UNFD’s Newest Signing Alienist On Their Debut EP ‘Love/Hate’
‘We want to make sure that it’s not just something that you can listen to at home, but when you go to a live setting, it’s an entirely new experience.’ Damon Renes from UNFD’s newest signing Alienist explains his bands debut EP Love/Hate.
‘Love/Hate’ is an EP that explores cognitive dissonance. The contrast of two opposing views within one person and the challenges they face.
‘That dichotomy between love and hate was already something that was a concept in my mind. During the writing process, because some of these songs were written maybe a year and a half prior to even recording them, the concept wasn’t born until we started recording them and I realised that every single one had this through line between them all. I was glad that they sort of all represented something when it came to the love/hate concept itself when we were writing all these songs. Obviously ‘Distorted Reflections’ is a little bit of an outlier – that’s more of a love/hate concept when it comes to yourself – but ‘Prisoner of You’, ‘Absent’, ‘Godless’ and even ‘Hypnotised’, all those songs follow that basic concept. I think it’s just something that’s always been in the back of my mind and I wrote lyrics around that even unknowingly.’
While lyrically it deals with aspects such as toxic relationships, breakups and religion, the music hits as hard as the content which any metalcore fan will absorb gladly. Breakdowns, vocal dynamics, gutturals and clean, soul crushing riffs and more are enough reasons to get in the pit come show time.
‘There’s just something about opening your soul to the art, writing things about your personal life, even if it is in more metaphorical ways. There is something about putting it out there that sort of allows you to conceptualise the things that are going on in your mind. Sometimes you don’t even know how you’re really feeling, then when you start putting pen to paper when it comes to writing lyrics and concepts, then you go, okay, now I’m starting to understand myself, I’m starting to understand the ideas that are in my brain a little bit better. I definitely wouldn’t have really understood how complicated some of my relationships with all these topics were until I started writing these songs.’
Recently signed to Australia’s premier heavy label UNFD shows how highly regarded the boys from Wollongong are considered.
‘The team has been incredibly helpful. It’s like a great combination of hands off and we are allowed to make what art we want but at the same time we have a team that backs us and fully supports us, just helps out when it comes to PR for example, or promo assets or anything like that. Even just having an extra pair of ears on music and getting opinions on all these different things has just been unbelievably helpful. Then the connections that you start to make by being on a label that is also extremely cool. I’ve definitely had my fair share of fanboy moments, even just going the office, and seeing Amity Afflictions gold records that I grew up with on the wall, like the Aria awards that Northlane won, The Getaway Plan or just all of these bands that have been very instrumental in my growth as a musician and a music lover.’
The band have played shows with Australian legends Thy Art Is Murder and Northlane to name a few however don’t forget where they’ve come from having recently played an all ages show in their home town, however in a fun game of ‘stump a musician’ I ask ‘describe your band to a layman’.
‘That’s fucking difficult! Fuck you mean sound wise? Without comparing to another band? Okay. I would say, yeah fuck it’s difficult because obviously the crunchy guitars and stuff are cliche, but they’re cliche for a reason!
I would say a metalcore band that tries to blend every aspect of that genre that different people like into one band. A band that tries to have poppy choruses that are catchy with the big eye popping vocals and cleans. At the same time, breakdowns that’ll make you think that you’re listening to a pisscore band, then melodic sections and bridges that are making you think you’re listening to a pop band. I want to try and capture all the different music influences that I have into one type of band while also keeping it metalcore and keeping it energetic. Yeah, I dunno, that’s a hard question to answer. Thanks a lot!’
That was a bit draconian of me however he’s not lying. Everything Damon mentions is in that towering blaze of energy that is ‘Love/Hate’. So let’s give the man the last word that he deserves.
‘Listen to our EP on March 1st. Pretty please! Thank you. I really hope that everybody likes it.’
Interview By Iain McCallum
Connect with Alienist
Facebook ~ Instagram ~ X ~ Spotify
