Scottish Prog Rock/Metallers Solar Sons are releasing their upcoming fifth album Another Dimension on September 22nd 2023 which sees the band adapt a more Progressive and Heavy Metal sound compared to their previous albums. The band still includes huge waves of Doom/Stoner Metal for a record that is constantly heavy and forward thinking at the same time.
Solar Sons will be celebrating their 10th year as a band in 2024 and they've released a string of acclaimed releases since their formation. I was given the chance to interview the band where we discuss the making of the new album. album launch plans and the formation of the band.
Here's what went down with Solar Sons.
Hi guys. Thanks for doing the interview. How are things with you all today.
Hi, no worries! Thanks for having us. We are good thanks. Mostly been wrapping everything up for the new album and getting ready for the release. Merch orders, practices, promo etc
For people not in the know, can you provide a brief history of how the band came together and where it is today.
Sure, we are Solar Sons, formed in 2014 & based in Dundee, Scotland. Our first release was 2016, this will be our fifth. Danny and Rory are brothers and have been playing and writing together in a couple bands prior to Solar Sons. When our cousin Pete finished uni in 2014 we formed Solar Sons.
How would you describe your music in your own words.
We play high energy music and give ourselves space to explore and not confine it too much. This is maybe where the proggy sound comes in. We're definitely a rock/metal band but we like to add other elements.
We're here to talk about your new album Another Dimension. What can people expect from the album.
The songs on Another Dimension where going to be our fourth album. When lockdown happened we couldn't play together so started sending new ideas to jam to each other, and that ended up being Chameleon. After lockdown, we started jamming the songs for another dimension and finishing them before doing demos. Then in July 2022 we went to Deepstorm studios for a week to record the album. We'd never been to a high end studio before and wanted to push ourselves more this time and up our game regarding recording, performance and the overall end product. We think it's the best we've sounded and can't wait to release it! You can expect a more polished album that explores our musical range and hopefully lifts the listener into another dimension.
This album is perhaps more Progressive and Heavy Metal sounding compared to your previous albums. Is that a fair assumption to make. It's a damn good album with different styles of Prog based Doom/Stoner grooves.
That is a fair assumption. We've always had a mix of genres and musical flavours in our albums, but this album is more focused and hopefully shows our experience. Thank you! We love the NWOBHM, traditional rock, prog and stoner/doom, and think these influences all come through in this album.
What formats is the new album being released upon.
It will be released digitally on streaming platforms and CD
Why is the new album called Another Dimension. Any specific meaning to the band at all.
The album has a concept that connects to our previous albums. It's based around the travels of a sentient robot who has explored the universe and other dimensions in an attempt to find a way to save human kind and planet earth.
Was this an easy or hard release to write compared to your other albums.
In some ways every new album is harder than the last. We're always trying to up our game as a band and cover new ground. These songs all came from jams so they feel fairly comfortable to play compared to some of the songs on the last album. They've also been on the go for a while so we've had a lot more time with them. Recording the album at Deepstorm was a great experience for us. Kev Hare is an excellent engineer and his mixing, mastering and musical skills made for a smooth and enjoyable process recording this album.
Richy Walsh at Deep storm made a studio documentary while we were recording. That was really fun to see happening and both Kev and Richy have a really great work ethic and friendly output. We became good friends in the process which is really awesome and positive. Another good friend and artist Ryan Locke worked with us to produce the artwork for this album. His vision and in-depth artworks adding even more excitement and positive vibes for this release. We’ve been very lucky to work with amazing people throughout our time in Solar Sons and we appreciate every one of them!
Your last few albums have gathered some cool praise within the underground scene. Did that surprise you in anyway.
It's always a nice surprise. We've been around for a while now and the ongoing positive feedback we get really helps to keep us going and keep writing new music. Bands need an audience and we are massively grateful for the support of our fans. Makes it all worthwhile. There's such a great scene in Scotland for heavy music of all kinds and we absolutely love being part of it.
Looking back at your previous albums. Would you change anything about them. If so, which one and what would you change about the album(s).
Most bands/musicians are very critical of their music so there's going to be things you feel you could have done better if you listen to them with that critical ear, but each album captures where we where as a band and that's what's special about music. It's a capture of a place in time. So in that regard, we wouldn't change anything. Music is always nuanced. We want our albums to represent how we sound live, and not be overly produced.
What is the creative process or setup within the band? Do you write the music together or do certain people within the band do that.
We write together and all bring riffs, melody, lyrics, rhythms and so on. We'll usually jam those out and start fairly loose. Jamming the ideas together and just see where it takes us, then build and edit the songs from there. It's always collaborative and we listen to one and other to allow each part to have its place. The jam element has always been important to us.
Will you be promoting the new album with upcoming gigs. If so, where can people see you live.
Absolutely. We have two launch gigs, one in Dundee and one in Edinburgh. Following that, we have a few more shows around Scotland this year, and are working on booking gigs in England and further afield for next year.
What is the live Solar Sons experience like.
As a three piece, we've often been told we sound like a bigger band. We like the three piece sound as it gives every instrument space to be heard. Lots of dynamics and musical ups and downs in our sets. Having open melodic sections, heavy up front riffy parts, and plenty solos, flare and hooks. We definitely nod to the classics of our genre so you may feel a hint of nostalgia, but not in a derivative, generic way. We have a modern edge to our sound and try to create exciting and interesting music without being overly complicated. We like music that makes you want to move, and hopefully we achieve that.
You guys are from Dundee, Scotland. What is the local live scene there. Do you have a live scene to perform gigs on a regular basis or do you have to travel further afield to places such as Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The scene in Dundee is great! There are loads of brilliant bands from all over Scotland, across a wide range of rock & metal and regular gigs all over the country. Dundee's Hordes X is a long established all day metal event. This year will be it's 10th. It always draws a big crowd and showcases bands from all over Scotland and further a feild. It's a great platform for local bands with a dedicated promoter who is a real ambassador for Scottish metal. Dundee Metal Fest is a similar all day event, the first of which was this summer with a second coming up in December. The gig was huge success and really shows how healthy the scene is here. Red Crust Festival in Edinburgh is another great all day event that has been going for a couple years now.
There's other similar events all around Scotland. There's loads of smaller gigs throughout the year and a real sense of community and camaraderie among the band's. These bands all play around Scotland and further afield, often performing in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Including Solar Sons
What bands or artists influenced you to pick up an instrument and to become a musician.
We all love the classic rock and metal bands and these play a big roll in influence. NWOBHM bands like Maiden, Priest, Saxon. Sabbath, Deep Purple, Zeppelin and Rush all play a big part too. Also lots of 'newer' bands like Pantera, Anthrax, Dream Theater, Megadeth, Metallica and so on. All the usual suspects. I think our sound is in part due to all having a broad taste in music, whether it be funk, jazz, country, pop etc. Pete loves everything from Slayer to Shania Twain. Danny can jam with anything and is a big lover of blues players like Stevie Ray Vaughan. Rory is big funk head. These influences all come through in our music. Also our peirs on the local scene of course. They influence us too! Influence comes from all over.
You're about to celebrate your 10th Anniversary in 2024. Did you ever expect you would last this long and to be releasing your 5th album.
Wow 10 years! Time flies when your having fun. I think we did expect it as we got into this because we love playing music together. We expect it to keep lasting too. We're all related and love writing and playing music together. We have a lot of material ready to be worked on and always adding to that. Lots more music to come from Solar Sons!
What have been your high and lows with the band.
High points are definitely playing Bloodstock festival twice in 2017 and 2022! That was huge for us and we hope to play there again in the future. Our first London gig was this year which was a big milestone. This album is a big one for us too. Number 5! The only real low was lockdown, as it was for everyone. But we still managed to release an album and keep moving forward
Do you guys have any side projects that folks can check out.
We have genre side projects in the works as Solar Sons which we're looking forward to getting stuck into. Rory plays bass in King Witch. Check them out if you haven't already! Both Pete and Danny also have experience working with other bands too, and we all have some experience working on sessions for other artists.
Before you go, do you have any words of wisdom for your fans currently out there.
Be thankful to those who help you and help others when you can. Persist at what you love and be patient with those you love. Beer is good for you!
Words by Steve Howe and Solar Sons
Links
.jpg)
