SOURCE – So far you’ve released three singles off the album – Let It Fail, Grave Intentions and Wasn’t Human. How do you feel the reception and response have been to these singles?
Aaron Stainthorpe (Vocals) – Bloody brilliant! We naturally hoped for a decent and positive response but it was better then expected with comments on the socials being a highlight. Fingers crossed, when the LP comes out, feelings will be similar.
SOURCE – Your new album Forever We Burn is out very soon. Can you tell us a bit about the sound and the feeling of the new record?
Aaron Stainthorpe (Vocals) – It’s loud and dirty and sexy and everyone can sing a long to all the songs making it a popular choice in the car and discos of the world. We’ve kept the tracks at an easily digestible length and worked hard to make them as catchy as possible. It’s death pop but in a fun way.
SOURCE – What elements of High Parasite’s structure and dynamics distinguish it from a typical music project, making it more akin to a traditional band?
Aaron Stainthorpe (Vocals) – Having the dual vocal attack is a useful approach and allows for more harmonies and differing levels of aggression/passion. HP are not reinventing the wheel with the music but are injecting a lot of energy, imagery and detail that offer something new to todays audiences which seem swamped by a lot of mediocre crap at the moment.
SOURCE – What did Gregor Mackintosh bring to the production of the record and how was the experience of working with him?
Aaron Stainthorpe (Vocals) – Greg was a delight to work with and helped create what everyone will hear very soon. He’s been in the business for decades and knows just what to do with a piece of music to elevate it above simple ‘average’. We have not hidden the fact that some of the songs have a hint of Paradise Lost/Host to them but that’s simply to give them the lift they were looking for. Greg is quiet and mild mannered and thoughtful. He never screams and shouts and is considered before he speaks.
SOURCE – What role does the influence of pop culture play in shaping the visual and thematic elements of metal bands’ branding and imagery?
Aaron Stainthorpe (Vocals) – We all love a bit of pop to be honest even if it’s just those old misery guts Depeche Mode (I was a Fan Club member in the 80’s) and allowing certain influences into our promotion, look, aesthetic and approach is not a bad call at all. Pop and metal are not that different except for the more rebellious elements of metal, but the dressing up, desire to perform to the masses, throwing in a catchy chorus are all part of the package and we are all packaging ourselves more and more professionally these days in order to out do the opposition. Nothing wrong with healthy competition.
SOURCE – Music streaming has been a hot button topic as of late – both the financial viability of it, and how much benefit it may have for artists. Has music streaming benefited High Parasite at all, and what place do you see it having in the near and distant future?
Aaron Stainthorpe (Vocals) – It is a hot topic for sure. We all know that bands’ have to stream a billion songs to make enough money for one sausage (to share) but lets face it, without the streamers we’d struggle to get word out to the entire world, and that’s just what we all want as musicians. Yes of course we’d love a much fairer deal from the giants at the top but unless their attitude alters, we’re stuck where we are. I hope it changes for the better. I hope some rich person comes along with a better idea and gives the bands 99% of the revenue instead of just a sniff but until that day, we shuffle about in hope.
SOURCE – How has the proliferation of music streaming platforms contributed to the saturation of the music market, and what are the implications for emerging bands?
Aaron Stainthorpe (Vocals) – Contrary to what I just said in that previous answer, bands would be able to survive without streaming platforms (MY Dying Bride started out when the internet wasn’t even a thing and did very well for themselves) but it seem that we all just go along with it like lost sheep. If we all pulled our fingers out and decided to boycott the streamers, they might take another look at their policy and offer us a better deal or they will all be out of a job but we can’t seem to get our act together.
SOURCE – Other than the album promotion what other plans do you and the rest of the band have?
Aaron: Live performances are the main aim for the foreseeable future although work has begun on the second album already! There are no dates set for the second recording but it’s a statement of intent that we are already looking that far in front of us.
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NOTE:
Parts of this questions were generated by ChatGPT, an AI tool developed by OpenAI, on September 2024. The AI was employed to aid in generating ideas and drafting text.