#dtadw

TSH: Talk us through the band’s recording experience as you readied ‘Elegy’…

James: It was different from every other album we’ve done in that at no point were we all in the same room together. Luckily, the endeavour of writing with people all over the country prepared us well for such a situation. We have finally learned to give ourselves enough time in the studio for embellishments and ideas. Billy always keeps us on track and has wonderful input.

TSH: What sort of narratives and themes were you feeling compelled to express with this album?

James: The overarching theme is certainly grief. I, personally, am feeling this more and more each day. It seems clear that we aren’t, as a species, going to mobilise in a fashion large enough to stop the coming irreversible changes. How do you plan for a future that science says is so uncertain? I don’t know but here we are. A lot of that sentiment went into the album.

Sean: I feel like a lot of these themes manifested on a much more personal level with ‘Elegy’ as well. Grief not just for a dying world, but for our own humanity.

TSH: It’s been noted some of you experienced great loss during the lead-up to this release – in what ways did this impact the writing process?

Mike: Everything must die. Even the ideas of who we are and what we think we know about life. It's a process though, and in my opinion real loss is one of the most challenging things anyone can experience. It's extremely difficult to fully express how far reaching a loss can impact one's life even to our closest friends and family. I think music allows us to get close to expressing the emotional turmoil, or at the very least it's a cathartic way to step back and work through it all.

TSH: When you referenced the ancient past for this record, what ideas were you intrigued by?

James: I’ve always been intrigued by the ancient world. When people worshipped the things they needed to stay alive: worshipping the land, the rain or the sun. We’ve lost that largely as a species. It’s something we need to return to, desperately.

Sean: These are truths that indigenous cultures have long known, before settlers arrived and homogenised the world. Unfortunately we are still living in that world borne from such genocide and oppression. Returning to these ancient ideas must be inherently tied to dismantling white supremacy and settler colonialism.

TSH: Talk us through your intentions in opening with the lighter tones of ‘Syzygy’ and then delivering the mighty ‘The Seer's Embrace’…

Sean: We sought to be much more deliberate with our musical intentions within ‘Elegy’ than any of our previous efforts. The musical juxtaposition between both ‘Syzygy’ and ‘The Seer’s Embrace’ is undeniable, but more so than that we wanted to challenge any expectations or presumptions of what was to come. ‘Syzygy’ has a foreboding emotional weight to it that can feel inescapable. It sets the tone for what we wanted to explore through ‘Elegy’ as a whole, as well as being upfront about our musical intent. It can be easy to see our shorter, lighter pieces as breath from what we typically do, but we seek to challenge that assumption altogether.

TSH: What were the key factors in getting ‘Empty Hands, Hollow Hymns’ to sound so concise and refined?

James: I have to hand it to Mike. He really pushed for the call and response vocal part while some of us didn’t quite get. It worked out beautifully. As to the rest of the piece we spent much more time making sure the parts worked cohesively, much closer to Sean’s vision on our first record than ‘Litany’.

TSH: Was it rewarding to use this album to force deeper questions of yourselves?

Mike: Indeed. Asking deeper questions of myself is always part of the writing process. If I can help the listener achieve the same sort of thing then I feel like I’ve done what I set out to do.

James: It’s definitely made me think about how I live day to day into perspective about how much more I could personally do to help stop the impending cataclysms.

TSH: Moreover, how vital is it for the band to continuously take risks and push boundaries?

Mike: I feel that it's essential to take risks and push boundaries. That's the only reason I care to make music in the first place and the only way I know I'm growing as a person and an artist.

James: I cannot stand just walking the same well-worn territory again and again. Always push the envelope. Sometimes you win. Sometimes it’s a mess. Nobody dies. It’s fun.

Sean: Through any creative process there will always be expectations or limitations, and we have always outwardly challenged them in any way we can. However, the most challenging boundaries to push will always be the ones we’ve placed on ourselves.

TSH: Was there a specific type of balance and natural harmony that you feel defines your band’s ethos?

Mike: If anything I would say it’s our combined styles, interests, and influences that create our ethos. Balancing all of those unique traits results in something original or unexpected and authentic.

TSH: How pleasant a factor is it to know that this band inspires and keeps you connected with other amazing musicians?

Mike: I am very aware of how privileged I am to make music with such amazing people. The fact that we have met and made music with so many other inspiring musicians has been a real honour and something I never take for granted.

James: Now that we are so spread out its good just to spend time together and it’s an honour to meet and play with so many talented and pleasant musicians along the way.

Sean: It is always such an honour to be surrounded by such passion. We’ve met and worked with so many fantastic people and tremendously talented musicians over the past decade. It truly is such a testament to the strength of community through music.

TSH: Does possibly soundtracking in the future still intrigue you?

Mike: That’s a very exciting idea and one that I think we would strongly embrace given the right opportunity.

James: James Cameron we’re looking at you.

TSH: What does the band bond over and connect over most whilst on tour?

Mike: I would have to say our varied influences, interests, and lives. Everyone brings a unique perspective to the table and we all very much appreciate and respect those elements from each other.

James: We try to build in some field trips along the way. It helps to spend some time with each other that isn’t just hustling to spend four extra hours at the venue staring at our phones.

TSH: What were the highlights with your time spent in Grand Canyon National Park recently?

James: I drove the van overnight from Albuquerque direct to the South Rim, so I was pretty delirious. Just as we arrived a snow storm came blazing through. The abyss was swirling, filled with fog, and freezing rain was spilling down from the sky. It was magic.

TSH: Given all the chaos and pandemonium in the world, which attributes in life would you say bring you most bliss and clarity?

Mike: Just spending time with my family and friends and helping out wherever possible. We all come up together, ya know.

James: The natural world always tamps down the noise and harsh realities of the modern world. Falling water and towering trees offer an iota of relief.

TSH: Finally, what sort of challenges and exploration do you relish as you look ahead as a band?

Mike: With the trilogy closed out we are totally unbound by a working concept and the idea of labels or genres. I can't wait to push our personal limits and see where things end up.

James: Probably something self-indulgent either that or syrupy pop.

Dead to a Dying World - “Empty Hands, Hollow Hymns”