With roots dating all the way back to the year 2003, Catalonia-based metalcore outfit Ankor are living proof of the grind. Formed initially as an all-Spanish-singing power metal band in a small village near Barcelona, Ankor have evolved into a force to be reckoned with in the modern metalcore scene, due in large part to the addition of UK-born vocalist Jessie Williams, who joined in 2014 and recently with the unexpected viral success of their breakthrough single “Prisoner” which has marked an exciting new era for the multicultural band both sonically and thematically.
The modern incarnation of Ankor is based in high-octane, emotionally-driven heavy music that incorporates a wide range of genres, such as EDM and hip-hop, to create a distinct and progressive sound that pushes metalcore further into the future — while also embodying the band’s shared love of all things Japanese music, culture, style, and animation. In other words, Ankor's music is tailor made for an action-packed anime sequence and their instantly-infectious vocal hooks will be stick in your head the same way your favorite theme songs do.
Since the release of their breakthrough single “Prisoner,” Ankor has steadily released compelling new singles (including “Embers” and “Darkbeat”), broken into specific chapters and narrative-driven music videos in order to make every song its own special and significant moment. Ankor’s new music has not only scored the band appearances at several high-profile music festivals across Europe and beyond but has also resulted in a label partnership with UNFD (Silverstein, DED, Yours Truly), who released the band's label-debut "mini-album" Shoganai on October 24th.
Armed with a new sound, lineup, record label and consistent hype, Ankor have their eyes set on expanding into new markets across the world, including the US, and it’s safe to say 2025 is going to be the year Ankor becomes a household name in heavy music once and for all.
In a conversation with The Pretty Cult, Ankor frontwoman Jessie Williams discusses the band’s multicultural background, recent breakout success, love of Japanese culture, and more.
Walk me through the story of the formation of Ankor. I understand the band has significantly grown and changed both sonically and thematically in recent years.
Jessie Williams: The band started in 2003. However, I was not in the band at the time because I was still too young. [Laughs.] I joined the band in 2014, but when the guys started in 2003, it was the typical story of starting in the garage. The first album from the band is actually all in Spanish, and it sounds totally different from what we do now. It was sort of like power metal. It's been about ten years since I joined the band, and our latest addition to the band is our drummer, Eleni [Nota], who's from Greece. The band has changed a lot in the last few years, and I'd say that has to do with the addition of Eleni, who has given a very different touch.
You are a multicultural band with members from the UK, Greece, and your home base of Spain. Do you find being a multicultural band beneficial with so many different inspirations and backgrounds applying to the music?
Williams: I think so. I was born in the UK but moved to Barcelona when I was three years old and raised here, so I feel more Spanish than English. Eleni is Greek, and it's very similar to Spain, but Japan is one thing we all agree on culturally. Japan is our dream country; we love its culture, its anime, and really just everything.
With the band pulling from Asian and Japanese pop culture, what are those specific things that you are incorporating within your music and your style?
Williams: Well, in Catalonia, for example, Japanese cartoons have always been huge, and that's all we watched. Since we were kids, we've been influenced by [that culture]. When we went home from school, all we had was Japanese cartoons and their music. We made our dream come true of playing Japan in 2017, which was amazing, and we even got to go back in 2019. I can say it's definitely our favorite place ever. It's so traditional and modern at the same time, and when you listen to the bands from there, you can hear that.
What was the heavy music scene like growing up and starting out in Catalonia, Spain? I understand the band is from a small village outside of Barcelona. Did you travel to the city as much as possible or primarily focus on the other European markets?
Williams: When I joined the band, we mainly focused on Spain, but I have to say Spain is definitely not the best market when it comes to metal music. In fact, many bands from the states that come to Europe don't even tread Spain. I get why because you see pictures of shows in France and Germany and there are thousands of people whereas, in Barcelona or Spain, you see maybe five hundred people, so I understand why bands don't come here as often. For us, it got to a point where we said "enough" and knew we needed to get out and play different countries. In 2017, we decided to focus on foreign markets rather than the states. Unfortunately, getting there with visas and how expensive it is is a bit more complicated, but we are working on it! Now, when we play in Spain, we only play Barcelona or Madrid.
I understand that around the time of the release of your breakout single "Prisoner," the band's sound and overall aesthetic began to evolve into a new form. What prompted this, and what do you want this modern era of the band to represent musically, visually, and thematically?
Williams: With this new era, we decided to release every song as a chapter within a story and a video for every song. Not many people these days listen to a full album, so we wanted to give each song its importance. Every song talks about different mental illnesses or stages of grief. This process has been working quite well for us because it allows people to listen to every song, get hooked on the story, and want to know what will happen next. I think people are paying more attention to our lyrics, their meaning, and what we want to say.
2022 proved to be a pivotal year and moment for the band. Your single "Prisoner" went viral and racked up millions of streams and views across every platform. Did you anticipate the song would be received this well, and how validating did it feel to have your hard work pay off in such a way?
Williams: I knew that we had something special because I really do enjoy what we do and I am our biggest fan. However, I didn't expect to go this way, to be honest. When we released the video, we were on a plane coming home from Disneyland Paris, and when we landed, it had way more views than we were used to. In the following weeks, it kept growing, and we're very happy.
This past summer, the band dominated the European festival circuit, playing all of the major events such as Wacken, Hellfest, Resurrection, Bloodstock, and many others. How did it feel playing these festivals with so much hype building up behind the band, and what were some of those highlights?
Williams: We've done twelve festivals this year, and it's been amazing. At Hellfest, we played for close to seventy-thousand people, and I see that show as a highlight specifically. We had three shows in one weekend: One was in Spain, and then we had to drive all the way to Hellfest since we were playing it the following morning. We played in Spain at five pm and drove thirteen hours to Hellfest because we were playing before noon. We didn't know what to expect; we had no sleep, and I thought, "Who the hell will be there at 11:45 am?" When we got there, we couldn't even see the end [of the crowd]; it was one of the best moments of my life. Right after that show, we had to leave because we were also playing in Finland at another festival. Those three shows were insane, and it was probably the best weekend of my life!
Your new music covers many genres, from DJENT and post-rock to EDM and even some cyber-metal/punk styles. What influences were you pulling from to inspire this experimental and diverse sound that you have developed?
Williams: It's an endless list, to be honest, we listen to so many different bands and styles of music. In metal, I would say the band that has influenced us the most in terms of mixing genres is Falling In Reverse, but then we also love Maximum The Hormone because of the crazy changes in their songs. We listen to a lot of music that isn't metal, such as EDM, hip-hop, soundtracks, and even classical music.
You recently partnered with UNFD for a record deal. How did that partnership come about? Obviously, the label was founded in Australia, but it also has a massive presence in the US. Is now the time to make touring in the US and conquering that market a top priority, and if so, what are your plans, goals, and aspirations?
Williams: When we released "Prisoner," and it was starting to go viral, we started receiving loads of phone calls and emails from a lot of people, which was insane. We've always been a self-managed band and have done everything ourselves, but it's great to have a team now to take some of that weight off our shoulders. We just had a great feeling with UNFD. They're big geeks as well, which is a special point, and they also work with lots of Japanese bands. I think these points made us want to go with UNFD instead of some of the even bigger labels [who approached us]. It felt special to actually know the team. We are very much like a family and like to know the people we work with, and that's why we're so happy to team up with UNFD.
As far as the US, I'm not allowed to say too much, but if everything works out, 2025 is the year we will finally be playing in the US!
Are you looking forward to anything about the US specifically since this will be your first time playing shows there?
Williams: I think I will have the same feeling as when we played Japan for the first time. We've wanted to go to the US for such a long time, and so many people listen to us there, so I really want to meet those people, and I think it will be amazing. I'm looking forward to playing in New York, as well as Miami because I'm a huge Dexter fan. [Laughs.]
Watch the music video for "Prisoner" by, Ankor below
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