Interview: Alunah - The Road to Uprising
Alunah have had one hell of a year so far, tours with their hero's and genre legends The Obsessed and Orange Goblin leading up to Uprising this weekend. To top it all off their new album is due for release in a few weeks time.
We sat down with Jake to catch up and see where the band are heading next,
The Razor's Edge: Welcome to The Razor's Edge!
For our readers out there who need to get up to speed; who/what are Alunah?
Jake: We are a 4 piece hard rock band from Birmingham with a new album ”Violet Hour” due to be released next month. It’s a really exciting time for Alunah
The Razor's Edge: Some would classify you as doom, a genre and market these days feels like its reaching saturation point. What is it do you think that helps you stand out?
Jake: Well, there’s certainly a lot of bands out there. In all honesty, whilst we acknowledge and embrace the “doom” tag we kind of concentrate on just doing our own thing, writing and playing the music we’d like to listen to. We’d like to think that attitude has kept the writing fresh. With that said, we don’t really try to be something we aren’t so yes doom is involved, happily, but not exclusively.
The Razor's Edge: You've played with some of the biggest names out there this year... The Obsessed, Orange Goblin, Phil Campbell, to name a few. Are there any shows/tours this year that stand out for you?
Jake: I think so far the tour with The Obsessed would have to be the highlight for very obvious reasons, but our own show at Birmingham 02 Academy back in May was also something really important for us. It was a very early show for this line-up of the band and the reaction we had over the new material written since Dean joined us (on guitar) was something that really went on to inspire us during the recording of the album a few weeks later.
The Razor's Edge: How have you been received on some of these prestigious shows... by both the fans and the bands?
Jake: The Obsessed were very complimentary and supportive. Seeing them watch our set out front and having members of those guys and Orange Goblin spending their cash on our merch is a really good feeling from a unashamed “fanboy” point of view. As for the crowds, we’ve been playing pretty much all new material and the reaction has been extremely positive and hugely motivating.
The Razor's Edge: Uprising is up next for you. What can we expect from you in Leicester this weekend?
Jake: A half hour preview of the new album basically. Heavy, melodic and hopefully varied.
The Razor's Edge: What other musicians / bands have influenced your style the most. Who do you take inspiration from?
Jake: All four of us listen to the obvious point of references but we also all have our own quirks and tastes. Hopefully this comes across in the music, which probably answers your earlier question of “standing out” as well. I think you just get to a point where you take music on its own merits, rather than trying to keep up or fit within one particular “scene”. The attitude of some bands can be hugely influential as well. Those musicians who back up the talk with action are the ones we hold in high regards.
The Razor's Edge: Your new album is less than a month from release. What was the writing and recording process like?
Jake: It was really fun, to the point that we knew we had a deadline but because it was so enjoyable that we never felt rushed at all. Everything came together easily with all of us throwing ideas in to fine tuning the songs and our own parts, but without the whole thing feeling laboured. That was very much what we wanted for this album. The actual recording was just an extension of that really, all very easy, happy and productive. Good times.
The Razor's Edge: Is there a concept or theme behind the album or is it just an in your face doom offering?
Jake: No real full blown concept, but the album cover definitely ties in with and influenced by some of Sian’s lyrics. We wanted to present a package where the artwork reflected the music.
The Razor's Edge: What’s next after the album release for the band?
Jake: We’ve got a series of festival shows in the UK and Germany with a couple of headline dates thrown in which take us up to Xmas. Then, we’ve just been confirmed for a UK tour supporting a favourite of ours which will hopefully be announced shortly. Basically, backing up “Violet Hour” as much as possible.
The Razor's Edge: Thanks for your time.
Jake: Thank you guys, cheers!
You can catch Alunah at Uprising in Leicester this weekend and their new album is out this October.
Have you checked out our other Uprising Festival coverage?
