Contact Alunah:
  • Home
    • Alunah History
  • Store
  • Alunah Blog
  • Gigs
  • Discography
    • Solennial Lyrics
    • Awakening The Forest Lyrics
    • White Hoarhound Lyrics
  • Press & Reviews
    • Solennial (2017) Press
    • Awakening The Forest (2014) Press
    • White Hoarhound (2012) Press
    • Archive Press (2006-2012)
  • Live Photos
    • Alunah Video
  • Logo & Promo
    • Alunah Flyers and Posters
    • Alunah EPK
    • Behind The Scenes of Fire of Thornborough Henge
    • Behind The Scenes of "Heavy Bough"
  • Contact

French Metal Webzine Interviews Soph from Alunah

25/1/2013

Comments

 
Picture
Foremost, hello everyone! I am delighted to interview you today! Mood of the day and good resolutions for 2013? Have you spent a happy holiday season?

Hey Angie, happy new year to you! Yeah we had a nice time thanks - plenty of eating and drinking!

I gladly discovered you for the first time while writing the chronicle of your last album White Hoarhound released last September, your second full-lenght after Call of Avernus. How was the recording compared with the previous one? Who recorded and mixed the album?

Greg Chandler recorded both albums at Priory Studios in Canwell, on the first album he also mixed but this time around we had Tony Reed mix and master the album. Greg is in Esoteric and has worked with Sepencult, and Tony is in Stone Axe and Mos Generator, and has worked with St. Vitus so a great team to have on board. We spent a few more days recording this time around so we gave ourselves chance to fix anything that wasn't right, and also add more layers.

Have you spent two whole years for the composition and the recording, or have you make the most to take a short break to breath?

We did so many gigs around Avernus that we didn't have much time to write, I'd say the main writing went on mid 2011 right up to the last minute of recording in April 2012.

With hindsight, do you have a positive or negative opinion concerning  your old productions? Is White Hoarhound  your little favorite? It’s my personal opinion but Call Of Avernus seems slightly more sluge than doom, isn’t it? (Which does not displease me, I said!)

My favourite is definitely Hoarhound and I'd say the rest of the guys feel the same, but I'd be worried if our recent album wasn't our favourite. I still love Avernus, I get what you mean regarding the sludgier sound but Hoarhound is closer to our live sound - we spent more time making sure the guitars were a true representation of Alunah live. All in all, the only bad recordings I believe we did were our first demos back in 2006.

About old albums, your Fall To Earth EP  released in 2008 generated as for that a much more fuzz, stoner sound. Can you explain this quite natural evolution over the albums to a darker and darker sound?

When we set out I don't think we quite knew what direction we wanted to give in, we have so many different influences that we seemed drawn to that generic stoner sound. Over time we got bored playing that style, and had much more of a connection to the darker sound. I got more into darker subject matters, and the music took on those subjects quite naturally. 

From Fall to Earth, you were recorded on Catacombs Records. PsycheDOOMelic Records recently signed on for White Hoarhound, can you tell us more about this choice to change your record company?

Dave and I run Catacombs Records, originally we started it for Alunah as we had zero label interest. We then started releasing friends bands and Alunah gained the interest through doing that release. We have a distribution deal with Catacomb so our first release made its way into the shops, and we traded with PsycheDOOMelic... which is how they heard of us. Quite a nice transition, we're now working with Napalm Records and their sub label Spinning Goblin Productions who are re-releasing Hoarhound on 12" vinyl 25th January.

Recently noted as the "future of doom" by Terrorizer Magazine, we guess your Black Sabbath influencies without much difficulties!  Aside this master of doom, who are your biggest musical influences?

Yep Sabbath are all huge influence but we're also influenced by Alice in Chains, Janis Joplin, Goatsnake, Acid King, Eric Clayton, Soundgarden, Led Zeppelin, Rose Kemp... the list could go on forever, we love so many different bands and artists.

Question for Soph : You sing and play guitar, are you in charge of the full composition, only of the texts or do you do this all together ?

My main job is writing the lyrics and melodies, Dave and Gaz write the riffs... Although, I've recently written a real beauty that I'm proud of! We all contribute to how the song fits together so it's a real mixed effort.

Female singing is still rare in doom scene, have you got rather good reviews from this choice in the band or have you ever been harmed by snatches of macho spirit? (God! I hope not!)

I think when we started we had snidey comments from keyboard warriors (those hiding behind their computer screens on forums), and probably still get them but those people don't concern me. At gigs we have only ever had positive responses from people, we did have one guy in Newcastle who was obnoxious about me but he was so pathetic it didn't affect me. There are so many woman doing this now, that hopefully a female singer in doom it's becoming 'normal' for people, and not something we have to talk at length about.

By the way, what do you think about doom scene today? Did you get real heartstoppers last 5 years? Maybe other groups from Birmingham?

I'll tell you a secret, I'm not massively into doom. I'm more into psychedelia, folk and blues - I'm not keen on straight up doom, I love it tinged with other elements. For me, the real heart stoppers in the past 5 years are have been Rose Kemp, Witch Mountain, Ray LaMontagne, Jess and The Ancient ones, Coven (who I only discovered in the past couple of years) and Witchcraft. There are plenty of heavy bands from the area but none that can really be described as 'doom'... Whatever that is nowadays?!?

Apart from your first bassist Andy, up to now there is no big line-up change ! Uncommon nowadays! The group does seem really close, can you talk about your first meeting, your beginnings? Are you old friends or did you cross your path during auditions?

Well Dave and I are married, and we met Jake at our local venue watching Daves old band Sonic Lord, it was quite a drunken encounter and we agreed to meet for a jam a few days later, we've been best of friends since! We met Gaz when we played with his band General. When Andy left, even though Gaz is a guitarist primarily, he expressed interest in joining us on bass and we all fit together really nicely!

I saw you got some gigs in the UK, did you get others in Europe, even on other continents? Which groups do you consider to have had the honor to play with?

As yet we've never played anywhere else in Europe or indeed any other continent. We've had offers to play in Australia but it was just too expensive. We're doing a European tour in April and May this year which is still in its planning stages, we're ending the tour in Denmark at the Heavy Days in Doom Town festival which were stoked to be playing. We've had the pleasure of gigging with some amazing bands in the past, some of whom are our direct influences such as Trouble, Paradise Lost, Witchcraft, Fu Manchu, Acid King, The Sword, Roadsaw, Orange Goblin, Nebula, Karma to Burn and Graveyard to name a few. We're very lucky but we do work very hard.

Quite a lot of European festivals are fond of the music you experiment, I think especially about the Desrtfest, do you have any forecast for 2013? I am convinced that the HELLFEST Festival in France would welcome you with open arms. Come on! We want you there!

Last year we played DesertFest London which was a great experience, playing alongside such greats as Church of Misery. Hellfest would be great but as yet were only confirmed for HDDT in Denmark, Copenhagen. There may be another announcement soon though, regarding another festival date on our tour.

The inevitable last word is for you! In any case, thank you for having devoted time to answer this interview and I hope to see you soon!

Thanks so much for taking the time to interview us. More info and tour announcements can be found at http://www.alunah.co.uk andon our Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/alunah.doom. Cheers!

http://www.french-metal.com/
Comments

    Alunah Blog

    All blog posts by Alunah
    View more Blog Posts >>

    RSS Feed

    Alunah 2014
    © Ben Parry 2017
    Picture
    © Ben Parry 2017

    Categories

    All
    13
    2014 Lists
    339metal.com
    3 Inches Of Blood
    411 Mania
    Abazagorath
    About.Com
    Ace Of Spaces
    Aces & Eights London
    Acid King
    Acoustic Shock
    Acrimony
    Adrian Baxter
    Advert
    A Forest
    Ahkmed
    Aidan Baker
    Album Download
    Album Of The Week
    Album Pre Order
    Album Pre-Order
    Album Re-release
    Album Streaming
    Alternative Female Voices Magazine
    Alunah
    Alunah 2014 Tour Dates
    Alunah Booking
    Alunah Competition
    Alunah European Tour 2013
    Alunah Feature
    Alunah Gig
    Alunah In Magazine
    Alunah In Print
    Alunah Interview
    Alunah Live Review
    Alunah Merchandise
    Alunah Online Store
    Alunah Photos
    Alunah Review Australia
    Alunah Review Austria
    Alunah Review - Austria
    Alunah Review Belgium
    Alunah Review Canada
    Alunah Review England
    Alunah Review - England
    Alunah Review France
    Alunah Review Germany
    Alunah Review Germany
    Alunah Review - Germany
    Alunah Review Greece
    Alunah Review Italy
    Alunah Review - Italy
    Alunah Review - Norway
    Alunah Review Poland
    Alunah Review - Poland
    Alunah Review Portugal
    Alunah Review - Portugal
    Alunah Review Spain
    Alunah Review - Spain
    Alunah Review Sweden
    Alunah Review - Sweden
    Alunah Review USA
    Alunah Review - USA
    Alunah Tour Dates
    Alunah Video
    Alunah Web Store
    Amen Ra
    A Metal State Of Mind
    A Million Miles
    Amp'd
    Angry Metal Guy
    Antichrist Magazine
    Arch Enemy
    Arches Venue Coventry
    Aristocrazia Webzine
    Arkham Witch
    Artycutz
    Atolah
    Atrocity Exhibit
    Audrey Horne
    Avenoctum
    Awakening The Forest
    Awakening The Forest Review
    Bandcamp
    Bannerman's Bar
    Baron Greenback
    Bass Cab
    Bassist
    Bass Player
    Bastard Of The Skies
    Battle Helm
    BCFM Radio
    Behemoth
    Belzebong
    Benson / Griffin
    Berlin
    Big Brother And The Holding Company
    Big Centre TV
    Biohazard
    Birmingham
    Birmingham Childrens Hospital
    Blabbermouth
    Black Dragon Promotions
    Black Eye Riot
    Black Magician
    Black Moth
    Black Phoenix Rising
    Black Sabbath
    Black Spiders
    Black Star Riders
    Black Sun
    Black Sunday Magazine
    Black Sunrise
    Blood Ceremony
    Bloodstock
    Blood Worm Brand
    BOA
    Booking
    Boris
    Bossk
    Boston Music Rooms London
    Bradford
    Bradford Rios
    Brant Bjork
    Brazil
    Brett Devey
    Brighton
    Bristol
    Bristol Live Magazine
    Cack Blabbath
    Cacophonic Pr
    Call Of Avernus
    Camden
    Canada
    Candlemass
    Cannock Chase
    Caravan Of Whores
    Cardiff
    Carlton Melton
    Castle Cases
    Catacomb Records
    Cathedral
    Cd
    Cello
    Charger
    Charlotte Nicholls
    Chipper
    Chris Fielding
    Christian Mistress
    Christmas
    Church Of Misery
    Cirque Du Rock
    Classic Rock Magazine
    Clwb Ifor Bach
    Colour Haze
    Comets On Fire
    Conan
    Concerts4cures
    Contact Fm
    Copenhagen
    Core Of Destruction Radio
    Cosmic Tomb
    Coven
    Crippled Black Phoenix
    Crooked Man
    Cursed Reflektions
    Czech Republic Review
    Dagheisha
    Danava
    Dan Burchmore
    Dark Castle
    Darkher
    Dark View
    David Benson
    Dead Existence
    Decibel Magazine
    Deftones
    Denmark
    Derbyshire
    Desertfest 2012
    Desertfest Berlin
    Desert Scene
    Desert Storm
    Destructive Music
    Devil
    Dioces Del Metal
    Disagreement E-Zine
    Distorsioni
    Distorted Sound Magazine
    Doom
    Doomantia
    Doomed And Stoned
    Doom Festival
    Doom For The Doomed
    Doommantia
    Doommantia Volume Ii
    Doom Metal Alliance Records
    Doom Metal Front Magazine
    Doom Metal Heaven
    Doom Over London
    Doomsmoker
    Dopefight
    Dopethrone
    Down
    Dr Doom's Lair
    Drum Strong
    Dusseldorf
    Echoes And Dust
    Edinburgh
    Eldritch Lunar Miasma Records
    Electric Wizard
    Elvaston Castle
    Emma Scott Presents
    End Of Year Lists
    Engines Of Armageddon
    Esoteric
    Estonia Review
    Ethereal Solitude
    Exodus
    Express And Star
    Extreme Underground Music Zine
    Eyes From The Mosh Pit
    Fall Down Zine Iv
    Fast 'n' Bulbous
    Fatso Jetson
    Femetalism
    Femme Metal Webzine
    Ffalling Down Zine Iv
    Finland Alunah Review
    Firebird
    Flight Cases
    Free Download
    French Metal Webzine
    Fu Manchu
    Funeral Wedding
    General
    Gentlemans Pistols
    Germany
    Get Ready To Rock
    Get Your Rock Out
    Glasgow
    Glowsun
    Goatsnake
    Goatwhore
    Gods Of Hellfire
    Gold
    Gothestro Radio
    Grand Magus
    Graves At Sea
    Greenleaf
    Greg Chandler
    Grifter
    Gringo
    Grip Of Delusion Radio
    Groan
    Guitar Cab
    Gurt
    Hard City
    Hard Force
    Hard Rock Hell 7
    Hard Rock Radio Live
    Head Records
    Heart
    Heavy Bough
    Heavy Days In Doom Town
    Heavy-Metal.De
    Hellride Music
    Henry Rollins
    Heretic Promotions
    Hevisike Records
    Hexis
    High On Fire
    Hmv Institute
    Hollow Earth
    Home Of Metal
    Horisont
    Hotel Wrecking City Traders
    Huata
    Human Disease Promotion
    Ice Dragon
    Impaled Nazarene
    Inhale The Heavy
    Interviews
    In The Woods
    Invisible Oranges
    Iron Maiden
    Iron Void
    Iron Witch
    Jackson Firebird
    Jagermeister
    Jethro Tull
    Jex Thoth
    Johnny Doom
    Josh Graham
    Jucifer
    Judas Priest
    Julie Christmas
    Kadaver
    Karma To Burn
    KCRW Radio
    Kerrang Magazine
    Keys And Chords
    Khang
    Kick Ass Metal
    Kim Kelly
    Krampus
    Kvlt
    La Grosse Radio
    Leamington Spa
    Life Of Agony
    Lifer
    Liverpool
    Living Void
    London
    Lonely Kamel
    Long Live Rock N Roll
    Lords Of Metal
    Lord Vicar
    Loud Noise Productions
    Loudwire
    Malta
    Malta Doom Metal Festival
    Mammoth Mammoth
    Manchester
    Mars Red Sky
    Mass Movement Magazine
    Mastodon
    Maxiumum Volume Music
    MDM
    Meadows
    Meat Mead Metal
    Medicine Magazine
    Metal As Religion
    Metal Bandcamp
    Metal Base India
    Metal Blast
    Metal.de
    Metal Hammer
    Metal Hammer Germany
    Metal Kaoz
    Metallus
    Metal Mouth
    Metalmouth.net
    Metal Nation Radio
    Metal Nose
    Metal Only
    Metal Recusants
    Metal Riot
    Metal Storm
    Metaltalk
    Metal Temple
    Metalurgia Sonara
    Metal Wani
    Metal Wave
    Michael Cowell
    Midlands Metalheads
    Midlands Rocks
    Mike James Rock Show
    Moghul
    Monkey3
    Monkey Leech
    Monolith Cult
    Monster Magnet
    Moonlight666.com
    Moonspell
    Mos Generator
    Mosh Against Cancer
    Mother Corona
    Mourning Beloveth
    Mouth Of The Architect
    Msn Entertainment
    Mundo Rock Heavy
    Music Waves
    Musikrezensionen
    My Revelations
    My Ruin
    Nadja
    Nameplate
    Napalm Records
    Native Ground
    Netherlands Alunah Review
    Neurosis
    New Noise Magazine
    Night Of The Sabbath
    Nigrum Est Bonum
    Ninehertz
    Ninth Moon Black
    Nmttingham
    Nocturnal Hall Magazine
    Noisey
    Noothgrush
    Novisible Scars Records
    O2 Academy
    Oath Communications
    Obiat
    Opeth
    Orange Amps
    Orange Goblin
    Orchid
    Overdrive
    Overkill
    Pagan Altar
    Pale Horse Named Death
    Paradise Lost
    Paralysis Volume 2
    Paranoid Hitsophrenic
    Parole
    Peanut Butter Customs
    Peavey Guitar
    Pelican
    Pentagram
    Pet The Preacher
    Pig Iron
    Pigwitch
    Pinterest
    Planet Mosh
    Platinum Pr
    Podcasts
    Poland
    Portishead
    PRC Worldwide Music
    Priory Studios
    Prog Magazine
    Psychedoomelic Records
    Psychotropic Zone
    Purson
    Queens Of Steel
    Radio Interview
    Radio Metal
    Raging Slab
    Ravenheart Music
    Rawramp
    Recording
    Red Sun Festival
    Rhodri Thomas
    Ripple Music
    Robex Lundgren
    Rock A Rolla Magazine
    Rock Blog Blues Spot
    Rock Hard Magazine
    Rocking The Midlands
    Rock 'n' Reel Reviews
    Rock Overdose
    Rock Stoner Radio Colombia
    Rockway
    Room 13
    Room Thirteen
    Rose Kemp
    Route 66
    Royal Thunder
    Rugby
    Rush On Rock
    Saint Vitus
    Sal Abruscato
    Sale
    Sally
    Samothrace
    Samsara Blues Experiment
    Sanctorum
    Sardonis
    Scene 2 Act
    Scotland Review
    Scruffy Murphys
    Secret History Of Doom
    Selfless
    Sentinel Daily
    Serpentcult
    Serpent Venom
    Serphedoomelic Records
    Seventh Void
    Shebrew
    Sick And Destroy
    Sigiriya
    Skindred
    Skrikzine
    Skull Review
    Skyhammer Studio
    Slab
    Slabdragger
    Slayer
    Sleep
    Slipknot
    Slow Worm
    Sludgelord
    Snooze Control
    Soggy Bog
    Soho
    Solennial
    Solennial Interview
    Solennial Review
    Songs Of 2014
    Sonic Bandwagon
    Soreltracey Magazine
    Soulseller Records
    Sound Engineer
    Sound Of Liberation
    Soundscape Magazine
    Space Witch
    Spader Ess
    Spinning Goblin Productions
    Spirit Caravan
    Sputnik Music
    Stalker Magazine
    Star And Garter
    Steel Panther
    Steppenwolf
    Stereo Invaders
    Stone Axe
    Stoned Gatherings
    Stonerandmore
    Stonerrock.eu
    Stormbringer Magazine
    Street Clip TV
    Stubb
    Studio Report
    St. Vitus
    Subterraneo Webzine
    Sunnod7e02e82d9
    Svart Records
    Szczecin
    Tairrie B
    Tape Cassette
    Tbfm Radio
    Team Rock
    Teenage Cancer Trust
    Teeth Of The Divine
    Television Interview
    Temple Of Perdition
    Tephra
    Terrorizer
    Terrorizer Magazine
    The Asylum
    The Atomic Bitchwax
    The Borderline
    The Chameleon Arts Cafe
    The Cure
    The Dome London
    The Doors
    The Exchange Bristol
    The Firehouse Southampton
    The Flapper
    The Garage London
    The Graviators
    The Green Door Store
    The Metal Forge
    The Metal Observer
    The Midnight Ghost Train
    The Morsel
    The Moshville Times
    The Obelisk
    The Offering
    The Oobleck Birmingham
    The Order Of Israfel
    The Path Less Traveled Records
    The Quietus
    The Quill
    The Rainbow Venues
    The Slade Rooms
    The Sleeping Shaman
    The Soda Shop
    The Stag And Hounds Bristol
    The Star And Garter
    The Sunday Rock Show
    The Sword
    The-trip-out-festival
    The Unicorn
    The-vampire
    The Vault
    The Vintage Caravan
    The Winchester Club
    The Wounded Kings
    Thorlock266a4cecd7
    Till Death Doom Us Part
    Time For Metal
    TMR Band Services
    Tombs
    Toner Low
    Tony Reed
    Top 10 Album List
    Tragedy-axe
    Trippy Wicked And The Kosmic Children Of The Knight
    Triptykon
    Truckfighters
    Tufnell Park
    TV Interview
    Two Guys Metal Review
    Type Of Negative
    Type O Negative
    Ufomammut
    ULTRAJE
    Ungdomshuset
    Unhallowed Nation
    United Rock Nations
    University Of Waikato
    Up In Smoke
    Valient Thorr
    Veintapf9abc63b82
    Via Nocturna
    Victor Griffin
    Viking Skull
    Vinyl
    Whiplash
    White Hoarhound
    White Hoarhound Review
    White Room Reviews
    Windhand
    Windkracht13
    Wings Of Death
    Witchcraft
    Witch Mountain
    Witchsorrow
    With Love The Underground
    Wolverhampton
    Worth The Weight
    Wrkr Radio
    Xxl Rock
    Year In Review
    Year Of No Light
    Yob
    Zephyrs Odem
    Zero Tolerance Magazine
    Zodiac
    Zt Mag

    Archives

    November 2017
    September 2017
    June 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.

Doom Band Birmingham | Alunah Blog | Alunah Gigs | Alunah Discography | Alunah Reviews | Alunah Store | Alunah Contact

Visit Alunah's Profile on Google.

Copyright © 2018 Alunah. All Rights Reserved