Dilana Ismailova fronts Snifters, a hard rock band that regulars at the Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip may have seen on numerous occasions opening up for legacy hair metal groups. Her own path into singing started some time before that though.
“Singing has been a part of my life since birth, but it became professional in 2016,” Ismailova says. “I started writing music in 2019 and performing soon after. The metal scene in my hometown felt too small, which led to the move to L.A. and studying vocal performance at the Musicians Institute. Snifters formed on October 11, 2022, as my first attempt at starting a band from scratch.”
Ismailova describes the Snifters sound as neo-classical metal with a twist. “Our sound fuses powerful vocals with killer guitar riffs,” she says. “I love singing high notes, and there’s room for extreme vocals to keep things spicy.”
The singer says that the band is working on an EP that features a four-piece medieval story. “I can’t spill all the secrets, but you can check out our release, Creatures of the Night,” she says. “It’s the perfect gateway to what’s coming.”
The indie metal band knows exactly what hit means to be DIY, in a musical sense.
“DIY means taking responsibility for every aspect of our music and career,” Ismailova says. "It’s a wild ride—juggling responsibilities and connecting with a lot of amazing people, but that’s where the magic happens. With the band’s support, I’ve got the courage to tackle any challenge.”
Looking ahead, Ismailova has plenty planned for the coming months with Snifters and beyond.
“I have several collaborations lined up with friends from the guitar shred world—stay tuned on my Instagram, @swiss.knife_,” she says. “Plus, we have a band reunion planned with our second original guitarist, where we’ll be working on new material and announcing some killer shows.”
For more information, visit snifters.info.
Photo by Katie Lewellyn
