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BACKGROUND

Artist Bio: Black/doom metal from the UK formed in 2013 by Joseph Hawker whom handles all the instrumentation, songwriting, performances, artwork and production (unless otherwise stated!). No live shows. Anti-fascist and angry at the world.

Genres: Black Metal, Doom Metal

Band Lineup: Joseph Hawker

Website: https://etherealshroud.bandcamp.com/

Most Recent Release: Trisagion (LP, December 2021)

Sputnik User: DarkNoctus

INTERVIEW

I caught up with Joseph Hawker about his sudden ascent to relevance, the emotional impetus behind his music, and his future as an artist.

In December 2021, your album Trisagion received quite a bit of attention. Not only did it receive a glowing review from our own Kyle Ward, but it also placed #24 on the Staff’s 2021 Top 50 Albums of the Year. In addition to recognition on Sputnik, Trisagion received high praise from many other publications, graced the front page of Rate Your Music, and was even a featured download on iTunes’ metal page. How does it feel to suddenly receive this kind of recognition?

It was honestly very bewildering. ‘Trisagion’ was a record I held onto for a very long time and I felt it could have gone two ways – it could have been received with glowing reviews as something that was truly worth the wait or something that was underwhelming, overwritten and overindulgent. It exceeded all expectations I could have possibly had. For something so deeply personal there’s always the risk and fear of something being misunderstood or misapprehended but it became very exciting to see people’s emotional interpretations of my work. Being recognized as someone who made an album with such praise is something I still can’t get used to – my roots as a music enthusiast are too deep and I’ll never be able to shake being a nerd that enthuses on forums, blogs and review sites.

Your Bandcamp bio states that you typically handle all of the instrumentation, songwriting, performances, and production — but this time, there was credit given to Richard Spencer (bass, viola), John Kerr (drums), Spenser Morris (drum recording, mixing, mastering), and Shannon Greaves (guest vocals). Can you provide us with some insight into the songwriting process, and how everyone worked together? Was there a shared vision/overall mindset while crafting Trisagion? How did all of this differ from other releases where you may have acted as more of a solo entity?

It was a complicated process because all of us were in isolation except for Shannon who was my neighbor. I recorded demos of the album – hence arranging everything, writing and structuring the album in its entirety. When I handed the album over to my audio engineer, drummer, bassist and violist (is that a word?) I gave them full artistic freedom. I made a rule with myself that I would accept any artistic liberty that they had. ‘They Became the Falling Ash’ was an insular album where I was responsible for everything and I wanted ‘Trisagion’ to be as true a collaborative effort as possible where everyone left their artistic mark. I didn’t reject anything they did – and each musician involved did an incredible job. It was my way of overcoming my insecurity of working with others and my feelings of being inferior to other musicians. I’d never worked with anyone else before in this capacity. It was amazing.

What artists have had a significant influence on your craft?

I feel that bands like Summoning and Moonsorrow had huge influences on my melodicism and structuring. I don’t really identify much with the folk elements of their sound these days, as much as I enjoy fantasy, but I prefer to make something more tangible and realistic with the same sounds. Agalloch’s cinematic approach to songwriting really shaped how I approach builds, as well as post-rock bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor and God is an Astronaut. Bands like Esoteric and My Dying Bride gave me a huge appreciation for tone, depth in sound and melancholy. As I grew up I listened to these bands and forged something of a sound of my own that encompassed all of these things I loved.

Despite not having an avid interest in Black Metal, I loved Trisagion. There are two specific moments that always stand out to me when I listen to the LP, or even think about it: (1) The breathtaking intro to ‘Chasmal Fires’ and (2) the screams at the conclusion of ‘Astral Mariner’. Did these moments just come to you one day, or was there a real emotional impetus that led to their existence?

For the last… gosh, I can’t remember how many years, the simple harp melody that opens ‘Chasmal Fires’ rang in my head at various emotional tenures of my life. I was recovering from PTSD from a traumatic event and I channeled a lot of my anger, pain and ultimately healing into what is a very simple melody which is why in the song it warps and changes – the songwriting arc is used to demonstrate this. The screams in Astral Mariner were organic, I simply kept screaming after the conclusion of the lyrics. It was unplanned but it led to a hugely cathartic moment I wanted to capture. Hearing my voice crack whilst in tears is uncomfortable in some ways, but necessary, hence why I kept it in.

The lyrics on Trisagion can get…intense. Can you share a little bit about what inspired the content of the LP at large? Are there any recurring themes, emotions, or concepts that you want our readers to be aware of?

During the writing process of Trisagion there were several traumatic experiences that I’d rather not go too deeply into – so along with the themes of anti-fascism, transphobia, homophobia, sexism… there’s a deep undercurrent of personal healing and coming to terms with many things that happened in my past. ‘Astral Mariner’ revolves around growing up as an autistic individual in a world designed around neurotypical people and being expected to cater to them – and nobody trying to build a bridge of understanding to me. Discarnate is about growing up in a racist environment and feeling guilt for the indoctrination into their beliefs, unlearning their horrendous ways and repenting for those you’ve hurt in the process. Chasmal Fires is more complex – dealing with my PTSD and the arc of coming to terms with the irreversible changes that the trauma has done to you. But it also relates this to the pain and trauma the world inflicts on me every passing day and coming to terms with that. It’s a deeply personal, complex, in some ways scatterbrained album… like me.

Many listeners – even those who have heard Trisagion several times – might not be aware that there is a stunning bonus track called ‘Lanterns’. Can you tell us a little bit about this song, what you remember while writing/recording, and why you chose to leave it off the final tracklist?

The instrumentation of Lanterns was mostly written on the night of a suicide attempt. I had a brief stint of psychosis where all I can remember is being at a very high point in the city on a freezing cold night, seeing the lights in the distance and making a strange metaphor in my head of them being far-away lanterns, comparing them to those who are close to me. I felt for a long time I simply couldn’t talk to other people because they wouldn’t understand, so seeing the lights in the distance instantly connected this metaphor of my loved ones being so far away from me – close but unreachable. It made absolutely no sense, but that was the power of being in such a destructive mindset. After the attempt I went into therapy and started a long recovery, writing the lyrics retrospectively. It’s a strange song but I’m happy now that I can look back on it knowing I came away from it and survived.

You’ve stated several times that Trisagion is something of a curtain-call for Ethereal Shroud. Would you care to elaborate on your future as a musician? Is there anything on the horizon?

At this point I’m really not thinking that far ahead. ‘Trisagion’ was a huge undertaking so I’m taking a break and regathering myself. I’d like to follow it up in some way or another, but it’ll take me some time.

On a lighter note, you’re obviously a registered user on Sputnikmusic. When did you join, and what do you remember about the site at that time? What other usernames pop into your head from that era?

I joined in 2010 when I was 16! Honestly, I remember being an incredibly impassioned teenager needing an outlet. I remember names like Crysis, Rasputin, Hawks, Hyperion… man, my memory isn’t what it used to be. It’s strange to think that I’m still on a site on the same username from 12 years ago!

Which were you first: a Sputnik user, or a musician? Has one ever influenced the other at all, or are they totally unrelated aspects of your life?

I was a musician first! I was uploading black metal demos to MySpace from the age of 13 but sadly they no longer exist. I think I still have them on a hard drive, they’re quite cute to listen to now. Ask me nicely and I might upload them one day. One guy said they sounded like Agalloch and that’s how I actually discovered Agalloch – quite funny! As for Sputnikmusic and being a musician, neither really influenced the other though – I’ve always been incredibly passionate about music so listening to more music and learning about more music has always been an amazing outlet. Sputnikmusic has always been a great site for that.

Given your recent success, do you have any advice for young musicians out there (Sputnik members or otherwise) who are seeking to be heard?

Honestly, just keep playing, recording, and do it for your own reasons. I was discovered completely by accident and I never tried to be discovered – labels reached out to me. Music is my cathartic outlet and I was fully prepared for ‘Trisagion’ to simply put me into debt, I just wanted the record to exist and I was thrilled with the results, even if only one person ever heard it. We all know it did far more successfully than that, and that’s incredible, but aim to create amazing art and the rest will follow. Much love.

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