Lost Citadel, a London-based metal band, blends intricate songwriting with high fantasy themes. We spoke with Daniel and John about their debut EP The Watcher’s Spire, songwriting dynamics, and their unique sonic identity.
1. Your debut EP, The Watcher’s Spire, explores high fantasy themes fantasy,
with a particular focus on divination. Can you tell us more about the concept
behind the EP and how it shaped the songwriting process?
Daniel: As you say, our songs are rooted in fantasy storytelling. Divination,
and magic more generally, are central to my writing, and I am fascinated by the
idea of humanity’s struggle for knowledge.
Many of our songs take place loosely within a single fantasy universe that I
created. The EP tracks actually take place long before most of what I write
about, so they are perfect for a debut. However, I tend to write vocal melodies
first, and John and I work collaboratively on our songs, sending each other clips
and ideas back and forth until we are happy, with me writing the lyrics last.
So in terms of the actual songwriting process, the lyrics aren’t actually a big
part of that.
2. The interplay between twin lead guitars is a prominent feature in your
sound. How do John and Aaron approach working together?
John: We tend to focus on covering as much of the sonic sphere as possible. If
I am doing something more effects laden and spacey, Aaron will either keep his
guitar part heavy and distorted or emulate an organ to further widen the sound.
At other points, we may play slightly different parts to either make one stand
out or to support a part, especially if it’s very fiddly. Also, in large
chordal sections, frequently we won’t play the exact same chords in the exact
same position, which makes the guitars sound a lot bigger than if we were in
true unison.
We actually don’t do twin lead parts that much relative to other bands! I just
find that the sound is more effective when used sparingly, and when we do it
tends to be the typical thirds based harmony that we all know and love in
metal.
3. You’ve cited a variety of influences across traditional and power metal,
and some from further afield. How do you blend these diverse styles to create
something uniquely lost Citadel?
John: I don’t tend to think strictly in terms of genre. I know what this bands’
sonic identity is and I am not particularly good at writing outside of that. I
will sometimes have something that feels like it doesn’t fit, and if I like the
idea enough there’s usually a way to change it so it does feel like us without
losing the intention behind it. Plus I feel like the band’s sound is the
synthesis of Daniel and I’s influences and ideas so once we both agree on
something it’s likely to sound like us!
Daniel: we both have strong instincts about how things should sound. I
definitely agree with John that the point at which we meet is a huge thing that
defines what we sound like, perhaps more so than individual influences. We have
both spoken about influences that impact how we approach things, but I would
stop short of saying that Lost Citadel really sounds like them. We’ve loved
seeing some of the strange comparisons people have made because they find it
hard to encapsulate our sound. That’s because the common factor is the
interaction between us. I’ve lost count of the number of times once of us has
woken up to a message the other sent at 3am about how we could tweak a certain
part of a song.
4. "Ambria," your lead single, has already received airplay on Primordial Radio. What’s the story behind this track, and why did you choose it as the first glimpse into the EP?
Daniel: we are really happy with how positively it’s been received and how many people have listened to it already. It’s probably the most simple and catchy of the songs on the EP, so it was a natural single. When we had our EP release show on 22nd November people were singing this song with us. It was an amazing feeling.
The track itself is about pyromancy, namely using fire as a form of divination, combining this with the character’s own blood. It is heavily inspired by the divination seen in GRRM’s a Song of Ice and Fire, and the character believes they have had an epiphany in the song, but magic is volatile and deceptive, so who knows how reliable that epiphany is! Magic being a trump card in fantasy is often a sign of lazy writing…
5. The EP also includes tracks titled "The Bad Necromancer" and "Embers of Conquest." Can you give us some insight into the themes and narratives behind these songs?
The Bad Necromancer is about, well, a necromancer. It is a bit of a dialogue. The eponymous necromancer wants to contact the dead because the dead live outside of time, and therefore can tell you pretty much anything. But the necromancer is also not very good at this, and doesn’t realise it. The result is that the spirit that is contacted and the necromancer switch places, with the necromancer unaware of this at the end of the song, languishing and still trying to complete the ritual.
Embers is a more straightforward fantasy narrative, which is about the champion of the Citadel sacrificing himself to prevent its destruction, with it being the only one of seven that survives as a result. My idea here was that later on in the “present” day, people will revere the champions as godlike figures, and a cult will spring up around them and be incorporated into the dominant religion, whereas in reality they were just powerful warriors with some magical abilities.
6. Lost Citadel formed in London in 2023. How did the band come together, and what’s the story behind the name "Lost Citadel"?
John: Dan actually approached me at a train station years ago to play guitar in a totally different band. We kinda did the whole Zeppelin thing, but as we improved as musicians our songwriting morphed into the band you’re hearing today.
Daniel: as for the name, I came up with it. It’s just a great name for a band with these themes, and it instantly stuck.
7. The artwork for The Watcher’s Spire was created by Mark Erskine. How did you collaborate with him to visually represent the themes of your music, and what was the inspiration for the cover?
Daniel: actually, you would have to ask him that! The artwork was just something he had posted on his Instagram and I asked him whether we could licence it. It really is perfect for us, though, and I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for metal artwork!
8. How do Kerryan and Adam contribute to the dynamics of your music, and how do Daniel’s vocals and keys enhance the overall atmosphere?
John: it’s almost odd to ask how the vocals enhance the experience. We strive to be a hook-laden band - he IS the experience! Even when I’m writing super note laden, shreddy riffs, they’re usually intended to be sung over. And sometimes they’re written to the vocal parts.
Adam’s bass playing tends to add counterpoint or call and response to our riffs, whilst also locking in to the drums and the simpler parts of our riffs when necessary. He certainly isn’t a simple root note player!
Kerryan knows when to hold back, he knows when the songs require space, and he knows when to let the double bass loose
Daniel: as for my keys, they aren’t a big part of our music, and we don’t have them on stage at the moment. I’m very heavily influenced by synthwave and other electronic music, so the keys are not the typical symphonic style you see in some bands of this genre. They are a way to add atmospheric nuance, or a subtle melody that tickles you quite low in the mix.
9. You had an EP release show at the Fiddler’s Elbow in Camden with Sorceress of Sin. How did that go?
Daniel: it went extremely well. I actually put the show on so I was dipping my toes into the promoter waters, and we really packed the venue out, which I suppose is a testament to how well the EP has been received. Sorceress of Sin were great to have along as guest headliners. We were also joined by Artemis & Apollo and Heathen Kings, who are good friends of ours. Putting on shows like this is definitely something I plan to keep doing.
John: we gave away live rodents on stage and people gave us money when they saw us stomping around the stage babey.
Daniel: money in exchange for t-shirts with frogs on them (the rodents were free).
10. Fantasy themes are a big part of your music. What draws you to these kinds of narratives, and are there any specific books, films, or games that influence your lyrics and storytelling?
Daniel: they’ve been a part of my world for many years. Both Tolkien and Terry Pratchett’s Discworld were big parts of my childhood. I’m always drawn to strong worldbuilding and multifaceted characters. My lyrics draw most heavily from a Song of Ice and Fire (or as some may know it as, Game of Thrones), Discworld, and to a lesser extent the old Star Wars Expanded Universe novels and comics. However, most of the time I will be blending my own ideas with elements from fantasy.
11. With The Watcher’s Spire released, have you achieved what you expected to and how do you plan to build on that?
Daniel: I think we have exceeded our initial expectations. We have had some really kind reviews and have connected with a lot of metalheads. The real intention of the EP is to lay the groundwork for our future releases, though, so we can only fully say whether we have achieved what we expected to with time.
We have been developing a lot since recording it, though. We really feel like we are improving as songwriters with each month that goes by, so we can’t wait to release something more for everyone.
12. Finally, what advice would you give to other new bands trying to break into the metal scene, especially when it comes to developing a unique sound and vision?
Daniel: find your own voice and people who empower you to explore, and don’t be afraid to experiment. Finally, thanks so much for having us and for supporting underground metal!
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