Band Name: Ice Giant
Where are you from? Boston, MA
When was the band founded? ~2015 or so
What first got you into music?
Dan: My parents had a bunch of classic rock and metal CD mixtapes they would always play in the car. That’s how I got introduced to Metallica, which was the band that started me on the metal journey.
Liv: I forget if I was 8 or 10, but my parents and neighbor family went to Disney together. There’s a ride there called the Rockin’ Rollercoaster, which features Aerosmith. I remember riding it probably 10 times, and finally asking my mom what the music was upon departing it. She gave me the “Toys in The Attic” and “Pump” CDs as a result, which were great! I wanna say only a couple months later, my dad approached me saying something to the effect of “alright, you like those? Try these.” He hands me “Ride the Lightning” and Pantera’s live record. The rest is history. I’m a slave to dank riffs.
Who inspired you to make music?
Dan: My parents initially pushed me into taking piano lessons at a very young age, and I always liked playing, but it wasn’t until I started playing bass and met other like-minded metal fans in middle school that I found I wanted to perform live.
Liv: My parents and Grandfather started me on the path. I did piano, trumpet, a little bit of dance, and would always try my grampy’s recorder. It was always fun, but I never found a passion, until I saw Dimebag performing in front of a million folks with his giant spiky Dean ML. That’s when I felt like, “I wanna do that. I wanna do THAT.” I’ve been a proud player fo X-shaped guitars since then (going on about 16 years now).
How would you describe the music that you typically create/ genre?
Dan: A fusion of melodeath, progressive death metal, and symphonic power metal.
Liv: Lovely fusions of everything melodic and heavy, sometimes to the detriment of simplicity. If I had to classify it, it would be melodic death metal, but it has hints of prog, blackened, industrial, and groove. I just kinda let my brain do its thing.
Do you have any upcoming releases?
We have a new single The Tale of Rowanam dropping shortly before our upcoming June tour. This song was initially featured on our debut album from 2017, and we’re thrilled to present it as a brand new re-recording featuring orchestrations that reflect our more modern sound (note: if this is published before June 7th, please leave out the name of the song and the second sentence with details about its background)
Liv: Everything Dan said, but that’s not all. #BigThingsComing
If you could open a show for any artist who would it be?
Dan: I’d love to play with some of my favorite progressive death metal bands from when I first got into the genre in the 2010s. Beyond Creation, Obscura, Exist, Virvum, etc. Either that or one of my all-time favorites, Dream Theater and/or Haken.
Liv: All my favorites that taught me the beauty in barbaric sounds. Amon Amarth, Anaal Nathrakh, Dethklok. Honorable mention to Children of Bodom (RIP Alexi). Also Crush 40, ‘cause I’m an 00s Sonic the Hedgehog nerd.
What is one message you would give to your fans?
Liv: You all have the power and beauty to make your lives amazing, and I’m honored to watch y’all do it every day. I’m proud to stand by you as a young adult amidst all the craziness we all face constantly. I’m proud to stand beside my trans kin as we face culture war and marginalization every day in the country. I’m overjoyed that Ice Giant shows are such radical expressions of love and release. They wouldn’t be that way without y’all. So here’s to us, and the future that we will make. We keep us safe.
Where have you performed? What are your favorite and least favorite venues?
Dan: We’ve played all over the east coast and will be adding twelve more venues to that list during our tour this June. Our favorite is definitely the Stone Church in Brattleboro, VT. Beautiful interior, incredible sound and lights, wonderful staff, and a very supportive and engaged audience.
Liv: Everything Dan said, including that The Stone Church is the best venue. Incredible sound, vibe, and it’s so cool/inclusive up there. Least fav performance was the time I kicked Alex Scofeild in the chest and made him quit the pit. The show was great, I just felt bad, lmao.
Do you have any upcoming shows?
This June, we’re touring the East Coast with The Xebellian Triangle.
6/7 - Hattiesburg, MS @ The Tavern
6/8 - Atlanta, GA @ Star Community Bar
6/9 - Ridgeville, SC @ Ridgeville Roadhouse
6/10 - Richmond, VA @ Cobra Cabana
6/11 - Baltimore, MD @ Mobtown Ballroom
6/12 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Remedy
6/13 - Ardmore, PA @ The Rusty Nail
6/14 - Queens, NYC, NY @ El Bunker del Diablo
[6/16 - Rochester, NY @ Water Street Music Hall] not yet announced
6/17 - Akron, OH @ The Vortex
6/19 - St. Louis, MO @ Red Fish Blue Fish
6/21* - Nacogdoches, TX @ Maklemore's [TXT only]
Then, this October 5th, we’ll be playing Day 2 of Plagued by Birth Fest at Cherry Street Station in Wallingford CT.
What is your favorite song to perform?
Dan: I’m torn between Grandeval’s Machine and Unification Epoch. Grandeval has an epic bass solo, which is definitely a showoff moment I treasure, but Unification is an excellent song for the whole audience to vibe to.
Liv: Venthos Prime because it has this perfect moment where I can conjure the pit starting. Seeing the whirlwind begin at that moment never gets old. Also harmonizing our voices in the chorus, Dan Eddie and I, is so much fun.
What’s next for you?
After this upcoming tour, we’ll be hitting it hard with writing sessions for our upcoming third album. We have big plans for the future, including more tours and more regular releases, and we can’t wait to bring our performance to more parts of the US.
Who is in the band?
Liv Gallop - Vocals, Guitar
Eddie Shifflet - Vocals, Guitar
Dan Saillant - Bass, Orchestrations
Alexander Paiva - Drums
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