SAINT ASONIA – AN INTERVIEW WITH ADAM GONTIER

By Ralph Beauchamp

Adam Gontier is the lead vocalist of the hard hitting group, Saint Asonia. Adam’s previous gig was with Three Days Grace. Former Staind member, Mike Mushok handles the lead guitar duties. The band is rounded out by Cody Watkins on drums and Adam’s cousin, Cale Gontier on bass. Saint Asonia‘s sound is an energized mix of galvanic guitar licks, impetuous vocals and a driving backbeat. All their songs deliver spellbinding rhythms and captivating hooks. Their commanding songwriting and anthemic arrangements positions Saint Asonia to be forerunners in today’s new music scene.

In 2022, Saint Asonia released two well received EPs. Extrovert contained their huge hit “Devastate” which is a pulverizing rager with ferocious guitar licks and sonic vocals. It also let loose another killer track, “Wolf” that features a ruthless tempo and enraged guitar riffs. Introvert is a seven song juggernaut. “Above it All” surrenders an addictive cadence and devastating vocals. The Weekend’s “Blinding Lights” is a re-imagined tour de force. Saint Asonia‘s rendition is both brutally bold and aurally melodic. Saint Asonia is a band that discharges cinematic dynamite with an barrage of savage textures.

AMP was honored to speak with Adam Gontier for this informative interview.

AMP: The band is constantly billed as a “supergroup”. Do you feel the label fits?

ADAM: That’s a weird question because we’ve all played together in several other bands. We’re friends before we are bandmates. I definitely understand it even though it feels strange to me that they try to slap that label on us. It’s just a group of friends making music. It really doesn’t matter to me anyway.

AMP: What do you feel is the main ingredient in the band’s dynamic?

ADAM: Ah, now that’s a good question. After years of playing music and touring, we are able not to allow any outside influences or drama into our camp which is pretty important. We are all professionals and know how to keep a level head. Outside of music, that’s an important piece of the picture.

AMP: Saint Asonia has released several interesting covers including The Weekend’s “Blinding Light”. How does the band decide which songs to re-imagine?

ADAM: When we were recording that EP with “Blinding Lights” on it, we decided to do a cover. It’s pretty easy to pick a classic rock song and make it a little heavier. We just wanted to do something a little bit different. I believe these days there is a lot of genre crossing which is cool. We thought that doing a pop song and heavying it up was the way to go. I think it turned out pretty good. Also, The Weekend is another Canadian like most of us. So props to Canada.

AMP: Your last EP was Extrovert. Can you give us a little insight into the release?

ADAM: We wrote most of the songs on Introvert during Covid. Once the pandemic subsided we did some co-writing with other songwriters for the Extrovert EP. We worked with writers from Nashville and other places. So, the songs sound a little different than our usual material. It was aptly call Extrovert because it wasn’t just us writing in a room. We really enjoyed working with other artists. It was fun.

AMP: Today’s music scene seems to have a sink or swim mentality. Does this type of realism have any effect on the band’s drive?

ADAM: It’s definitely a lot different in today’s market. There are so many bands out there and the listeners have so many streaming options. Basically the only way for bands to make money nowadays is to hit the road and try to sell tickets and merch. We want to plays shows as much as possible. It’s tough for bands to survive and I guess that is why we are always touring. Being out there is important. That’s today’s reality.

AMP: The band has collaborated with a multitude of outstanding artists such as John Cooper. Is there a artist, past or present, you would love to record with?

ADAM: I was a huge fan of the Seattle music scene. The grunge bands had an extensive effect on me during my formative years. I think the opportunity to play with Eddie Vedder would be a dream come true. He’s been one of my major influences for years. I have so much respect for his music.

AMP: Saint Asonia is on a pretty extensive co-headlining tour with Black Stone Cherry. How stoked are you?

ADAM: It’s nice to be able to do a headliner set. We spent most of 2023 with Skillet and Theory and our sets for those tours were about a half hour. We didn’t have the opportunity to experiment with different songs. So, on this tour we are able to play songs that just weren’t feasible last year due to the time constraints. We are only a few shows in and it’s been great so far. We are stoked being out there and meeting the fans.

AMP: Is there something about the band that nobody knows?

ADAM: I feel everybody knows everything about all of us (laughing). I know a lot of bands on their days off would hit up restaurants and bars but we tend to look for casinos. We have a few gamblers in our camp. Like today is our off day and we’re in Memphis currently parked next to a casino. We do enjoy a table game every once in awhile.

AMP: What’s next for the band?

ADAM: We are currently on tour with Black Stone Cherry for about a month. Then we have a little time off. We are back on the road in April with Staind and Seether. That’s going to be a great time. Tim Montana is also on that tour and he’s awesome. Just a ton of touring and playing some festivals. In addition, we are writing new material as we tour around.

AMP: Any last words for your fans?

ADAM: We hope to see everybody out on these tour dates. We’ve always have gotten a lot of support from our fans over the years. Like a bunch of bands, we put out new material right before Covid hit. We haven’t been able to give them some life until now. We are really appreciative of our fans’ love and loyalty.

Saint Asonia and Black Stone Cherry will be playing in our area at Wally’s Pub in Hampton N.H. on Friday 3/1/2024 and The Webster Theater in Hartford on Saturday 3/2/2024

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