Mia Asano & Alicia Vigil: Reinventing the Rules of Metal on Their First Tour Together

Mia Asano & Alicia Vigil: Reinventing the Rules of Metal on Their First Tour Together

When an electric violin virtuoso with a love for folklore and a metal bassist known for commanding some of the world’s biggest stages join forces, you know something special is brewing. Mia Asano—fresh off a transformative run with Sabaton and gearing up to debut her concept album LORE—is stepping into her first headlining tour. At her side is Alicia Vigil, the powerhouse bassist of DragonForce and Vigil of War, bringing her signature precision, grit, and stage presence into an entirely new musical world.

What began as a chance meeting at a DragonForce show has evolved into a full‑circle collaboration, complete with intricate arrangements, a stacked live band, and a production designed to bring cryptids, sea serpents, and dragons to life. Between rehearsals, photo shoots, and festival announcements, the two sat down to talk about their creative chemistry, their individual journeys, and what fans can expect when this unlikely duo hits the road.

What follows is a candid, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt conversation with two artists who are redefining what modern metal can look—and sound—like.

We’re here with electric violinist—and Sabaton collaborator—Mia Asano, along with bassist Alicia Vigil of DragonForce and Vigil of War. You two recently teamed up for a photo shoot with Jack Lue. What brought you together for that session?
Mia: We’re about to head out on tour together! It’s my debut headlining tour, and Alicia is my wonderfully talented bass player. We’ve been making a lot of music together lately, and since we’ve both worked with Jack on and off over the years, he thought it would be the perfect time for us to do a shoot together.

Your musical backgrounds are pretty different—electric violin and metal bass. What surprised each of you most about working together for this tour?
Alicia: Honestly, so much. There are so many intricate parts in this set. It’s been a really fun challenge to learn everything. Mia’s got a brand‑new album coming out soon, and you’ll be surprised—there are some super cool, djenty, technical parts. It’s been a blast to play. That’s probably been the biggest surprise for me.

Mia: My biggest surprise is that Alicia said yes to being in my band. I’ve been a fan of hers for, like, a million years. I’m genuinely a fangirl, and I still can’t believe I get to play music with her.

How did the idea of bringing Alicia into the band first come up, and what made it feel like the right fit?
Mia: Alicia has always been my dream bass player, but she tours with DragonForce a lot, so I wasn’t sure she’d even be available. She also works with my drummer, Kyle Abbott—they play together in her project Vigil of War. I told Kyle I needed a bass player, and he was like, “I think Alicia’s in town.” I was like, really? So I shot my shot, asked her, and she was available.

You mentioned a solo album. Tell me about that, Mia.
Mia: It’s called LORE, and it’s a concept album about creepy monsters and cryptids—think Mothman, Bigfoot, all those creatures you’re not sure exist but you kind of want to believe in. Each song explores a different creature: the Kraken, sea serpents, dragons… lots of fun stuff. The album comes out at the end of the year, and on this tour we’re debuting eight original songs from the project. We’re really excited.

Nice! Alicia, did you record on the album?
Alicia: I didn’t. The album was recorded a while ago. But I’m learning all of it now, and it’s been great. I’m excited to be the debut live player for these songs.

How have rehearsals been going so far?
Mia: They’ve been great. How do you feel about it?

Alicia: Awesome. Like I said, there are so many intricate parts, so it’s been really helpful to meet up and make sure we’re all locking in the rhythms together. Everyone in the band is so talented. It’s been great.

Mia: Today is actually our first full production rehearsal. We’re here right now with all the lights set up—our production manager, Mehdi, programmed everything. So it feels like a real show while we’re running through the songs. We get a full light show during rehearsal, which is amazing.

Let’s talk about some of your separate projects. Mia, how did you become involved with Sabaton, and what has it been like touring with them?
Mia: They’re amazing. They’re proof that you can be really, really popular and still be incredibly kind and down‑to‑earth. My good friend Tina Guo—she’s a phenomenal cellist—recommended me for the gig, and I’m so grateful she did. That tour was honestly life‑changing for me. It was healing, it was positive, and the guys are just incredible musicians and people. I had such a good time.

Alicia, you’ve toured with major metal acts. What feels different about performing in Mia’s world compared to your other projects?
Alicia: This is actually the first time I’ve ever performed without a singer. It’s really cool—just an instrumental band where everyone is insanely talented. And I’ve never played with a violinist in any of my bands before, so that’s new too. I’m honored to be here and take on the challenge. It’s been really nice.

You’ve been in DragonForce for about six years now. You started right before the pandemic. Describe that very first show with DragonForce—what was going through your head?
Alicia: I was shitting my pants. (Much laughter) I didn’t get any rehearsals with them, so I was freaking out.

No rehearsals?
Alicia: None. And I’d never used in‑ears before that either, so it was like being thrown straight to the wolves. I had only met the guys once—other than Herman, who lives here in L.A.—so I was terrified. But the show ended up going great, and every show after that got more comfortable. We did a couple tours before the world shut down, and now I’ve been honored to play with them for the last six years.

Mia: A fun fact: when DragonForce played in Boston in 2022, I had covered “Through the Fire and Flames” online, and Herman invited me to play it live at the show. That’s actually where Alicia and I first met.

Alicia: So we did play together!

Mia: And now that same venue—the Worcester Palladium in Massachusetts—is where we’re playing on this tour for our Boston date. It feels like a full‑circle moment.

DragonForce recently released the single “Burning Heart,” featuring Alissa White‑Gluz from Arch Enemy. Tell me a little about that.
Alicia: That one was exciting because it has my first bass solo. I got my own little 30 seconds to show off, which was really fun. And having Alissa on the track—she’s such a powerhouse—made it a big deal. Super exciting.

You both know Kiki Wong, and she recently joined Smashing Pumpkins. That was huge news. What did you think of that, and have you kept in touch with her?
Alicia: Oh yeah. Kiki’s my sister. We’ve been in bands together for over ten years. I’m so proud of her—she’s the most down‑to‑earth, genuinely good person. I can’t say a single negative thing about her. She’s an amazing human and a total rock star on stage. She deserves this so much. And it’s funny—we’ve both played with her separately too. Small world.

Mia: I’m working my way through the Vigil of War lineup.

Alicia: I think Chris and William are the only two you haven’t used.

Mia: They’re next. We went to support Kiki when Smashing Pumpkins played on Jimmy Kimmel. Alicia and I were both there cheering her on at the live taping, which was really cool. And I got to see her again at the San Diego show with Kyle.

Alicia: I went to the L.A. show at SoFi Stadium.

Mia: So we both got to see her play with Smashing Pumpkins, and it was amazing to see her live.

Alicia: We’re so proud of her.

Alicia, what’s going on with Vigil of War? It’s been a few years since you’ve released anything.
Alicia: Yeah, we did put out a single a little over a year ago, but at this point we’re mostly releasing music whenever we can. Everyone’s busy—people have kids now, they’re touring with other bands, working on different projects. So I think we’ll probably stick to recording every once in a while, and I’m sure we’ll play L.A. again or maybe do a tour at some point. But right now I’m really happy and pretty busy playing with other people. It’s been nonstop.

Are either of you involved with any other bands or projects we haven’t talked about yet?
Mia: None that I’m allowed to talk about. But big things are coming.

What’s next for your bigger bands—DragonForce and Sabaton—that you are allowed to say?
Mia: Sabaton recently rescheduled their last tour, and they’re about to announce the new dates. I’m not on that tour, but I’m excited to see them when they play in L.A. next. They have some really big things planned for the future, and I’m very, very excited to see where everything goes. And that’s all I’m allowed to say.

And what about DragonForce, Alicia?
Alicia: We’ve announced that we’re playing Sonic Temple Festival and Welcome to Rockville in May, which I’m super excited about. And we’re working on something new that I can’t talk about yet. We’ll also be touring later this year.

Last question: What do you hope fans take away from seeing this particular Mia Asano lineup and this moment in both of your careers?
Mia: I’m just so excited and grateful to be doing this. Touring as your own artist is very different from touring with an established act. I’m just happy I get the chance to play my music, and I get to do it with some of my closest friends. We get to hang out for a month and make music together—what more could you want? Hopefully people can make it out to the shows. Our first one is Saturday the 28th in L.A., and then we’re hitting the East Coast and Midwest. We’re basically going to party our way across the Midwest, and I can’t wait.

🔥 In Conclusion

As Mia Asano and Alicia Vigil gear up to take this project on the road, it’s clear that their collaboration is more than a one‑off experiment—it’s a moment where two distinct musical worlds collide and spark something entirely new. Mia is stepping boldly into her identity as a solo artist, bringing her mythology‑infused vision to life with a band that feels more like family. Alicia, ever the road warrior, is embracing a fresh challenge that pushes her musicianship in unexpected directions.

Together, they’re building a show that blends technical precision, theatrical storytelling, and the kind of onstage chemistry you can’t manufacture. Whether fans come for the cryptids, the shredding, or the sheer novelty of electric violin meeting metal bass, they’re going to walk away having witnessed two artists in the middle of a creative evolution.

This tour marks a milestone for both musicians—a full‑circle moment, a new chapter, and a celebration of the paths that brought them here. And if their excitement is any indication, the fans are in for something unforgettable.

(Interview by Ken Morton – Photos by Jack Lue)

Mia Asano on Instagram
Alicia Vigil on Instagram