An Interview with Jossie “The Purple Raven” Ayame

This interview features Jossie "The Purple Raven" Ayame from Grind Radio's Darklings Dystopia show. She discusses her love for music as an escape, her top five favorite bands including Eluveitie and Iron Maiden, and her passion for archery, jewelry making, and alternative modeling. Jossie also highlights underrated South African metal bands deserving more recognition.

It’s time for the next installment of Meet The Grind Radio Crew. Today I’m featuring Jossie “The Purple Raven” Ayame. She grew up in a small town in the South of England and moved to South Africa when she was only 12 years old. She has always struggled to fit in, so she turned to music. Music speaks to her, gives her strength and helped her embrace her differences – it didn’t force her to fit in. She’s always had a fascination with all things dark and spooky and this reflects in her everyday life.

More info about Jossie Ayame

Jossie loves dyeing her hair random colours and change it every few months. Her hair is currently half pink, half purple, no wonder the folks at the Grind Radio refer to her as “The Purple Raven”. Jossie listens to a wide variety of music genres but mostly her focus is on industrial, EBM, Gothic rock and folk metal. She loves discovering new bands that have a unique sound.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Jossie “The Purple Raven” Ayame (for the second time for Running Wolf’s Rant) and this is what she had to say…

Not to sound like I’m repeating myself, but Jossie, what do you like the most about music?

Music is my escape. When you’ve had a rough day, music is always there and can immediately change your mood. I also listen to many bands which have fantasy-themed lyrics, which helps me to forget about everything and make my imagination run wild.

Which bands / artists are on your list op the top 5 artists of all time and which ones are on your list of the 5 worst artists of all time and why?

Wow, it’s difficult to choose only 5 favourites, but here goes:

• Eluveitie – their lineup includes violin, bagpipes, hurdy gurdy and more unusual instruments, combined with the classic electric guitar, bass guitar and drums setup. Plus they often sing in an ancient language called Gaulish – you can’t get more metal than that!
• Iron Maiden – I don’t think this even needs an explanation. Iron Maiden are just that amazing.
• Alestorm – The creators of pirate metal. These guys are insanely cool. They’ll be performing in SA at Witchfest next year!
• Rhapsody of Fire – The most epic symphonic metal band in existence. Luca Turilli is a god. And Sir Christopher Lee (Saruman from Lord of the Rings) often does narrative vocals in their songs.
• Korpiklaani – Another brilliant Folk metal band. They also have the most catchy metal drinking songs (apart from Alestorm maybe).

As for the worst artists of all time, the list is endless but Miley Cyrus is definitely at the top of the list.

When you’re not doing shows on the Grind, which activities occupy your time?

I’m always busy because I’m currently studying BA Fashion and I’m a waitress at Aandklas Hatfield (to earn some extra cash). In my spare time I do archery and I make jewellery. I’m also a make-up artist and an alternative model. You can check out my modeling work on my Facebook page.

What song is Jossie Ayame currently listening to and what stands out about it?

Elvenking – “Black Roses For The Wicked One”. I’ve always been a huge Elvenking fan, but their new album, “The Pagan Manifesto”, just blew me away. This song is my favourite off the album and I’ve been listening to it non-stop for the past 2 weeks or so. The band has matured their sound immensely and this song has very cool folk metal riffs combined with catchy and theatrical vocals.

Which SA artists / bands do you think need more recognition?

Many bands in the SA metal scene don’t get any recognition and there is some incredible talent out there. ING is an insane thrash metal band that mocks South African politics. Infanteria are also an amazing thrash band and performed at Wacken last year. Terminatryx is probably the only industrial metal band in the country and are definitely worth a listen.

Which 5 bands do you want to come to South Africa and why?

• Iron Maiden – I think this one is on many people’s bucket list.
• Korpiklaani – It would be an incredible experience to sing along to “Vodka” or “Bring Us Pints Of Beer” live.
• Eluveitie – Seeing the Folk metal gods in all their splendour is worth dying for.
• King Diamond – His shows are just as theatrical as his music and will make for one hell of a show.
• Rhapsody of Fire – I can imagine that they would be almost as spectacular as King Diamond live.

When can people listen to Jossie on the Grind Radio?

I host the Darklings Dystopia show every Thursday from 1 PM until 3 PM.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Jossie “The Purple Raven” Ayame for taking time off her busy schedule do this interview. Feel free to check her Facebook Page, follow her on Twitter or on Instagram, or read her blog.

Well, there you have it, the second installment in the Meet The Grind Radio Crew series on Running Wolf’s Rant. If you’ve enjoyed reading this article, feel free to share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. Remember: Sharing is Caring.

Watch this space for updates in the Music category on Running Wolf’s Rant.