Svarthart Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
We are currently focusing on playing as much shows as we can. These days we only play in our own region (Belgium
and The Netherlands). We are also writing a follow-up album to our debut. The first new track "Waiting" has already been released.

2.How would you describe your musical sound?
Doom/death metal with a lot of focus on melody. In the style of early My Dying Bride.

3.The band has been around since 2011 but waited until 2016 to release an album, can you tell us a little bit more about the earlier years?
In the beginning we started as a small project while the band members played in other bands. In the first years we focused on writing and recording some songs. After we had a couple of songs and the sound we were happy about, we started to rehearse them and making a playlist for a few local gigs. During these years we released a small demo with 2 tracks on it. After we did a few shows we started to record a full-length. But we did the recording on a very slow tempo, so we did not have to rush anything.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
We are mainly focusing on the darker and worse things in life. There is always some kind of story behind every song, for example a family member who died, tragic love affairs or just situations which get you down.For us, these darker emotions in life give a lot to express in the lyrics.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Svarthart'?
We wanted our band to have a dutch sounding name. Svarthart is actually more Norwegian sounding than dutch, but it's just an easy sounding name with a little rhyme in it.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We have played a weekend of live shows this year together with French doom band Lying Figures. The shows we did in Antwerpen (Belgium) and Tilburg (The Netherlands) were really amazing. We will always remember them and it was also fun making new friends during these shows.We try to be as doomy as we can during the live shows, with very sober light and headbanging on the faster songs.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We are planning another weekend next year with another foreign doom band. But we are still organizing, so I can't say anything more yet.

8.Currently the band is getting distribution through 'Sepulchral Silence', are you happy with the support that they have given you so far?
Yes, they do a great job of spreading our music online. It sure helped us to get some more fans because they can get you on streaming services such as Deezer and Spotify. Releasing music as a band only without help from a label is quite difficult these days.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of doom and death metal?
We have not really gone worldwide by ourselves. But at the local shows we played so far, we got some compliments of the fans and have sold records at almost every show we did. Of course doom metal is a smaller genre which not everyone likes, but we just try to improve ourselves every time. And we are still a young band, so we still need to develop and evolve a little further.

10.What is going on with 'Verderf' these days a band that also shares a couple of the same members?
That band is currently on hold, because we lack the time combining multiple bands and work.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
I think musically we will always keep playing the doom/death metal genre, because it's the music we love the most. We will mainly focus on upgrading our overall sound as a band and keep on improving our melodical skills.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
For me it started out with early My Dying Bride, Anathema and Paradise Lost. These bands are the founders of the doom/death metal genre, so of course we pour some musical inspiration out of their albums. But we always add our own elements so we don't sound like a copy of other bands.
Nowadays I listen a lot more to the local doom scene over here, because we have great and talented bands like Officium Triste, Faal and Treurwilg which have all released great stuff to listen to!

13.What are some of your non musical interests?
Just enjoying life as much a I can, spending time with friends and seeing some places of the world.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
I hope we can remain playing and listening to music for the rest of our lives. And I wish a good health for everyone!