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By Amanda Epstein
In a world where the rock and metal music scenes seem to male dominated, comes a badass all-female group out of Boston, Massachusetts.
The trio were formerly part of a group together that has since disbanded. From the wreckage of that split came Stormstress. Tia, Tanya and Maddie took inspiration from the Harvest Moon in October of 2019. The Harvest Moon is a time for change and for taking action. Trying to figure out what their next steps were, they created a powerful new trio. One thing that sets them apart is that they are fronted by identical twin sisters, Tia and Tanya Dmuchowski.
Like the lightning, Tanya “Venom” brings the spark to the trio. The music she creates is electrifying and beautiful. You want to admire the beauty of it, while being fascinated by the fierceness of her notes. She takes inspiration from Jimmy Page in her playing. Tanya was always drawn to the higher notes; opting to play flute then electric guitar. Although, her new acquisition is a 7-string PRS guitar named “Reaper”, has that extra low string. The lightning takes physical form in the bright yellow of her hair, too. She switches guitars multiple times during a set. One of them even matches her golden hair.
Tia “Mayhem” brings the water element to the band. Rain is nourishing, pure and cleansing. She gives life to the songs with her bass. It makes sense that her signature color is blue. One of her basses even matches the blue in her hair. Tia takes her inspiration from legendary bass player Geddy Lee.
The twins have been playing music in some form since they were very young. Back in their hometown, outside Detroit, they played in various bands through high school. They started playing wind instruments at 11, then picked up guitars at 13. Between flute, bass clarinet, guitar, bass, drums, conga; there aren’t many instruments these girls haven’t tried. They followed their music passion into college, graduating from Berklee College of Music. Aside from being in Stormstress together, they also have their own duo acoustic act called Venom & Mayhem.
What would a storm be without the thunder? In comes Maddie May Scott with the drums creating the beat and rhythm. Maddie started playing drums at the young age of 11, and continued playing into college. Her talent led to her earning a degree in music performance from University of Massachusetts Lowell. Thunder is the heartbeat of the storm, much like Maddie’s drums. She is the force that keeps the music together and provides the backbone for the sound. Though she may hide out in the back of the stage, her presence is not missing in the music. One of Maddie’s drumming inspirations is the former drummer of Avenged Sevenfold, Jimmy Sullivan.
Back in February they released their debut single “Paint The Mask”. It is about feeling like you have to wear a mask and please everyone else in the world, all while forgetting that you need to be true to yourself too. This is something that many people can relate to. The song lives somewhere between rock and metal, managing to blend the genres into something hard, meaningful and catchy. This debut single has gotten over 50,000 streams so far on Spotify.
Their debut show was on February 28th. They were joined by fellow bands X’ELLA, First Bourne, and Lusus. This was a night of great music and passion. So many people were there to show their support for these girls on their debut show. Their set that night was mostly original songs, including their debut single. They ended with a song called “Corpses Don’t Cry” which instantly became a crowd favorite. At one point, they brought up a member from each band and their producer, Liz Borden, to perform “Zombie”. These girls know how to play for the crowd and keep them engaged. Seasoned performers.
The stage comes alive when they play. They bring an enthusiasm to the stage that radiates off and infects the crowd with energy. There is a buzz in the air, not unlike an oncoming storm. Tanya’s electrifying force is almost tangible, Maddie’s beats will get into your bones, and Tia’s bass lines become the life force in the room.
There are some signature things that happen just about every time they’re on stage. Hanging from Tanya’s mic stand is a cello bow, though not everyone notices it at first. Then she picks it up and it begins to glow from the red LED lights. This has been dubbed the “Glow Bow”. The strangest, and coolest, sounds come from her guitar as she plays a haunting melody with the bow across her strings. At some point, or even multiple, Tanya will start headbanging as she plays, and the twins will play in sync. They’ll hold up their guitars in the air and pose, or play back-to-back against each other. Can’t forget Maddie in the back. It never fails that at some point, she will become a purple waterfall of hair and be hidden behind the veil.
All of their songs are written by the band. This happens in a multitude of ways, but usually starts with either Tia or Tanya. They will write the stripped down version and then bounce ideas off of eachother. Once a general form has taken shape, it is time for Maddie to put her spin on it. Every song is given something special by each of the girls. They wouldn’t be the songs they are if they didn’t each have their hand in it.
The connection between themselves and their fans is very important to them. One way they’ve been able to do this is through Patreon. This website has allowed them to create a community of friends, family and fans that are all there to support them. The supporters have been given the nickname “Storm Chasers”. Storm Chasers have access to behind the scenes information, live Q&A sessions, and early access to music.
These girls are ready to take the rock and metal world by storm.