Engaging Interview with nature-infused metal band, Alda

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: There was a remarkably huge change from Tahoma to passage. To me, there seemed like there was more breathing room and more focus on Passage. How was the writing process different from the one album to the next? 

Alda: "Breathing room" is actually a pretty good way to describe the crucial difference in the writing process between Passage and Tahoma, and the main substance of that difference is the time elapsed relative to the creation of the two records. Tahoma was written within the span of a year and a half (albeit a pretty wild one though), and Passage took us about three years to compose and a good year to record. So we had a lot of time to reflect on what it was we were creating during that period, and we definitely conceived the album as more of a unified narrative rather than just a collection of songs. That's not to say it was a relaxed or easy process though. A lot was going on in our lives and it actually was a real struggle to make it happen at times.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: Aside from other forms of music, where do you draw your inspiration from? What are the main themes discussed in Alda's music? 


Alda: The raw vitality of the Wilderness and the natural world is our biggest inspiration, to put it briefly. We wouldn't be making the music we're making without our interaction with that world and the time we spend away from mechanized civilization. But that's not where it stops. We don't write music about the Wilderness without considering the condition of our lives and the relationship between humanity, modernity and ecology. What happened and why is everything so fucked up? How did we get to where we are, and what aren't we showing ourselves? These are the kinds of questions that are inseparable from the subject of the Wilderness, from our point of view. We've come to a kind of set of beliefs or opinions about life as a result of this quest. We write about death and uncertainty, and about how the common human fear of these unknowns is a driving motivation to insulate ourselves from the Natural world. Some of our songs are reflections on history of the land, of our ancestors, of colonial catastrophes. Some of our songs are written within a mythic or mystic context. But ultimately it's all tied together. We're telling one story and there's something kind of simple at the core, but it just takes a lot of songs to tell it.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: Bindrune recordings is one of those labels that have become synonymous with releasing quality products like Panopticon and Falls of Rauros. Alda seems to be a band with the listener in mind, creating sonic landscapes with sweeping dynamics. I've always appreciate bands that provide an experience rather than simply releasing an album. And, that seems to be a running theme with the Bindrune label. Is that a fair description of Bindrune and how has it been working with Bindrune thus far? Was it important to choose a label that was just as interested in the artistic vision as the band? 

Alda: We've always liked Bindrune and their releases, and have been in contact with them off and on since our first album was released back in 2009. When they offered to release our follow-up to Tahoma we naturally accepted and it's been great so far. Bindrune has a cool set of bands that work with them and a cohesive aesthetic that they've slowly built over the years and continue to deepen. There is definitely attention and intention going into what is released by that label, and that kind of thing is important to us. It helps extract the relationship between the band and label out of one that would be purely aesthetic or commercial and gives a dimension of "realness" to the relationship.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: How does your location influence the music that you write?

 Alda: You could say its inseparable from us. Our time spent out in the forests and mountains and on the waters of our home have a direct influence on the music we write. And all of those places have their own distinct character, a set of bio-regional attributes if you will. Opening your awareness to the nuances of the environment you live in will shape your state of mind, regardless of where it is you live.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: Alda appears to be a band that is very in touch with their environmental surroundings. To say that the earth we inhabit isn't in danger is simple neglect or obvious stupidity.  My opinion is that something drastic needs to happen in a very quick manner in order to save our planet. The earth is already sending warning signals of its eventual demise. Do you follow the work of Derrick Jensen and do you subscribe to the theory of "Visualize vast wilderness, Actualize industrial collapse"?

Alda: We're familiar with that philosophy. Industrial modernity and the billions of people who accompany it are without doubt fucking everything up on a level that can be difficult to comprehend, one that has some truly miserable consequences. But we don't see industrial collapse coming soon. The co-dependency of humanity and modernity runs pretty deep and it seems pretty questionable to assume the "re-wilding" of billions of human beings is very probable without some kind of major catastrophic population die-off (and consider the implications of what would require that!). For a modern human being, this is a pretty serious undertaking that has to be motivated on a personal level. And it gets harder and harder any kind of pristine way the more poisoned the world becomes. Industrial civilization is probably going to hold on until its last gasp, and until then it will squeeze and suck the vitality out of everything within its reach. But things will balance out in the long term regardless of whether or not they include human beings. Although this may seem fatalistic, we don't write this as some kind of apathetic excuse. There is something to be said for living in accordance with your deepest feelings and values regardless of how hopeless the cause seems. We care about what is happening to our world and we strive to place ourselves in direct interface with it, but we don't live primitivist lifestyles and we're still plugged into the industrial world, and this doesn't necessarily have to be a contradiction. But who knows what's really coming? No theory or dogma has yet provided an infallible model of the reality we occupy, they merely map the tendencies.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: I commented about this very subject to my wife today that it doesn't seem like human beings were meant to save the earth in any capacity. With the rise of industrial selfishness and fast food cultures, it appears like we were sent to destroy the earth. And, not enough people open their eyes long enough to see the misery they create. They just walk blindly and ignore the footprints they create. How important is it for bands and human beings in general to develop a social conscience? Without preaching (because people don't respond well to that method. It generally turns them off), how can we address the problem? 

Alda: It's important to us at least. Communication and art are powerful tools but they only have so much power in and of themselves. What's the point of communicating something important if your actions are not in accordance with your words? All change begins with the individual. Many things can be catalysts for this on the grand scale, but it still comes down to individual choices, and what choices can be made within the constraints of the necessities of survival. Our music is intended to speak to deeper level of consciousness. But we have no allusions nor expectations of what the effects of this are supposed to be. We primarily create it because we have a need to say it. And when you speak truly from your center, you're always going to find beings who have a common resonance with what you're saying, and there are always those who are looking to find it.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: One of my reasons for creating this is to investigate the nature of creation. I've always found it so fascinating that we pull something out of the ether that has never been created before. Our ideas are set into motion by some unseen force that I've never fully been able to comprehend (maybe I'm not supposed to). Perhaps, it's nothing and it's just a simple cleansing of the neural pathways. It's a cool thing to be able to share our unique visions with one another and technology has made it far easier for us to connect. Attempting to view the positive aspects  the digital age, underneath the coldness of technology, do you think there is an ultimate unifying aspect to all of this and can this be viewed as positive?

 Alda: This isn't the easiest question to answer, and there might not really be an answer to it. The unifying potential of the internet is the point of connectivity that is permitting this conversation to take place, and that certainly doesn't seem negative. We certainly use this power regularly and it has profoundly shaped the habits of our lives, for better or worse. Maybe the best questions to ask oneself about this power could be something like these: How am I using this connective power? Does it truly connect me in a positive way or is there an isolating element to it? At what cost does this power find its way into my hands?

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: Getting back to nature is something that doesn't seem to happen these days. People are glued to their digital devices and can't appreciate nature and just living in the moment for what it is. They have to record their whereabouts for the world to see. Aside from a sick level of vanity and narcissism, what do you think the ultimate social ramifications will be from this? 

Alda: Probably widespread near-nearsightedness, both physiologically and consciously. That's part of the paradox of this kind of technology. You might have the opportunity these days to carry a computer in your pocket with seemingly limitless access to knowledge, communication and stimulation, but spend too much of your time gazing into that vast and yet narrow little window and your perception will acquire some blind spots. And this isn't a far off consequence, you can see it at work everywhere you turn in the "developed" world. It's got to be a particular challenge for the youngsters growing up with these kinds of tools as the baseline-norm. It seems like a heavy Karmic-hand to be dealt with lots of potential ramifications, not all of them completely negative by necessity. We'll just have to see what happens.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: Last, are there are any tour plans for Alda in the near future? What are the overall goals for Alda?

Alda: None currently aside from some festival-type appearances coming up. Our overall goal is to keep our embers glowing, live our lives and grow in experience, and continue to write music and love what we do. Thanks!

 Be sure to check out "Passage" here at Bindrune recordings (in my opinion, one of the most unique, forward thinking labels currently operating today)

Interview with one of my personal favorite bands, Falls of Rauros ...

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: Like with all bands that Bindrune releases, there seems to be a theme running through all the releases in regards to nature and the surroundings. Is this a conscious decision or does this happen organically? Bindrune seems to focus on excellence and bands with a similar aesthetic. How has it been working with such a forward thinking label like Bindrune?

Marty at Bindrune is very particular about the type of band he works with and he has certainly nurtured a very apparent cohesion for his label. It seems an organic process to me. All the bands do their own thing, write the music they want to write, and if it's appropriate to be released under the banner of Bindrune then that's that, so to speak. It takes a percipient ear and eye on the part of Marty. I'm partial to labels with a strong identity (think early 4AD, Drag City, Takoma, ECM) so I'm appreciative of the way Marty approaches and presents his own label.

The Fleeting Nature of forms: How does being from Maine affect the overall sound of Falls of Rauros? What is that area like and is it receptive to metal bands?

The population is pretty low in Maine, especially outside of the greater Portland area. We all live in Portland, however, which is basically a small city; pronounced emphasis on small. I have some difficulty distinguishing what about Maine influences our sound anymore. It's become integrated and transparent. Close proximity to rural, wooded, and coastal areas certainly doesn't hurt. We're not hemmed in by some heavily industrial metropolis nor landlocked and one can breathe a little easier with that knowledge. Reception to metal bands? The population doesn't really support a strong metal / punk scene but it does exist here. There are a handful of good bands any given year but most quickly dissolve. You can also expect to see the same handful of people at most shows. It's tight-knit community and that's a beautiful thing, but by no means is it large or thriving.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: Some would say the new digital age has murdered music, but I beg to differ. It's allowed a huge audience for bands that may have gone undiscovered years ago. How has the digital age of downloading helped or hurt the music scene and your band in particular?

Being an avid music listener and working class I have long supported the "digital age." Make no mistake, I greatly prefer owning a record or CD and I used to collect hungrily. The reality of being an adult means I can no longer purchase ALL the music I want to hear, so I download and listen to as much music as I want and buy whatever I can afford of the music I really love, or to support touring bands, like-minded musicians, and whatnot. I'd rather strike a balance than forego hearing all the world's wonderful music in some martyric display of commerce-worship. I don't think martyric is a word but now it can be. I would say undoubtedly that downloading music has helped our band, as well as word-of-mouth via the internet.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: I'm always interested in the mystery and sacredness of music. When my friends and I were watching Neurosis play a few weeks ago, he said, "this is the closest thing i get to church. This is my church." Music is so important to me on so many levels, it's hard to explain to someone that is a casual listener. It's an unspoken brotherhood. How and why do you think it's become so enthralling for all of us? What bands were the catalysts that inspired you to pick up the guitar?

Underground music in particular (and its concomitant community) is so important to those involved for innumerable reasons. I think a lot of it has to do with self-identity and social identity on an intimate and tangible scale. It's a place of retreat in a world that would bar all exits and lethally arm its sentries. In its ideal form, underground music is as minimally influenced as possible by the ubiquitous wage economy considerations and offers emotional or "spiritual" egress from our daily anxieties. The creation and experiencing of music has the potential to be something close-to-pure in a sea of impurity.

I don't recall any particular catalyst for wanting to learn guitar. I think it stemmed from listening to primarily guitar-based music back when I was 12 (or whenever it was) and picked up the instrument. It seemed like the most practical and accessible medium for expression at the time.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: Falls of Rauros continues to progress as a unit releasing one impressive album after the next. I believe that the only way to grow is to continue challenging yourself. How does Falls continue to challenge themselves conceptually and musically?

We're all on the same page about not wanting to repeat ourselves; not wanting to churn out another album for the sake of churning out another album. On the other hand we don't want to forsake the personality of the band to achieve gaudy variety or a specious maturity. Evolving the sound has been a pretty organic process and the key is communication. We'll talk about where we see an album or a specific song going; what direction it's naturally taking and in what direction it may need to be urged and encouraged. Improvisation and "happy mistakes" play a part early in the process, as well as keeping an open mind and being willing to drastically rearrange or entirely eschew ideas previously worked on.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: One concept for creative souls was the idea that there is a well that we are all drawing from. Some universal spring where all ideas rest waiting to be discovered. I'm always curious where the ideas come from, and when an idea or passage clicks, it's very surreal. There is almost no better feeling than writing your way out of a corner or discovering some new creative terrain. Where does Falls of Rauros draw their inspiration from sonically, lyrically and musically?

We try to maintain an egalitarian dynamic in the band which ultimately makes pinpointing inspiration difficult. The four of us have our own motivations and fascinations which are, more often than not, compatible with a little work and thought. We're not of the mind that music springs forth in a passionate fury from some sleepless genius, fully realized and epoch-ending. That's a romance perpetuated by entities like VH1 in the interest of myth-making (and entertaining TV specials). This is especially true if you're working as a band, and not one individual, to compose an album. We proffer ideas and tinker with them. Discuss and experiment. It's less of a "well" of inspiration and more of an entire world of inspiration we pluck from discerningly, stand back, observe, and press on until some semblance of satisfaction is detectable.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: I've been writing novels, short stories and flash fiction pieces after writing musical passages. What I've found is that the piece itself can be fairly effortless to write, but coming up with a title is always the most challenging. How does Falls of Rauros decide on the titles for albums and songs?

I've used a pretty wide range of approaches to titling songs. Sometimes they are pulled from a phrase or line in that particular song; other times it's an idea related tangentially or in an abstract manner to the song. For example something that conjures an image, or feeling, texture, anything of the sort. Other times I've pulled titles from writers or other musicians. "Awaiting the Fire or Flood that Awakes It" is a line from Gary Snyder's "The Practice of the Wild" that I felt represented the lyrics of that song perfectly. "The Light that Dwells in Rotten Wood" is of course from H.D. Thoreau. "Ancestors of Shadow" and "Ancestors of Smoke" were both adopted from a song by the late Jason Molina in a gesture of commemoration of his life and music.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: There seems to be a giant stick up the ass of the black metal community. The purists of this genre are some of the most vocal critics of just about everything. Being a band that doesn't rely on several hundred blast beat passages, have you experienced any backlash from the black metal community?

To an extent, certainly. The deification of orthodoxy and the exclusionary attitudes prevailing in the black metal scene are, in my opinion, glaring faults while simultaneously alluring and endearing. It's an art form people hold very dear to the extent of lashing out exaggeratedly at any perceived insurgency or incursion by outsiders. This has resulted in tiresome (largely internet hosted) slander and persecution by the scene's affronted and scandalized adherents. We've never considered ourselves strictly a black metal band but I would say that's the closest point of reference if you don't want to get too pedantic about sub-genres. As someone who fell in love with Bathory and Ildjarn when I was 14 and earlier cut my "metal" teeth on, let's face it, uncool bands like Blind Guardian and Jag Panzer I wouldn't consider myself to qualify as one of those pernicious outsiders.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: Aside from metal, is there any other style of music that you like? What bands are you currently listening to? Favorite albums of the year?

The four of us listen to plenty of seemingly disparate and "incompatible" music. All of us in the band are pretty voracious music fans and that demands branching out of your comfort zone at least some of the time. Folk related music, early Country, early Blues, Jazz, songwriters, Classical, it's a little ridiculous to name such broad genres of music; nothing of substance is communicated. The bottom line is: the four of us have our own taste.

Personally I've been digging through late-era John Coltrane recordings and finding some (then) rather iconoclastic gems. I've been repeatedly visiting numerous Cecil Taylor albums the past month or two. As with Mississippi John Hurt. That man was profusely talented. Art Blakey and his percussive élan is worthy of celebration. Albums of the year, off the top of my head, would have to include Obsequiae's "Aria of Vernal Tombs", Akitsa's "Grands Tyrans", Panopticon's "Autumn Eternal" and Six Organs of Admittance's "Hexadic." I've yet to hear a note of it but I can safely expect Joanna Newsom's "Divers" to be one of the year's best, if not THE best.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: Drawing inspiration from suffering has been the traditional route for most artists. There is an unlimited supply of heartache in this world. Music is the light and the darkness. As artists, do you feel that we have a duty to inspire or inform or simply provide a light in the darkness? What is the overall goal of Falls of Rauros?

The foremost goal for Falls of Rauros I would say is simply writing music. Composing, arranging, recording, being creative with what tools we have. Lyrically I usually draw from emotions bordering on desperation, depression, anger, social impotence, and any armada of clichés I could relay to you. Those are perfectly appropriate emotions that inevitably accompany life in the world as we've come to know it. Look around you. I've no pedagogic aspirations through Falls of Rauros; the lyrics and their attendant message are primarily personal outpourings which, as a human being in the greater community of human beings, of necessity touch upon issues in the world outside myself.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: How was the Shadow Woods Festival? Will there be any national tours in the near future?

Shadow Woods was fantastic. It had an intimate, close-knit atmosphere and a broad palette of musical variety on display. Camping is a favorite pastime of ours so any opportunity to play a show followed by tenting out shouldn't be passed up. Everybody there seemed to enjoy themselves. As far as a national tour is concerned it's tough to say. We're hoping to play out a considerable amount next summer, hopefully quite far from home, but plan on few-to-zero shows until then. Winter hibernation.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: Is there anything you would like to say that hasn't been mentioned yet?

No, I guess not. Thank you so much for the interview.

 

 

Their album, Believe in No Coming Shore, is definitely one of my favorite records of the year.
You can hear it at their bandcamp site ...

                 Falls of Rauros

In-Depth and enlightening interview with AUSTARAS

                                                                      AUSTARAS

The Fleeting Nature of Forms:  First of all, can you tell me a little about the history of Austaras? If it's not too personal, why the four year hiatus between records?

JB- John Becker
SH- Shane Hill
AH- Adam Hansen

JB: Austaras was first conceived by Shane Hill and myself in autumn 2008. We met because he was wearing an Opeth t-shirt and I approached him. After discussing music quickly I mentioned Wolves in the Throne Room and later that day he went home and heard them for the first time. I guess you can say I passed the ‘cool’ test with that recommendation.
Soon Shane and I started playing guitar together in the practice rooms at our school and found out we wrote music in a very similar style. It wasn’t until the next school year in 2009 that a drummer came into the permanent fold which was Adam Hansen. It is quite difficult to balance being a full-time student as well as being in a serious band. This is the main reason it took so long to get off the ground and once we finally played live at the end of 2010 our first EP still wasn’t completed. It took until the summer of 2011 for the music to finally be released. We played a number of shows around Chicago and had to move our rehearsal space around multiple times because of logistical issues. In 2012 we parted ways with our vocalist/bassist, had to move out of our rehearsal space, and all had lots of personal issues dealing with living situations, full-time jobs, etc. that we had to deal with. Between 2012-2014 we had a fair amount of material written but not much time to really become a full-time band. While Adam and Shane were settling into their post college lives I used my time to release my first solo album under the moniker Vaskula. After this in 2014 Austaras was finally able to dedicate the time, effort, and energy needed to record what became Prisoner of Sunlight.

SH: I will add that John was wearing an Enslaved t-shirt that day, and the ‘cool’ test was definitely passed. But yes, the connection and drive to create our own music started instantly and has been evolving ever since (meeting Adam Hansen the following year and experiencing his prolific drumming capabilities added immense benefit and inspiration).

The Fleeting Nature of Forms:  I hear a more lively, rejuvenated, perspective based record focused on defining a core sound. Should more bands take time between albums?

JB: There is a clear difference in the overall tone of the album compared to Under the Abysmal Light which I contribute to us finally finding our own voice and completing this album at the right time, when we were all ready, and in the correct headspace. We spent hours upon hours refining riff ideas over and over until we were 100% happy with every single note and word written. There is too much mediocrity out there in my opinion and we wanted to be truly proud of the final product.

SH: Yes, they should. An ongoing band joke is the gaps in years between Tool albums; however, we understand that in some cases this is wholly necessary so you’re not simply replicating yourself with each subsequent album.

AH: I think Prisoner captures the essence of what we, as a creative unit, are all about. The EP was a great snapshot in time of where our heads were five years ago, but I think back then we certainly weren’t trying to push any boundaries or do anything as genre-defying as Prisoner.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms:  There was a huge evolution in sound between the ep Under the Abysmal Light and Prison of Sunlight. Maybe I'm wrong, but I hear some Kings X influence and a mixture of various elements.What did you want to accomplish with this new album and what messages would you like to convey to the audience? Do you think about an audience when you write or does that influence you in any way? Or Can thinking about an audience negatively affect the process?

JB: It’s funny you mention King’s X because the first time I heard them was this May 2015 when I was visiting Austin Lunn to record violin for the new Panopticon LP. He flipped when I mentioned I had never heard their music and quickly blasted one of their early 90s efforts while he was finishing up at work.
There are so many various influences on this album. I could go on and on for a page or two detailing which song reminds me of which band but it’s actually just the sound of the three of us playing together, this album truly sounds like us playing live together in a room. I personally never think of the audience when writing and I think that’s a major pitfall for many bands. We wanted to find our own voice and were not afraid of doing something different from what is going on around us.

SH: We strive to write music for ourselves. Though that may come across as being vain, it’s just something we’ve never really been concerned with--perhaps this comes with the territory as we explore more progressive avenues (you’ve the freedom to wander without the concrete expectations of more traditional genres).

AH: I agree with John- I think especially in the “always on” world of social media it’s very easy to get caught up in satisfying the general public’s desire for whatever major trends are happening at the moment- even in metal. Extreme music used to be a sort of haven for people who really didn’t give a shit about what the latest fad or ultra-segmented “genre” was, but these days it seems like more and more artists are sounding like copycats of their peers. We certainly care about delivering a well-produced, meaningful product to people, and for giving them a memorable experience when they see us live, but that’s really where it ends. The moment you let your audience dictate creative decisions in the writing process is the moment you lose your artistic integrity.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: I recently spoke with Austin from Panopticon about his decision to hold off on PR for the album, Autumn Eternal. In essence keeping the record from the audience until the release date. How do you think the music industry or even music as a whole has been hurt due to the ease of downloading? ( i am guilty myself but I admit that it used to mean more/was more special)

JB: I think the current state of the music industry is in complete shambles because of the abuse of technology. This is a very sore subject for me and I take it quite seriously. I’ve made friends with the employees at my local record store, I order merch from bands directly, I enjoy music as a physical entity and I know each of us in Austaras feels 100% the same way. Sure downloading can be nice to preview a record but if something truly means something to me I will buy it. I’d rather own 10 great albums on both LP and CD as opposed to 10,000 albums downloaded in low bit rate. I really hope this rather recent surge in purchasing physical media again continues.

AH: This is such a tough issue for me. Torrenting and file sharing is a huge detriment to artists because it devalues their work. However, there have been times when I’ve been given mp3s from a friend or downloaded something I couldn’t find in stores, fallen in love with it, and ended up buying loads of merchandise or concert tickets to see the artist in question. I guess it all depends on how you use it. I will echo John’s sentiment that there is simply no substitute for a physical product, and I hope people feel strongly enough about our music that they’re willing to pay for it.

SH: Agreed with both John and Adam on this point. When streaming is used for “preview” purposes that eventually leads to obtaining something tangible, that is key.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms:  What can you tell about the new album, Prisoner of Sunlight? What does the title refer to and Can you elaborate further on the mythical concept on which the album is loosely based? (it's a great title by the way). When will this album be released?

JB: The album release date is November 6, 2015. Sometime in 2013 we discovered that there was a certain feeling coming from the music that we couldn’t explain other than it reminded us of desert scenery. Soon we decided that writing a story would be a great option to tie the album together.

SH: The outset was vague scenery in our minds which chronicled a transformative journey. Adam can speak to the specifics, but it’s best left open to the listener’s perception.

AH: I’m glad you like the title! It’s actually taken from the lyrics of the first track, “Deserter”, and it really sums up the position in which our protagonist finds himself at the beginning of the record: alone and delirious in a vast, inhospitable wasteland with absolutely no memory of how he came to be there other than this overwhelming sense dread and shame. From then on, it really chronicles his wanderings as he tries to make sense of his surroundings and come to terms with his situation. There is a lot of introspection going on as well- but the concept is really meant to be interpreted by each listener in his or her own way. The phrase “prisoner of sunlight”, (and the arc of the story itself) can mean a whole host of different things, and that’s part of the reason why we really don’t like explicitly stating much of what goes on over the course of the album. It’s best left open to interpretation.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: You had mentioned before that you were avid readers. How does fiction/literature influence your sound? What are some of your favorite authors?

SH: This is something that’s always acting behind the curtain. New stories and perspectives allow one to cultivate their endeavors. We try to avoid wearing specific influences on our sleeves, but I would be speaking a mistruth if I said conceptual / transformative works such as those by Verne, Orwell, or Kafka didn’t contribute in some obscure way.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms:  The new album is killer. It sounds to me like there are more prog-y elements in the mix this time around. It's an enjoyable album from start to finish. I respect the fact that it's an an album that flows together well and not just a collection of songs. How important is it for a band to create either a lyrical thread or a sonic thread running through the album? How important is it to create a sonic experience rather than a collection of songs that comprise an album?

JB: Thanks so much! Progressive rock and forward thinking music is very influential to Austaras. We believe in moving forward and I know for me progressive rock and electronic music has been in my life since a child. I remember hearing Spirit’s The Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus and Yes’ Close to the Edge blaring through my house when I was young. I feel very lucky to have had that exposure because it formed a special foundation in my life. I was also put into violin lessons at age 3 but that’s another whole story…

I greatly enjoy albums that are cohesive statements lyrically but collections of songs are great too and it really depends on the band, style, etc. I’m always one to listen harder to the notes and musical feeling as opposed to the words so I’d rather have a cohesive flowing album musically than lyrically but when you can bring both together it can be quite special.

SH: Thank you! There undoubtedly are more proggy elements, and this is a direct result of us each being obsessed to some degree, with classic and more modern prog music. John and I went through a period in 2009 of only listening to prog from the 70s, which we reminisce about frequently. Prisoner exhibits recurring feelings and atmospheres--themes even--each of which was not necessarily intentional from the original draft, but developed with subsequent revision.

AH: There is definitely a big progressive element to what we do. Having said that, we try not to lose sight of great melodies and the art of crafting a well-balanced song. I think there’s a tendency in modern progressive music to just show off how many odd times you can play and how fast you can play them. I’ve always been a fan progressive bands like Camel, Pink Floyd, Gentle Giant and Porcupine Tree- bands that never lose their sense of melody even when the structure underneath is fairly complicated.

As for the threads running through the album- I’ve got to be honest, I’m not a huge fan of all-out “concept albums”. It’s far too easy to get completely lost in the pomp and circumstance and forget about the music. I think what we’ve tried to do here is have little allusions to the musical and conceptual threads running through the songs without beating the listener over the head. Every song still stands on its own- even the shorter ambient tracks. I had Iron Maiden’s “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son” in mind a lot of the time while writing lyrics and melodies for this album, because it was written according to a very similar philosophy. I’d rather have the listener discover on their 3^rd or 4^th listen that there is some underlying thematic stuff tying the album together than just lay it all out for them to see up front, otherwise you loose some of the sense of excitement and exploration that should come with music as dense as this.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: What bands/ records are you currently listening to individually/ collectively? Best records of the year? Albums that surprised you? Any albums that surprised you with how good, bad or indifferent they were?

JB: One band that I think the three of us can totally agree on is Tool. Hugely influential to us as a unit and I personally have listened to them since 2001 when Lateralus came out making them one of my longest-loved heavy bands. Opeth has been one of my top influences for years and remains a favorite. Currently Adam and I have been majorly into Tears for Fears’ Songs from the Big Chair. My favorite album this year has been Steve Hauschildt’s Where All is Fled, a beautiful analog synthesizer ambient journey which holds great emotional and reflective weight. Most all heavy albums I’ve looked forward to this year have been mediocre and disappointing which has been a disturbing trend across the musical horizon in the past two years or so.

SH: The past year or two, two albums I’ve had on constant repeat are Altar of Plagues’ Teethed Glory & Injury and WIFE’s What’s Between. Copious amounts of anything by Brian Eno. Another continual influence is Daylight Dies (particularly Dismantling Devotion).

AH: Well, John has already mentioned Tears for Fears- that’s been a bit of an obsession as of late. Those guys are absolute songwriting masters. As for more recent stuff, I’ve been enjoying the new Iron Maiden record “The Book of Souls”. I’m a massive Maiden fan so that one has probably been the one I’ve come back to the most- I think it’s one of their best, certainly in their top 5, and I can’t wait to see them on tour next year. They’re probably my number one musical inspiration- both in their uncompromising attitude towards their songwriting and the amount of sheer energy they put into everything they do.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: With so much music saturating the market, it's becoming harder and harder to compete for time in a digitally busy world. It's becoming harder to scratch out a personal identity that doesn't become absorbed in the musical wallpaper. So many bands, artists, authors doing so much great work, it's difficult to compete on any level. I hate referring to myself as a product and I'm sure that you do, too. It cheapens the time and effort we all put into our art. I would rather have 1000 people read or listen to my record than to become a mass produced product. How do you feel about the commercialism of art and music and what can we do as artists to shield from becoming another "product" to be consumed and discarded?

JB: I think this is the major question for artists of the this generation. It’s a truly difficult time to get any recognition but I do believe that if a band continues to put out better and better work that over time recognition will occur. Norwegian band Enslaved is a great example.

AH: I honestly don’t mind referring to our album as a product, because at the end of the day- that’s what it is. As I mentioned earlier, we don’t let the “market” dictate how we craft the songs or artwork, because you’re right- 1,000 people enjoying a genuine piece of art is better than selling a watered down collection of pandering drivel to 1 million. But I do still see it as a product- albeit one that is very genuine and uncompromisingly unique.

SH: In some ways unfortunate, but I agree with Adam. The best we can do is to be as original and honest as possible and see what the future holds.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms:  After I write something, I always get this strange suspicion that it was always there waiting to be written. That may sound weird, but there is a strange interaction between the known and the unknown, the seen and the unseen, the unwritten and the final product. In matters of art creation, do you feel there is something happening on a deeper level?

JB: I do to an extent. I know what I am capable of on a personal level musically but take that and combine it with both Adam and Shane and you get Austaras. The special moment when something completely out of the blue just happens makes all the struggles worth it in the end. The first quiet break in the track “Fractures” is a perfect example of something almost cosmically aligning and a very special section of a song almost writing itself. The three of us were totally locked in and in the correct mindset and one of our favorite musical sections was born one day at rehearsal.

SH: It’s difficult to say what that intangible thing is, but when the three of us approach it we certainly embrace it. Having collective vision is crucial as well, as it helps to have certain ideas ahead of time that can serve as foundations.

AH: One of the biggest strengths of this group is the fact that we really are more than the sum of our parts. It’s such a humbling experience to bring an idea to your peers and have it completely sliced up, changed around and mixed in with a bunch of other material- but in the end the results are so much greater than what you’d come up with on you own. It helps that we’ve known each other for so long now- there are really no egos to get in the way of pursuing our musical goals. John mentioned “Fractures”- which was kind of my ‘baby’ lyrically and conceptually- that was a song that we really struggled with. I mean, it must have been through at least 3 or 4 major rewrites. But when it finally came together we just knew we had it, and now it’s really the ‘epic’ of the album. I suppose it’s akin to Michelangelo seeing an angel inside a block of marble and simply carving and carving until he had unearthed what visions he saw in his mind. I’m not trying to say we’re the Michelangelo of prog metal by any means, but it’s the same idea!

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: Being a writer, we are a self-conscious, self-critical lot. I always hear that it's so important to finish your work. And, I've applied that advice and overcome some huge obstacles/writer's block that way. What is the best advice you can give to someone in the arts that helped on your path?

JB: I see a lot of great work around me never come into fruition. Life gets complicated but you have to push through it. Sometimes scheduling a writing session for myself has been the best medicine. I write well under pressure and usually can create when I make myself. I know not everyone works like this but for me it helps.

AH: I think this album is a testament to not letting anything stand in your way. Sure, it might have taken a few years, but it needed to. Any sooner than now and we would have been releasing something that was not up to our standards and didn’t fully represent what we were trying to say musically. Don’t be afraid to let things fester for a while- I’m the son of an English major so it’s always important for me to go through a few “first drafts”. After you’ve created something, let it sit and then revisit it with a fresh set of ears/eyes and you’ll be surprised how your opinions change. There are quite a few places on this record where we threw out sections and replaced them, only to come back around to the original idea in the end.

SH: Funny you mention that--one source of endless inspiration (another Renaissance shout-out) is Da Vinci, who apparently was quite notorious for rarely finishing projects he would start--they often would remain sketches, grand visions of the future. The inception of musical ideas is my personal favorite part of the writing process, and it’s always a struggle to see them through the revisions. That’s why I enjoy working with John and Adam and the “multiple drafts” mindset. Advice? To keep at it and if possible collaborate with others to ensure your ideas are realized.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms:  It's very easy to get sidelined by the distractions and acquiesce to the comforts of modernity. Musically and artistically, do you feel it's important to spend some time out of your comfort zone?

JB: Absolutely! Modernity is a quite alarming place. Folks completely zoned into their phones with absolutely zero regard for all the things passing by. Endless scrolling, endless internet personas, none of it matters in the long run. The actor John C. Riley says he doesn’t participate in social media because “life is too short.” This is great but not all of us were lucky enough to be established in the pre-2000 era. I think maintaining a balance in life is key.

AH: This is such a perfect question to ask about this record. This was my first time ever recording vocals on anything- let alone in a professional studio for public release. I’ve been singing to myself all my life- but once we made the decision not to look outwards to hire a new vocalist I decided to step up to the plate and just go for it. John’s solo record last year was a major inspiration in that regard. It’s so important not to let your fears and doubts stand in the way of what you want to accomplish with your art. It’s something that everyone struggles with to an extent, but the more you push your boundaries, the easier it becomes.

SH: The comfort zone can be a dangerous place if you linger there for too long, as it can stifle new growth. It’s important to be constantly exploring new sounds and spaces. With respect to modernity, the only way to counteract this is to balance with the ways of old.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: For anyone that would like to catch an Austaras show, will there be any shows or tours in the near future?

JB: There will be shows in the near future. We hope that our first performance can be a showcase type event where we perform all of Prisoner of Sunlight including the quiet songs.

We would love to play festivals and hope to perform overseas in the future.

SH: Certainly will be--the initial goal being to perform Prisoner in its entirety--as John said. Eventually playing elsewhere in the country and world are dreams we hope to make reality.

The Fleeting Nature of Forms: Anything that I may have forgotten to mention, please feel free to mention it here...

JB: Thank you very much for these insightful questions.

SH: Cheers for the thoughtful enquiries. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves in Austaras.

AH: Many thanks for taking the time to ask us these questions, and thank you to anyone taking the time to read this. If you’re interested in staying up-to-date with all things Austaras please check us out at facebook.com/austarasband, where we’ll let you know as soon as we have some live shows lined up. The new album will be available November 6 at austaras.bandcamp.com on a very limited CD pressing as well as high quality digital download.

Check out Austaras "Prisoner of Sunlight" here at Austaras bandcamp site... on November 6th.

 Interview with Kira from the brilliant duo, Muscle and Marrow

The Fleeting Nature of Forms:  Tell me a little bit about the origins of Muscle and Marrow. How did the two of you meet and decide to start a band?

Kira: Basically we were dating and I forced him into it. I was writing all of these sad, simple acoustic songs on the guitar and the more they evolved the more I became convinced I needed a drummer. He had reservations about being in a band with his partner and also about being in a serious band in general, as it’s not a conventional lifestyle, but now I don’t think either of us would know what else to do with ourselves if the band broke up.

TFNOF:  The way I've described your music to others is a Jeff Buckley-esque vocal style fronting Swans. Is that a fair description? How would you describe your sound to the uninitiated?

KIRA: I love that description and I want to take a second to acknowledge the thoughtfulness that it contains. I was just complaining a minute ago about being compared to blues rock bands or conventional doom metal bands just because there is a woman in the band, as though my gender creates a genre (though I do believe women should stick together in this scene). Some of the comparisons we get deeply confuse me, but I know everyone just views the world through the prism with which they already have in place. I’ve never really known how to describe our music so I’m going to steal your description if that’s ok, maybe with a little Bjork and Courtney Love thrown in (I am suddenly so conscious of how self aggrandizing all of this sounds and want to apologize).

TFNOF: This may be digging here, but personal relationships interest me. Call it the American tabloid machine coursing through my veins. You are currently in a personal relationship with the other Muscle and Marrow member. How does that dynamic play out in a band setting? How do you keep from strangling each other spending exorbitant amounts of time together? Is there a special synergy that happens while on stage? 

KIRA: I think you’re already hinting at my answer, which is that it is both really terrible and really wonderful. Our intimate relationship allows for my emotional instability to come out in full force, and so we fight very intensely sometimes, but we also get to explore this creative world together as well as the literal world. Neither of us can imagine being this vulnerable with anyone else. On stage there is this incredible feeling of unity, both when shows go terribly and when we somehow transcend the audience and ourselves. When we somehow have this sort of pure moment of emotion on stage, we get to have it together.

TFNOF:How do you keep busy on the road? What books are you reading? Favorite authors? What music are you currently listening to? What else aside from music inspires Muscle and Marrow?

KIRA: We listen to a lot of records and podcasts. We daydream about how to be better artists, about the kind of artists we want to be. Currently we’re actually listening to a bunch of what might be called art pop like Bjork, Lykee Li, Bat for Lashes, Kate Bush, FKA Twigs. We’re also trying to make our way through Michael Gira’s other projects besides Swans. Also Fleetwood Mac. Always Fleetwood Mac.

I am hugely inspired by literature, by feminist writing, by poetry, by visual art. I read an essay by Anne Carson called Gender of Sound that I would recommend to every single female musician who is trying to be subversive in some way. I love when language surprises me. I am so overwhelmed by all the incredible art there is in the world that I never want to die (on my good days). There is far too much to take in.

TFNOF: How has it been performing in a male dominated scene? Have the audiences been receptive? (the youtube performances I have seen have been very impressive, but it's never an accurate representation of the band) 

KIRA: What a question. I spend so much time thinking about my gender in this scene. I feel very specifically female and I try to use that. I try to use my insecurity and my desperation and my feelings of invisibleness and fuck with them, create something far more grotesque and hysterical and disturbing than the men in this scene are creating, simply because I feel such an otherness that they don’t necessarily feel in the same way.

Every time we show up to a venue I feel an anxiety that I have to assert my right to be there. I’ve been directly questioned several times because door people/bartenders/sound guys etc do not believe I’m actually in the band. These experiences are traumatic and they bury themselves inside me and despite how supportive and kind most men are at shows, I feel nevertheless very conscious of my isolation in the scene. I don’t typically experience these things on the West Coast. It’s when we’re on tour and we’re playing a metal show in a small city we’ve never been to before. And then I cry. And then I write a song where I get to scream.

TFNOF:  You had said that the two-piece sound may be limiting. Being a two-piece band, how do you compensate for that when trying to create a more full sound, both live and in the studio? Do you ever plan on adding additional members or expanding the current sound? 

KIRA: Luckily Keith is an incredible composer so he makes all of these sounds via the computer and we utilize those to (hopefully) create a fullness of sound. It will be even more evident on our next record. I’ve also, for the new songs, started to layer my voice over and over again. We want to somehow create a dense wall of sound, while still somehow remaining porous (which I think comes from the simplicity of the guitar and drum arrangements). Playing these songs live is a challenge. Right now we’re playing to backing tracks. We’re pretty opposed to the idea of adding new members in any kind of permanent way, but I could see us in the future briefly collaborating with people. Maybe.

TFNOF: Are you comfortable with the digital age where music and access to information is so readily available? Is it a bit of a double edged sword?

KIRA: I’ve never been in a band that wasn’t in the digital age so this is what I know. It is odd that people who like our band will friend request me because sometimes on the internet I just want to say something crazy or rant about how awful it is to be in a band or say something really divisive.

Speaking about the internet more generally, I am grateful that I so easily have access to information about so many artists, that I can discover people I might never have, but I have a lot of reservations about the internet and its impact on my attention span, my ability to stay engaged with the present moment, and my need for a constant audience.

TFNOF: What are the future plans for Muscle and Marrow?

KIRA: We’re recording a new record at the end of October. We’re going to make pink t shirts. We’re going to take some weird photos. We’re hopefully going to Europe next year and tour the US again with the release of our record. For our third record we’re going to make the most fucked up pop record we can.

 TFNOF: Courtney Love was/is one of the most polarizing figures in rock music today. I read that you have a bit of a fascination with her. I think she was overlooked because of her husband, but she really had some talent (I thought Live Through This was better than anything Nirvana produced even if Kurt did write it). She had a wild energy that was undeniable, and she was one of those characters that made the 90s interesting. What was your favorite Courtney Love moment (she has many) and what is it about her that you like?

KIRA: There’s a moment on Jools Holland in the 90s right before Hole plays “Violet” where she says “This is a song about a jerk. I hexed him so now he’s loosing his hair.” I think she’s talking about Billy Corgan. Who says that on live TV? We recently saw her in this sort of cheesy musical she’s doing in Boston and I was within ten feet of her and I just started crying (quietly to myself, don’t worry) when she came out. It surprised me. I’m currently on tour and so I’m feeling probably a little tired and sensitive, but she’s just so important to me as a woman. She gives me permission to be angry. I think she’s this brilliant merging of femininity while also totally subverting that idea. She is never who anyone wants her to be. She has unwavering ambition and intellect. She is someone I will never be, (I’m far too sensitive and scared) but I can pretend to be her on stage for 30 minutes, her essence at least. Every time I have anxiety before a show I just picture her total insanity and how feral and fierce she is and I then am able to go on stage. 

 Check out their terrific album, The Human Cry. 
MUSCLE AND MARROW