Today we’d like to introduce you to Ramiro Rivera
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
The idea of a band began when my friend Juan and I (Ramiro) were in high school. We had always been interested in heavy music and figured we should give it a try. However, finding a drummer you can mesh with, proved to be difficult, and so that idea was put away for a while. Until around the year 2014, a mutual friend was throwing around the idea of forming a band. So Juan, our friend and I got down to trying to complete a full band.
I attended Eastern Michigan University at the time and was taking a manufacturing class for my degree. It was in that class, that I would meet Rico, a drummer from Wyandotte. We clicked immediately and it turns out, that Rico had always wanted to join a band, but never had the opportunity.
Since we lived in Lincoln Park and Rico in Wyandotte, it was a golden opportunity to start practicing.
Thus the band was formed and we began as a quartet.
Getting a name was a bit of a challenge, but we ended up using a name from a book’s chapter title.
We first got our start in a basement show for our friend Christian’s birthday. His band, Swell Times, Dude!, were friends of ours and were very supportive of us having a band.
We played and it went alright. Personally, I still see it as the worst show we ever did. But I guess we all have to start somewhere.
By late 2015, Juan and I’s mutual friend had been inconsistent and had other priorities, so he exited the band.
And since then, we have been a trio.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Nothing in life is ever smooth. For starters, we were a 4-piece band, but ended up becoming a 3-piece.
Creatively, we’re all a bit different, and those differences regarding our ideas of art would sometimes clash. However, we embrace these differences now and find that it gives us the unique sound and attitude that is truly our own.
We had a long hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a scary time, but since then, I feel we have only gotten better.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a metal band, we like to talk about a lot of things. Our topics range from world destruction, mental health challenges and stories with horror elements.
I feel like we’re mostly known for being different. We’ve used the moniker of “NO ONE’S FAVORITE BAND” as a joke because we’ve been told that most people cannot fully pinpoint who we sound like. We take that as a major compliment, because people enjoy what we offer in regards to our music.
We’re most proud of our debut LP, “EL PANTEÓN”, because this release has been the amalgamation of nearly a decade of work and dedication to this band. I believe it has truly captured a moment in time that shows us at our best.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/theformalnightmare
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theformalnightmare_official
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFormalNightmare
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGa4J9jQYBIxsyGWxDOIKrzZmEj8aqkJh
- Other: https://theformalnightmare.bandcamp.com/
