That being said, AFGM has made it a point to either interview or cover a fair amount of these bands coming through town. Northlane should be one group that my fellow Canadian (and American/European) readers should take notice to. Emerging in 2009 from Blacktown, New South Wales, the guys have accomplished quite a bit in their short time span. With only two albums under their belts so far, they have touched practically every corner of the globe with their music and continue to do so as Northlane makes a victory lap around Canada/US in 2014.
Their latest album, "Singularity" has been met with rather positive reviews despite the ever growing competition in the djent/prog/metal industry. These guys have a purpose, they are focused and seem to have great work ethic when creating music (see interview below for elaboration). So let's recap a few pointers on "Singularity". The album was released on March 22, 2013 via We Are Unified Records and Distort Entertainment.
1. Genesis
2. Scarab
3. Windbreaker
4. Worldeater
5. Quantum Flux
6. Dream Awake
7. The Calling
8. Masquerade (ft. Drew York of Stray From The Path)
9. Singularity
10. Aspire
The album had quite the amount of hype about it due to UNFD's viral marketing campaign with other UNFD in on the secret and posting cryptic messages to their own sites. Not a bad way for a label to get the attention you need for a successful album and kudos to other artists for the cross promotion.
"With the doomsday clock close to striking midnight, it has now been revealed that the mystery of ‘Singularity’ is in fact the title of the forthcoming album of emerging metal band Northlane." -Tone Deaf
So if luck would have it, the guys not only gave us the opportunity (as well as their management team The Syndicate) to snap some photos of them on their last tour through Canada but were also kind enough to do a Q&A about their last tour, recordings, and upcoming plans. Enjoy!
AFGM: Alright, let's dive right into it. What does the album artwork have in common with the music you guys are producing? Basically, what made you go with the design you currently have for Singularity?
NL: It was partially a recurring theme from Discoveries, and then adapting that theme to suit the lyrical content of Singularity. We thought it was a breath of fresh air and really fitted the record.
AFGM: Do the lyrics have a common theme behind them or do they represent different aspects and emotions of your lives?
NL: Absolutely they do, most of it is based upon Adrian’s experiences and our experiences although the common theme is positivity.
AFGM: “This is shit-brained, this kind of thinking. That is all cultural diversion. And what is real is you and your friends, your associations, your highs, your orgasms, your hopes, your plans, and your fears. And we are told no.”
Do you guys see yourselves as politically charged or is this “cultural diversion” more of a philosophy and way of life?
NL: It’s more of a way of life. We are a politically charged band but that’s not what our music is just about. We want people to really live their life to be the best version of themselves that is possible, to achieve their dreams hence that quote.
AFGM: What made you guys decide to go with Will Putney for the production of Singularity? How was it working with someone of that caliber?
NL: Will actually mixed and mastered our last record. We thought that if he had control over the entire process, we could get a better result. He was great to work with, we were very happy with how the album turned out.
AFGM: Was the recording process any different in New jersey at Will's studio then your previous studio sessions [with Shane Edwards and/or Dave Petrovic]?
NL: Yeah it was very different, every producer has their own style and every studio had its own way of doing things. At Machine Shop, we tracked a lot of stuff simultaneously with Will’s assistant too and we were actually living at the studio ,so the cabin fever from that probably helped the record along a bit. We were also really rushed going in to record Singularity, 3 songs were actually written at the studio to complete the album, for Discoveries we were much better prepared.
AFGM: So Bring Me The Horizon has one sold out date (3000+) for Toronto already and is close to a sellout with the second date. I take it this is going be a much different atmosphere versus playing the Annex Wreckroom (Dec. 12th) where the capacity is much smaller (450+). Whether 450 seats or 3000, does it make a difference to you guys?
NL: Absolutely, and we have played the Mod Club in Toronto as well. Really the size of the venue doesn’t matter to us, what matters is how engaged the audience is. Sometimes it’s cool to play the smaller rooms because it’s so personal and intimate. The big venues are great too for their own reasons, at the end of the day we are always having fun when we’re up there.
AFGM: Don’t take a bias because this is a Toronto based blog, but what (in your opinion) was the best Canadian city thus far?
NL: My favorite city I’ve been to so far in Canada is definitely Toronto, I love your city and we’ve spent a fair bit of time there, we even wrote some of Singularity in Toronto. We always get a great reception there too. Not to say I don’t like other places, Vancouver is gorgeous but these days Toronto almost feels like a second home to us.
AFGM: Judging by your quick return to Canada/U.S. after a string of dates with Veil of Maya, I take it the reception in North America was well received for you guys?
NL: Absolutely, we couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to the U.S. and hitting Canada for the third time was awesome.
AFGM: So a third time around this continent might be considered by some to be overkill, so what’s the next move for Northlane after this second round of North American dates?
NL: We are flying directly to Europe for a tour over there we are doing in support of Architects and their new record, with our good friends Stray From The Path too (the first time we toured Canada, we were actually supporting Stray!).
AFGM: If you had one piece of advice to pass along to your fans, what would it be?
NL: Every dark cloud has a silver lining, and self-fulfillment, success and happiness is all about what you do with the opportunities that come your way.
AFGM: Same question as above, but geared towards aspiring bands that are looking to carve out their own piece of music history?
NL: Work your ass off and be prepared to sacrifice everything to do this. Take inspiration from your favorite band’s work ethics too, not just their music. That’s the most important part.
So hopefully after reading about some inner workings of the group you are heading down to your local shop and grabbing a ticket for their upcoming shows here in Canada or you are showing some love and picking up a new copy of their album "Singularity".
"Bottom-line this album is golden. I was skeptical at first because it seemed like it was going to be a hype album so I didn't want to set my expectations too high. No need. It's terrific. Everything from the lyrics, the musicianship (drummer is off the hook), the finely tuned production and ultimately that perfect flow from beginning to end."
I will have to strongly agree with The Metal & Hardcore Times. Looking forward to the future of this Australian five piece.
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