New Keepers Of The Water Towers Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

 

We've been rehearsing the new material a lot, moulding it to a live setting. Next week we have the first date of many where we will preform the cosmic child in its entirety so were just about heading out of the two year process of creating this thing and are readying ourselves to ride this wave, in to the cosmos.  

And yeah! We've got an old friend joining us on keyboards and that's pretty awesome 

 

2.How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous releases?

 

To me, it's less traditionall rock and metal, and more what made the older music stick out from the stoner metal scene.  We've tried to refine what makes us what we are as a band and we'll continue doing so is the plan. Having less musical influence from other people, diving deeper in to unknown sounds and new moods.

 

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the new release explores?

It's a reflection of the lives we, the writers, have lived so far. Like my young minds hybris and victors hate for monotonus work and needless process and conflict. Then we've put those experiences and insights through different theistic standpoints. I've ingenered it to progress as a path from ignorance to enlightenment. We strongly oppose religion and are firm believers in the mothods of science, reason and eternal death.

4.I know that the album title was inspired by Carl Sagan, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in his theories

 

Well as far as I know, Sagan hasn't brought any substantial new theories to the table. What he did was to publish the cosmological theories of his time in an accessible and pretty awesome package, with a great original soundtrack. Our new album reflects a cosmic perspective of lifes begginings and ends. Carl, with a little help from our collective friend cannabis, have helped me and many others to gain the intrest and base knowledge to find out the relative truths in these subjects.

 

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

Oh that is a very tricky question to ask oneself! For me, a great show is where I can feel calm and be absorbed in to the music. Those are often the small dark venues with irattionally loud stage volumes. We've done loads of lovely shows but one in a semi-legal club, where I ended up working as stage manager for a year, stands out. 20 people in the audience and we were a little drunk, smoking on stage. I think our standards are higher now so I don't know if it'll ever be that much fun again.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

A small bunch of festivals and a short European tour have been booked so far, but our booking and management deals are still fresh out of the oven so we'll get up to speed as time progresses.

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to the new album by fans of doom metal?

It has been overwhelming, I was almost prepared to have the album refused by the label since I didn't think this kind of music suited the typical metal head. But we've received great reviews all around so far and people seem to get what we are trying to accomplish. A big thanks to all the people who decide to head out of their comfort zone to give us a fighting chance is in order!

 

8.What is going on with the other musical projects these days?

We're jamming out with grass eating man regularly. Me and our stage keyboard player, Adam, formed the first incarnation of GEM more than 10 years ago and we are just now working on our first EP! It's a brutal doom band were I play the drums and everyone sings. And the material we have going on now is just bloody gruesome. I'm fucking exited about that.

 

9.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

We're working on new music right now, you can expect the same kind of bombastic dynamics and doomyness but were trying to scale down a bit on the grandiose and are stepping in to even more obscure harmonies. It's gonna be a blast ripping out some new stuff, we're actually playing a few new things live already.

 

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Nothing fancy, 70s prog, some metals. I listen to a selective few bands in most genres. From yob through electric wizard to camel ,tame impala, eek a mouse and Gösta berlings saga. Depends on the set and setting! I've found a lot of inspiration for the cosmic child in the 70s wave of British prog, genesis, king crimson and all that.

11.Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Not much time left over between work, rehearsals and chillin with da herb I'm afraid. Some of us have been having some epic conquestadorial campaigns in heroes of might and magic VI lately haha.

12.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thanks for not asking about our bands name. Cheers!