Bass Solo- Fernanda Lira of Crypta
Roaring out of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Fernanda Lira has been kicking ass and taking name since she joined Nervosa as bassist/vocalist in 2012. Eight years later she made the choice to leave that band and form Crypta, an all-girl death metal machine, alongside former Nervosa drummer Luana Dametto, and guitarists Sonia Anubis and Tainá Bergamaschi. Lira is known for a hyper-aggressive fingerstyle, even at the supersonic speeds needed to play the thrashing death metal that Crypta are revitalizing and putting their own spin on. In the run-up to the release of their first album, Echoes of the Soul, out on Napalm Records on 6/11, Lira found time to answer some emailed questions about her journey, her place in inspiring the next generation of players, her gear, and more.
image credit- https://www.instagram.com/p/CMiN88vHo8e/
Doug Robertson: Your bio on the Crypta website says you started playing bass at 13. Do you remember the first song you learned?
Fernanda Lira: Before actually playing a real bass, I remember my dad had an acoustic guitar which he tuned a bit down so it sounded more like a bass and on which he played using the fingers as if it was a bass, haha. So actually, the first songs I learned were on this one and I clearly remember which ones they were. It was little parts from Kiss' “Shout it Out Loud” and “Heaven's on Fire”, the melody on the main choruses. I was around nine or something and since I was seven I would listen to Kiss Unplugged nearly everyday. When I finally listened to other albums, specifically Alive 1, 2 and 3, I started trying out playing melodies on the acoustic guitar, pretending it was bass and of course, pretending I was Gene Simmons. Haha.
DR: What was it about metal that attracted you to it, and is that the same thing that keeps you invested in the genre today?
FL: Honestly, I don't know. I think deep down you just gotta feel this connection you can't explain. Of course, I was really influenced by my dad who is metalhead and would listen to metal at home and in the car everyday, which definitely helped me getting acquainted to it, but I think it's just a connection you can't explain. And it's the same nowadays. I listen to many other genres nowadays, including pop, but there's no other genre that makes me feel like getting on a stage [like] thrash or death metal.
DR: How does it feel to now be the person inspiring young women to pick up an instrument and play?
image credit- https://www.instagram.com/p/CODmC_DnJt4/
FL: I still feel a bit shy hearing this, because it's a huge responsibility playing such a role. But I’ve got to admit that I've heard this a lot from girls on the internet and attending our shows. And what I can say is that I am so thankful for having a small contribution on this very important representativeness process. I mean, I know, and only us girls know, the feeling of seeing other women on stage, playing, living their dreams. It's inspiring. We feel music might be a safe place for us to be. We feel that we can also grab an instrument and try it out. We feel like if that woman is doing it, we also might be able to follow our dreams. I know where this feeling of inspiration comes from and that's why I feel so honored to somehow inspire other girls.
DR: What is your go-to gear?
FL: My inseparable duo is my Aristides Guitar 050 Bass and my DR Strings Dragon Series. Damn, I just love them so so much! Haha, I feel like my sound doesn't need much more when these two are combined - it's almost ready to go, you know what I mean? But there's other gear I've tested with time that also really went well with my sound. I've recently tested the Darkglass Microtubes B7K Ultra pedal/pre amp and it's a killer. Ampwise, I really like Aguilar, MarkBass and I've recently used a Galien Kruger to record the album that really surprised me!
DR: Do you think you’ve found “your sound” yet? Like the perfect combination of gear and technique that makes your tone what you hear in your head?
FL: Yes! I mean, there's always room for improving, and I'm very open to that, but I really think I've found it. Summarized, it would be something really close to the way Alex Webster from Cannibal Corpse and his bass sound. I love that and he's a big reference to me when I get to the studio. I needed to do some adjustments soundwise [since] I've recently changed bands and also metal genres [Ed. Note- Nervosa was more thrash-oriented, Crypta is more death metal], so I needed to adapt a couple of things so the bass could be a bit heavier and blend well with the death metal sound we want.
DR: Do you want Crypta to be known as an “all-girl” death metal band, or just as a death metal band? How do you feel about the “all-girl” label that gets put on bands like yours?
FL: I feel the all-girl label is really important. I know many people can't see this importance, even girls, but this is a label I'm proud of. I mean, we all know, especially the girls, how tough it is to be a girl in the metal scene. Since having to prove you can play as well as man all the time, objectification, prejudice, and sometimes even not being able to get in your own dressing room because staff thinks you're a groupie not the musician, you know? It's a daily battle, so to me the all-girl label really represents all the struggles we needed to overcome to be in a band doing what we like, it represents we're proud of following our dreams in a still misogynist and male-dominated scene. Also, unfortunately, but I hope not for so long, all-girls bands, mainly on the extreme side of metal, are still something 'rare', something different compared to the amount of guys playing out there, so I see no problem of making a statement out of that.
DR: Is there a song on the upcoming Crypta album, Echoes of the Soul, that you’re excited for bass players in particular to hear? A riff or groove that you know is going to turn our ears on?
FL: Definitely! “Under the Black Wings” not only is one of my favorite songs in the album, but also the bass sounds soooo heavy on this one. “Dark Night of the Soul” is also a good pick, since I like the bass work there and it is the song where the bass is the most audible.
DR: Could you name some under-recognized albums that you think we should be turned on to?
FL: I'll mention some of my favorite albums from some of my favorite Brazilian metal bands - these albums really deserve to be listened in every corner of the world, so here goes my small contribution.
Surra - Escorrendo pelo Ralo - This is my current favorite band to watch live, such an energetic performance, I just can't get enough of them. They sound amazing and their lyrics are so on point.
Claustrofobia - Peste - The kind of album that's good from the first to the last song. It's a mix of raw, aggressive metal and Brazilian music. It's just so good and original.
Torture Squad - Pandemonium- One of the best Brazilian metal albums in history in my humble opinion haha Catchy, technical and such good taste in every song.
DR: How can our readers support Crypta during this challenging time?
FL: In many ways- listening to our music on streaming platforms, watching our video content and sharing it with your friends if you like it, pre-ordering some of our items on our label Napalm Records' website and checking out our online store, are all the best ways of supporting us directly and financially. But really, just spreading the word around is already really helpful, since we're all responsible for keeping the metal flame burning!
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Many thanks to Fernanda Lira for taking the time to answer my questions with such detail. I was excited for Echoes the of Soul before this (made my pre-order weeks ago), and now I’m even more jacked for it. Lira is one of my favorite extreme metal bassists and I’m looking forward to hearing what the band comes up with. Also, if you haven’t watching the Napalm Next Door episode featuring Crypta, you should.
Doug Robertson is the editor of The Bass Blog, the blog component of The Bass Channel, your one stop YouTube channel for all things bass. His number one is a Mexican Geddy Lee Signature Jazz and his boomer is a BEAD tuned T-Bird. Find books by Doug here. If you’re interested in contributing to The Bass Blog please reach out to Doug at doug@thebasschannel.net. We would love to hear from you.
