For those unfamiliar with your band, please give a brief one liner about your sound and a quick FFO.
Hey, there…this is Mike Naish, bassist for Apostle of Solitude. We are a traditional doom metal band in the vein of Cathedral, Gates of Slumber, and Candlemass.
What was the writing process like for your album?
Like many of our past albums, guitarist Chuck Brown brings a series of riffs or progressions to the rest of the band; we simply hammer it out together after that. Many times Chuck will have complete or nearly complete songs, and we then work together on the final arrangement, vocals, changes, etc. together. It is a collaborative experience with Steve Janiak, Corey Webb, and I providing input into the song as a whole rather than simply from the perspective of our individual instruments. We also wanted to create a record that would hold one’s attention for the entire duration rather than for a single song. Further to that, we typically write longer songs, and we knew that we would have fewer songs and thus less opportunity to draw in the listener. Each song had to both stand alone as well as stand together to support the entirety of the record.
What do you think sets your band apart from the rest? What does Apostle Of Solitude bring to the table that no one else does?
There are a few things that I think that sets Apostle of Solitude apart from other bands in the doom scene. With this being our fourth record, i think we have returned to the tempo of the first record, Sincerest Misery. As the newest member of the band, this was the record with which I fell in love as a fan. This record sounds more patient and earnest while still maintaining the sense of loss and hopelessness that I feel defines the doom genre. Second, Chuck and Steve deliver some of the most amazing vocal harmonies that I have heard in a long time. I don’t think the band, album, or our overall sound would be same without that. We tried to put more harmonies into this record without wearing it out, and I think that we accomplished that well enough. I also think that the tone of From Gold to Ash sounds unique in that it there is sufficient fuzz/distortion in the guitars and bass without burying the individual notes. The changes within each song are carefully phrased, and an overabundance of distortion would weaken the emotional vibe of the song. Finally, clean vocals have become a nearly forgotten accompaniment in heavy music. Clean vocals do not convey aggression or anger, neither of which are traditional to doom metal in my opinion.
As a band, we all feel connected to one another in many ways. We have all known each other for years and have similar opinions about the world around us. We see the world through our own eyes and experiences, but we also try to see the world through other people’s experiences. Pain is pain no matter who feels it. You can see it on another’s face; you can hear it in their words. We try to capture the essence of what we see and experience and instill those ominous tones and feelings into what we create. Please don’t misunderstand that we are a bunch of sullen, unhappy fellows….we are not. My bandmates are some of the most sincere, creative, happy, and funny people that I have ever met. As a band, we find ourselves in one accord with our capacity to translate anguish, loss, separation, and grief into a musical form and not lose any of the emotion.
.How do you feel about the current state of the music industry, in particular streaming services, “illegal” downloads and such?
My personal opinion on this topic varies wildly by the hour, day, and week. Today I will say that the current state of the music industry is what you make of it. Controlling access to your music is obviously something that all bands worry about, and we are not immune to that. I think bands should make the investment to develop an understanding of how the industry works so that they can play a role in the success of their records. Bands will likely benefit from a personal relationship with those who are involved with the production, promotion, and distribution of their recorded material. Stay in touch (frequently) with those who are on your team by working directly with them to influence how your band is promoted or portrayed in the media. Illegal downloads are not going away, so bands need to invest the time to reduce the risk of exposure this way rather than eliminate it.
If you could share the stage with any other musician (dead or alive), who would it be?
Oh, man…is that a loaded question or what? I have been pretty lucky to share the stage with some of my favorite musicians and bands such as Saint Vitus, he Gates of Slumber (RIP, Jason), The Obsessed, Karma to Burn, Jucifer, sHeavy, Captain Beyond, and the Skull. If I were to make a wish list of bands, it would include Black Sabbath, Cathedral, With the Dead, Monster Magnet, Cactus, Sir Lord Baltimore, Hawkwind, The Melvins, Crowbar, Ahab, The Ocean, Celtic Frost, Dismember, Entombed, Spirit Adrift, Gatecreeper, etc. I could go on for hours, but I am going to stop there.
Which albums are in your top 10 right now?
Hrm…good question. Right now I have been listening to Conqueror (Gates of Slumber), Post Self (Godflesh), anything by Whores, Jane Doe (Converge), anything by Unsane, Clone of the Universe (Fu Manchu; hat tip to Bob Balch), House Cricks and Other Reasons to Get Out of the House (Jaye Jayle), Ancient Torture (Coffins), Valium 4 (Shroud of Vulture; shameless plug) and Beyond the Dark (Coffin Lust).
Fast forward 5 years from now, what’s Apostle of Solitude doing?
Hopefully, we’ll have released another record and have toured Europe at least 2 or maybe even 3 times. We have been on a path to release a new record about every 4 years and tour all over the place to support it. I would say that some longer tours would be nice, but we seem to have hit a sweet spot by not touring too much but enough to keep our fans interested and engaged.
Craziest thing you’ve ever done together with the band?
One time we cut the tag off of a mattress in a hotel. We were being so bad. Lol. In all seriousness, we are pretty committed to working when we are on tour. We have a good time, but I can honestly say that we don’t get too crazy while on the road. There are things that surprise me that I learn about my bandmates when we are cooped up in a van for weeks at a time. For instance, I was unaware that all of us knew the lyrics to such albums as Grease (the soundtrack) and Olivia Newton John’s Xanadu. Just close your eyes and imagine four bearded and tattooed metal heads singing along to Hopelessly Devoted to You. If that’s not crazy (probably more like ironic), then I don’t know what to tell you.
Thanks for your time, anything else you’d like to add?
It was absolutely a pleasure, and we are grateful for your interest in Apostle of Solitude. From Gold to Ash will be released on February 23, 2018, and we’ll be playing an album release show on March 23, 2018 here in our lovely hometown of Indianapolis, IN. We’ll be on tour this summer in the US and Europe in the fall. We hope to see as many of our fans as we can this year and celebrate the release of the album together with you all.
Support the band, buy their album on LP or CD!
LP: https://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1702&search=from+gold+to+ash&description=true