Interview: Past the Fall (Written)
Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life bring you an interview with groovy/thrashy and melo-death infused band, Past the Fall. Catch them at Bloodstock this year on the Jagermeister Stage.
1. Hello! Thank you for taking the time to chat to us. First things first, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started.
We’re a 3 piece metal band based out of Cambridge UK. The core of the band is built around a friendship, me (Will) and Thomas. We met when we were kids at school and we used to jam with each other and play in and around bands together, but Past The Fall started much later in life when our previous projects imploded and we decided to make something that was directed by us and was something that really came from us.
2. Someone comes to you and asks you to sum up what kind of music you play – what do you tell them?
Pigeon hole wise, I guess that if your into things like Melodeath, groovy/thrashy metal with tinges of Grunge and prog, you might like what we do!
3. What’s currently going on in your camp? New releases? Tours? Etc.
We’re recording new music as we speak, and we escape the studio to play Bloodstock Open Air for the first time. We’re still playing the UK and Europe sporadically while we record, and then we’ll shift into more shows worldwide in 2024.
4. What has been the most positive experience of making music to date for you?
For me personally it has been the unpleasant and emotionally challenging aspects that have worked out to be the most positive in the long run. Going through that really requires a person to disassemble their ego, especially if they want to make music that feels connected. Then taking that growth musically and performing it for people is really positive.
5. Likewise, what has been some of the more challenging aspects and how have you overcome them?
Ironically probably the inverse! The easy wins and highs in the process of playing in band can be taken for granted and don’t last long, and basing judgement calls on that rollercoaster of highs hasn’t in our experience laid the foundation for longevity or evolution. So being mindful of the bigger picture and the detail contained within that is constantly challenging.
6. How do you handle the modern expectations of being in a band? Always online, having to put out content constantly, your success measured in likes and follows?
To be honest it’s not easy, or should I say doesn’t come natural to us. Our personality types are probably drawn to music because we’re quite introverted. We try to find a way to be in these spaces and manage that constant need for content to chart, by finding our own voice, so we like to just share our adventures and focus on what you hear not what you see, and not try to ‘Be’ some kind of optimum thing for an algorithm, I guess we try to let the music do the talking! On the plus side it’s a great way to connect with fans and talk about what we do, its democratised the means of production and the channels to it.
7. What’s something that really ‘grinds your gears’ about the industry/business these days and what would you propose is done to combat it?
Probably the lack of call out on bad terms for bands and the rise of flat fee management, I think both have a pyramid structure and don’t encourage both bands and industry representatives to work harder for each other. Something like an effective union again might help establish a lower limit that would stop a race to the bottom- but who knows! It might have adverse consequences in other ways.
8. Speaking directly to listeners – what would you ask they do to help support your music?
Follow us on Spotify! That really helps more than you can imagine especially as we focus on our music. And if you dig it, buying merch at www.pastthefall.com always helps fund what we do!
9. Outside of the music, what’s do you do to relax?
Me personally (Will) I’m quite the reformed character these days, I love to rock climb, and have just got into jujitsu!
10. Where can people find you?
Best place to start is Spotify or YouTube. If you want to follow our adventures, we’re also on:
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tiktok
For merch the website is the best place to go: www.pastthefall.com
