Friday, January 12, 2018

Hawkmoth 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?
We’ve been working hard at rehearsing the new material in preparation for a run of shows starting this week. This new material demands a lot more attention to adequately recreate the multi layered sounds and tones live. We’ve also had a bit of time to appreciate the positive response to the release in the last few weeks.


2.Recently you have released a new album, 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?
This album is part 1 of a double album series. Overall i think it sounds very dramatic and ominous where that feel carries over all songs and their parts whether it’s heavy and dense or quiet and spacious. The goal when creating these songs was to have a greater range of extremes and cinematic feel, so I think some of our stoner sounding tendencies of our previous release wasn’t prioritized. It’s pushing more into the realms of doom, drone and post metal.

3.So far most of the music has been instrumental, are you open to using any vocals in the future?
For now we prefer writing music specifically as instrumental music, but we’ll never say never - we’ll always be looking for something new with every future release.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Hawkmoth'?
A Hawkmoth is a living species of moth. A huge one with a mysterious life cycle. We’d like to think the Hawkmoth imagery suits the music.

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?
Supporting Boris was a major gig highlight. They are a big influence. They create a unique atmosphere with their live shows which is definitely something we aim for with our live shows. We’d like our stage performance to overwhelm and not just entertain the audience. We’re not the kind of band that interacts and talks to the audience between songs. We keep our set as a flowing continuous piece where we want  primal emotive reactions from both us and the audience through our music.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
We’re from Sydney so first up is our album launch Sydney show followed by a run of shows in our state. We’re in the process now of booking interstate shows to follow. Then in about 6 months we’ll be releasing part 2 of this double album series.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of sludge and post metal?

It’s been great!  The majority of really positive album reviews, media features  and album purchases have been from overseas and not from Australia. Glad to be a part of the digital age for this benefit.

8.The new album was released on 'Black Bow Records', are you happy with the support that they have given you so far?
We’re very happy to be on Black Bows roster amongst some great bands. Jon who runs black bow plays in Conan who are awesome, so that has instant appeal. Black Bow helps a lot with streamlining the release by taking care of making the album available on all digital platforms and stuff like that. Also, I think a lot of potential buyers go to Black Bows site trusting in Jon’s artistic taste in bands which opens new potential fans for Hawkmoth.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We’re already planning the type and style of music to write next. We want to change and evolve. Musically, we next want to explore songs that are much more direct and condensed. We’re thinking an EP of our most brutally heavy offering from start to finish with no time to breath in between.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Neurosis, Swans, Boris and Melvins are 4 bands that have continually influenced us collectively. I think film scores such as sci fi movie soundtracks and Ennio Morricone western sound tracks have also influenced our  newer music. Gustavo Santaolalla is another incredible movie scorer.
Some bands we’re currently listening to are Squalus, Kowloon Walled city, Dead Cross, Mono, Yanomamo, Sumac and True Widow.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
We’re all into our thirties now so our interests have transitioned to ones that I think wouldn’t give us much cool cred to readers if mentioned.



12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you to all that have taken an interest in what we do. Keep supporting local live music. Keep in touch with us on our social media pages for gigs and upcoming releases. And thanks for the interview!


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