Artist Interview: Austin Curtis of Funeralbloom

The genre "blackgaze" has certainly been pushed into the mainstream after the immense success of 2013's Sunbather by Deafheaven. I was lucky enough to sit down with the lead singer of a band I believe does this genre uniquer than most other acts out there. Austin Curtis is the lead singer of Funeralbloom, who hail from Austin, Texas. The quintet combines a blackgaze sound with post-punk influences to create honest and immense songs. Check out some insight to their writing process for "Petals" as well as news about the band's future below!

Tom: So we’re coming up on a year since “Petals” first released. Talk about what this record has done for you.

Austin: It seemed like we did it forever ago. It was recorded December of 2013. It was a long process. We wanted to do a full length and we felt like we were finally taking being a band seriously. We wanted the vinyl release to reflect how were taking this as a serious project. I think initially we knew the album was going to be a lot different from out last band, The Measure Of. That was kind of why we did the name change because we were creating music that was so much different than what we did before. We wanted a fresh start and to present to the world this as our debut album. We had a plan going in that we were gonna send it to some labels get good art and make it a complete package to present to labels. We did art with Reuben Sawyer of Rainbath Visuals. He did the Roads to Judah art as well as merchandise for Chelsea Wolfe so we’re all big fans of his. I’m super thankful for him the art work is incredible. We recorded with our friend Ryan Richie who plays in a band called Clear Acid. It worked well and it came out great. So we had the artwork and the record. We were nervous that no one would want to put it out and were preparing for the financial burden of self-releasing the record, but we sent the record to labels anyway. One of our friends gave us a list of labels and Broken World Media stood out to us because we were familiar with them. Even though our music was way off base from what they usually put out we sent it to them anyway. They turned out to be super-interested in our work. This all came together in April of last year. From there, it was trying to figure out the details of the tape and the vinyl. The record is our baby and means a lot to us, but as a band we’re trying not to dwell on it. We always have the wheel turning and now new stuff is coming so we are focusing on that.

Tom: Were you surprised about how well it was received? 

Austin: We had been sitting on the album for a long time at this point. Initially we had a good feeling about it, but we were a lot more confident once Broke World Media wanted to put it out. Some bigger bands like Modern Baseball and You Blew It! liked it so we thought maybe we created something good. The two things we were worried about was 1. The Deafheaven reaction. When we heard Sunbather and its blast beats and saw the success that record had we knew there was going to be a comparison. I mean who would’ve predicted a black metal band on Deathwish would have the best album of 2013. We just think our sound and influence that is Deafheaven related is less that what people think about us. I mean we were definitely more influenced by Roads to Judah than Sunbather anyway. When we wrote Petals, Sunbather wasn’t even out yet. Another reaction we were expecting was the same stuff that Deafheaven or other American black metal bands get too and that is just the idea of “You don’t belong here. You’re not true black metal.” Thankfully we’re still small or niche enough that our band isn’t being shoved down the black metal community’s throat so maybe that is why they’ve been nicer to us. Almost 90% of the reviews I have seen have been positive so that’s really great. The negative ones seem to just think we knocked off Sunbather.

Tom: “Petals” was originally available only on cassette. Was the vinyl release always planned or was it in response to demand? 

Austin: Yes the vinyl release was always planned. It was the biggest accomplishment we have done as a band. We had all been in different bands before, but it was always disjointed. With Funeralbloom, we started playing one to three shows per week and getting the band tighter. We were still learning how to be a band kind of like college or the minor leagues. We were really practicing and developing our sound. Once Petals dropped we knew this was a full length and we had to put it on vinyl because to us it was a monumental piece of music. It was 44 minutes long. An official vinyl release was the next logical step. To know the release was good enough to put on vinyl was great. It was really surreal.  To finally hold it and look at it next to your other favorite records was pretty awesome feeling.

Tom: I saw your twitter account follows Chelsea F.C. on Twitter? You guys soccer fans? 

Austin: Yeah I am a giant Chelsea fan. Our bassist Bryan Walters is an Everton fan, but I can’t really get into the banter with him because Chelsea always beats Everton. I can’t really rub the victories in his face cuz we’re supposed to win. I’m a huge Chelsea supporter though. We had a great year this year. We have a pub in downtown Houston that I spend most weekend time at and really enjoy.

Tom: Who are some of Funeralbloom’s influences? Who are you guys fans of?

Deafheaven is definitely a big one for sure. We all have our own separate influences though. I hope it shines through on Petals and if it does not I think it definitely will on the next record. Nick and Jad (lead and rhythm guitars) are giant This Will Destory You fans. Post-rock is huge for those two guys. Explosions in the Sky. Mogwai. Some of that blackgaze is big too though. Hope Drone from Austialia, CAPA from Pittsburgh and we’re all super into Ghost Bath as well. Me, the bassist Bryan, and the drummer Caspian are more into the 80s post punk and brit pop scene like The Smiths, The Cure, and Joy Division too.

Tom: What about any non-musical influences? I know you guys follow a Charles Bukowski twitter account. 

Austin: We are super influenced by a lot of things outside of music that finds its way into the music. I’m an English major and Oscar Wilde is a huge influence especially his floral imagery. That should be obvious on Petals, even the cover is Wilde-esq. Petals is very influenced by Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. The last line of Petals is actually taken from Nabokov. Drama is another big one. Cherry Orchard is a play by Anton Chekov that we really like and referenced. Obscure Morrissey references are also littered in the record. Film influences our drummer Caspian who makes his own short films. He was the one who did the music video for Lust.

Tom: I’d like to hear more about Oscar Wilde and his poem “The Ballad of Reading Gaol” which opens up “Petals”. Those lines fit within the context of the album so perfectly it is almost astonishing. Had you written most of the lyrics and stumbled upon this poem or did the poem influence and direct the themes and lyrics of the album in some way? How did it fit within your experiences that manifest themselves through the album’s lyrics? 

Austin: Well the experiences were definitely a bigger part than the lyrics. I was aware of the poem before the writing began like I said I am a big Oscar Wilde fan. What drew me to the poem was that line “Each man kills the thing he loves.” I read that line and thought wow that would be really cool to open up the album with that. It just works nicely. Obviously some of it is intentional because Wilde’s floral romantic style even influences the way I write. The sadness, isolation, and love loss were there too, but stuff within my life ended up relating to the poem in some way. Not intentionally but that was the way it went. But hey in all the reviews or write-ups I have seen nobody has really talked about the clips we used on “Black Shoes” and “Lust”. Not a lot has been said about those clips so thanks for acknowledging them.

Tom: That just surprises me because when you look at how Petals works and unravels itself “The Ballad of Reading Gaol” works as a piece of foreshadowing right? 

Austin: Absolutely. Some of the lines in that poem are even used in the lyrics for “Naked” which closes the album. Looking into those poems gave you and whoever else did the same a more full experience on the album.

Tom: You guys play a style of music that is starting to explode in popularity especially with the release of Sunbather in 2013. This style of post-rock, shoegaze, black metal, crossover is starting to oversaturate the market in my opinion. What makes Funeralbloom stand out or different from other bands that play this style? 

Austin: I think the most obvious stand out that puts us apart is the gothic feel of our records. We are really tied to that 80s post punk that I haven’t heard a black metal or really other band like us that try this. Also it’s a very personal record which is very similar to why Sunbather was so successful. Our record is not dripped with what is traditionally on a black metal record in terms of lyrical themes.  We are a really reflective band. We do black metal or blackgaze romantically in my opinion and that ties in with the bare emotions of our lyrics.

Tom: Do you think a pressure exists that every band with the blackgaze sound will be compared to Deafheaven since the genre is so new to a more widespread audience? 

Austin: Oh yeah that pressure exists. You sign up for it. It is inevitable now. If you’re an Alcest or a Wolves in the Throne Room type act that doesn’t happen but for the new bands it does. Eventually it will die down though and a natural progression will happen and that’s what is happening with us. Once Deafheaven puts out a new record and we put out a new record those comparisons are going to be weaker I expect. The further we get from Sunbather I expect some of these comparisons to disappear because all bands not just us are going to be continually trying new things.

Tom: I want to talk about your lyrics for second. When you sing there is both a spoken word/singing style and a rougher screaming style. When the lyrics are done do you read through them and think some parts would be better implemented as spoken word while others should be screamed? Guide us through this process. 

Austin: When I’m writing the lyrics I don’t think about if they’re gonna be rough or clean. I don’t even write them with the music. I listen to the vibes the band gives off but I already have an idea for the song lyrics. I write them in my room with my own thoughts. I just write poems really. The poems are usually incredibly long and I trim them. I just always find it better to write more than you need. It is better to cut off the fat than have filler. I write a lot of it and it becomes like a puzzle I just try to fit them with the music. Either way the emotion will come across whether I’m screaming or not. I’m not bothered by whether something should be screamed or sung. I just want it to reflect the mood of the song and album as a whole. I feel like this makes the whole process more organic too. I’m not trying to fit some mold you know? The piece exists naturally.

Tom: As the frontman of the band do you ever consider your showmanship? As the only member of the band without an instrument there must be some pressure to entertain right? Talk about what you think your responsibilities are as the lead singer specifically live. What emotions do you try to emit from the audience? 

Austin: I think when I first started I was a little bit more all over the place and energetic. Especially because the venues we were playing had a real punk rock feel to them. A lot of the time we were just on a floor which made me feel like I needed to give an unrestrained performance. As I got older and our music started to change I focused on creating an interesting persona. The persona for me acts as a defense mechanism though. Being the front man with no instrument you are completely bare. That is pretty intimidating especially when playing for small groups of people that you do not know. If they aren’t feeling it I cannot hide behind my instrument. I have to look these people in the eye. So instead I try to give off what I call a “Don’t touch me” vibe. I wanted a stage performance that can be seen and watched rather than a show that has participation and interaction. This is an experience where I want to viewers to be able to take it all in. When we were promoting Petals we had flowers everywhere so sometimes I keep those in my hands to just hammer that floral imagery more. The “Don’t touch me” persona is there because even though I like talking to people and grabbing beers after the show, during the performance I want the viewers to be a bit scared in a way. Not like in a violent way but like a, “Wow I don’t want that guy near me,” kind of way. I want to just give off such an intense persona that the viewer is polarized and glued on what I am doing. And like I said I use that as a defense mechanism because it puts the audience on their toes rather than making me feel like a deer in the headlights. This way too when people leave the show even if they do not love the music they can say well at least it was interesting.

Tom: So lets talk the future? Has the work on LP2 began here? How far along are you guys?

We just recorded a two song EP that is 23 minutes long. One 12 minute song and one 11 minute song. It was recorded in May. We cramped non-stop to finish it. At Polar Pig studios in Fort Worth we recorded 48 hours straight. We wanted it done and pressed so we can play shows with the recording there. 2 days later the files got like deleted or something and we lost one of the songs. So we went back and we re-recorded it all. The guitars and the drums finished this last weekend. The bass and the vocals are about to be laid down this weekend. The goal is to have it out by October.

Tom: Title?

Austin: It actually was originally called “Beautiful Thugs and the Romance of Crime” but we decided the change the name to “The Romance of Crime and Your Beautiful Bones.” The name chance was because of all the Baltimore riots and the way the word “thug” was being thrown around by the media within the context of young black males. We love the word thug and its original meaning but the word’s meaning has morphed into something ugly recently.  So yeah the first track will be called “The Romance of Crime” and second track will be called “Your Beautiful Bones.” The artwork actually came back yesterday and that looks great too. We’re all pumped about it. We are excited for people to hear it because we think the sound will be a shock to some.

Tom: Any bands local or small time you believe some of your listeners would dig? Or anybody you guys just think should get some recognition?

Austin: Clear Acid is a band we work with a lot and they are just fantastic. Illustrations is a band from San Antonio, Texas that are a metallic hardcore band and the lead singer is a friend of mine. We do a project together called Argue which is darkwave synth pop sort of stuff.  Lyed is another cool band. Check out their split ep with a band called Joliet. Skeletal Lighting will probably be involved with that. Moonassi is a local Austin act. They just did a 14 song full length that is pretty cool if you’re a screamo fan.  

 

Tom: Any albums this year you’ve been enjoying so far? 

Austin: The new Liturgy really threw me for a loop. That was a great record. I also liked the new Blur since I’m a big brit-pop fan you know. One thing I am looking forward to is the new Chelsea Wolfe album. Her new stuff sounds heavy man. Also the new Ceremony record was stellar. Check that out if you have not.  



Thanks again to Austin Curtis for sitting down and having a chat with me. It was totally awesome and I think he dropped some interesting points and gave us all something to look forward to with the new Funeralbloom project. I encourage my readers to check them out as well as the new Liturgy record that Austin mentioned as well as the band Ghost Bath. Anyone who Austin mentioned above should have a link to their music if you click their name and I endorse them all as great projects. Keep up the good work Austin and thanks again!  

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Tom. K
6/16/2015