1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
Dwarrowdelf is an epic/atmospheric black metal project, which draws upon symphonic and melodic influences in order to make as grand a sound as possible. Lyrically, the project focuses on the world of J.R.R Tolkien like many other bands!
2.You have your first full length coming out in April, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from your previous ep?
The EP was very much an exercise in finding the sound I wanted for this project. All the songs were experimental in the fact that there were lots of different styles being combined; for example, there were a couple of riffs that were based on some of Emperor’s more progressive writing, as well as more standard black metal. For the album, I think I refined my pool of influence and created a more cohesive sound, although there’s still a decent variety throughout the album. Regardless of the differences between the songs, the most important thing was to make sure that each song was truly epic in nature.
3.Your lyrics are based upon the writngs of J.R.R Tolkien, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in his works and also are there any other fantasy authors that you are into?
I first got the idea for Dwarrowdelf when I was rereading Lord of the Rings last summer; I got to Gimli’s recital of the song of Durin in Moria, and thought it would make a fantastic metal song! I’d also been listening to a lot of Summoning in the previous months, so I was in a pretty Tolkien-focused frame of mind… As I explored the idea, I found that there was a lot of elements of his world that I wanted to explore, like the tragic tale of the seven sons of Fëanor. Fantasy-wise, aside from Tolkien, I’m a big fan of the Elder Scrolls series; I’ve played a ridiculous amount of Skyrim in my time! I’m tempted to sneak a couple of Elder Scrolls themed songs onto the next album…
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Dwarrowdelf'?
Dwarrowdelf is the name of a dwarven city in Moria, and also is derived from the old english word for dwarves. Seeing as the first EP used lyrics from three of Tolkien’s dwarf hymns, it seemed like an appropriate name to choose, and no one else on the Metal Archives had taken it! It doesn’t mean I’ll only ever write about dwarves though, as the elven focus of the album shows.
5.With this project you record everything by yourself but also have experience being in a full band, how would you compare the two?
The bands I’ve been in have generally focused on playing live, so I think the songwriting is always focused around being playable in a live environment. For Dwarrowdelf, I could be as ridiculous as possible, with loads and loads of layers, which meant that the creative process was so much fun! On the other hand, having bandmates means that you have multiple opinions, which is useful for providing constructive criticism for your ideas. To make up for this I decided to send the early drafts of “The Sons of Fëanor” to a few musically inclined friends to get their feedback, and their comments really helped shape the latter stages of development for the record.
6.The album is coming out on 'Wolfspell Records', how did you get in contact with this label?
I sent out the album to every label I could find that has showed an inclination for epic black metal and had a good reputation! Wolfspell were particularly notable in my mind because of the fantastic Druadan Forest album they released in 2017, and their tribute to Summoning the year before. Luckily, Michał loved the album and offered me a fantastic deal within about 3 hours of receiving the record! He’s been brilliant to work with throughout the process, I can’t thank him enough.
7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?
The feedback has been going really well so far! The first two singles have had a lot of positive comments and likes on YouTube, and there are some really dedicated fans who share every Facebook post I make and really help spread the word; I can’t thank them enough for supporting the band, I really appreciate every like and share. The reviews are starting to come in now as well, and I couldn’t be happier with the feedback!
8.What is going on with your other band 'Deavhronun', these days?
Deavhronun is a student-based black/death metal band; we wrote a not-so-serious album about Mayhem called “Disciples of Cain” and have played a couple of shows in the UK. We’re also still writing songs, although the newer stuff seems to be turning into blackened slam metal - our bassist is a massive tech death fan, so it was bound to happen sooner or later. It’s a great project to be in because we’re not afraid to have fun with the songs, and don’t take ourselves so seriously that we can’t enjoy ourselves; although we do want to write great songs and build an audience!
9.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musicain in the future?
Hopefully I can keep writing music in all sorts of styles for the rest of my life. Dwarrowdelf is a really promising project, and hopefully is able to build enough of an audience that it can keep going for a while, but I also like to explore as many genres as I can. I’ve started writing some dungeon synth, which might be released under the Dwarrowdelf moniker, and I’ve also got the beginnings of a melodeath project going with a friend, although that’s in the very early stages at the moment. I also dabble in non-metal things, but nothing worthy of release.
10.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?
I think Dwarrowdelf takes influence from a large pool of bands from a wide range of genres, which I think is important for creating a unique sound. According to last.fm, my top artists whilst I was writing “The Sons of Fëanor” were Summoning, Wintersun, Sojourner, Twilight Force, Fleshgod Apocalypse and Insomnium, which I think is a pretty decent reflection of the metal sides of my musical taste! So far in 2018, my favourite albums are Sojourner “The Shadowed Road”, Visigoth “Conquerer’s Oath”, Aerith “Aerith” and Heidevolk “Vuur Va Verzet”. I’m really excited for the Obscura and Cân Bardd releases later this year too! I also make a point of exploring bandcamp to find and support really underground acts; recently I’ve been very taken with Runeshard, Ascensions Fall and Nahtram, who I would recommend to you and your readers!
11.What are some of your non musical interests?
I’m currently nearing the end of my Master’s degree in History, so it’s safe to say I love history! I mainly focus on the ancient world and Byzantium, which is almost like escaping to a fantasy world in itself. I’m also getting really into the Marvel films at the moment; Thor Ragnarok and Spider-Man Homecoming were amazing!
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks for the interview; I really appreciate the interest in my music, and thanks to all the people listening, liking and sharing the songs! I hope you all enjoy the album when it releases.
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