SOURCE – How do you describe the sound of Archon?
Jeppe Bo Kibsgaard (Drums) – We like to describe our sound as brutal, mellow, ambient and graceful, though it is not set in stone. We’re planning to experiment with new ideas and genres for future releases to see where it takes us, and we’re pretty excited for that journey. One thing is certain: This release is definitely only the beginning. We have a lot of new ideas on the table already.
SOURCE – What can you say about Altiora as your debut?
Jeppe Bo Kibsgaard (Drums) – Altiora is latin, meaning “strive for the higher things”. For us, the title reflects all the effort we put into making the EP. Our aim was to write an EP with riffs and melodies that we personally truly enjoy listening to. Besides the riffs and melodies, Altiora reflects some personal thoughts and issues and addresses the topic of mental health.
SOURCE – How did you end up getting signed by Prime Collective Records?
Jeppe Bo Kibsgaard (Drums) – The primary reason is probably that Prime is well-established. We figured that if we could get in contact with them, they could help us out with all the tedious stuff such as marketing, reaching out to venues, contacting relevant magazines etc. (so we could spend our time playing music instead).
SOURCE – What can you say about the video for Dark Grounds?
Jeppe Bo Kibsgaard (Drums) – I short: It was a lot of fun making! The long story: Dark Ground is… well, dark and gritty. But we didn’t feel making a black and white video with noise filters created the vibes we wanted to have. The idea for the orange and purple colors actually came on-set as we played with the lighting. It was not something planned ahead.
Now, the orange color has grown on us, and it has become the defining color for our release and artwork.
SOURCE – Do you think this break from live shows allows people to appreciate the music and physical medium of listening to metal more?
Jeppe Bo Kibsgaard (Drums) – In some ways, yes. But there’s no doubt that the floors will be packed when the venues open again. People are starved (so are we), and we’re craving the vibes, moshpits and cold beers at the concerts. The first couple of shows are mostly likely going to be ecstatic for both concert-goers as well as artists, and we’re so fortunate to be able to experience both sides.
SOURCE – What are your thoughts on the Aarhus scene?
Jeppe Bo Kibsgaard (Drums) – There are not that many metalcore acts from Aarhus. When is comes to metal, Aarhus is quite small compared to Copenhagen and, of course, the international scene. We will definitely play shows in our hometown, but we’re aiming for the international scene in the long run.
SOURCE – What do you see are mistakes or missteps that younger metal musicians make that maybe you wish they would think harder about and avoid? Can you think back to a specific mistake or misstep that maybe you made in your metal journey and how you learned from it to become stronger or more successful as a result?
Jeppe Bo Kibsgaard (Drums) – There’s a balance between having fun and being serious, and, according to us, leaning towards one end and neglecting the other is a big mistake. In the process of making our EP, we spent a lot of time being so serious to the point where, sometimes, the fun would be missing. Those days, we could argue hours on end about small, pedantic details with almost indifferent impact on the songs, only resulting in us going home with no conclusion on top of being completely mentally drained. But at the same time, if you want to get your name out there, you have to work for it. So, our best advice is to find the balance between fun and seriousness that works for you.
Also, as a metal musician, you’re probably not going to make a living out of it, so if you’re not (at least) having a little bit of fun, you’ll burn out really quickly.
SOURCE – What’s on the horizon for Archon over the next year or so? Will there be any specialprojects or other outside band activities from the members in the pipeline to look forward to?
Jeppe Bo Kibsgaard (Drums) – Gigs, gigs, gigs, gigs and gigs… oh, and most likely also new material and some playthroughs. Unfortunately, there are no solo project in the pipeline.
We’re also working on a TikTok profile (but no OnlyFans. Sorry to disappoint). It’s not to say what we’ll post on TikTok, but it’s most likely going to differ a bit from our regular content on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. We’ll make some noise on our SoMe when it happens.
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