EWÏG FROST (EN)
– Hello, thanks for taking your time. How are
you holding up? Has the pandemic affected the band’s activity in any way?
Hi, thanks for reaching out! I’m
alright, hope you are doing good as well!
Yes, like everyone else, it affected us too. But the good part is, I am able to
invest way more time in my music and PR and that feels good!
– First off, how did you come up with the band’s name and what’s the meaning behind it? Does it have anything to do with WINTER’s “Eternal Frost”?
I had to google WINTER 😀
I was pretty young when I started the band in 2003. It translates to something
like “eternal frost”. I drew most of my inspiration from Black Metal back in
the days. EWIG FROST stands for true coldness, the life-threatening conditions
of eternal or nuclear winter and the coldhearted society.
-“Aïn’t No Saïnt”is your forthcoming album and, as with the band’s name, anytime I see the umlaut I think of MÖTÖRHEAD, which in my mind paints a picture of a no-frills, in your face, filthy sounding band. Were you looking for a title that could give a clue on what’s the band about?
I wasn’t particularly searching for something like that, but it turned out great! It’s a part of the lyrics of BAD BEAT BOOGIE and cuts a nice figure as an overall title for the new album. AIN’T NO SAINT not only reflects my bands attitude, but it also says a lot about society and about each and every one of us.
-This album is coming out once again with the Catalan label Discos Macarras. How did you first get involved with them?
The collaboration with DISCOS MACARRAS goes back to the release of DIRTY TALES in 2014. Dani was interested in co-releasing our album when I’d been searching for release-partners. He is a great guy and shares a lot of love and passion for music. Although we’re not the “typical” band in his roster (there are a lot of very good artists!) he gave it a shot and pushed us to the next level. Our collaboration was never more intense as it is during the release of AINT NO SAINT. But everything about this album feels more intense.
-You’ve always had some consistency on your cover artworks, and “Aïn’t No Saïnt” isn’t an exception. Is it important for you to keep this visual consistency? Do you think it goes in hand with your music?
It’s a style of art that I love most: Black and white skull drawings. And I can’t really go without it. But I don’t want to limit myself to b/w skulls only. The EWIG FROST / IRON FIST split 7” is a very good example for a colorful cover art (by CHANY of INEPSY). That’s something I dig as well!
– You stick in any possible way, from the cover
artwork to the sound and themes to a very 80’s (with 70’s hints) style touching
different subgenres. What’s to you the
most important thing in an album of the genre? The overall feeling and
attitude? The sound? The songwriting?
An album is a complex thing. It must have a good overall flair of course.
I spend a lot of time on riffing and that’s the most important part for me.
Also, the art of compact song arrangement. And of course, I try to get the best
sound result possible. BUT It MUST feel alive. The number-one-rule for
recording a good Rock album is to track at least a part of the instruments live.This
way it’s possible to capture the band-feeling. If the music is quantized too
hard on the grid it loses its soul very fast (depending on the style of music
of course).
So a good record is something like a full package. It’s made of so many little
details and if these tiny little pieces are coming together, you can finally
see the whole, big picture – like a puzzle.
-With such a mix of styles, what have been the most influential bands for the sound of EWÏG FROST? And what does inspire you aside from music?
Motörhead, Discharge and Black /
Speed Metal, to make it short. That’s something I could talk about for hours…
Besides of music I draw a lot of inspiration from every-day life.
– And how do you manage to blend so many different influences without sounding non-sense? Most bands fail and create a chaotic buzz, but you have managed to blend all these things and create one single big sound.
I think the secret is not trying too hard to create something but let creativity flow. It just happens, that’s how it goes. I just do what I like most – It’s all real and natural 😀
– So, all in all, “Aïn’t No Saïnt” is a really diverse and dynamic record. How important is for you, both as songwriters and musicians, to keep things interesting?
Very! But not by forcing yourself to do something diverse. It’s very important to listen to your inner voice when it’s about songwriting. If something doesn’t feel right, it isn’t.
– All this about “Aïn’t No Saïnt” being said; how would you describe it in just 3 words?
Well, besides the 3 words I chose to name the album, I’d say ROCK AND ROLL
-And finally, what are now your near-future plans in these uncertain times? How are you gonna promote the album?
I don’t want to talk too much about promoting my album as I’m constantly working on it. All I can say is that it’s a hard job and I’m happy about every feature in different zines, blogs, shows etc. I’d rather talk about the beautiful aspects of music.
– That’s all from our side, thanks again for your time. If you’d like to add some final words, feel free to do it.
Thanks for having me! Keep supporting your favorite bands, clubs, bars, and venues. YOU are the engine that keeps us running! Stay loud and wild! And if you haven’t already, give our new record AIN’T NO SAINT a spin! Cheers!
