1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
1/ The band was created by the need to play the -back to the roots black metal- music that we grew up with. All of us are musicians in other bands in different genres but none of the genres that we deal with can evoke the same feeling. Venla has released quite a few ambient records, Azoso used to play in punk and doom bands whereas I (Declwa) , have a few personal projects quite far from the metal genre.
2.A few months ago you released an album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?
2/The main ideas were based around 2nd wave of black metal bands. Darkthrone, Mayhem, Satyricon were quite an inspiration for most of the tracks. Some of the riffs were written quite a few years back and the main idea was to make a record recreating that sound and atmosphere. When Venla joined the group and started sending over their vocal tracks (Venla is based in a different part of the UK) we started adjusting the original arrangements a bit and it led us to exploring a different sound with some heavily reverberated guitars or some cool synth sounds. Quite the opposite from where we started but I think it worked well in the end! All the ideas were worked remotely and the final recordings were sent to Krszystof in Poland where he recorded the drums for us.
3.Most of the band members are also in other bands, what is it that you bring into the music of 'Unmother' that you are not able to do with your other groups?
3/I think it is that level of experimentation that helps Unmother create a more unique sound. Venla brought a lot of “atmosphere” whereas mine and Azoso’s approaches are more raw. I could not fit that rawness in any of the other projects I am involved in.
4.Most of your lyrics cover dystopian themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?
4/The main idea behind “Lay Down the Sun” is the dystopia we are living in now. At least mood-wise that is what kept me inspired during the recording and production of the album. I can’t talk in length about the lyrical part as this is mostly Venla’s area but musically we tried to achieve an atmosphere that portrays the suffocating reality of urban decay.
5.The band is also anti fascist, racist and sexist, can you tell us a little bit more about these views?
5/To be anti-fascist is to be humane. Also, in a music genre where a big proportion of the groups are openly nazis and a few others are keeping silent because they do not want to lose fans that are nazis, we think it is important to take a clear stance.
6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Unmother'?
6/Mother is a strong word and motherhood a strong concept, especially taking into consideration today´s reality. At the time that we chose the name it felt even stronger with all the things that were happening in US and Europe regarding abortion laws (well, still happening).
7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
7/Yes, the cover was created by Lorenzo D’Alessandro. He is an Italian artist and we asked him to design an urban landscape at night-time. I think he has done a fantastic job and it fits the music so well.
8.Has the band done any live shows or open to the idea?
8/Not at the moment. It is a bit difficult to juggle between full time jobs and time for the group and also get over other difficulties such as distance etc. Would love to think we could perform live at some point though.
9.The album was also released on 'True Cult Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
9/True Cult records is an awesome label from Athens, Greece. They have quite an impressive roster for the time they have been around and some of the best rabm and dungeon synth releases of this year have been released by them (Mystras, extegina to name a few). They have released our album on tape, cassette and have also released some kickass tshirts.
10.On the album you also done a 'Siouxsie And The Banshees' cover, what was the decision behind doing your own version of one of their songs?
10/I love the band and I was surprised that no metal band had covered this track before. The opening riff is so captivating! I think we did a good job with this one and we are considering doing a few more in the future from non-metal bands.
11.On a wordlwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
11/Fairly positive so far. We did very little in regard to promotion for the album and I am happy with the response we got. We will be a bit more proactive for future releases.
12.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
12/Azoso has her personal project which is a mix of doom and post metal, it’s really interesting and I hope she releases something soon. Venla has quite a few projects that are a bit more experimental, something like industrial black metal with an idm approach! I released my debut EP as “Those Damn Thieves” and now working on my full length but it is way way way more time-consuming and costly than I thought because I want to record all parts with session musicians and avoid samples. I try to pace myself with this project as I have to admit it is my favourite.
13.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
13/Refining the sound and maybe employing a more “bladerunner synth” approach on our sound. The new tracks are sounding killer, and I am looking forward to work on them soon. Hopefully you will see an EP being released at the beginning of 2022.
14.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?
14/Influences: the 2nd wave of black metal and maybe a few post metal bands as well and some sci-fi soundtracks. Music I have been listening to lately: Rebel extravaganza by Satyricon, A Umbra Omega by DHG, Medulla by Bjork and the full discography of Last Drive (a garage rock band from Athens, Greece). Azoso’s playlist the last week: Feminazgul/Awenden split & the Man Must Die latest album
15.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
15/Thank you for all the support so far. It means a lot!
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