River Becomes Ocean - Sound In The Signals Interview
First, thanks for the interview!
Thanks for having us!
You all come from musical backgrounds and came together in Brighton after moving from Germany and France to focus on the band. You've had a lot of success since releasing your first EP. Can you tell us a bit about your background and music for those who may be unfamiliar?
We basically inherited the music. All coming from musical backgrounds having family members being professionals in the industry. Mostly all of them are part of more classical genres. Our music is a mixture of alternative rock, metal and post-hardcore with a lot of orchestral elements. We were once described as Thirty Seconds To Mars meets Screamo. We kind of found our own signature sound now, but that is still pretty accurate.
Speaking of your success, Shane Told (Silverstein) was featured on "What If I Stay", a song off of your debut EP, The World Around Me. This was a personal song for the band and also helped bring awareness to dealing with depression. I understand that you donated the proceeds of this song to the organization "To Write Love On Her Arms". I think this is a great message. How did the collaboration with Told come about and what do you hope fans get from your music?
It was quite a lucky coincidence. Silverstein played a big role when we were growing up, so before we went in the studio we checked which bands with similar genres were stopping nearby at that time and found Silverstein were. A close friend is their tour manager, so we kindly asked him, and we got a ‘yes’ from Shane! We want our music to help people. Our main aim is for kids to actually relate to our subjects and feel emotionally connected and understood. So far we’ve had amazing feedback!
Your upcoming EP, December is due out June 21st. Sam and Joe Graves (Asking Alexandria) produced the EP. What advice did they offer and what was it like working with them?
We actually recorded the EP with our close friend George Donoghue, who is also our touring bassist, and then we brought in Sam & Joe. They started the mixing process, working closely with George and constantly taking our opinions and references on board. They were able to draw on their recent work with some great bands like Asking Alexandria and pair that with our own style and references.
Both George’s and Sam & Joe’s working attitude is unequaled. George did a lot of overtime for us, as we were working to a tight schedule. And Joe was even mixing the songs whilst completely bedridden with the flu. We couldn’t have had a greater team!
When describing the EP, your vocalist, Marvin McMahon said, "This record is very close to us and is reflective of the times we went through whilst writing it. After our old bassist left, we chose to start from scratch writing this record. We still had to hit deadlines and were pushed to finish this record within three weeks. However, this limited time frame and the strong emotions we felt enabled us to write December whilst including our experiences of that period of our lives." The band chose to use the negativity in the most positive way by creating this EP. What were those three weeks like and what did you learn from them, as individuals and as a band?
Oh boy, it has been one h*ll of a roller coaster ride. Constantly under pressure trying to hit the deadlines, yet not losing any quality. Overall we think we have done a good job. It certainly shaped us as individuals and as a band. We grew closer together.
"Seven" is taken from the new EP. You premiered the video with Serpent & Co (Ben Bruce of Asking Alexandria's clothing brand). It's a catchy song that really highlights the vocals and the instrumentation. What was the idea behind the song and the vision for the video?
Friendships can grow horns and a tail… Or they had them all along and we’ve never seen it. I think the lyrics speak for themselves. With regards to the video, we were trying to get away from the typical full-band shots and tried to get a storyline in. Two mates hanging out, having a laugh, but snap so instantly, ending up beating each other to a bloody pulp.
Early reviews are looking good for the EP and we agree that it's definitely something to check out. Can you tease anything for the fans and/or what do you want them to know before they get it?
We are so stoked by the reviews so far, we don’t think it can get any better! The reviews have had great ratings so far, so our fans have definitely something to look forward to, and that’s not just our word they have to take for it! All you have to know is, that it is definitely worth getting the EP as soon as possible! I.e. go and pre-order it right now!! ;)
You're playing EP release shows in Brighton on June 21st and in London on June 22nd. What's next for the band? How can fans keep up with you?
We are obviously focusing on the release and those upcoming shows at the moment, but we won’t be resting, that’s for sure. There is another tour coming up which will be announced soon and we have big news for late summer/early fall. So definitely worth keeping an eye out! Best way are our social medias, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Thanks for the interview. Do you have anything else you would like to add?
Thanks for having us! We are generally overwhelmed by what we have achieved so far and can’t wait for the next couple of months! Thank you for spreading the word, listening to our music and supporting us!!
You can pre-order the EP, December, HERE.
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-L.Burden
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