Alteras - Sound In The Signals Interview
I've heard that the band was founded with the common belief that making music is vital to your well-being and that the band's mission is to provide music for those who need it the most. Tell us about your background and music for those who may be unfamiliar.
Seth here! All five of us as a whole see this band as much more than just guys playing music. We all love to connect with our fans and we hope to reciprocate the joy that they bring us. Our music delves into topics that the majority of people can relate to. We write about loss, betrayal, mourning, etc. We really hope that our songs and our lyrics could provide people with a solace that they might not be familiar with.
You recently signed with Revival Recordings (owned by Shawn Milke of Alesana). That's pretty cool. Milke recently said, "the band has a conceptual, passionate and creative vision that couples perfectly with the culture and community that we are building. We thank Alteras for inviting us along on their journey". What will this partnership mean to the band and why did you decide to go with Revival Recs?
Zack here! We're very excited to be working with Revival. After having other offers on the table we knew right away that Revival was the best choice for us. Having Shawn in our corner and with his knowledge of both sides of the industry (music and business) it gives us a ton of opportunities. Everything that we have worked on together so far has been something we're all very proud of and we cannot wait to see whats in store for us in the future.
Your upcoming album, Grief, comes out August 5th. Vocalist, Jacob Clasen has said, "encompassing the emotion of grief in this concept album was enlightening to say in the least". Can you tell us a little about the meaning behind the theme of this album and how you encompassed grief in the songs?
Seth again. Everyone has dealt with grief at some point in their life. The theme is basically coping with the struggles and obstacles life presents to you sometimes. It could be anything. It doesn't have to be losing a loved one or being stabbed in the back by a friend, it could be anything that has been detrimental to your good mood. This record touches on all aspects of grief. Shock, denial, anger, bargaining, etc. And we really hope that everyone who listens to this record takes something from it and helps them cope with whatever struggles they're going through.
The cover art is definitely one of my favorites that I've seen in a while. Tell us about the design and how it came together. (Be sure to read our exclusive cover artwork feature where they describe how they created the album artwork.)
Zack again. The album art was something that we worked on for a long time. We tossed around different ideas and finally came up with a sapling growing in an arid place. The sapling then became a flower in the album art that we have now for Grief. It represents the growth that someone undergoes after going through some sort of grief.
You premiered your video for "Could Ever Love" at Alt Press. I really enjoy the song and video. I agree that it hits "some of the most relatable grieving points". How important is it to have a message in your song and to connect with your fans? How can music help deal with grief?
Seth here. Zack and I decided to tag team this interview! I'm super glad you enjoyed the song and video. Thank you so much. For us, it is extremely important to have a message within our music that appeals to the masses. Like I said in question one, this is so much more than a band for us. We want to spread a positive message that encompasses love and acceptance and build a remarkable rapport with our fans. For me personally, music has played a notable role when it comes to dealing with Grief. I'll always put on a song where the lyrics depict exactly what I'm going through and I'll feel better instantly.
Grief was recorded and produced by Nick Ingram (For Today, Dayseeker, Jay Z) at Capital House Studios in Columbus, Ohio. What was this experience like? What advice did he offer while recording?
A wild Zack appears! (Pokemon jokes, since we are playing Pokemon Go while on tour) (TEAM VALOR) sorry... Nick Ingram is the man. A ton of pre-production was done for Grief, we put a lot into the album before we even stepped foot in the studio. But having an outside opinion is always good for art, and when your person is Ingram it makes a notable difference. From his long list of previous works with artists you can imagine that Nick knows what he's doing, and he is very good at what he does.
The album debuts on August 5th. You were planning to tour with Roots Like Mountains and Adventurer in July. What can fans expect as you prepare to release the album? What teasers can you give the fans who are waiting for the album?
Hola! El Tambor here. I think that means, "the drum." If I messed it up, I apologize. I was a straight C student in Spanish. But yes, the tour with Roots Like Mountains and Adventurer! Actually, it turned out to be a tour with just us. Roots and Adventurer dropped a few days before the tour kicked off. However, it was such a good time. We hung out with old fans and made plenty of new fans, too. As far as teasers, I'll just say that there's a song for everyone on this record. And we are so excited for everyone to hear it.
Thanks for the interview. Do you have anything else you would like to add?
Thank you very much for the interview. Be sure to check us out on youtube! We have a new music video for our first single, "Could Ever Love" up right now. Catch us on upcoming tours. Follow us on our social medias we post a lot! Links added below! Lucky Charms is the best cereal ever. Go see Suicide Squad. And in all seriousness, always remember to take care of each other.
Find Grief on MerchNow, iTunes, and Spotify.
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-L.Burden
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