Interview with earthtone9
On their latest release, In Resonance Nexus, earthtone9 embark on a journey of rediscovery, reconnecting with their core sound while pushing their boundaries further than ever before. Known for their intelligent and nuanced approach to music, the band reflects on creating what they describe as their heaviest and most melodic work to date. In this interview, earthtone9 discuss the creative process behind In Resonance Nexus, their collaboration with producer Lewis Johns, and offer insight into the album’s exploration of themes like perception and reality.
In Resonance Nexus is described as rediscovering the essence of earthtone9. Can you share more about the journey of finding this core and how it influenced the creation of the new album?
We changed our approach for the writing process of IRN. We primarily used home studios instead of gathering in a rehearsal room. This meant that ideas were more fully realized without compromise or negotiation, and in turn this meant we leaned into some aspects of our sound that had fallen away over recent times.
In Resonance Nexus is described as rediscovering the essence of earthtone9. Can you share more about the journey of finding this core and how it influenced the creation of the new album?
We changed our approach for the writing process of IRN. We primarily used home studios instead of gathering in a rehearsal room. This meant that ideas were more fully realized without compromise or negotiation, and in turn this meant we leaned into some aspects of our sound that had fallen away over recent times.
We wanted this album to have an urgency and savagery that had been missing from our post 2010 work.
Your music has always been praised for its nuanced palette and intelligent approach. With In Resonance Nexus being both your heaviest and most melodic work to date, how do you feel the band’s sound has evolved? How did you balance these two contrasting aspects during the songwriting and recording process, and what challenges did you encounter in achieving this balance?
It feels to us like finally have enough perspective and experience to draw upon all the era of the band and combine them into compelling music. There have been periods of time when heavy, aggressive music stopped being interesting to us and we focused on melody and melancholy.
Now we’re able to fully combine all the elements of our sound in a coherent way. Balancing the contrast comes naturally to us at this point.
The collaboration with producer Lewis Johns has been highlighted as a significant factor in bringing the intensity and drive back to your music. Can you elaborate on how working with him shaped the final sound of In Resonance Nexus?
Lewis is a very good musician, music technology technician, music arranger and communicator/interpreter…basically all the attributes that support and drive a band to realise their musical vision.
Lewis brought to the table tones, post-production elements, instrumental parts and a mix that we wouldn’t have naturally gone for. All these aspects contributed to making the album what it is.
The lead single "Oceanic Drift" features lyrics that reflect on the concept of things not being what they appear. How do these themes of perception and reality play out across the rest of the album?
The idea of the perception vs reality gap is a reoccurring theme. There are so many dimensions to it: Personal delusion, accidental and intentional misinformation, group think, mythic figures who embody the trickster – it’s such a rich seam for inspiration.
After such a long hiatus, what motivated you to come together and create new music again? How did the creative process differ this time around compared to previous albums?
Creating and collaborating on music was an incredibly important anchor point for Joe, Owen and I during the lockdown era. Writing and being in regular contact, and creating music for its own sake was a joy.
After a while we felt like the music was earthtone9 and that we had some very strong material. The main difference is that we weren’t working to a deadline, we had the bones of 30 something songs to choose from and around 20 songs were completely finished.
With In Resonance Nexus marking a significant point in earthtone9’s journey, what are your hopes and plans for the future? Are there any new creative directions or projects on the horizon that you can share with us?
It would be killer to keep the momentum going, to play shows regularly and to release new music every 18 months or so. We’ve been so start-stop for a long time and want to change that.
We have a really loyal core fanbase and want to do events directly with and for them. We still figuring out what that looks like but it’s going to happen.
Your music has always been praised for its nuanced palette and intelligent approach. With In Resonance Nexus being both your heaviest and most melodic work to date, how do you feel the band’s sound has evolved? How did you balance these two contrasting aspects during the songwriting and recording process, and what challenges did you encounter in achieving this balance?
It feels to us like finally have enough perspective and experience to draw upon all the era of the band and combine them into compelling music. There have been periods of time when heavy, aggressive music stopped being interesting to us and we focused on melody and melancholy.
Now we’re able to fully combine all the elements of our sound in a coherent way. Balancing the contrast comes naturally to us at this point.
The collaboration with producer Lewis Johns has been highlighted as a significant factor in bringing the intensity and drive back to your music. Can you elaborate on how working with him shaped the final sound of In Resonance Nexus?
Lewis is a very good musician, music technology technician, music arranger and communicator/interpreter…basically all the attributes that support and drive a band to realise their musical vision.
Lewis brought to the table tones, post-production elements, instrumental parts and a mix that we wouldn’t have naturally gone for. All these aspects contributed to making the album what it is.
The lead single "Oceanic Drift" features lyrics that reflect on the concept of things not being what they appear. How do these themes of perception and reality play out across the rest of the album?
The idea of the perception vs reality gap is a reoccurring theme. There are so many dimensions to it: Personal delusion, accidental and intentional misinformation, group think, mythic figures who embody the trickster – it’s such a rich seam for inspiration.
Creating and collaborating on music was an incredibly important anchor point for Joe, Owen and I during the lockdown era. Writing and being in regular contact, and creating music for its own sake was a joy.
After a while we felt like the music was earthtone9 and that we had some very strong material. The main difference is that we weren’t working to a deadline, we had the bones of 30 something songs to choose from and around 20 songs were completely finished.
With In Resonance Nexus marking a significant point in earthtone9’s journey, what are your hopes and plans for the future? Are there any new creative directions or projects on the horizon that you can share with us?
It would be killer to keep the momentum going, to play shows regularly and to release new music every 18 months or so. We’ve been so start-stop for a long time and want to change that.
We have a really loyal core fanbase and want to do events directly with and for them. We still figuring out what that looks like but it’s going to happen.
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