Veil of Maya Interview: Marc Okubo on Eclipse, Djent, & Timeless Records
Outside a coffee shop on Wilshire Blvd, Veil of Maya guitarist Marc Okubo remembers stories from the band’s first-ever tour with After The Burial. “[We played a show for] some kids in their parents’ garage that didn’t do any promotion at all…They tried to pay us with some cheeseburgers from McDonalds.”
Hours before the band’s set at the Wiltern in Los Angeles, Okubo says Veil of Maya has come a long way since the days when Happy Meals and McNuggets were used as currency. The past year alone has seen a tipping point for the band – “this whole last year of touring has been a wake-up call. Every show the reactions have been awesome.” Though he humbly admits, “I still have no idea how long it’ll last for, or if any of it’s permanent. We’re just going to keep pushing it as long as we can.”
With their fourth studio album Eclipse set for release on February 28th through Sumerian Records, the Chicago metal band have high hopes that the effort will cast a long shadow on the music community. The band plans to maintain their momentum with an itinerary spanning the globe: a trip to Japan in March, a trek in Australia, a European headlining run in spring, and an upcoming stint on this year’s Summer Slaughter Tour.
As Okubo and I watch commuters going to and from the nearby Metro station, we continue our conversation discussing Eclipse, the term “djent,” and timeless records. The interview begins with him discussing how vocalist Brandon Butler joined the band.
