Behind the Music: An Interview with Chris Deitz of Laniidae

Hawk-IT Media
14 hours ago
15 min read

Welcome to Hawk-IT Interviews! Today I’m excited to feature a special Q&A with Chris Dietz, the lead vocalist of the band Laniidae. In this interview, Chris talks about how the band got started, his own musical journey, the inspiration behind Laniidae’s music, some of his personal hobbies, and what the future may hold for the band. I hope you enjoy reading the interview!

Amit Ahuja: To begin at the very start of your story, can you take us back to your earliest memories and paint a vivid picture of where you grew up? What were your hometown like — the streets, the energy, the people, the culture? How would you describe the social and emotional atmosphere that surrounded you during your childhood and teenage years, and what role did family, friends, or local influences play in shaping your early sense of identity?

Chris Dietz: I grew up in a small mountain town in Lenoir, North Carolina. There wasn’t much going on at all to be honest! The town used to be a big hub for furniture manufacturing, but all that business left long before my time, so the city always felt eerily… empty. It was and still is a beautiful place though, right at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains! I had a small group of like-minded nerdy friends and we shared passions for music, videogames, and typical pre-teen shenanigans. Those guys, along with my sisters really shaped me early on and showed me that it’s cool to be a weirdo.

Amit Ahuja: Looking back now with experience and perspective, how do you feel your upbringing shaped the individuals and artists you’ve become? In what ways did your early life experiences influence your values, worldview, emotional resilience, and the way you approach creativity and self-expression today?

Chris Dietz: Early on in life, my family moved around a good bit. Back and forth across the state a few times before we settled into our little mountain town. There was a lot of stress and unease in those days, but we carried on, and I was always encouraged by my dad to find and pursue things that I was passionate about. Music being a big one! I spent A LOT of time when I was younger just going bananas in my room to slipknot and letting my teenage angst rage! Finding that comfort and catharsis in music back then is definitely what led me to where I am today.

Amit Ahuja: Every city has its own heartbeat when it comes to music. Can you share what it was like coming up within your local music scene? Talk about the venues, promoters, fellow bands, and the sense of community — or even the challenges — that defined those early years. How did being part of that environment influence your sound, work ethic, and identity as a band? And what do you think makes your hometown a uniquely powerful place for artists compared to other cities?

Chris Dietz: My first real experience in the local scene started in 2015. I moved to Charlotte, NC and finally joined a band. There’s always been an insane and varied music scene here along with some legendary venues. The Milestone Club is the pillar of local music here. It’s a perfectly grungy, small venue that’s been around since the 60’s.

It's legacy is wild, google it! We spent our early years playing weeknight night shows at Milestone, Snug Harbor, and Amos’ Southend, networking with other talented bands in the scene, and just cutting our teeth. Some of my fondest memories as a musician are from those days! Flash forward to now and this scene is stronger than ever. Charlotte is a melting pot of transplants from other places, and there truly is something in the water that just breeds good music.

Amit Ahuja Walk us through your musical journey. When did music first enter your life in a meaningful way? Was there a defining moment, memory, or experience that shifted you from being a listener to feeling compelled to create?

Chris Dietz: I was drawn to music from the start. Even when all my mom (love you ma!) would play in the car was country music, I still got down with it. The defining moment for me was in 6^th grade when I went to my friend Tara’s house and she showed me “Reinventing Your Exit” by Underoath. It was on the soundtrack for a video game called Greg Hasting’s Tournament Paintball 2004, and we literally just sat in front of the TV and played it over and over again. No surprise that UO is still my favorite band to this day!

Amit Ahuja: What initially drew you towards the metalcore genre? Beyond the musical intensity or structure, what was it about the culture, aesthetic, emotional depth, or sense of belonging within that scene that resonated with you on a personal level?

Chris Dietz: Being that Underoath was my introduction, metalcore just came easy. The blend of uplifting and soaring melodies with Spencer’s shrieks just grabbed me and never let me go haha. Something about that yin and yang, heavy yet gentle, Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde type vibe just resonated with me. The potential is limitless on how far you can push in either direction and I always dreamed of making music like that. I think I’m on the right track!

Amit Ahuja: When you reflect on your early years, were there particular bands, albums, or even individual songs that resonated with you on a deeply personal level—music that felt almost formative in shaping your identity and the artist you were becoming?

Chris Dietz: Underoath’s Define the Great Line changed me. To this day, there’s really nothing like it. I can still spin that record and it feels as fresh and immersive as the day it came out, but there were many others! I was a huge Killswitch fan (Howard era of course), and years down the road I’d stumble across ERRA. I still believe their first two albums are untouchable and perfect in every regard. I guess you could say I’m a sucker for a great chorus and an a$$ beating breakdown.

Amit Ahuja: As the band’s vocalist, did those early influences have a direct impact on how you approached your craft? For example, did certain singers inspire you to experiment with different tones, techniques, or styles? Were there specific performances that pushed you to expand your vocal range, strengthen your control, or explore new emotional depths in your delivery?

Chris Dietz: Absolutely! Much of my early days trying to learn how to scream was just me squawking in the shower, trying to sound like the singer from Parkway Drive. I think there’s actually a video on my friend’s old camera of me attempting a cover of “Gimme a D” and I hope it never resurfaces. I realized pretty early on that low screams/gutterals were kinda my forte. Bands like Parkway, BMTH, and (don’t laugh) Asking Alexandria definitely helped me shape my voice and experiment with different techniques. Delivering a powerful and raw yet controlled vocal performance is what I’ve always aspired to do. I don’t just wanna make cool noises, I wanna belt it and I want you to FEEL what I’m feeling.

Amit Ahuja: If you compare the vocalist, you were five years ago to who you are now, what has changed the most—your technique, your confidence, your emotional depth, your perspective?

Chris Dietz: A lot has changed in 5 years! I was in a progressive death metal band writing science fiction concept albums back then. My style leaned much more into my low screams, and I learned a lot writing melodies and rhythms over crazy technical music. My voice has grown and I’ve expanded my arsenal of vocal weaponry since then haha. With LANiiDAE I focus more on this pitched-yell, almost hardcore, style vocal that I think translates emotion very well. I still do my gurgly lows, shrieky highs and everything in between, but once I started messing around with that yelly style of vocal it became a staple of our sound and pushed my voice in new directions. I can also almost sing now!

Amit Ahuja: A lot of people assume screaming equals anger — but what emotions are actually underneath your harsh vocals? Are there moments where the scream is grief, fear, love, or even hope?

Chris Dietz: Screaming is everything. It’s rage, its sorrow, its bliss, it’s misery. I think it’s such an honest and abrasive form of expression. It means what you’re feeling, and I think taking something so unapproachable and translating un-filtered emotion through it is the coolest thing ever.

Amit Ahuja: Metalcore lyrics often confront trauma, mental health, betrayal, or existential struggle. How do you balance honesty about dark experiences without letting them consume you creatively?

Chris Dietz: LANiiDAE has been a huge outlet for me lyrically. These songs are honest, and help me to not only vent my own emotions, but change perspectives and understand others in my life. It’s kinda my journal of the past 8 years. It’s funny because our general vibe and presentation through our live shows and social media is that we’re just some goofy dudes, having a blast and loving what we do. It’s a wonderful dichotomy of “serious” songs with depth and emotion, and just some dorks having a good ole time. Sad music for happy people!

Amit Ahuja: Take us back to the very beginning of your band called Laniidae. How did the band first come together? What circumstances, shared experiences, or creative visions aligned at that moment to make it feel right to officially start this journey as a group? What was the original vision for your sound, message, and overall identity? As you look at where you are today, how closely does that early vision align with what you’ve become — and where have you surprised yourselves creatively?

Chris Dietz: LANiiDAE started as a studio project in 2018 with myself and Joey Park! We were both in other bands at the time so we’d become friends through the scene. One night after a show we played together (and a few PBRs) Joey said “dude come to my house and do vocals on these songs. Tomorrow.” I said “why the hell not” and showed up the next day. I’ve been hanging at his studio and writing music with him ever since! We both loved our old bands (shout out Kairos and Violent Life Violent Death), but were both looking to shake things up and find a new creative outlet. Those first few years were just him and I, down in the dungeon (studio), writing like madmen. It was a really cool and freeing time for both of us! No limits outside of our own creativity. We originally were going for a much heavier, borderline deathcore sound. Mean riffs and monstrous vocals were the only goal. LANiiDAE became the perfect catalyst for our rage, disappointment, and bitterness. But out of that something else started to bloom. Once we got our teenage angst out (neither of us were teenagers haha) we started experimenting with a more melodic, emotional sound. We found that we really enjoyed writing music that wasn’t just heavy to be heavy. We wanted something with depth and honesty.

Something we could really pour our hearts into and break free of any constraints that being a “heavy” band would entail. We spent about 3 years evolving, growing as songwriters and musicians, and finally got to a point where we wanted to make this something besides a studio project. With a plethora of songs under our belt we began assembling our team. Our long time friend and bassist Kyle joined the fray, and also long time friend Larry joined on drums. We kept writing, further defining our sound.

Last up was Jay. We had met a couple years prior when playing a show together in our separate bands (shout out Voraflux). Jay had since been doing some solo pop music at the time, and I was personally a huge fan of it. I asked them to come hang and collaborate with us for a song, and you’ll never believe what happened next. Jay came over and never left! The five of us have been writing and creating ever since 2021. Our sound has taken on this wild blend of punchy metalcore and infectious pop. It’s honestly something we couldn’t have imagined at the beginning, but it’s really turned into something special and we’re STOKED on it

Amit Ahuja: In the early stages, did you experiment with different band names before settling on Laniidae? What was the process like, and what ultimately made this name feel like the perfect representation of who you are?

Chris Dietz: Joey was actually set on the name LANiiDAE from the start! He had already released a demo under that name and from day one it just fit. For those that don’t know, a laniidae is a type of bird that impales its prey on tree branches. Pretty metal. It’s also a very unassuming and cute little bird, so again the dichotomy of violence and majesty is at play here too.

Amit Ahuja: Could you take us a little deeper into some of the specific tracks—especially the brand new song “All Along” as well as previous ones like “Downhill,” “Worst Day,” and “Last Time”? I’d love to hear what emotions, experiences, or particular chapters of your life you were unpacking in each of those songs.

Chris Dietz: All Along” was the first song we wrote that made us say “yeah this is where the album starts.” I was going through a pretty tumultuous time. Struggling with alcohol abuse, and some pretty gnarly family trauma to boot. This track kind of became my “letting go” song. So many things in this life want to control you, and if you give them an inch they’ll take the whole damn mile. It’s a song about taking back charge of my life and growing from the pain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t86V5jpsZI

“Downhill” is about loss. Spending your time building something and watching it crumble apart in your hands. It’s that moment where a situation reaches a boiling point and you just throw your hands up and call it a day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcGAxZw_fbc

“Worst Day” has a great story haha. Pretty early in our days of actually playing shows, we drove about 4 hours to play in Virginia and realized when we got there we’d forgotten a power cable for our mixer that runs our tracks and our click for our drummer. Panic ensues and of course it’s this weird cable that no one has a spare of. So we floundered around and ended up just raw dogging a three song set of some of our heavier songs. “Worst Day” is about that show and how bad shit will inevitably happen. It’s all about growing from those experiences and becoming the most kick ass version of yourself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOxD7VVRHoc

“Last Time” touches on the cycle of abuse. Being hurt by someone or something and always going back, telling yourself it’s the last time. I’ve witnessed some serious abuse of people that are very close to me, so I wanted to write something to give them strength and hope that things will get better and there will be a last time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyMrjRFlsb8

Amit Ahuja: Were you drawing from specific moments or relationships when writing them? And when you listen back now, are there certain lines or sections that still feel especially raw, vulnerable, or even transformative for you?

Chris Dietz: Oh definitely. One of my favorite lines to this day is “I think you’ve said enough.” after the bridge in “Downhill”. It’s such a simple and short line, but the delivery and the swell of the song just hit like a truck. Also in “All Along” the line “it shouldn’t be this fucking hard to be a part of your life” i feel is just so damn relatable. I think anyone can listen to that track and resonate with it on some level.

Amit Ahuja: When you create music, does the process feel more like catharsis, self-discovery, confrontation, healing — or a mixture of all of it? How does that emotional state influence what ultimately makes its way into your songs?

Chris Dietz: One thing I love about the way we write in LANiiDAE is that it’s all very on the spot. When Joey or Jay has an idea brewing, I’ll literally just sit in the studio, write, and record the vocals then and there. It all feels very spontaneous and I think it allows for a very emotional delivery. Whatever the song is making me feel, whatever headspace I’m in, is what comes out and it’s a really cathartic process.

Amit Ahuja: Looking ahead, what exciting projects, collaborations, tours, or creative milestones are on the horizon for Laniidae? What feels like the next big chapter, and what are you personally most excited to explore?

Chris Dietz: So, we just signed to Tough Luck Music based out of Florida! Insane that what started as two dudes in the dungeon, is now a fully realized and signed band haha. Never in a million years did we anticipate this is where we’d end up 8 years later, but we’re all extremely grateful and extremely stoked. Our new album is finished, just tightening up some screws here and there and we’re planning for a late summer release. We’ve got a small weekend run to New York and back at the beginning of April, and we’re booking some cool stuff leading up to and after the album release. Personally I’m ready to be in the van with my boys and go eat gas station hot dogs in some new cities over the next few months!

Amit Ahuja: Rejection, setbacks, and self-doubt are part of nearly every creative journey. What advice would you offer to younger musicians facing those challenges? How can artists transform disappointment into motivation and long-term growth?

Chris Dietz: WRITE. Write music, take your time, and find people that get you, and that you can genuinely collaborate with. There’s so many moving parts to all this music stuff and it’s utterly daunting sometimes. So your number one focus should be your music. Write what you feel. Create what’s important to you. Because once you have that, the disappointments and setbacks will become speed bumps and not car crashes. When you’re invested on an artistic and creative level, all the other bullshit becomes irrelevant. Even if it can still be really annoying haha.

Amit Ahuja: Who are three people who have profoundly shaped your life — whether artistically, personally, or professionally? What lessons did they teach you, and how do those influences continue to guide you today?

Chris Dietz: Oh gosh, there’s so many more than three haha, but I’ll do the three most relevant to this interview. Joey Park is a huge one. He’s pushed me creatively and been by my side not only in LANiiDAE, but through the ups and downs of life. Dude is a visionary and none of us would be where we are without him. Tony Davis is next! Tony gave me a call in March of 2015 and told me I’d gotten the vocalist spot for his band Kairos. That changed my life.

Spending years writing with and learning from him has been a true blessing. We are still best buds to this day, and play alongside each other in our blackened doom metal band called Blaakhol. Lastly I’ve gotta give big ups to my man Sebastian Wells. He was my roommate for 10 years and is still one of my greatest friends. From my teenage years to now, we’ve bonded over music, worked in similar fields, and we’ve both grown up to do some pretty amazing things. Big ups to my boys!

Amit Ahuja: Outside of music, what other forms of art or storytelling inspire you? Are there particular films, books, visual artists, series, or podcasts that deeply resonate with you? What is it about those mediums — the emotional depth, narrative structure, atmosphere, or craftsmanship — that fuels your creativity?

Chris Dietz: I’m a huge gamer, always have been and always will be haha. I grew up with two sisters, so gaming was always something to keep me busy while they were dancing, modeling, and generally just being way cooler than me. I’m very much into single-player RPG type stuff and huge into the indie gaming scene. Hollow Knight, Expedition 33, Chained Echoes to name a few. It’s definitely a form of escapism for me. Not necessarily shutting my brain off, but putting my brain somewhere else and being immersed in someone else’s world is just therapeutic. Anyways, I should probably go read a book now.

Amit Ahuja: Many artists speak openly about the relationship between creativity and mental health. How have you each navigated that balance throughout your journeys? What tools, support systems, or practices have helped you maintain well-being while pursuing your passion, and what advice would you give to younger artists learning to protect their mental health?

Chris Dietz: I think it’s a sad but true statement that hurt people make great art. The whole idea of the tortured artist is not only legitimate, but kind of idolized. I’ve written some of my best songs when I was absolutely in the dumps, and even though I love those songs, I never want to find myself in those places again. My art to me is a sort of therapy and I’m grateful to have such an outlet, but it will never replace community and communication. The struggle with mental health is always a push and pull, but for me personally, the best thing I can do when I’m in a bad place is pull my head out of my ass and just open up to someone. Set aside ego, set aside being strong, and be vulnerable with the people that you care about. Because they care about you too.

Amit Ahuja: As we wrap up, what reflections would you like to leave with your fans and my readers — and with anyone out there chasing a dream? Is there a message, truth, or piece of wisdom that feels especially important to share at this point in your journey?

Chris Dietz: I’m gonna quote my dad on this one. He’s been my #1 supporter since day one and he gave me the greatest advice about 12 years ago. “The only people that make it, are the people that keep doing it!” That quote replays in my head everyday and I think it translates to everyone and can be implemented into anything you’re doing. Stay passionate and keep at it! It’s the only way. Thanks for having me!

Amit Ahuja: Thank You Chris Deitz from Laniidae for sharing your story with my readers today!