Transparent.

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Many thanks to Oscar and Under Auburn Skies for the time!

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Diminisher Of Hope is out now. To keep up with Under Auburn Skies, head over to Instagram or Facebook.