SOURCE – Can you tell us a little about the writing and recording of Give In To Despair? Was it all done in one chunk or how did the process go?
Justin Hagberg (Vocals, Guitars) – We actually recorded the album in three different studios, so it took a bit of time in that sense. The drums were recorded in North Vancouver (engineered and Mike and Dave Young), guitars and bass and synthesizer were recorded in Surrey (engineered by Shawn Barnes), and vocals and guitars were recorded in New Westminister (engineered by Michael Kraushaar).
My heart is definitely set on recording at only one studio for our next album, whenever that will be. However, I had a great time recording “Give In To Despair”, and all the engineers involved were very professional.
SOURCE – What type of influence do your surroundings have on you when songwriting? Do they inspire the music you create, or serve as a place for you to go to collect your thoughts before writing?
Justin Hagberg (Vocals, Guitars) – I find myself being the most creative when I’m not actually “planning” on writing music. I may be on a bike ride, or at work, or somewhere completely out of reach of any instrument to project my ideas. In those cases, I’ll sing them on my phone. It definitely works for me, but the people’s facial expressions you see when you’re singing “Nah Nah Nah Nah” into your phone are always pretty priceless.
SOURCE – The metal press has suitably been impressed by giving the album great reviews. How does that feel or does the press’s reaction even matter to you?
Justin Hagberg (Vocals, Guitars) – This album is above all a labour of love for us. We worked, and are still working very hard on this record, so I guess what matters most is how satisfied Ash and I are with our album. And we’re very satisfied with the end result.
As for the press and public’s opinion? Well… everyone has one. Some are in favour, and some aren’t. I only hope people listen to the record in it’s entirety before giving it their review.
Even the “old college try” will suffice. It’s just more honest when they actually know what they’re reviewing, even if in the end its not their thing.
SOURCE – Describe the working relationship between you. In what ways to you complement each other?
Justin Hagberg (Vocals, Guitars) – Our working relationship goes back over ten years to the last legs of the 3 Inches of Blood “Fire Up The Blades” tour cycle, which was in 2008 I believe. It was an instant connection. We both have similar tastes in music, but also introduced each other to other styles of music. And because both him and I played in heavier bands before 3 Inches of Blood, we both shared an interest in returning to that form.
Ash is an incredible drummer, and always progressing his craft. It’s very inspiring and challenging to write at his calibre. He definitely keeps me in line.
SOURCE – Do you think the band could have survived as an independent act?
Justin Hagberg (Vocals, Guitars) – We had for over five years, so yeah, I think so. It wouldn’t be the same, obviously. Maybe we wouldn’t being doing this interview with you if we were still an independent band. But we like writing and jamming, so we would be doing that together regardless of any contracts.
SOURCE – Do you think the fact that you’re still a new band bringing in a fresh angle to this style will help you in the long run?
Justin Hagberg (Vocals, Guitars) – I think as long as Ash and I don’t get under each other’s skin, that will be just fine for us in the long run.
SOURCE – The melodic component of the band might be your finest trait. When it comes to coming up with harmonies and melodies, how does the division of labor go?
Justin Hagberg (Vocals, Guitars) – A lot of it was just trying shit out in the studio. Some of the harmonies had been rehearsed, but with the songs we hadn’t rehearsed prior to recording it was just trial and error. And whiskey helped.
The vocal engineer, Michael Kraushaar, was great to record vocals with and bounce ideas off. He’s a very well rounded musician, and fantastic vocalist as well.
SOURCE – Is there anything that you’d like to add?
Justin Hagberg (Vocals, Guitars) – Check us out at:
ritualdictates.bandcamp.com
facebook.com/ritualdictates
and @ritualdictatesofficial
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