1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the solo project since the recording of the new album?
Hi! A lot, actually. I was already at work on new material back when the album release was being announced; that material morphed into a collection of songs which turned into a handful of demos that are being tweaked and polished in tandem with an actual producer. So in a way, I’m in this weird place where I’m trying to remain tethered to the present and enjoy the results of my work while also obsessing over the next album I’m going to make (and if I’m being honest I already have some ideas for a third album as well, but I’m trying not to spread myself too thin and take it one step at a time even though I suck at that).
2.You have a new album coming out in November, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?
Sure! Senhal is my personal tribute to a genre— black metal— that meant an awful lot to me during my formative years. My intention was to create a black metal album I (and hopefully someone else) could enjoy listening to. I’m a huge fan of contrast and I wanted to make something aggressive yet emotional, because that’s sort of what my personality is like. And because I was always heavily into that proto-symphonic wave of the mid 90s with records like Gehenna’s First Spell or Thy Serpent’s Lords of Twilight and very early Dimmu Borgir, I wanted to incorporate a similar approach especially with the synths which are kind of constant throughout the album. But then again I also have a very diverse music taste, which is probably also very obvious in places; and again, as a listener I tend to enjoy black metal albums that showcase some degree of diversity, so allowing my non-black metal influences to flow into the songs is something that came naturally.
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with the music?
I love writing about love, desire, lust, attraction through the lens of allegory and that’s what Senhal as a whole is about. It’s basically a collection of black metal love songs, if that makes sense. :) And I reckon it might not, to some people, but my experience with love has been nothing short of fucking brutal in many instances throughout my life and the way I see it, that’s a pretty black metal topic to write about. However, the concept underpinning album number two revolves around death, dying and end-of-life stuff.
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Of The Muses'?
If I’m being honest, the monicker came first and the meaning later. This is more or less how my creative process unfolds; stuff comes to me in bursts of inspiration and then I attempt to make sense of them somehow. It’s almost as though I wasn’t the one who came up with the bandname, but rather, the idea itself came up with me. Interestingly enough, I understand this combination of words to be a direct reference to that, because of everything the Muses stand for in Greek mythology/religion/culture. Writing songs is something I take very seriously and it’s also something I can only do when I’m in a very specific place, mentally and emotionally.
5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
I wanted the cover art to convey an idea of love as something pure, unadulterated yet complex, so I asked a friend of mine (I love you Gale) to make something using a picture of herself holding hands with their partner, because I adore them as a couple and I know how deeply in love they are with each other. They ended up including a lily in the pictures, which I love because it’s my favorite flower and we both share a special, symbolically layered love of this particular plant. Specifically, some of my most beautiful and soothing childhood memories are connected with lilies and that ties in with the ‘purity' part for me. We ended up using three variations on the same theme for the album cover and the two singles.
6.With this project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to work solo?
I’m open to working with other people, but to a limited extent. The reason why it took me so long to start a solo project is, I tried to make things work in a band context for so many years, and I failed every single time. I have an extremely clear picture of the direction I want to pursue musically speaking, but when I’m working with other people, I struggle with standing up for myself. On the other hand, I know I have to stick with my ideas if I want my music to sound the way I imagine it in my head. OtM is and will always be a personal endeavor, but should I ever come across people who get this and are genuinely excited at the idea of being part of it nevertheless, I will happily welcome them aboard.
7.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of post black metal and blackgaze?
I can’t really say for sure, mostly because the album is yet to come out, but from what I can tell, those who heard the two singles seem to have enjoyed them!
8.Do you also have an experience working with other bands or musical projects?
I do, actually— mostly as a guest vocalist, and then I did have bands/music projects other than OtM at some point in time even though there wasn’t a lot going on with those. OtM is not my first music project but it’s a first in terms of sticking with my plans and truly showing up for my dreams & ambitions.
9. Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?
I see myself doing exactly what I want to do, when I need to do it, without putting myself into a box. Creating music that genuinely excites me, whether it’s metal, synthpop or its own genre.
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?
Some of the bands that influenced me the most have little to do with black metal, or metal as a whole, for that matter. It’s not about deeming some music genres superior to others, it’s just that I love music way too much to pay attention to labels and whatnot. So for instance I’ve been deeply influenced by some chords and chord progressions you can hear specifically in genres like house music or soul. As for what I’m currently listening to, some of the albums I keep coming back to lately are Lost Souls by Doves, Suede’s eponymous debut album (a forever favorite), George Clanton’s Ooh Rap I Ya, Motomami by Rosalia, and some of the albums I used to love as a teenager (particularly early Blind Guardian or Fear Factory’s Demanufacture).
11.What are some of your non musical interests?
I love cooking, especially for the people I love. I’m very curious about manifestations of human culture such as religion and I love observing and studying and understanding humans generally speaking. I obsess over natural or manmade disasters a lot & I always feel compelled to learn more about them. I’m a professional astrologer even though I’m not currently practicing, and I was really into analog photography for a while even though I haven’t used my analog cameras in years for a number of reasons. Also I’m a huge romantic so anything that involves relationships and romantic love whether it’s movies, albums, books or poetry, I will probably get very invested in that. I have a very obsession-driven brain generally speaking.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you so much for allowing me to speak about my music! I appreciate it a lot!!!
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