Metalcore band Under Auburn Skies Released the official music video for their single “Afraid.” The single is from their EP titled Invention of Reasoning that released in 2021.

We chatted with Oscar Morales of the band to see what is new with the band and how they came together …. check it out below.

Tell us a little bit about the band and how long you have been together for some of our readers that may not know about the band?

Well, we’re a Melodic Metalcore band from Denver, CO and we’ve been together for 5 years now since October. Our older stuff is reminiscent of older style Metalcore like Parkway Drive (Horizon’s Era), Phinehas and Darkest Hour. We recently released a new EP titled “Invention of Reason” and that’s evolved our sound now closer to fans of Invent Animate, Make Them Suffer and Currents.

What got you into music and what keeps you going night after night playing?

There were a lot of things that got me into music. Before rock or metal, I was really big into rap and hip hop but the two albums that made me change my preference in music were “Meteora” by Linkin Park and “Sing the Sorrow” by AFI. From there, I played bass from ages 16 – 18 and then transitioned to guitar due to not having a solid song writer in one of my earlier bands. I think the reason I keep going and pushing myself to pick up my instrument is to be better than what I was and to write music that I’m not just a fan of, but also love to play. All that and seeing the energy the crowd gives you as you perform and wanting to match it. There’s a weird kind of “high” to performing live and it’s definitely my happy place! 

 So, what is new with the band?..New Album out? New Videos?

We just released a live music video for our single “Afraid” so we’re currently promoting that! Right now it’s focusing about promoting our latest release, “Invention of Reason”, and going back to writing new music for an upcoming release. Might just be a single, but more than likely we’ll plan for another EP or Album at this rate. 

If you didn’t become a musician, what would you be doing right now?

That’s such a hard question to answer because I don’t want to have a back up plan. Maybe once I’m done with school, I’ll focus on mastering mixes for other projects so I stay relevant in music. 

What is the weirdest or funniest question you have ever been asked?

Uhhhh so we have this ongoing thing where a lot of our older fans yell, “Martin, show us your tits!” and our drummer would actually do it. It started off as a joke in one of our earlier shows as a band, but it kept going and at a recent show, I had drunk fan ask if he could take a picture with the whole band showing our tits haha. His girlfriend ended up taking him home before I could gather everyone together but that is probably the oddest but funniest question I’ve gotten. 

If you can have your fans remember you for one thing, what would that be?

It definitely would be that I love a good joke and love spending time to get to know everyone at least a little bit! I’m awful with remembering names but I’ll easily remember you if you tell me a solid joke! 

On a scale of one to 2593, How good is your new single compared to your last single? (my attempt at humor, but please still answer)

The last two singles we put out blow just about all our old songs out of the water. Afraid is rated 2450 and Polar Opposites is 2593 without a doubt! 

What do you feel is the best song you have released to date and why?

Out of all the songs we’ve released I have 2 personal favorites. The first one being “Insomnia” due to being a solid Metalcore song to me and I’m very proud of not only the writing to it, but also the solo I have in there. Guitar solos are a weak point for me so it’s always nice to be humbled over how much I’ve improved since I’ve started playing guitar. 

The second song would be our self-titled off our latest release, “Invention of Reason”. It’s the most diverse song we’ve written and the leads plus melodies just stick out to me a lot. At a time where Covid gave us a lot of time to write, it was still a massive blow to our mental health and the song attacks that subject from our end. 

Do you think you can get any better as a musician/singer? And if so, How would you achieve that?

Of course! Practice practice practice and never set yourself in the same routine. Mix it up, learn new songs and scales. Learning the playing methods of other guitarist always gives me insight on new ways to approach my riffs and technique! 

If you could give your fans one random fact about you that you think they should (or should “not” know) about you what would that be?

It would be that I’m probably better at Guitar Hero than I am at real guitar. So much so, that I will gladly bet any piece of merch we have to wager if someone beats me. 

You’re a new addition to the crayon box. What color would you be and why?

Turquoise because I like to stick out a little bit from everyone else. 

Who are you inspired by?

In music? Definitely has to be After the Burial, Polaris, Dayseeker and Currents! But personal inspiration has to be my dad and girlfriend. They constantly reassure me things will work out even when I’m at my lowest and they just have this cheer to them that lightens up my mood. 

What’s an average day like for you?

Depending on my work schedule, typically I spend my morning with my girlfriend hanging out or cleaning and then when she goes to work, I do school work, take care of my dogs and give them walks and play time then typically I rest before I go to work. On my days off, it’s school work, playing with the dogs, video games and playing guitar!

Please discuss how you interact with and respond to fans?

I get mad hyped! It’s still baffling that we have people who support us that aren’t just friends and it’s always such a rewarding feeling. I sometime fan girl over people wearing our merch to bigger metal shows and it feels so surreal so I always approach them with nothing but love and thrilled to meet them personally! So spark the conversation saying something like, “Yoooo thank you for supporting the band!” and then they take over and usually they tell me that the last show they saw us in was a lot of fun or something along those lines and just start asking more band related questions that I do my best to answer! 

Have you ever dealt with performance anxiety?

There are two instances I can recall where I dealt with this. The first time had to be our first show as Under Auburn Skies and was very self conscious thinking we were going to suck but that immediately went away once the first song started and I just got lost in performing. It became more of a thrill and it made me instantly fall in love with performing!

The second time was when I was filling in for another band as they were opening up for the Self Inflicted Tour with Chelsea Grin, Ice Nine Kills, Gideon and Enterprise Earth. It was the biggest crowd and show I have played to date and seeing the venue packed out was nuts. We had a 20 min set and had very little room to move around on stage because everything was back lined and after that first song we played, the bassist had to step off stage to go throw up haha. But it was nerve wrecking for sure because to play another band’s music that I had to learn and be in a room of over 1500 people was intimidating but it went over well and was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had! 

Tell me about your favorite performance venues?

Marquis Theater and The Oriental are my favorite here in Denver for several reasons! Marquis gets rowdy when it’s packed, and it feels so intimate with being that close to your fans! For the Oriental, it’s just massive and seeing how many people can get in there and pack the place up as well as have this massive stage to run around at is just so cool. 

We just came back from tour and I think my favorite venue from that had to be The X Bar in California. The stage was smaller than expected but it’s connected to a bowling alley and the crowd for that night was just awesome. Would love to play there again! 

What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?

I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that even though being in a band can be a lot of fun, it’s still a business. Take care of yourself and your coworkers (that are hopefully your friends). No one likes saying it but it’s a lot of hard work and there will be a ton of bumps along the way but if you and your friends are committed enough, it will greatly be worth it! 

The band has announced plans to tour again in the summer and fall finishing out the year with potentially a new record. UAS has supported bands such as Arsonists Get All The Girls, The Faceless, Like Moths to Flames, Kingdom of Giants, Phinehas, Novelists and Oh, Sleeper.

Under Auburn Skies is:
Oscar Morales
Joe Villanueba
Addison Guidichessi
Travis Sholder
Martin Pasillas.