Aoidos' Freistanás juggles Sound Engineering and Death Metal

Balancing acts is the new Metal Insider Column, in which artists explain the challenges within the music industry by juggling daily jobs or several jobs as they pursue their musical careers. João Freitas, known as Freistanás, singer and guitarist of the Portuguese blackened Death Metal band AoidosJoin us to discuss the hard battle, to maintain a creative path through freelance sound and video work while remaining driven to advance Aoidos.

My name is João Freitas, known as Freistanás, and I am the singer and guitarist of Aoidos, a blackened Death Metal band from Portugal, which focuses on storytelling. I have a pretty good list of day jobs that I have had over the years, in fast food, music event management, sound engineer and as a construction worker in a sound studio. At the moment I am a freelance sound and video cone guild who records sound and videos, mixes, edited and records with a company in a small town in the middle of a mountain chain called Castanheira de Pera. It is a peaceful life. I take 2 minutes by car to reach the studios on which I work, 10 minutes of tops on foot (but I always move equipment from there to my home studio. Most of the time it is the car that is the car) and can create cool videos and learn to play drums when the workload is low. But to be honest, most of the income of my household comes from the girlfriend. Somehow I am lucky to have someone who supports me and helps me to develop this opportunity that I have found until it comes at the point where I can offer enough, and she can leave her terrible job (and work with me!). She is really the best and I'm so grateful for her. The band would not exist without them.

Playing music, especially our kind of music, is not for the heart of the heart. And not even for people with low cash. We all have day jobs. Our bass player and singer EKID says: “I will hardly be paid as a verbal punching bag for people who do not pay for their communication services.” This and in winter he has to face the hellish fire of AC units, which is too hot for anyone and often destroys his voice. Many thanks to the metal gods, the guy has a great sense of humor, I would not be able to endure his job for a morning.

Our guitarist Ivo is a “technical sales engineer, if I don't go on the street with Aoidos, I drive across the country to sell things”. Our engineer Excel, we jokingly called him, was a life safer if we prepared for gigs and managed the associated costs. It is great to have an engineer on our side.

After all, our drummer Pedro summarizes why all of this is worth it, and I have to say that if I had to deal with the people he does every day, I would not have the energy to beat the drums like him. Really strong guy, both mentally and physically: “I don't know how long I have worked as security systems … but on the first day I will never forget that a guitar at the age of twelve has recorded a guitar … Since then, music has been the most important thing in my life.”

No matter what we do, what we do, be it through the country that sells things, bags for people, be it in real life or through telephone lines or just to build something to bring security and peace to our household. We are all connected by our love for each other and music. And that is why Aoidos will prevail and thrive through all the day jobs we need.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spbaqilrszu