Metal Inside(r) Home Quarantine is Metal Insider’s new column during this time of isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We asked artists five questions on what’s been keeping them busy ranging from their favorite movies, food they’ve been eating, music they’ve been listening to and more. We caught up with Maitreya’s Mark Wylie (guitar), Lyam Morrison (bass) and Matt Cutrara (vocals) as they’ve been spending this time focusing on their hobbies.
What have you been doing to pass time during Quarantine?
Matt C.: My hobbies have been thriving with all this free time! Yoga, piano/guitar, houseplants, gaming, working out, tv/movies, and virtual socializing via discord!
Mark: Agreed with Matt on the hobbies. Meditation/Yoga has been a big one. With all the negative external stuff going on in the world, it’s been the perfect opportunity to explore inner spaces. Studying jazz more in-depth has been fun too. Started studying chess as well – all the nerdy stuff I passively explored I can take a more active role in exploring.
Lyam: Playing video games with friends has been a good way to stay connected with people that I can’t spend as much time with. Doing some online writing sessions has been interesting too because of how different it is to write in the same room. As well as music, I’m very passionate about art, and having tons of free time alone has allowed me to explore that much more than I could previously. I’m a huge comic book guy too so I’ve been able to really dive into some great books.
Have you been listening to any music or have any playlists worth checking out?
Matt C.:
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A lot of people have been spending this time cooking including making their own bread, what food have you been prepping during this time?
Matt C.: I’ve optimized my diet via an oatmeal shake in the morning, omelet for lunch, and chicken/rice/salad for dinner!
Mark: I make a pretty rad granola cereal that I’m pretty much addicted to. I put oats and nuts in a big bowl with a lot of cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin spice then gradually add honey, coconut oil and vanilla extract that’s been brought to a boil. Bake it for a couple of minutes and serve with fruits, yogurt and almond milk!
Lyam: I like to find recipes for things people don’t generally eat at home, which are usually a lot easier than someone might expect. A good example is spinach dip, a staple of bar appetizers that are really easy to make and always delicious. Toss in some Havarti and some jalapeno and it hits the next level.
In terms of entertainment, what movies, TV shows, books, or games have been keeping you busy?
Matt C.: Re-watching Westworld for the 6th time, Hannibal, Legion, Leftovers, Attack on Titan, Mandalorian, Valorant, Tomb Raider, Deep Rock Galactic, SW Battlefront 2, Spyro Remaster, Apex, Resident Evil 3, Waking Life, Her, Interstellar, Hunchback of Notre Dame
Mark: I finally got around to watching all of the Game of Thrones. The first time I took mushrooms I happened to watch some of it, needless to say, it was a bad trip and put me off the series for a couple of years…
Lyam: Rereading some of my favourite comic titles like Swamp Thing, Sandman, Headlopper and tons of classic Batman stories. Checking out some of the newer books too, I really liked the recent Conan book. At Matt C’s recommendation, I’ve been watching American Gods and Westworld which are both awesome. With everyone getting lots of free time it’s been awesome playing DnD a lot more too. For video games, I play a lot of Call Of Duty Warzone and a bit of Minecraft and League of Legends.
What advice do you have for your fans in isolation during this time?
Matt C.: Focus on optimizing your relationship with yourself. Everyone is really lonely in the pandemic and the way I overcame that was to focus on my relationship with myself. Optimize my diet, exercise, creative output, (virtual) social life, sleep cycles, sunlight, entertainment, and learning. These are all things that you can do without any other people and the pandemic has offered an opportunity for getting to know yourself deeply. I’m happy to say that I’ve taken this opportunity and it’s definitely benefited me, and I encourage everyone to seize the same opportunity to the best of their ability!
Mark: Meditate. There’s kind of a shroud of mystery on how to do it properly and I think people try it and don’t stick to it. I’ve been treating it like how I learned guitar – in my first year of playing guitar I SUCKED, but now 15 something years later it’s effortless. Everything takes practice!
Lyam: I’d recommend doing some arts and crafts to anyone. It’s a great way to fill your time with something that’s fun, productive and inexpensive. Everyone has scissors and recycled paper and that’s often all it takes to make something neat.
