LowFlyingHawks
released their debut album KÅfuku back in 2016. it's a very harsh
and desolate drone based album. It won some major praise within the
Doom/Sludge Metal community. The band comprises of core duo – EHA
and AAL. Though they were helped by Dale Crower and Trevor Nunn of
The Melvins providing Drum and Bass duties on their debut album.
Now,
the band have just released their 2nd album – Genkaku –
which sees the band team up with Dale Crower and Trevor Nunn once
again. This time the band have managed to include KING BUZZO to
provide vocals on two of the albums finest tracks. With Toshi Kasai
producing the album yet again. This is still LowFlyingHawks show and
they've managed to create one of the finest and heaviest records of
the year.
I
recently caught up with the band where we discussed the new album,
The Melvins and future touring plans.
Hi
guys. Thanks for doing this interview. How are things with you today.
Hi
Steve, all great! Thanks for the great review!
Can
you give a brief history of how the band came together and where it
is today.
Yes,
we’ve been playing on and off for 25 years and a 3 years ago we
decided to start this band, we started writing songs and ideas and
finally a couple of years ago we decided to record
Congrats
on your brilliant new album – Genkaku. What can people expect with
this new album.
Thanks
a lot! People should expect a more psychedelic and hallucinatory
experience and overall a more straightforward riff based record.
It’s
a very different album compared to your debut album. As I stated in
my review. This album is more riff based compared to the heavier
drone styles of your debut album. Was that the plan to record
something different.
Yes
totally, we have this idea of a trilogy, lets call it the Japanese
trilogy, loosely based on the myth of sisyphus, so Kofuku was a more
soothing and drone shoegazey album, Genkaku is more straightforward
and hallucinatory and the third will tie and round the whole concept,
it’s definitely going to clarify the whole meaning, we’ve got an
EP in between that's about to enter the mixing phase that compliments
the whole things well.
Was
this a harder album to write and record for compared to your debut
album.
Both
of them have been hard on their own terms, a lot of emotion and
dedication has been put into them, they’re very personal albums and
going in and doing all this insight can be very hard and also very
soothing, but we enjoy it very much.
You’re
working with The Melvins on this album again. Dale Crover and Trevor
Dunn helping out with the instrumental work. And the legendary King
Buzzo appearing on Smile and Space Wizard. Plus Toshi Kasai producing
the album. How did you manage to convince The Melvins and Toshi to
work with you on both albums.
They
like what we do and I guess they enjoy playing on the albums as well,
it’s something very magical the way this all happens, really
there's this energy happening all the time that's very inspiring and
super powerful.
What
has been the overall experience been like working with legendary
artists such as that over the course of the last two albums.
It
has been a very humbling and powerful experience, we absolutely
admire and respect them and we’re very grateful to have been part
of this.
Were
you worried before you released your debut album that LFH would be
seen as another spin-off band from The Melvins. Where that is
furthest from the truth.
No,
not at all, our style has always been very different from the Melvins
even though we’ve been heavily influenced by them (Who isn’t!!),
were definitely never worried something like that would happen.
King
Buzzo lends his awesome vocals on Smile and Space Wizard. Did King
Buzzo write the lyrics for those two songs. Or was it a joint effort.
His
vocals are amazing! He wrote the lyrics for the parts he sings.
You’re
debut album surprised a lot of people within the Doom/Sludge Metal
community when it was released almost two years ago. Did the
attention the album received surprise you in anyway.
We’ve
never expected anything to happen, we truly play music as a form of
expression and we’ve never expected anything, it has surprised us
for sure and we’re very happy people are reacting to the music.
Genkaku
has been receiving it’s fair share of excellent reviews already.
Has that surprised you as well.
We’re
very happy people are reacting to Genkaku and it’s very humbling to
know people like it.
Are
there any plans for LFH to perform live gigs in the future. Or is
this not possible this moment in time.
We’d
love to play some very special shows in the near future, definitely
not in this moment in time but soon.
Magnetic
Eye Records are releasing your album yet again. How did you sign to
them.
A
friend, Richard Jones introduced us to them, they liked what they
heard and they wanted to put it out so we partnered up and here we
are.
Was
it an easy decision for the label to release Genkaku. Did you have
offers from other labels.
We’ve
never looked outside, we’re very happy here, Mike and Jadd are
great!
It
seems LFH keeps a low profile. Is there a specific reason behind
this.
Yes,
we like to concentrate on the music and the artwork, so we keep
everything else in the dark so it doesn’t grab any attention away
from the music
Are
you part of any other bands apart from LFH. If so, can you tell us
what other bands you’re members of.
Yes!
We wouldn’t like to mix them with LFH so it’s better for that to
be that and this to be this :)
Before
you go, do you have anything to say to your fans.
We
would like to thank all the people who support and listen to our
music, great stuff ahead!
All
the best with your new album. It’s one of my favourite albums of
the year.
Thanks
a lot Steve!
Words
by Steve Howe and LowFlyingHawks
Thanks to LowFlyingHawks for doing
this interview. Thanks to Andy Turner for arranging the interview.
Genkaku is now available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl from Magnetic Eye
Records.
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