For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the solo project?
Thank you for the interview! I started writing music between the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009, which eventually became Perpetual Dawn. At that point I was still learning the basics, and the first result was one of the demo songs called …Of Night. I was fascinated by folk influenced metal since 2005, so Perpetual Dawn represented my personal attempt in this genre/style. In 2012, I started experimenting more with symphonic arrangements and clean vocal signing. My main instrument is guitar, and melodic lead arrangements have always been a personal favourite when composing.
In 2022 you had released your first full length, musically how does it differ from your previous demo, ep, and split?
The biggest difference on the album was a probably stylistic one. Symphonic elements were removed and replaced with guitar focused effects and atmosphere. The vocals also shifted to being more of a background part in the album, and I attempted to place more emphasis on guitar as the song driver and contributor to atmosphere.
The 2022 album has three songs which I originally composed in 2009, two songs I started in 2014, and five songs composed between 2017 and 2020. Because those five songs were not written with orchestral arrangements in mind, I restructured the older songs to better match the new ones. The album ended up being a personally fun experiment in trying to adapt the older Perpetual Dawn songs to a different style.
This was also your first release with this project in 6 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what was going on during that time frame?
Around 2014 I joined a death metal band called Sonn’ender, which recorded and released an EP called ‘Suspended in Oneiric Twilight’ in 2016. We played some live shows between 2016 and 2018. It was a fun experience to play live music with other musicians, and definitely a nice change from isolated recording! I also started recording random riffs and melodies, some of which were used on the 2022 album.
What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with the project?
Most of the 2022 album lyrics were written while I was working out the sections in which they could be placed, and the lyrical patterns to suit these sections. I attempted to depict a fictional time period, in which an individual enters an environment (such as that depicted throughout the album artwork) at dawn and leaves by the next dawn. This time period is filled with the individual’s reflections, dreams, illusions, memories etc.
More generally, I’ve always enjoyed themes relating to fictional narratives inspired by real life nature locations and environments near where I live.
What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Perpetual Dawn'?
It started out as more of a vague visual concept, and as a result I’ve personally viewed it differently over the years. The most consistent interpretation for me has been a form or state of emotion / feeling which is difficult to textually explain.
Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
The album contains several artworks licensed from Moonroot Art. The artworks (including the album cover) were paintings already created by Moonroot Art around the time I was considering releasing a full album. When I saw the artwork, I felt like it would nicely compliment the lyrical themes I usually enjoy working with. One of the artworks was actually painted with coffee, which I thought was interesting. Brilliant artist who continues to design and paint excellent artwork!
With this project you record everything by yourself but have experience working with other musicians in bands, which do you prefer?
The 2022 album features drum work by Robin Stone, and mixing / mastering by Against The Grain Studio. I really enjoyed the experience of working with other musicians! Composing is definitely more of a personal process for me. However, incorporating other musicians at certain points does help to explore music ideas outside the comfort zone.
On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of pagan and atmospheric black metal?
One of my favourite descriptions by a supporter on Bandcamp for the 2013 EP was a “less heavy whirlpool of strange metal”, which I thought was a very creative and accurate description! Online reviews have been mixed, but I do feel honoured when anyone finds elements from my music that they enjoy.
What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that you are a part of?
The last show Sonn’ender played was in 2018, after which I focused mostly on completing the Perpetual Dawn full album. A friend’s band called Byrhtnoth released a great symphonic / folk black metal album in 2020 called ‘The Calamitous Fracas’. I was going to play live guitars with Byrhtnoth, however 2020 became pretty hectic.
Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?
While I don’t currently have any immediate plans for Perpetual Dawn or other musical projects, I would like to continue exploring and writing new music, probably in 2024 or so. The 2022 album was a fun experiment for me personally. Going forward, I might try incorporating some orchestral elements or clean vocals again, or perhaps a session wind instrument musician.
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?
Empyrium is definitely a band which initially inspired me to start writing music in this style, particularly early on with regard to folk / symphonic elements and deeper clean vocals. Bands like Windir, early Ensiferum etc were great examples to me in the 2000s when I was learning to write music.
In 2015, I started listening to more 60s era psychedelic rock / garage rock, and 70s era progressive rock bands. At the time of finishing and recording songs for the 2022 album, the guitar effects in some psychedelic / garage rock style songs I was listening to felt really fun to play around with. I also used a steel guitar slide in several songs, which was an interesting experience. Same with the guitar tone from Iron Maiden’s ‘Somewhere In Time’ album. I always found it to be warm and unique to that particular Iron Maiden album.
Nowadays I fluctuate between listening to metal bands and these other styles. A lot of great music out there!
How would you describe your views on paganism?
I don’t have much knowledge of the topic unfortunately.
Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
An Italian label called ‘Earth And Sky Productions’ is planning to release the album on CD internationally this year. The album is currently available on CD within Australia through Australore Recordings, and as a digital download. However, high international postage costs from Australia have made it difficult to reach wider audiences with physical releases, so I’m very excited about this! Thanks again for the interview! Cheers
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