Melbourne melodic metal act Naberus released their sophomore full length album “Hollow” on June 29th which features fourteen brand new songs that showcase a significant progression in the songwriting talents of James Ash and Dan Ralph, while also maintaining their roots in the unique style of metal they gained notoriety for. We grabbed a few words from James to find out a little more on the new release.
Tell us about the process of writing and recording the new album “Hollow”.
There’s a few ways we go about songwriting, One begins with me playing a guitar in my studio, I’ll either do a riff or scratch track and take it to the other guys and see if they like where it’s going and let them add their flavour to it. Two is me and Dan sitting in a room and bouncing riffs off each other until we build a song, and three is someone else bringing a few riffs to me and me helping them piece it together.
What were some of the things you wanted to achieve with the release?
The main thing we want to achieve with this release was writing music that we throughly enjoyed playing live, the other goal of course would be to hopefully get our music out to more people that also enjoy it.
Do you enjoy the process of creating? Are you someone who continually writes or does the best come out under a little gentle pressure?
I definitely enjoy the process of creating, it’s my favourite part of being a musician. Deadlines definitely help and hinder me at the same time, it’s the nature of my creative process that sometimes I go long periods where I can’t think of something that I deem good enough to be in a song and then deadlines creep up and really kick me in the ass.
What does it feel like as an artist waiting for the songs you’ve lived with for some time to get released to the fans? Is there a sense of excitement or a little panic in there too?
It’s frustrating, exciting and nerve wrecking all in one. I always panic when new stuff is released even if I think it’s really strong material and I am happy with it. It always makes me nervous seeing what people think of the stuff I created.
How does “Hollow” compare to previous releases?
The whole album is heavier and groovier as a whole. My favourite song on the album changes a lot but currently it’s The Depths, hopefully people have a long enough attention span to get to listen to it!
What can people expect at your live shows and how is the process for picking out setlists now ith a new album?
The main thing you can expect at our shows is a lot of energy and us moving around and just being general dickheads, having fun on stage. Now that we have 28 songs to pick from it’s definitely becoming more difficult, we generally think about what bands we are playing with and what our crowd would like to hear and then debate with each other what to play.
How has the experience of playing live been like for the band so far and what is your favorite song to play live?
Apart from technical issues arising every now and then, fantastic. We love playing live, it’s some of the most fun I’ve ever had. At the moment my favourite song to play is Space to Breathe.
What have been your greatest challenges to date as a band?
The biggest challenge with being in a band these days apart from finding reliable members, is keeping the motivation to keep it financially afloat. It can be quite the burden to the wallet.
From what you’ve learned so far what is the most valuable advice you’ve been given so far as a musician?
Work hard, don’t expect anything.
Who are some of your main influences?
My main influences are probably Arch Enemy, In Flames, Linkin Park, The Haunted, Slipknot, Korn.
Who or what inspired you to be in a band and play music?
Honestly my bandmate Dan Ralph inspired me to be in band. I used to watch him play in high school and think to myself, Yeah I could do that I reckon.
Do you believe music can still change the world?
Music can definitely manipulate people’s emotions, whether that will change the world is up to the person themselves.
