NETHERBIRD (Eng.)

1. Hello, thanks for answering to our questions

Hello and thanks for your interest in Netherbird. You are actually the quickest one to publish a review our new album, so I am extra glad to be able to reach your readers! They are reading the fastest webzine as far as I am concerned! And thanks for the words and the grade. We are honoured.

2. What are you guys currently up to?

Currently I, Nephente (vocals) am doing quite some promotion work like answering interviews since our new album is currently for reviews before the official release 29th of November. But we are also keeping extremely busy and will start recording the next album pretty soon so that feels great as well, so we are currently more productive than ever. But the next album is of course not going to be released soon since this one is not even out yet hehe. But we do things the way that feels natural and we just felt we had more ideas so why not go ahead and record them before they feel old. Other than that we are now planning a small tour in Finland in November and then some gigs in Sweden and a somewhat longer tour through Romania early 2014. So we try to combine studio work with being on stage since that is where we feel the best and where we get to meet our listeners. Nothing else is close to that when it comes to our priorities.

3. First off, could you make some history of the band?

Netherbird came into life October 30th 2004 when me, Bizmark and Grim (who is not part of the band any longer) met on the Dissection rebirth gig in Stockholm. We all felt we had a common idea of how a band should sound and that the focus should be on limitless song writing rather than the bullshit that is usually a big part of a band. We all have been part of the scene a long time and all have been involved in bands that spend to much time fighting rather than creating so we decided to create a new band where we write songs and then find the musicians that can record it. So for the first years we were not a band with a full line up, but rather just song writers that then gathered some good friends to record the songs. So that is also why we have so many different members the first years, that was part of how we were working. But from around 2010 we got so many offers to play live that we felt it was time to have a full line up so we could rehearse and perform live. So since then we have been more of a full band but we had then already established a way to write and to function as a unit so we still have focus on song writing and to do things our way. All in all we have been around for almost nine years but I can honestly say we are more hungry and creative than when we first started and it still feels like we just have begun our journey. Our fans are one important factor for this, we stay in close contact with them through the net and their passion and support makes it very easy for us to deal with realities of underground touring and so on. It is always worth it, they make us see things for what they are and that the hard work we put in makes a difference for the only people we care about: our listeners. Without them we would be without meaning really.

4. How could you describe your sound?

We have slowly developed our sound and I feel we are still working on it but now we are reaching where I feel is right. Our main influence sound wise is the early 90’s black and death metal scene of Scandinavia. Most of the albums we thing are perfect were written and recorded during that period. It is not about perfect editing and shit like that, it is about atmosphere and passion. About melody meeting harshness, the fast meeting the slow. So I would say we are a band playing some form of melodic black metal with hints of death metal and also some doom and heavy metal in it somewhere. It is more about emotion and ferocity than technical perfection, and that is how we will continue to progress. For us it is all about the songs, not about being the fastest or extreme band. B

5. What are the band’s main musical influences?

All in the band listen to all sort of music though mostly metal but not only, but we all have a passion for the Scandinavian black and death metal underground, especially the bands that released albums during the first part of the 90’s. So obvious influences are Dissection, Emperor, Marduk but also lesser know bands such as Unanimated and Desultory. My personal all time favourite band is Bathory. But I could make an endless list of albums I find iconic, and most of those would be from that era but there are bands till releasing fantastic albums and Watain is one of those of course.

6. How is the feedback for your new album being

We have just sent it out to media so we do not really know yet but it seems like people like the single “Elegance and Sin” that we just released as a video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxobuOva7Wk) and the first reviews also indicate that it is getting good feedback. But it is a bit to early. I am surely pleased with it and hope more will take time and give it a shot. It is way more harsh than our previous releases because we felt like doing it like that, but is always difficult to be objective about something as personal as an album. So only time will tell.

7. And are your personally satisfied with the final outcome?

Yes, I am definitely pleased with it. The album is the most interesting we have recorded to date and I think it also sounds more dynamic than anything we have released. Though in truth it is a natural progression from the EP:s “Shadows and Snow” and “Abysmal Allure” that we released during 2011.

8. How could you describe this opus in just 3 words?

Harsh, Honest, Ferocious.

9. How has the production process for your new release been?

We did most things ourselves with this one, so we have recorded and mixed it ourselves. The mastering is done by Sverker Vidgren who is brilliant at what he does. So the process have been pretty smooth. Next time we will work with a producer since it would let us focus more on the songs rather than the entire process but we will see if we find the right person and the funds to make it happen, but that is at least our plan.

10. And how do you use to work on the songwriting?

Guitarist Bizmark comes up with the basic song idea and riffs and then him and me work with the arrangements writes most of our songs. The next step I listen to the tune until I “know” what it should be called. It is sounds weird but I actually listen to the song over and over until it starts speak to me and I know its title. I can almost envision it. Then I write the lyrics to more or less describe what that title means to me, sort of to explain it. Then we record it and then the band all together adjust the final version of the tune. That is basically who we used to do it. The exception is “Along The Colonnades” that me and Bizmark wrote together in one long night session. The felt very good and is actually how we wrote most of our next album. But nothing is written in stone, we might do it differently at some point. What ever results in songs is worth trying.

11. Finally, what are you near-future plans?

Right now we will go with preproduction of the next album and coordinate our upcoming short tours and hopefully also land some festival gigs for next summer. So it is busy but that is how it should be hehe.

12. That’s all from our side, thanks again for taking your time to answer our questions. If you now want to add some final words; feel free to do it.

Thank you again for this interview. I hope you as a reader take some time to listen to “Elegance and Sin” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxobuOva7Wk) the single from the album. All our older albums are available for free download from www.netherbird.com if you want to hear our older creations. If you like it, come to our gigs or support us by getting CD:s or merch. Take care and see you in the darkness! //Nephente