Drawers Interview

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

Well, we recorded this new album in May 2013. Since the recording we played in several French fests, in Switzerland and we were on tour in Europe last December. Everything went pretty fast actually. We had to find a new label as soon as possible after the recording, and we met Nico from Kaotoxin which was really motivated by the album, so it was on ! After that, it was quite a lot of work ! We used to run the band only by ourselves : Olivier (drums) makes all the artworks for the band, Nicolas (singer) deals the booking of the tours, etc... Hopefully, Kaotoxin is really helping us for this release. It's so pleasant to feel that trust about our music !

2.You have a new album coming out in Februrary can you tell us a
little bit more about the musical direction you have taken and also how
does it differ from your past recordings?

Yeah, on February 11th ! We figured that the previous record “All is One” was a bit too long and scattered. So we decided to write a new record more compact and more efficient. This decision has a direct impact on the album’s length and on the tracks number. The main idea was to have short and effective tracks within a short album to be easily listened several times in a row.

The other main changes were on the record’s ambiance. As All is One is quite dark and slow, we wanted here to write a catchy and luminous album. We were searching for this type of song that sticks in your mind all day long. That is why we tried to add some new elements as blasts beats and bright colourful tones to create a different feeling.

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

For this album, the main idea was authenticity. The lyrics are very personal, about things a man gets during his life. Love, friends, death, thoughts about the way we live, and tough experiences of life. Mourning is about a friend if Niko which commits suicide, Detour is more about faith, Words mentions how is hard to get ideas from a blank page, etc… These personal lyrics matches with the whole concept of the album, it’s who we are, and nothing more. This is what you’ll get by discovering this album.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Drawers'?

We often have this question, but the answer may disappoint you. This name is just a name and we chose it because it sounds well to us. We disagreed a lot while choosing this name, at first we liked the idea of mentioning the action of drawing but finally we came with this name for its sound. We are also fine with others meanings as the piece of furniture or the underwear… That's totally matchless but it's somewhat as if you were looking for the meaning of Beatles or Rolling Stones.

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

I will keep in mind the few times we opened for Red Fang. Those concerts were just great, crowded, warm, and sweaty. Only good vibes. Guys from Red Fang are such kind and it was a great pleasure to meet them.

We also played in Algeria last February. I think this was one of the strongest human experience we have ever had. We went there with other French bands to meet and share live experiences with local bands. Both country and people were amazing, we will never forget those few days. Each tour is a unique experience, we made a lot of good friends and amazing memories while touring, and that's why we're doing this !

We want our stage performances short and intense. Also we try to be on stage as we are in real life; we are not this kind of dark influenced life metalheads so we keep smile on stage and just try to enjoy what we have.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album and 2014?

After the new album’s release party in March, we will be on tour in France. Then there are some show plans to be confirmed in spring, and it might be another tour before summer. We are still looking for concerts on fests next summer.

7.A Couple of years back you put out a split album with Hangman's

Chair, what are your thoughts on the other band that participated on
the split?

At first, while we started to write the very firsts Drawers songs, we were listening to Hangman’s Chair and it became an early influence in our music.

Then years later, when Niko joined the band he started to organize some shows in Toulouse (our home town) and asked Hangman’s Chair to play with us. Since this gig we played several times together and we are now friends. It was great to meet a band with similar influences so this is why they are the first band we asked to share a split.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to the newer material
by fans of sludge, stoner and doom metal?

We don’t have so much feedback yet. We just release one song and so far it is pretty nicely commented.

As I said before, the new material is quite different than the previous releases. This album could disappoint some sludge/stoner/doom fans by its brightness and its colours. This is kind of a bet for us to release this album and to slightly change the musical direction, but we are waiting for the reactions.

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

I think we founded a balanced way to write songs. This new album is only the first step of this luminous music we want to play live. We feel comfortable dealing with this positive energy so there are great chances the next release to sound more like “Drawers” than “All is One”. We won't be a pop band, we still keep our heavy roots, but trying to feel something different than a classic metal show, we love what we do so, we share it.