Discover the journey behind 'The Chaos of Silence' with DYING HABIT. Embrace the band's growth, Welsh inspiration, collaborative process, and live energy shaping their diverse, punchy album.
1. Can
you share with us the inspiration behind your new album, 'The Chaos of
Silence'?
We really wanted to show our growth as a band and capture the sound and energy
of the band live, so this was the thinking going in to the recording of the
album. We also wanted the record to be fairly short and punchy which is not
easy given that we like to experiment and push different styles and moods.
The title 'The Chaos of Silence' really reflects a lot of the topics explored
in these songs, When there is no sound and your just left with your own
thoughts... trying to make sense of things is never easy which is why people
tend to look for ways to blank these feelings out.. It takes a lot to embrace
them and learn about yourself and what's going on around you.
2. How has the rugged island of Anglesey, Wales, influenced your band's
sound and lyrical themes?
I think al art is inspired by your surroundings, we are lucky to live in a
fairly quiet part of the world and have some beautiful scenery that in itself
is inspiring. There is no real sense here of having to fit in here so you can
just be yourself and the band is a reflection of that. We have always just gone
with what feels good and right to us.
3. Could you describe your songwriting process as a band? How do you
collaborate and bring your individual ideas together?
We usually have the basic structure and vocal sorted first before jamming it
out as a band so that will be where all the songs on this album started out.
But the magic really comes when we do all get together and work on the songs.
Everyone has creative freedom to take their parts and the song in whatever
direction they think works, we are lucky enough to be comfortable working with
each other and knowing what will serve the song best.
4. Your debut single 'Unrealities' gained many positive reviews. How has your sound evolved since then, especially with your latest singles and album?
We are still very proud of 'Unrealities' and still play it live, but I think the main difference now is that we work on the live side of things a lot more and that is the priority - will the song connect live - so the songs are a lot more rehearsed and direct now. There isn't anything on this new album like 'Unrealities' but that more brooding atmospheric sound is still something we may tap into again in the future.
5. What was it like working with esteemed producer Al Grooves on the single 'Directions'? How did that experience impact your approach to music production?
Working with Al was a great experience, particularly on 'Directions', That came out super sludgy and grungy which really suited the song, The production was raw and huge so we realised from that that keeping things more natural sounding and organic really works for us. Luckily when we worked with Russ Hayes on 'The Chaos of Silence' he managed to really capture how we wanted this album to sound. It felt like 'us' - other times when we have tried a more 'polished' or 'produced' sound it hasn't always given us the results we wanted.
6. Your live shows are known for being energetic and immersive. How do you translate that live energy into your studio recordings?
I think the album does capture this fairly well, Almost every song on the album had been played live (in some cases many times) before we recorded them so I think that made a big difference. We still like to track one by one rather than record as a band as the songs are complex and need fleshing out but I think we succeeded in keeping the live spirit running through them all.
7. 'The Chaos of Silence' seems to showcase a great variety of styles. How do you balance experimentation with maintaining a cohesive sound throughout the album?
I think we tried to keep a lid on the experimentation given that it is only 10 tracks and 35 minutes but at the same time we have packed a lot of ideas and creativity in while keeping it punchy and cohesive. A lot of thought was put in to which 10 tracks we should use, some of the more 'out there' stuff got left off but it is in our nature to push and make the music challenging and engaging while still being accessible and we have definitely achieved that.
8. How do you feel your music has resonated with your audience, especially with singles like 'Celestial', 'Hart to Say No', and 'Echoes' receiving great acclaim?
I think the hardest thing for any artist now is to get people to find your music organically but we have found that the reaction of all those that have managed to find us has been fantastic,
Each song on the album is a little different so it was very tricky to pick singles as, although all are indicative of who we are, they do appeal to different audiences. So 'Hard to Say No' appealed more to the hard rock audience whereas 'Echoes' had a more radio friendly poppier appeal which ended up with it being played on BBC Radio.
9. What are your thoughts on the current alternative rock scene, and how do you see DYING HABIT contributing to it?
It really depends, If you look for it there is a lot of great guitar music out there, a lot of it going unnoticed. Unfortunately the mainstream has moved on and is all throwaway 2 minute pop/rap stuff but there will always be a rock audience and it is about tapping into that however you can. At least you know the bands out there now are doing it for the love of their craft and not for the money!
10. As a band, what are your long-term goals and aspirations in the music industry?
We just want to enjoy what we do, write the best and most interesting stuff we can and get it out there, on stage and on record. It is as simple as that. There are no big ten year plans, We believe in what we do and we know what we do is great. Ultimately if you deserve an audience you will find one.
11. Finally, what message or feeling do you hope listeners take away from 'The Chaos of Silence' after experiencing the album?
We hope they enjoy it! It is a bit of attack on the senses, there is a lot to take in, both musically and lyrically but a lot of depth to discover and that is how all good art should be
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