THE AGONIST Frontwoman Talks Veganism In New Interview

VegBelly.com recently conducted an interview with vocalist Alissa White-Gluz of Montreal, Quebec, Canada-based extreme metallers THE AGONIST. An excerpt from the chat follows below.

VegBelly.com: What does a typical day look like for you?

Alissa: Well, that varies greatly, depending on whether or not I'm on the road. While touring, I'm pretty well focused on staying healthy (both mentally and physically) and making sure I can be at my top performance shape every night. So, a lot of my time is spent working out, making food, finding cute coffee shops to relax in with a book or going on searches for cool vegan spots in each city. You'd be surprised how many cities have really awesome little vegan cafes or restaurants. Using the HappyCow app really helps! If I have a lot of time before a show and no interviews or photoshoots, I'll usually take the day to myself and search out a gym followed by some awesome food… that way I get a little escape from the tour pressures for a few hours. When I'm at home, I have a really packed schedule. I work 9 hours a day at my "day job," always followed by three hours at the gym and then usually some band-related meeting afterwards. Needless to say, I really need to plan my meals and pretty much only get home in time to go to bed. When my boyfriend is in town (he also tours with his band OBEY THE BRAVE) it's much easier since he is a good cook and is gradually becoming more and more vegan as time goes on. Hot yoga once a week, studio time for the various musical projects I'm involved with, volunteering with different organizations from time to time — I really have no down time. But I am glad to be so productive and have awesome people around me to help me through the stress!

VegBelly.com: You're from Montreal. How's the vegan/vegetarian food scene there?

Alissa: Since I became vegan about 15 years ago, the vegan scene has really flourished. There are lots of university-centered areas of the city where you can find 2 to 3 vegan restaurants or stores within the same block. There is a really nice scene here and since Montreal is a rather artistic city anyways, you'll often find cool cafes or places that are more open-minded and offer vegan alternatives in their menu, even if it is not strictly a vegan place. The top on almost everyone's list is a place called Aux Vivres — an absolute MUST visit if ever you come to Montreal. I've seen this all-vegan business basically explode over the last ten years. The food is just too good. Everyone, vegan and omnivore alike, loves it there. The fact that we are a very multicultural city also means there are a lot of nice Indian, Lebanese Japanese (etc.) restaurants that have vegan options.

VegBelly.com: How are you in the kitchen? Do you like cooking?

Alissa: I enjoy cooking, but since I have no time, I leave it to my boyfriend as much as possible! I always bring a "wow" item, like my secret recipe vegan lasagna to any potluck I go to. I love seeing people's faces when I tell them it's vegan and it is getting eaten faster than any of the meat plates. If I had more free time, I would love to cook more. It's less expensive than eating out and way healthier.

Read the entire interview from VegBelly.com.