Interviews: Recall The Remains

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Metalcore/Deathcore/Djent/Thrash Metal/Nu-Metal band, Recall The Remains from the UK. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1.Where did you get the idea for the band name, you planned it or came out just like that?

So the name of the band was originally devised by our bassist Jordan and guitarist Elliot when they were in school, so this is going back more than 10 years. Band names in this format were popular and songs had silly names (I’m looking at you, Fall Out Boy). They wanted something to personify the philosophy of always remembering who you are, and being able to draw on those memories and experiences to help forge your own way. It also makes for a good logo.

2.Why did you want to play this genre?

Back when Jordan and Elliot started the band, they were heavily inspired by post-hardcore and metal bands like Escape The Fate and Black Veil Brides, as well as symphonic metal bands like Nightwish, so this kind of set the basis for the band. Over the years this has evolved into the sound we have now, as well as the addition of the rest of the current lineup with each of our unique influences. We have all been massive fans of metal and the various subgenres surrounding it for most of our lives, and the emotional connection we find in listening to and playing the music has really encouraged us to forge our own space within the scene.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

Kind of. Jordan and Elliot formed the band when they were in school (in like 2008ish), but when it comes to the current line up we all knew each other from being in college together, in the same friendship group, in other bands together, or through work.

4. Each band member’s favourite band?

I think my top three would be Linkin Park, Metallica and Affiance. Being the resident deathcore slammy boi Jacob’s are Thy Art Is Murder, King 810 and because he’s a diverse person, JME. Elliot is a massive fan of Currents, Oh, Sleeper and Red Handed Denial and don’t even try stopping him from trying to play Currents songs when he’s noodling on his guitar because he will destroy you. Nightwish are Jordan’s favourite band, but he also loves Rammstein and their amazing showmanship, and Evanescence for those operatic goth feelz. Finally Tony loves Lamb of god, Slipknot, Sleep Token and Drum and Bass

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

A lot of our songs are about mental health and dealing with different aspects of that. We also have a few songs about personal experiences. Our new single Darker Path, out on 18th December, is about grief and the darkness surrounding such a difficult subject, as well as the ongoing battle to deal with the pain and eventually learning to live with it. We also have songs about questioning those we put on a pedestal; be that a political figure, religious icon, or other influential person in our lives. Is everything they say true, or just well-spoken deceit designed to manipulate us to their will? As a band with a black vocalist and a gay bassist, we have drawn on their experiences of being discriminated against and oppressed as well - our single Deadlines touches on this subject. We also like to write our songs almost as if they are a conversation, with Jordan (clean vocals) as one participant, and Jacob (screams, main vocals) as the other. This definitely inspires us when we are writing lyrics because we can kind of have multiple perspectives on the same issue.

6. Where was your last gig?

Our last live gig was in Bolton at the sadly closed Alma Inn. It was literally the week before Covid shut the country and was a great show. We recently did a livestream in Bury, hosted by 0161 Manchester Underground Metal Community which was a load of fun, albeit a bit strange trying to be really energetic for an empty room. The video from the stream is still up on YouTube if you want to check it out.

7. Where would you like to play?

I think the dream would be for us to play any kind of international tour. Personally I would love to play in the US, and it’s a shame Warped Tour is no longer a thing because that would’ve been sick to play. Closer to home, Download and Bloodstock would be the dream. We’re in the Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses tournament in Wolverhampton next year if you want to come along and show your support ;)

8. Who would you like to support?

Metallica, hands down for me. We’d also love to support Rammstein, Currents, Affiance, Slipknot, Bury Tomorrow, Architects. The list goes on, but in all honesty we’d just love to play a gig in front of anybody right now because this year was going to be our busiest and best year - we had to cancel our first ever tour with our friends in Beyond Your Design so maybe getting that reorganised with some of our other friends would be amazing.    

9. Who not?

Shania Twain. Nothing against her, I just don’t really think her target audience would really overlap with ours… Although it would be fun to see the crowd’s face when we open our set with a disgraceful breakdown!

10. Has any of you ever suffered from stage fright? Any tips for beginners on how to beat that?

We all get a bit nervous before we go on but that’s normal, and the longer we gig the easier it is to manage, especially when we have multiple gigs in a short space of time. It’s a bit worse if we’re in a competition because there’s potentially a lot riding on our performance but getting over it all comes down to the confidence you have in your ability to play your material. We cut a song from the set in the past because I didn’t feel 100% ready to play the song and I was TERRIFIED of cocking it up so my tip for other performers is to make sure you’re 100% happy with how well you know the material before playing it for the first time, especially if it’s a pretty complex part. Also, people probably won’t notice if you screw up at a local metal show in a sweaty pub so if you do mess up just smile and carry on (I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve done this).

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

Personally, Linkin Park, Metallica and God Forbid. They are pretty important markers on my journey to being a metalhead, and each marks an increase in heaviness. Out of the three, I’d say the God Forbid stylistic elements have seeped into our sound more than the others. In terms of the rest of the band, you can hear Elliot’s love for bands like Currents and Oh, Sleeper in some of his lead parts, and he brings a bit more of the djenty edge to songs whereas I bring a more melodic metal or melodic hardcore vibe in my guitar parts. Jordan is heavily inspired by Nightwish and likes us to have a bit of a theatrical flourish in his vocal parts and the synths. Jacob loves Slaughter To Prevail and other deathcore bands like Thy Art Is Murder and actively tries to diversify his vocal technique so he isn’t just a one-trick pony known for one specific style. He can go from Lamb of God style screams to high black metal style screams and all the way to gutturals that sound like the world has ended. Finally Tony has been influenced a lot by drummers like Chris Adler (Lamb Of God), Joey Jordison (Slipknot) and Patrick Galante (Affiance) and these influences have become a major part of his sound, and in turn our sound.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

I’ve had to consult the band on this one because I can’t think of any particularly weird requests, but we’ve randomly run into friends in random places, like when we turned up in Aberystwyth (about 2 hours from our hometown) to play a show and Michael from the band Mad Spanner was just sat at the bar when we arrived. We also had a lady who for some reason couldn’t understand that our bassist is gay and in a committed relationship and kept trying to proposition him for ages. That got pretty weird...

13. What do you think of your fans?

We all love them! We’re so thankful for everyone who came to a show, bought a t-shirt, streamed us, accidentally discovered us, watched us and didn’t really “get” us/like us, and those that have literally travelled for hours because they heard off a friend that we’re good. We do this for fun but having people who enjoy what we do and actively go out of their way to watch us play live means the world.

14. What do you think of our site?

The site is a great place to discover underground bands that I haven’t heard of, and to share the love for heavy music!

15. Something to add?

I mentioned it earlier but we have a new single called “Darker Path” out on 18th December on all streaming platforms, with an accompanying music video. We also recently announced our debut EP “Dead Dreams” which comes out on 8th March 2021. In the meantime check us out on Facebook and Instagram, and check out our already released songs on your streaming platform of choice. Finally, thank you to Breathing the Core for having us!