1. My kind regards from the east of Bohemia. Winter slowly ends, and you can smell the first scents of spring in the air. I find this period of year quite inspiring and it gives me many unusual sights to see. I wonder if you are also feeling influenced by this season, if yes, how? I hope that I´m not too far from the truth if I say that your music shows not only inner feelings but it also has some lyrical base. Personally I think that self-reflection through surrounding environment can payoff not just to you as a musician, but also to the listeners. So could you elaborate on how do you perceive and draw inspiration from your surroundings?

It is indeed a wonderous time of the year particularly very early in the morning, shortly after dawn as the golden sun gently warms the meadows chasing away the mist that clings to the low fields. The birdsong is rich and the and the grass reaches for the pink sky. Of course this inspires me a lot. I often take a simple walk and am inspired by the beauty and simplicity of nature. I live in the North of England where we have plenty of rolling green hills, deep lakes and dark forests and from these I draw many idea’s and background themes for my music, artwork & poetry. I don’t think my work would look or sound the same if I lived in a big city.

2. When I got to your new album for the first time I felt quite strange feelings from it. I felt like that everything except your singing got changed. I was a little perplexed during the first few listens, I couldn’t find any similarity to my favourite albums like “The Angel and the Dark River” or “A Line of Deathless Kings”. But something prodigious told me something about the listening fluidity – At first, there weren´t any truly challenging moments for me. But later I found out, that density and slight bleakness lies in wistfulness and personal mourning of the record. I got caught the most by calm and sorrowful moments that slowly immersed into dismal and monstrously epic riffs. I think that “For Lies I Sire” drew this aspect close to perfection. Sometimes I was quite confused if I’m still listening to the same song. Such fluent and natural but still contrastive jump is quite touching. Your line-up has changed as well. But that’s probably not one of the most important reasons of your musical progression. But the despite the musical change, it’s core and essence remained equally strong and attractive. Please tell me, what propelled you, and gave you energy to create such album? Also how long it took you to compose everything?

You are right that the line up changes had little to do with the overall sound and feeling on the new CD, mostly because the newer members are a touch nervous about putting their idea’s forward in the face of such an already solid song-writing trio of Andrew, Hamish and myself. I do hope though that in the future, when they have settled down and become more confident, that they will add much more of themselves to My Dying Bride’s music.

I’d like to think that natural progression has led us to where we are now, and it’s a smooth transition since the last time we recorded. The style and rhythm of the new album is influenced by our surroundings and the media we have devoured as well as the experiences we have had in the last few years.

3. The more frequent usage of violins is truly pleasant aspect of the album. I remember a few songs from older albums like “The angel and the dark river” where the violin was used. But current proportion of this instrument’s usage added something to album’s charm and visage. Personally, I’m a greatly fond of stringed instruments in classical music, but in others alternative genres as well. Do you have some personal relationship with this instrument? I’m highly interested if you are also going to include violins in your further releases, because I hear nothing than warm response from my friends.

The violin adds another level of emotion to the already deeply passionate music and makes for sublime listening in places. I’d like to think we have used it sparingly and not abused it or made it a gimmick to sell more records. It’s lovely to have it back but it’s not the backbone of My Dying Bride. I’m sure we will continue to use it in the future so long as it is able to embellish what we have already written.


4. Now, I would like to bounce back to your 34.788%...complete album. During the time of it´s release, it was considered as a weird experimental album. Responses were also quite inconsistent. I still like this album very much, I got truly enchanted and surprised by it’s very essence. I wonder if you plan some kind of “return” and realize yourselves through similar musical opus. Or do want to keep it unique?

I have one or two non My Dying Bride idea’s running around in my head and I’d like to release them one day as I’m not too sure the rest of the band would be overly happy with my suggestions. When we used to release EP’s we could experiment on the ‘B’ side and let our more flamboyant idea’s take flight, but we only make full length studio CD’s now so it’s unlikely we’ll do anything too weird these days – but you just never know!

5. Your lyrics are really interesting insight into human soul. They probably predicate a lot about your view on this world. How exactly would you specify your philosophic stance to man’s life? By which things you feel influenced? And small professional question (I´m a librarian, haha): When possible, which books and authors do you prefer? Do you feel influenced by them? Have you ever found your alter-ego in some literary hero?

Actually, I don’t get too philosophical about mankind or humanity because that’s just us living then dying, but I do like to study the complexities of emotion and passion and the driven desires we all get (suffer) from time to time. Why we do what we do in the name of love, right up to the point of sacrificing our own life for the love of another is all very fascinating.

As far as literary hero’s go, I don’t honestly think I have any! I’ve read so many books over the years that no individual author stands out as a direct influence, so my main source of literary flow is from the collective.

6. Your homeland is truly remarkable and peculiar. I´m honored that I have visited it several times and with each journey I returned with great experiences. How do you personally view your own country? Its folklore, landscape and people around you? I always considered your land’s scenery as inspiring and unique, so I would like to know an opinion of someone who’s living there.

I love it here! It rains a lot, especially here in the North, and I quite like the gloom that a rainy day brings. It heightens ones inner being and opens small doors into the subconscious with which to tap into for creative expression – something a sunny day simply cannot achieve.

The Lore, geography and culture of my home land has inspired me on many occasions to literary highs as well as aiding my visual creativity with my art. Despite it being quite large, living on this island gives me a greater sense of the world around me and the sea that separates me from it. I get a greater sense of travel when I venture to foreign places which I think enriches my life a little.

7. Another thing I would like to know is the future of My Dying Bride. I acknowledge it´s a bit daring to ask you such question. But, if “For lies I sire” is going to be equally successful within the greater audience, like it was for myself, would you aim to stay in similar musical line with only a few decent changes? Or do you feel like to progress more?

Who can tell what the future holds? I doubt My Dying Bride will ever be in the spotlight enough for us to warrant a change in musical style to suit a wider audience, but a bit more publicity would be gratefully accepted. We’re artists and don’t like to compromise on our craft so unless the world decides it likes doom/death metal, then we shall forever remain in the shadows.


8. Have you experienced some unusual or exceptional event, during the recording of new album? If yes, do you consider it as pleasing or not? In general, what was the atmosphere in the band and working staff during the recording?

The recording process for this album went incredibly smoothly, with no hitch’s or anomalies what so ever, which I think is a testament to the professionalism of both the band and the staff and contemporary equipment at the studio. Each member recorded their parts individually at different times so no more than one or perhaps two were in the studio at one time. I did all the vocals in two weeks and never saw another member, which seems to work fine.

9. If you should name a one thing of all, you are currently occupying yourself with, what would it be? To put it more clearly, what is the main activity of these days and your free time? Would you like to do something else?

I have one or two means with which to fill my day creatively but I’d love a bit more time to start a book I’ve been meaning to write for a long time. I’m also fond of photography and would dearly love to study this craft in greater detail. I have begun work on a selection of poems too which I hope one day to publish.

10. Thanks a lot for the interview, Aaron! It´s a usual manner here, that the last couple of lines are dedicated to the interviewed. If you like to tell something we forgot to mention in the interview, or you simply want to say something for the fans, go on. Again, thank you very much for the interview and your spare time.

Thank you for the excellent questions and I hope my answers did them justice of a kind. I look forward to seeing enthusiastic supporters of the band on the road during 2009 and probably 2010 too. Cheers!