Rising Alma are a multinational band specializing in alternative hard rock, and they’ve just released their new album, “Cracking the Moment”. Their fresh artistic vision brings a strong sense of identity to their music and instantly captures the attention of every rock fan. Myth of Rock, having fully recognized the band’s quality, spoke with Rising Alma—and right below, you can read this very interesting interview!
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
How did Rising Alma come together back in 2021, and what sparked the idea to start the band?
Rising Alma came together in Berlin in 2021 when Alīse and Maxìmo met. What started as two musicians sharing ideas quickly grew into a full band with a clear vision: to create honest, powerful rock music that connects with listeners. Our first goal was simply to find our sound and start playing around Berlin, which happened naturally as we kept writing together.
You are a multinational band. How does that affect the band and your music?
Being a multinational band shapes everything about how we create music. Máximo and Alīse come from very different places, Uruguay and Latvia, and both been influenced by the traditional and modern music of their countries. Those differences bring a wide range of perspectives, sounds, and emotions into our songs.
At the same time, our shared understanding of music lets us connect and collaborate seamlessly. The combination of diverse cultural influences and our musical chemistry give Rising Alma a sound that’s unique, honest, and emotionally powerful.
What’s the story behind the name Rising Alma, and what does it mean to you?
Rising Alma literally means Rising Soul. When the two of us started creating music together, it felt like we were building something only we truly understood. We wanted a name that captured that feeling, something that said this project has its own sound, its own foundation, its own soul.
Máximo came up with the band name putting the first letters of names Alīse and Máximo together in Alma. And it also carries meanings that resonated with what we were becoming. And Rising grew out of one of the first songs we ever wrote, Forgotten Soul. Put together, it felt powerful, honest, and exactly right for the band we were shaping.
Which artists or bands had the biggest influence on your sound and direction?
When we write, we never sit down thinking about a specific band or artist to follow. But naturally, we’ve always gravitated toward the alternative rock world, that’s the energy that shaped us.
How would you describe your music to someone who’s never heard of Rising Alma before?
We’d describe our music as melodic hard rock – heavy riffs balanced with melodic, expressive vocals. You can expect a dynamic, modern edge in the way we build our songs. Lyrically, we talk about real, relatable experiences, and we’re never afraid to be raw or honest. There are always a sense of mystery and a darker vibe running through our sound, giving each track its own atmosphere...
When you begin writing a new song, do you usually start with lyrics, melody, or riffs?
Not every song starts the same way, but most often it begins with a guitar riff from Máximo. When something clicks, Alīse jumps in with the melody and lyrics, sometimes they flow naturally, almost like a movie or story unfolding inside the head. From there, we work closely together, shaping the arrangements as the song grows. Usually, we have one spark an intro, a verse, or a chorus and the rest evolves piece by piece until the whole song feels complete. There are some exceptions like Oblivious where the musical idea started from Alīse, she created it on the piano.
What emotions or life experiences inspire your songwriting the most?
I, Alīse, write most of the lyrics, and a lot of my inspiration comes from simply wanting to be heard. I think we all bottle up so many thoughts and feelings, and for me, songwriting is the place where I finally let them out. That’s actually why I started listening to rock in the first place, it made me feel like I had a voice. Those emotions, that need for expression, and the experiences I usually keep to myself are what drive my writing the most.
Is there a main creative force behind your compositions, or do you all contribute equally?
Máximo and I are the main songwriters in the band, so we usually take the lead when it comes to shaping the core sound of Rising Alma. But everyone contributes especially when it comes to building their own instrumental parts and bringing in their own ideas. Each member adds something personal to the music, and that collaboration is what makes the songs feel complete.
How do you find the right balance between the melodic and the heavy elements in your sound?
It really comes naturally to us as songwriters , it’s simply how we feel music. Our musical backgrounds play a big part in that balance too; we both grew up with a classical foundation, and that definitely shaped the way we approach emotion and dynamics. For us, the heavy and the melodic aren’t opposites. They’re just different ways of expressing what we feel, and our music naturally carries both vulnerability and strength.
Your lyrics often feel deeply personal — do you see them as a form of self-expression or storytelling?
As mentioned before, the lyrics serve primarily as a form of self-expression. While they are sometimes wrapped in a story, at their core they remain personal and real. Even when a narrative is present, it’s always grounded in genuine experience and emotion.
Your album “Awake” marked a big step forward. What do you remember most from making it?
What we remember most from making Awake is the excitement and the courage it took to fully be ourselves. The album was our statement: this is our sound, this is who we are, and we hoped it would connect with people.
Describe the recording and production process of your latest album, “Cracking The Moment”.
It might surprise some people, but we recorded and mixed all of Cracking The Moment in our home studio., except for the drums that were reorded in another studio. We’ve grown a lot as a band, and Máximo has spent countless hours honing his skills as a producer, always focused on making the best choices to capture our sound.
How would you describe the “Cracking the Moment” album in terms of sound, emotion, and evolution?
Compared to our first LP, Cracking the Moment keeps the core of our sound, but it shows how much we’ve grown. We let go of expectations, moved freely, and shared sides of ourselves we hadn’t before. The music is more diverse, the melodies and ideas flow naturally, and above all, we stayed true to creating what makes us happy. The result is honest, personal, and unapologetically us.
Which track from “Cracking the Moment” holds the strongest personal meaning for you, and why?
“Innocence” is a very personal song for us. Alīse felt it was time to address fatherlessness, something she experienced firsthand when her father left the family. It’s a topic that doesn’t get talked about enough, even though so many people carry its impact. Inspired in part by a book from singer Lacey Sturm, who described fatherlessness as almost an epidemic, it just felt right to give it a voice through our music.
Why did you decide to cover the song “Self Control”?
Self Control is our first cover, and when we started thinking about which song to take on, this one just felt right. Musically, it intrigued us, it has some keyboard elements as well, and we’re fans of Laura Branigan’s version, which isn’t even the original! Máximo had been bringing it up for a while, and the theme of losing control really resonated with us. There’s also a mysterious tone in the song that we love and wanted to explore in our own way.
What do you hope listeners will experience or feel when they hear the new album?
Honestly, we hope listeners will realize that our music isn’t exactly what they’ve heard before. We would like them to feel the feelings that are captured in each song but find something just for themselves.
How do you capture the intensity and emotional depth of your music when performing live?
We put the music first,seeing it as a gift from us to the audience. Every song has been carefully crafted and felt from start to finish, and when we perform live, we want that intensity and emotion to reach as deep as possible, so the audience can truly feel it. So we just fully embrace the moment. We simply like when people can feel somehting at our shows, like the music makes us feel something different, something better. That’s really the drive.
If you could tour or collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?
We’d love to collaborate with bands or artists who have influenced us, that would be amazing. Personally, I’d choose Sonny Sandoval from P.O.D. That band gave me the inspiration and tools to pursue this direction in music, much of it coming from Sonny himself. I have a lot of respect for him as both an artist and a person, so working with him would mean a great deal.
What’s next for Rising Alma — are there plans for touring, or any exciting projects on the horizon?
We’re already moving forward and have some exciting surprises on the way! We’ve got shows lined up in Berlin and are exploring opportunities abroad. There’s a lot we want to share, so keep an eye out , new things are coming!
Send your message to our readers please!
Hi to everyone reading this interview with Myth of Rock! We’re truly grateful for your time and for checking us out. We hope our music resonates with you, and if it does, we’d love to hear from you , it would mean a lot! And if you’re in Germany, we’d be thrilled to see you at one of our shows. Keep it real, and live every moment!
