Behind the prog: Voyager talk about their passions outside of music

Following the recent release of Voyager's mighty 'Colours in the Sun' LP, a massive record joining synthwave, 80s pop, and keytars with modern prog-metal and polished djent, (read my review here) Voyager are on a high with one of their finest albums to date, plenty of glowing press coverage, and Good Things 2019 on the horizon. One listen to 'Colours in the Sun' and you can tell the Perth act love an array of styles; never only metal, but also never just pop either. Yet some of their biggest passions go beyond the realms of what they create for Voyager, from loving historical vehicles, mixed martial arts, and voice acting, to soaking up the political wit of adult cartoons and D&D, to obsessing over craft beers. 

Danny Estrin (vocals) - Automotives:

"I have an obsession with car design and history stemming back to my childhood which featured a heavy amount of identification of obscure vehicles, number plates and useless facts about mediocre vehicles. I care little about what is under the bonnet. My obsession is with style history and feel. I would much rather own a Hongqi CA770 driven by 70s diplomats than a Lamborghini. There's something about sitting in a car and being transformed into a different person in a different era. I own an old Mercedes S Class which entices me to smoke like a 70s boss every time I sit in it and the MR2 which propels me back to the 80s.  I always knew the MR2 AW11 (as seen in our Colours video), was special. It looked like nothing else. The sharp edges, the pop-up headlights the Targa top, the way it drives like a go-cart. It felt incredible. The first car I bought exclusively with all of my own money so it was super special. I will happily receive donations for my "museum of moderately interesting vehicles", to be completed in 2070."

Simone Dow (guitar) - Adult Cartoon Series:

"I love adult cartoon series’ because it seems to nail a lot of the relevance of real issues going on in the world, but with a sharp wit. I think they manage to get away with a lot more due to the suspension of disbelief being animated vs live-action TV, even though a lot of the underlying themes are VERY relevant. For me, the old adage of “if you don't laugh, you’ll cry” generally comes to mind, and I prefer to have a good belly laugh myself. Shows like Bojack Horseman, Rick and Morty, The Simpsons and Futurama have been some of my favourite shows that I’ll continuously rewatch and never grow tired of. On the flip side, I also absolutely love Star Wars because of the main themes of redemption, compassion, and love winning over everything that’s bad in the world. That, and who doesn’t love feeling like that young kid again the first time you watched the original Trilogy."

Ash Doodkorte (drums) -  Craft Beer enthusiast:

"Some of my favourite non-musical moments on tour are grabbing a lovely Hefeweizen or Coffee Porter with breakfast or finding that local hole-in-the-wall brewery for lunch, or learning that a neighbor of the venue homebrews one of the most delicious sour beers I've had on tap at a gig. You don't have to twist any arms to get people to tell you about their favourite local craft beers, and usually bring along a couple for the quaffing. When word got out on one of our last USA tours that I was keen on the odd craft beer or four, I was literally overwhelmed by our fans' generosity when they would run back from their car with a six-pack of assorted brews for me to try. I've learned many a trick and tip from homebrewers in bands and crowds alike for things to try when I get home to my brew kit, and when I taste the results it, in some small way, takes me back to those great times on tour. Craft beer is one of the reasons I Voyage to venues around the world, and there's still so many left to try! Cheers!"

Scott Kay (guitar) - Gaming:

"Gaming has always been a big part of my life. It keeps that child-like imagination flowing, and is just a good outlet to take my mind out of the real world if even for just an hour or two. Since I was 10, I've had a fascination with Dungeons & Dragons and got to play for the first time in 2005. Since then, its popularity has sky-rocketed, with the coming about of Critical Role, and shows like Stranger Things. I think it's the best game ever made; it tests your improvisational skills, both as a player and game master, and you can learn a lot about yourself in the process of playing. I think everyone of all ages should play"

Alex Canion (bass) - Music, acting, martial arts:

"Outside of Voyager, I pretty much live and breathe music. I work full time in a guitar shop which allows me to service a lot of different guitars, basses, and various other folk instruments. For the last five years, I’ve also been performing as a soloist playing contemporary covers in bars, bistros, and taverns & even mine sites. I try and be a hired gun whenever I can, taking gigs on bass or acoustic guitar/vocals where I can, sometimes with people I’ve never met before. Lately, I’ve started up a covers duo with Ashley called Fhloston Paradise which has been really fun. Learning upwards of 70 different songs on guitar and vocals is great for overall competency in both and I feel while it helped enormously with my income. It’s also given me a greater understanding of music overall."

"Currently, I’m pursuing my acting and voice acting dreams. I wanted to be an actor long before music became an interest and I’ve been taking steps to forward my career in this. Voice acting, in particular, has proven to be a labor of love. Even recording the most boring dialogue is fun for me so I’d love to do as much as possible. Not many people know this about me, but my only other interest outside of music and film is Mixed Martial Arts! I’ve never been hugely inspired by any sport but in the last four years or so I’ve become obsessed with it."

Voyager are playing Good Things 2019 - dates & tickets here.