Interview with Past The Fall

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?  

I think I’d always been interested in music but when I was about 11 I was given tapes of radio head, pixies, nirvana, longpigs and that quickly set my soul on fire and exploded into heavier and heavier guitar based music. Honestly- for me personally it saved my life when I was a lot younger, so who knows!

 What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

I like to climb as much as I can outdoors, working out, jujitsu, meditation, and I like learning other languages. It’s a complete contrast to how I used to spend the majority of my life outside of playing music and I feel it reconnects me to the world and helps me see and feel clearer, and this I feel really helps to let creativity flow and learn patience with a process.

 How long has your band been around?

I’ve known Thomas the other core member of the band since we we’re very young, but Past The Fall did its first official EP 2013ish and we started playing live in with PTF in 2014.

 Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

We’re based out of Cambridge UK, and me and Thomas are from the Cambridgeshire area originally, in the early days it was slim pickings for other musicians and opportunities so it’s installed a really strong DIY ethic in us. These days Cambridge has a really good little metal scene!

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

I brainstormed a list of bands names, and I wanted it to be more than one word so we could find something original to help people find us. Past The Fall was easily the best of the bunch and it feels poignant as it was from the ashes of our previous bands that we started PTF, and everything we have achieved has come from failing forward again and again, so going ‘past the fall’ seems really apt.

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

We’ve had some really far out shows in Mexico, when it goes off there the people are super cool and want to have a good time. We’ve had shows stopped by the police, and been treated like rockstars out there so in both ways its humbling!

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

I guess the most important thing is the audience, that’s what makes the show special! So wherever that is we play and make it work!

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

Of bands active right now it’d probably be Mastodon! But the teenage dream ticket would be something like, Megadeth, Pantera, Machinehead, Opeth.

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

To someone starting out I would just say find your own voice and work on the music until its got something unique to offer. And to my younger self- just keep clocking in everyday, there’s no such thing as an overnight sensation where it counts!

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

Be a little more open to leftfield business ideas and if when something doesn’t work don’t be discouraged- success is compounded!

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

Me personally its Full Circle, it’s a very direct and honest account of isolation and loneliness.

Which songs are your favorite to play, and which get requested the most?

I love playing Beholden to close the set as it’s so much fun and is a really well-rounded song, and Drainer to open is great fun as it’s such an onslaught. Probably Beholden gets the most requests as that’s our most famous track.

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

Everything starts with the music and comes from riff ideas and possibly a melody idea, and we add the full vocals in after the song is in a rough working state. We pull from our own personal experiences, thoughts and emotions, it feels important that the music is personal and real to us, and write into a universal space of human experience that we hope everyone can relate and take ownership of.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

Our debut Album ‘From Insanity’s Ruin’ has a lot of dark themes you could say but its just based off of what we were going through at the time, things like death of family members, toxic stalkers, depression, loneliness, break ups. But we do feel that there tales about recognising and coming through those times to a better place as well.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

For sure, it would be weird if 2 people that cared so much about something didn’t and the years have probably taught us resilience to a direct opinion and also how to acknowledge if the ego is rising up and to park that, as tough as that is sometimes. Also the knowledge that speaking in a safe space gives us the opportunity to speak our thoughts even if they turn out not to be what we actually want/feel in the end! I think its important to be able to go through that process without prejudice.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

We’re recording new material at the moment, which should be out near the end of the year, and we have our debut at Bloodstock Open Air 23 for our next show/escape from the studio which we’re all stoked about!