Intro
On the 31st of July, Cairiss released their first full-album with the title Wilderness. The album is a mix of atmospheric black metal and shoegaze. Below, you read the interview I had with the band.
Into the Wilderness
Hello and thanks for the Interview!
Cairiss: Hello to you too! Thanks so much for having us!
Wilderness is out soon, can you describe what led to the creation of the Album?
Cairiss: After our 2016 EP Fall attracted quite a lot of underground attention, our own personal lives became quite complicated. Over the last 10 years, we all experienced quite a number of life-changing experiences, for better or worse. Because of this, we were just unable to commit the time to creating an album that we would all be happy with. In a way, though, this was a bit of a blessing in disguise. Cairiss has always been a deeply personal project for us. We have been told our music is emotionally raw, and that's because it truly is an honest reflection of the turmoil we all experienced. Wilderness grew with us through that decade. All that grief and pain was transmuted into the album you hear today. The album has seen so many versions of us as people, and truly reflected the complex emotional landscapes we were navigating. So, in a way, I am glad it took us 10 years, even though it's not what any of us planned.
What are the main aspects on why the record is different from other post black metal releases?
Cairiss: I don't know if we are especially different. Music and art is so subjective. We make music we love, inspired by other bands and people we love, and we aren't trying to escape an ecosystem of similar bands that have created beautiful albums for us all to enjoy. What I will say, though, is that our journey through life is unique to us as people. No one person has had the same, sequential experiences as you. So what you put into your band is your own unique cocktail of all those experiences, and that can create a specific emotional landscape or sound. I really like trying to work out the unique fingerprints people weave into their music. I'm sure Cairiss has some! We also create all our own art and animated our own music video etc, which I guess is nice. But lots of other talented bands do this too!
There are ten years in between the Fall EP and wilderness. Why the long break?
Cairiss: As above, really. Life was very difficult for some of us, and we just weren't in the place to properly commit to the band and the vision. We are all very particular about what we like/want for our vision, and that level of intricacy and commitment just wasn't something we were able to do at the time. Obviously, the landscape has now shifted for us, and we feel more ready than ever to fully embrace this project moving forward. Obviously, you can never predict what life will throw at you, but we hope Wilderness is just the start!
Speaking of releases, what are your main influences?
Cairiss: I think there are just so many, and it truly depends on who you ask. I know that Ethan and Martin (guitarists and songwriters + vocals) are greatly influenced by progressive metal, such as Opeth. Obviously, Alcest and other blackgaze acts created the foundation we stand on, too. I know Ethan and Alex (bass) are also very into their old school black metal. I (Freya) tend to get extremely attached to very particular artists. For the last year or so, I've had a pretty massive obsession with Ethel Cain. It's not really "metal" as such, but I think anyone who is into heavily atmospheric/emotional music should give Preacher's Daughter a spin. She also did a more ambient album called Perverts that is just so dark and raw. She's more black metal than any of us to be honest, lol.
Your Artworks are hand drawn, I really like them. Will there be merch with the same design?
Cairiss: Thank you so much! That means a lot! We have a couple of t-shirts and a long sleeve with my designs on in our Bandcamp store! We are always open to more in the future, too. I'm not short on art designs for Cairiss. I've created quite a lot of art alongside the album over the years that I'd love to get out there soon! And finally, even with a ten-year break period, you gained quite the momentum.
Are you happy with what you achieved so far, or do you have even bigger goals set for the future?
Cairiss: We are definitely really happy, yeah. When I look back at us recording Disgraced in our bedroom at uni all those years ago (13 years now), it's crazy to think this is what it's developed into. Just yesterday, our album was featured on the front page of Bandcamp after it was picked out by an editor. That's just crazy to us! We used to think that maybe our mums and a couple of friends would give us a polite listen and that would be that. We are very grateful. We would love to keep progressing and growing and just seeing where this takes us. I've always struggled with confidence and feeling "good enough", to the point where I've often struggled to shoot for the stars for fear of failure. But Cairiss is truly pushing me beyond my comfort zone in that respect, and I'm glad!
Thanks for accepting the interview, and I'm looking forward to the release!
Cairiss: You're so welcome! Thank you for having us, and we really hope you enjoy it
You can buy support Cairiss here:
LeanderSeelenPuls
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