Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Twilight's Embrace Interview


1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new ep?

Ben: Since the recording we've just been trying to organise the release, line up some shows, and think about what to do with the next album. We're all busy with other projects as well and there is only so much that we can do while waiting for the EP release.


2.You have a new ep coming out in February, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Ben: The new EP continues all the musical themes from our album By Darkness Undone. There are four new songs but this is not a different sound. You can expect to hear us channelling 90s British death-doom like Paradise Lost and early Anathema, with influences from bands in the modern Scandinavian doom scene such as Katatonia, Swallow The Sun, Draconian, and so on. Add in some inspiration from bands on the edge of the black metal scene such as Agalloch and Primordial, and that's what you'll get.


3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?

Andy: It definitely feels like the lyrics are a little clearer and easier to grasp on this EP, although that doesn’t mean there aren't deeper layers of meaning. On the surface they deal with issues of shame and guilt, failure and loss, and the (often futile) search for redemption, but there’s a lot more going on than that if you’re willing to take the time to explore them properly.


4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Twilight's Embrace'?

Ben: The name captures the idea of darkness slowly drawing in and enveloping everything within it. All things come to an end, and eventually everything falls into shadow.


6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new ep is released?

Ben: We're in talks with promoters about doing a handful of shows, but ultimately it's out of our hands. We can only play if we're booked to play, and it's notoriously hard for bands in this genre.


7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

Ben: People aren't buying many CDs any more so offers from labels aren't able to offer as much as they used to. We've had a few offers that looked like "You pay all your recording costs, we print the CDs and give you a small proportion of them, and that's it", and there's no value to us there. We'd be quite interested in a label that could offer us a worthwhile deal but that's unlikely to happen. I think we have to be honest and accept that the record industry has changed, and being signed is neither as important or as useful as it once was.


8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of goth, doom and melodic death metal?

Ben: On the whole people understand what we're doing and if they're a fan of this kind of music, they like what we do. There are always some melodic metal fans that wished we didn't have the death vocals, or death metal fans that wish we had no clean singing, but you can't please everyone. The main feedback at the moment is that people want us to release new material, more often - so that is what we are going to do.


9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

Jack: My other project Fjords (https://www.facebook.com/fjordsofficial/), which Ben is also a part of, are currently in the process of recording our debut album. The follow up to a single released earlier this year is, while having some shared influences with Twilight's Embrace, firmly planted more in the progressive death metal camp. The album should be released at the back end of spring!

Andy: My other main band, Beyond Grace (https://www.facebook.com/wearebeyondgrace/), released our debut album Seekers in July last year, and we’ve been supporting and promoting that ever since. We have a new video coming out soon, and have just revealed that we’re going to be releasing album #2 in October, so lots going on there. I also recently completed recording the vocals for Black Soil, the new album by Apathy Noir, a Swedish-based project who deal in a slightly more Progressive brand of Death/Doom, and that should be released sometime in the next couple of months.

Ben: I have an atmospheric black metal side-project called Arx Atrata (http://www.arxatrata.com/), which has a new album in the works, hopefully coming out later this year. And I also play guitar in Jack's band Fjords.


10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Ben: We're going to continue along much the same path as we're on now. We like what we do and so do our fans, so there's no need to change! We have plenty of new material ready to go which should show that there is plenty of room for exploration and experimentation without needing to deviate from the current course.


12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Jack: Climbing, photographing and sliding down mountains. Usually not all at the same time, usually...

Andy: It’s probably quite a mundane answer but, outside of the band(s), I generally spend a lot of my time reading and watching movies, simply because I enjoy the art of storytelling so much, the way that different writers/creators work to paint pictures with their words, or how they go about creating new worlds and realising their vision on screen, etc. It’s something that’s always fascinated me, the act of creation in this manner, and it’s something which I hope informs the music I work on as well.

Ben: I program computers, play computer games, read non-fiction, and enjoy long walks in the British countryside!


13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Andy: Just to keep your eyes open for new music from us. This EP won’t be the last you hear from Twilight’s Embrace.

Ben: Thanks for your support! Check out our EP, check out the other bands we're in, and follow us on Facebook/Twitter/etc for future news.

http://www.twilightsembrace.com/
https://www.facebook.com/twilightsembrace
http://twitter.com/t_embrace_band
https://www.instagram.com/twilightsembrace/

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