Just before the fireworks said goodbye to the year 2008 My Silent Wake released their depressive third album. 'A Garland of Tears' is not the regular doom album, but has some faster parts and some very serene parts as well. With the input of some folk in their songs they have a bit a style of their own. At the beginning of this new year we thought it a good idea to ask Kate Hamilton all about the band and their music.
I don’t think a lot of our readers are familiar with the band. Could you tell us something about the history of the band?
Kate Hamilton: The band was formed in 2005 as Ian's previous band Ashen Mortality had come to an end. The first My Silent Wake line-up was the same as the old Ashen Mortality line-up (minus one person), with Ian on lead guitars and vocals, Andi on bass and Jasen on drums. Ian's friend Alan also contributed some bass, and I joined in time for the recording of the first album. We have released a demo EP and three albums (Shadow of Sorrow, The Anatomy of Melancholy and A Garland of Tears) on Bombworks Records. All of which were recorded at a local studio Kewsound which is run by Steve Allan who is our current drummer. Alan left the band after Anatomy was released, as he had moved away. Our current line-up is; Ian on lead guitars and vocals, Andi on rhythm guitar, Jasen on vocals, Steve on drums and me on bass. We have been gigging since 2007, and we are currently working on a split album with some friends of ours, a band called The Drowning, a promotional video for the latest album and a 5 year retrospective compilation album to be released next year.
Does the bands name have a kind of meaning behind it, or is it just a cool name?
Kate: Ian came up with the name. At the time he felt he was going through a period of realisation and awakening and he wanted the name to reflect that. Also the combination of words is unique, which makes band related internet searches a lot easier!
There are several different vocals on the new album, who is responsible for what?
Kate: Ian is the main vocalist - he provides the death growls and clean vocals on the metal tracks and the clean vocals on Fallen Leaves. Jasen does the black metal style vocals on the metal tracks. Andi provides the spoken word section in "Wilderness of Thorns". I do the female vocals.
I don’t know your previous record “The Anatomy of Melancholy”, but is that album in the same style as the new one? What is different?
Kate: That was a double album - one metal disc and one acoustic disc. There are quite a lot of similarities in the sound and musical style between that and the new album, although I think that our sound has matured since then. 'Anatomy' was quite an experimental stage for us, and I think we've carried a lot of that through to our new material with more confidence.
Why are most of the songs clocking over 8 minutes apiece? I know it is very general for doom bands, but I have never understood why they do it.
Kate: I'm not sure how it happens, it just always seems to turn out that way! You start with two or three riffs and begin to arrange them, then someone will come up with an idea and we'll rearrange things a couple of times and after a couple of jam sessions you find you have a ten minute epic on your hands.
I hear some guitar solo’s that sound like early Paradise Lost, do you agree with that?
Kate: There is no denying that Paradise Lost have been a big inluence on the band. We have been listening to their music for years so it was inevitable! We are compared to them quite often, although we really can't hear that we sound that much like them. However, the early years were golden for Paradise Lost, so I'll take it as a compliment!
Do you have 2 drummers in the band? Jasen Whyte and Steve Allan both do their part, how come?
Kate: Jasen was our original drummer, but suffered problems with his wrist which left him unable to use it after the recording of 'Shadow of Sorrow'. That is the time we wrote the acoustic material for Anatomy, as much of this did not require drums. When it came to recording the heavy material, Jasen recorded the drum tracks at home prior to the main recording, using just one hand! At this time we were asked to play Elements of Rock in Switzerland, which we were keen to do, although Jasen didn't feel his wrist was up to it. Luckily Steve Allen (who has recorded all of our records) volunteered to play for us and has been doing so ever since. Jasen felt he was able to contribute a couple of tracks for 'Garland of Tears' and played on "By Own Hand" and "Wilderness of Thorns", whereas Steve played on "Tunnels", "Cruel Grey Skies", "Fall of the Flightless" and the acoustic tracks.
You have used a lot of instruments which are not general for a metal band like for example an ebow, didgeridoo, mandolin, clarinet, zither, tambour, tambourine etc. Besides in the song ‘Pendulum’ I don’t hear them coming along. Did you use these instruments in a lot of other songs?
Kate: A lot of these instruments were used on the acoustic disc of 'Anotomy'. The didgeridoo and clarinet were used on "Tunnels" mainly to create atmosphere. Ian uses the ebow in a lot of the tracks on 'Garland' - "Cruel Grey Skies", "Tunnels" and "Fall of the Flightless". We are hoping to experiment with using some of these instruments in our heavier new material, with maybe some new additions!
The music you play can not be described as standard doom, isn’t the band afraid that they won’t be interesting for the doom fans and also not for the metal fans?
Kate: I'm pleased you don't think we play standard doom! It may be the case that some people decided we are not to their taste because we don't sound the way they want us to, but some people like that and think it is one of our strenghts. We have also made some fans of people who wouldn't normally listen to doom metal at all. It is a matter of personel taste. We are not proscriptive about what we write and would never discard a riff because it didn't fit in with our sound. It is the variety that makes our music what it is.
Your record company wants us to believe that your music has something to do with death metal, besides some death vocals I personally don’t hear that. Can you tell me what I miss?
Kate: I think the 'death' element derives from the death doom genre championed by bands like Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and Anathema. It evolved from traditional doom sound of Black Sabbath and Trouble but incorporated faster riffs and growling vocals. None of us are going to pretend we play pure 'death' metal (although we are fond of a bit Carcass and Entombed), but we find that elements of the doom scene does come naturally to our sound.
Next to the metal stuff, there is also some folk music. Why folk?
Kate: The short answer is - because we like it! We enjoy listening to it and have done for many years. Bands like Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span have played a part in our upbringing, as has Medieval and Renaissance music, so once again it is just something that feels very natural to play. The atmosphere and emotion inspired by such music fits in with the ethos of our heavier material as well.
This record is a rather sad and melancholy one. At the back of the cd-inlay there is a note in which the band states that suicide is no solution, there is always some light at the end of the tunnel. Are you afraid that some of your fans will kill themselves after listening?
Kate: This was something that was troubling Ian after a couple of people made comments to him about the depressive effect that melancholy music could have on them. He also read an article about certain music inpiring people to take their lives, and also an interview with a musician he admired advocating suicide as a brave and noble thing to do. This prompted him to write the note you find on the album sleeve of 'Garland of Tears'. Although our lyrics reflect the struggles that we all face at different points during our lives, we always try to maintain an element of hope in there also - however small! The lyrics to "By My Own Hand" examine the experience of a suicide attempt and the decision to fight to hold on to life.
What are the bands main influences?
Kate: Musically - everything from Hildegard von Bingen to Leonard Cohen, Fairport Convention to Enslaved! But none of us is inspired simply by other people's music. We have all had very different lives and bring different experiences and attitudes to the music, and it is the freedom of expression within the band that makes the music what it is.
Touring plans?
Kate: Urm, not at the moment. We have a couple of gigs lined up, one in Sheffield (UK) in March and one (possible) at the Feardark festival in Holland in May. This year was intended as a rest year as we have been very busy recently! Ian is hoping to concentrate on recording some new material with his other band, Seventh Angel, and the rest of us have plenty of other commitments also! However, we'll be sure to let you know if anything else pops up.
Going on a yearlong journey, you may take with you 5 albums. Which one will you pick?
Kate: That is a difficult question! It varies, but at the moment I would take:
Dead Can Dance - Dead Can Dance
Earth - The Bees Made Honey in the Lions Skull
The 3rd and the Mortal - Painting on Glass
Neurosis - Time of Grace
Mazzy Star - So Tonight That I Might See
I will leave this space for any final words from you for our readers………….
Kate: Get in touch with us! We always appreciate the support and positive comments we get from people, and hope that you manage to find something that appeals to you in our music. Our MySpace is www.myspace.com/mysilentwake.
