1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
1. Nothing special to be completely honest. I'm still writing and recording songs whenever i feel like it, and the others are doing their thing. The most "special" thing is that I'm doing things more and more by myself, like on this latest release, I've done everything myself. The biggest reason for this is time, I work a lot faster by myself and I wanted to get this done as fast as possible, without sacrificing quality.
2.Recently you have released your first full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?
2. I have always had a preference for bands within the genre that have a kind of hopeless feeling, like when you know there is nothing you can do, so that's how i got the general idea. But a lot of, if not all, songs are written during times of strong emotions, so that also rules a lot when it comes to the general atmosphere. If we take "Let me die in peace" as an example, I tried to replicate the feeling of smiling or laughing when life feels terrible, a bit like laughing at the situation, because that is what i felt at the moment of writing it.
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with your music?
3. Lyrics are something we haven't made public yet really, but I can tell you about the general themes. Most of the songs touch the subject of nostalgia and the knowledge that nothing will ever be like it once was, which is something I believe a lot of people can relate to. They also are usually about a more pessimistic look on life and its purpose, which is a question that everyone is trying to answer, but no one is able to. There are also a lot of very personal themes that I have chosen to keep to myself. But in general, nostalgia and nihilism are the main themes.
4.Musically how do you feel your music differs from other dsbm bands?
4. That is a pretty hard question since DSBM is a very simple genre, but I would say we are a bit more melodic than the average DSBM band. With this i mean that we usually build our songs around a certain melody and use instruments like a piano or lead guitar to bring out the melody more clearly. We are also not as atmospheric like a lot of other bands, mostly because I find that it can get boring very easily, but there are of course bands that do it well. The mixing is also something that makes us a bit different. Usually, people have a lot of treble on the guitars and barely any bass, which makes the sound too sharp in my opinion, so I have tried to get a more even mix with more bass and mid. But I would not say that we are too different, we just do things our way based on our preferences.
5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
5. The artwork is actually a photograph i took on a hike in the mountains near where I live. I thought that there was a really cool opening between the trees, so I decided to take a picture of it, and a few months later, I thought it would be great as an album cover. I used a lot of filters and masks to make it look like it does, but I still think that you can see pretty clearly what it is.
6.The band members live in both in the United States and Sweden, what impact does the long distance in between members have an writing and creating music?
6. As I mentioned briefly earlier, it takes a lot longer to finish songs since everybody has got their own lives and schedules, so not everybody has got the same amount of time. Since I am studying, I have a bit more time some periods, and no time at all other periods. But we have decided to take things slow and do stuff whenever we can. Since I write all songs and record most of the instruments (sometimes all), there are no real creativity issues.
7.If the opportunity ever came, would the band be open to doing live shows?
7. I highly doubt it. Partially because I barely remember the songs I write, but also because I don't really believe DSBM is a genre that works well live. I'm not saying there is no chance it will happen, but the chances are extremely low.
8.The album was released on 'Noose & Razor Records', how did you get in contact with this label?
8. I was first contacted via mail about that Humanity's Plauge Productions were starting a DSBM-focused sub-label, and asked if we wanted to be a part of the first releases. Even though I didn't have any finished songs at the moment, I said yes because I have always wanted to have my music on physical media. I did get time to finish and write songs, which I am eternally thankful for, and now we are here.
9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of depressive black metal?
9. I am actually not too sure. The only thing we really have to go on is Youtube comments, but they seem to be mostly positive. Hopefully, we can reach a bigger audience with this new album and get a more clear picture of what people think of us.
10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
10. Hopefully better production. That is the main complaint I have at the moment, but it is due to limited resources so not a whole lot to be done. But musically, I think we will stay on the same track. Maybe a bit more normal black metal influenced with faster tempos, but the vibe will most likely remain the same. We will not make a 180 and go super experimental to put it like that.
11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
11. This is a tough question, because I take so much inspiration from so many different things. But Lifelover has had a clear role in the types of chords that I use, and in the use of piano melodies. But also bands like My Useless Life and Photophobia has played a role. But what I personally listen to is a lot of things, and it goes in periods. But the main things i listen to are Black metal, country, the swedish band Kent, some punk, stoner rock/metal and classical music, I could continue for days but those are the main ones.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
12. Support the artists you like and be kind to yourself.
youtu.be/5PVm-w3K3NA?si=AnRRsO9GxaWe64UU
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