Hello and welcome to the dawn of another work week here on the official blog of Haulix. We are happy to have you with us this afternoon, and we think you will be thrilled to learn that we have finally delivered a brand new Artist Spotlight feature for you to enjoy. This interview touches on everything from finding a unique sound in metal, to the process of releasing your album in a country that is not your own. There’s a lot more as well, but I don’t want to spoil everything in the introduction!
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There is a part of me that likes to pretend I am well versed in the world of metal, but the longer I work in music the more I realize that statement might as well be a bold faced lie. The world of metal, especially on a global scale, is too diverse and broad for anyone to claim a strong comprehension of everything. The best we can do is to try and attain a better understanding of the unknown and how it works with the music we know by heart. That is the idea that inspired this feature, and who knows? You might find your new favorite metal band as a result.
Black Trip are a group that could have started in 2003, but due to a number of factors unrelated to the interest of founding member Peter Stjärnvind the band did not begin to take shape until 2011. The eight years in between found Stjärnvind recording instrumentals at home alone, which were later used to lay the foundation for the group’s debut album, Goin’ Under. That record, which hit stores just last month, has since been released in the US by our friends at Prosthetic Records. You can stream a song from the record below:
I had never heard of Black Trip prior to receiving an advance of Goin’ Under, but I quickly fell in love with their throwback sound and the way it made the black metal nature of their lyrics feel a bit less brutal than your typical Swedish rock outfit. It’s the kind of album that belongs in rotation alongside the likes of Led Zepplin and Black Sabbath, only its far more dark than either artist ever dared to be. If that appeals to you, I wholeheartedly recommend giving the full album a spin when time allows.
Prosthetic recently asked if we would be interested in speaking with the band about their efforts to reach a global audience and how others can follow suit, but it took until the end of last week for us to set a date and time for that conversation to take place. This morning I spoke with vocalist Joseph Tholl over Skype and ended up enjoying our conversation so much that I felt it should run on the blog right away. You can find the best highlights from our interview below.
Goin’ Under is available now through Prosthetic Records. Click here to order the album.
H: Hello, how are you today?
JT: I’m doing great, actually. I’m spending the week over in London right now, which is why we have the bad connection right now. My service has been bad, but I made my way to a bar and found some great wifi.
H: Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today. I’ve been spinning your debut album at the office for the past week and love what I’ve been hearing. How have reactions from fans and press been thus far?
JT: I read a couple of reviews, which I am happy to say seemed pretty positive. I’ve also been doing a lot of interview with people like you, so I hope that is a good sign about how things are going (laughs).
H: Do you concern yourself with the opinion of critics?
JT: It’s very important for any kind of band to get good reviews, but I don’t really read a lot of them. Most reviews admittedly say the same thing. As long as it’s positive, I’m happy.
H: This album is kind of unique in an odd way. It is the first album Black Trip has released as a group, but every single member has years of music industry experience behind them. Do you feel like you’re starting over again with this project?
JT: Yes. It’s the similar passion to when you start a new band, but we have the advantages of everything we have learned over the years, you know? You never really start from scratch again because you know people who can play and you’ve learned how to write songs, so it’s easier and faster to get things together. We have a circle of people we can work with and depend on.
H: I’d like to talk a little bit about the history of the band. I read that Peter Stjarnvind was the one who initially came up with the idea for Black Trip, but it was not until you and he discussed the idea in 2011 that the group came together. Is that true? What can you tell us about that conversation you and Peter had a few years back?
JT: Yes, Peter originally had the idea to start a heavy metal band back in 2003, and I think it was a bit more occult based at the time. He started to make demo tapes, but he never had a singer to lay down any vocals. He would speak about Black Trip every time I met him, be it in a bar or elsewhere. He would tell me about these demos and how badly he wanted to have a black metal band. I told him that it was a shame he could not find a singer, and he asked me if I would want to give it a try. He knew I had been singing backup in enforcer. I had been using my voice all my life, but I was never a lead singer until I joined this group. It’s a little strange that he asked me, but since I had some experience I guess had enough confidence to make it work.
H: Once you decided to move forward with the band, was it relatively easy to recruit the rest of the members?
JT: We got a gig not long after we got together, so we needed a lineup in order to play this big festival in Sweden. Peter and I had made a 7", which is how we got the gig, and not long after we realized we needed a band in a very short amount of time. It kind of made sense though, because the other members are people Peter and I have known individually for years. It’s also fun because we all come from different places. Me and Jonas, for example, grew up in the same small town. The other three guys are old friends as well.
H: The first thing that caught my ear while listening to ‘Goin Under’ is just how much the production reminds me of heavy metal albums from the 1970s. The whole thing feels ‘classic’ even though it was recorded within the last year. What can you tell us about the record creation process?
JT: People ask us all the time if we are trying to sound retro, but it’s not that. We are just trying to make music that sounds like the stuff we like. Also, if you look at all the equipment we used, everything is older. The guitars and amps are older, and we recorded entirely in analog. There’s also our inspirations, which are all older groups of course.
H: I do want to say that even though the production on your album brings to mind classic rock records, the lyricism and themes are unquestionably based in modern times. What message do you hope people take away from this record?
JT: Let’s put it like this: The music that we play is not something very difficult to approach. It’s easy, catchy music, and it’s largely not very deep, but we still want that ‘black’ element in it and that comes through in the lyrics. I don’t know exactly what I want them to take away, but there is a feeling to the record that I hope carries over.
H: ‘Goin Under’ was recently released here in the United States by Prosthetic Records. How did you initially get in contact with the label?
JT: It’s because of our label manager in Sweden, Alex. He released our album in Sweden and Scandinavia, then he helped us find labels to release the record in Europe and North America. He contacted them and they were up for it. That’s really all I know about that.
H: Did you have any fears or concerns about releasing your album through a label located in a country well over a thousand miles from your home in Sweden?
JT: Of course. It’s hard to keep control over all that stuff, but I believe in Alex and trust him. He’s working hard for us over here and he believes they are doing the same for us over there. You cannot really keep much control when it comes to overseas releases. You have learn to appreciate your music is being put out overseas and be happy with it. If you’re selling a ton of music and not seeing any income however, you may want to second guess a few things. For us, right now, we are just happy they wanted to bring us on board.
H: Our site exists to help bands and industry professionals get a leg up in the music business, do you have any advice for up and coming artists who may be trying to get recognition in countries other than their own?
JT: In this era, where you can record something and put it out right away, the best advice I can give is to do everything to share that music with people. The industry today and how it works for [unsigned bands] is completely different from how I thought things worked when I was a kid. You have to put yourself out there, and you have to not be afraid to be turned down. You can make yourself puke thinking that bands don’t sell records anymore, but you should learn to find happiness in the fact you can create something and spread it around the world in a short amount of time.
H: The album has been out for a couple of weeks at this point, and rarely has a day passed since its release without at least one metal site mentioning your name. Tell me, what’s next for Black Trip?
JT: We just finished our summer touring, but we have mostly only played Sweden so far. The album came out there last year, then Europe earlier this year, and the states at the end of the summer. We want to get out and tour more, but we have to wait and see how the response goes. Right now would be too earlier probably, but I want us to get out there. Peter is having his third kid soon as well, so we’re staying calm until November. After that, we’ll play more shows.
H: I think we’re out of time, but I want to thank you again for taking the time to speak with me this morning. Before I let you go, are there any final thoughts or observations that you would like to share with our readers?
JT: I just wanted to say that I am happy the album is out in the US and doing well. I hope to see everyone over there when we come out and play shows.
