1. It hasn’t been long since the release of “And We Wept The Black Ocean Within” so I guess that you started working on the recent album right after the release. Furthermore you recorded split EP with Nadja and toured US and Europe. What are your plans for the next year? Are you going to slow down your compositional process and focus on touring or you’re already working on some new material?

Next year we will be back in Europe as well as doing more US touring as well. We are actually starting to write the third record this week, with a goal of recording in late summer/early fall.

2. “Forgive Us Our Trespasses” doesn’t sound as “heavy” as its predecessor. But thanks to a more distinct vocal it is much more insisting. Have you thought about putting vocals into foreground since the beginning?

Vocals on the first record were more of an afterthought. I honestly had no idea what I would be able to accomplish vocally. Some key moments on that record, along with the Nadja split, really helped me to find my voice. Once that became apparent I really wanted to try and make the vocals more crucial and elemental on the next record. I suspect that they will become more central to the identity of the band, and expand possibly on the male/female voices throughout.

3. Personally I hold your recent album as one of the best of this year and being prominent even in the ranks of genre-related bands. In comparison to the debut I found the new one much more compact and catchier. It seems that you have moved from the conceptual style of playing a bit.

Thanks very much. I have intentionally stopped listening to any of genre-related bands; not that I did listen to them much before anyway, but I feel that it is crucial for our individual development. We want to kind of strip things down, make the shorter songs more pummeling, and the longer ones more introspective and searching. I think that ideal will determine what we do next.

4. Like the debut also the recent album is receiving very positive reviews. Do you feel influenced by this positive reactions in a way that you wouldn’t like to disappoint your fans with some future shift in style? After all people are usually a bit conservative and used to a certain style.

I dont think we feel any pressure not to disappoint. Thsi music for us is a necessary catharsis, something that flows out of our spirits. Once you start worrying about reactions the music becomes impure. Forgive Us serves as the new beginning for us, and will serve as the jumping-off point for our future endeavors.


5. Your photomontages are impossible to ignore. Were they created as a certain reflection of music when you said to yourself: I want a picture that is going to represent actual mood of the song” or you simply wanted to expressively portray man-devastated landscape in contrast to nature?

Thanks again. The artwork, lyrics, visuals, and the songs themselves all serve really as one cohesive body of work.

The art is the the visual representation of the music, and the music feeds off of those images. Everything snowballs and becomes one.

6. Honestly I can’t imagine your albums otherwise than with such rich and elaborated booklets. It perfectly underlines the actual sounding. It just lacks some coal dust to fall from the package when opened. Have you been inspired by something or someone?

Coal dust would be amazing, I wish we could actually pull that off...maybe in limited series someday. Good idea! I am inspired by all kinds of artwork, books, news, current events, history, etc. A few artists that really come to mind now are Andy Goldsworthy, Cai Guo Qiang, Richard Serra, and Julie Anne Mann. Books include The Road, The World Without Us, A Brief History of Time, 2001, etc. The state of humanity vs. the earth is a huge central problem we are all facing now, and that is very influential as well.

7. There are several guests on the album. Could you somehow describe the actual collaboration? In case they didn’t know your music before have they later became passionate about it? Do you plan some future collaborations?

Having played guitar on Jarboe's last record, it only felt natural as well as mandatory to have her on our record.

Swans are the most important band for me and probably for A Storm of Light as a whole. To have her contribution is an honor for sure. Lydia Lunch's involvement began when we decided that we needed to have the voice of Mother Earth, and she fit the bill perfectly. She is such an influential artist and a core element of NYC music history. We contacted her out of the blue and she agreed to participate almost immediately, which was great.

8. How did you get into contact with the director Perron Salvatore, the director of “Tempest” video-clip? Is he responsible for the whole work or he just realized your conception?

Perron is a friend whom we met on tour in Italy. He is good friend with Hellfire promotions there (we love them).

He offered to do a live video for us and it worked out great. I actually directed Tempest myself. As a music video director, this was the first time I directed a video for a band i was performing in. It was challenging but rewarding, and cheap.

9. You are concerting more in clubs than on big festivals . But your performance at Brutal Assault festival gave me an impression that such background suits you really well. Do you prefer clubs more?

Thanks. We would love to play more festivals for sure, but being a young band, it takes time for the festivals to invite you. Clubs are a mixed bag. If the club is set up well for the projections then i think that can be the best environment to see us. While we love 007 in Prague, it's a shame that the ceilings are too low to use the visuals.

One of the things I have learned from touring constantly is that every night will be different, regardless of club or festival. Some will be perfect, some will be ok, and some will be a challenge. Our goal is to make each night work as well as it can.


10. Thinking about it I have a feeling that desolate industrial fabric would make a excellent background for your live performance. Do you find such idea pleasant?

Yeah that could work. Of course it would have to work with our projections but I like the idea.

11. Originally I wanted to say how much I like your themes concerning the destruction of environment but it is not about if someone likes it or not. It is simply given like that and only a fool would claim otherwise. Have you met with some hostile reactions towards your themes, like that it “doesn’t belong into music” etc?

Strangely enough, no, we haven't had any complaints. Oh wait...people have complained about the drowning polar bear. That image is the most commented image I have ever had. People cry and become wrought with emotion. The visuals for some of the new songs, however, portray the victory of the Animal Kingdom over mankind, so that seems to have satisfied most everyone who was complaining.

12. To be honest the United States aren’t an example of the austerity. Have you been inspired by people claiming that there is enough of everything for to use?

The majority of the United States is an embarrassment. It's a hard topic to really get into because there are so many issues that it could go on forever. A small number of people are starting to change things for the better though. I hope it will catch on.

13. Concerning New York as one of the biggest cities in the world… What is the live environment like in there? Has the ambiance of NY any effect on your music?

New York is the best place I have ever lived. It is truly the melting pot that was supposed to be the United States. People from all over the world come here looking for a new life, and for the most part live together accepting the obvious differences. It is definitely the largest representation of cultures in one place that i have seen in my travels. That said, it is a hard place to live, but i think the struggle that most people face can be seen as a rewarding one. The city has an effect on everything including our music. I think the weight of this place bulldozes it's way into what we do, and will hopefully continue to do so.

14. Thank your very much for the interview! If you want to send some words to our readers go on.

Thank you as well, very much appreciated.