SOURCE – The previous time we talked was about Illuminated in 2020. Now we have At The Gloaming Void single. What happened?
Riley Nix (Guitars) – Since 2020, a lot has happened. We’ve grown as people, we’ve grown closer as friends, we’ve endured heartbreak and death and horrible frustration. But through it all, we stayed together and we wrote music. This album represents all of those things that have happened since 2020, and it means a lot to each of us. We hope that is apparent to everyone who listens! It has helped all of us through difficult times, and we hope it can help some others as well.
SOURCE – Choosing At The Gloaming Void as the first single was brilliant. It has all your hallmarks. What made it suitable for the first single from the new album?
Riley Nix (Guitars) – That’s good to hear! People seem to be really enjoying the track, and that is a huge bonus. For us though, it was the song that made the most sense to re-establish ourselves on the scene. We feel like it shows both that we are still the same band – weaving the heavy and brutal with the beautiful and ethereal – but that we have all grown a lot as players and songwriters. “At the Gloaming Void” came together naturally in the bandroom, and we knew early on that it was a contender for the first single.
SOURCE – How would you yourself describe the evolution of your music since the former album?
Riley Nix (Guitars) – The best way to answer that question is to go back to our first album, The Gravity of Fall. On our first album, as we explored our style and sound, we allowed ourselves to really spread out, write very long songs, and build a lot of atmosphere. With Illuminated, we tried to write songs that were a little tighter and a little harder-hitting, while building atmosphere vertically through layering and careful orchestration. On Woven Into Ashes, our upcoming third album, we combined the best of those worlds. The song writing is still catchy, tight, and thickly layered, but we also allowed ourselves some latitude to explore the songs with more experimental structures and instrumental variation.
SOURCE – Maybe you can tell something about the making of the new video clip At The Gloaming Void?
Riley Nix (Guitars) – We are lucky to have some very cool and very talented friends! The folks who own and run a metal festival in Southern Oregon, Riverafest, allowed us to film on their rural property which allowed us to play with fire and try some interesting new things. At the same time, Karl (our bassist and videographer) has worked previously with the two main actors, Lisa and Dan. They are both professional actors who brought a real edge and intensity to the video. Jeremy and Riley erected the shack in the woods using pieces that Karl laid out, and everyone worked their asses off for two days to make that video happen. It is always an intense experience that is worth every moment when we see the final product.
SOURCE – How can indie artists still ‘make it big with no label’?
Riley Nix (Guitars) – We have a great relationship with our distribution label, M-Theory Audio.They are a smaller label, and they allow us a lot of autonomy to make creative and financial decisions that work for us. Ultimately, the way that indie artists can make it big is to build a good team around them, whatever that means. Artists need to be honest with themselves and figure out what they do well and what they do not do well, and find people who can fill the gaps. If you have a great ground game and can book shows but can’t make music videos or write press releases – hire it out. If you are killing socials but can’t figure out how to book a tour, focus on a good booking agent. It will make all the difference in the world.
SOURCE – How important do you think are singles in this era in comparison to full length releases?
Riley Nix (Guitars) – In a world dominated by Spotify, the industry has moved more toward singles, to the detriment of full-length albums. Because we like to write conceptually, we are more inspired to create full albums and it seems like our fans enjoy the way we put our music together. It does mean, though, that we have to carefully choose the songs that we do release as singles. It is important for them to be representative of the whole album, but still showcase the variety of music that we write.
SOURCE – How would you describe the working relationships within the band – is it a challenge to get five members to consistently agree on the goals, visions, and what you want to achieve over time?
Riley Nix (Guitars) – Honestly, it has become easier over the years. As we were getting to know one another, there were occasional growing pains trying to figure out who was best equipped to handle which duties. At this point, we’ve known each other for nearly 10 years and we all know one another’s strengths. Whether it be in the song-writing process, the video-planning process, building the outboard gear rack, developing marketing elements, driving the band van, dealing with promoters, or responding to interview requests – we each have our roles in the band and we trust one another and our judgment to get it done at a high level. This allows us to push each other and ourselves without anyone feeling uncomfortable.
SOURCE – If there is anything you like to add, please feel free to do it right here…
Riley Nix (Guitars) – We are extremely excited to be going on tour next month from May 5 to May 14, starting in Houston TX and ending in Vancouver BC. This will be our first time playing this new music live, and our first time in several Southwestern US states. We hope to see as many of you as possible in May! Thank you!
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