Page 5 - Black Velvet Issue 97

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MIND MATTERS
MIND MATTERS

assive choruses and heart-stopping melodies dominate the newest EP released by As Sirens Fall, ‘Where Lost
MThings Go’. The EP is a real musical tour de force, and is a requisite for any rock lovers. One of the songs on the
EP, ‘In My Mind’ (featuring Benji Webbe), was written back when Mikey Lord was self-medicating. It was a time when
Mikey was paranoid that he was under attack and he was looking for something that would allow him to switch the
anxiety off. He tells us more as we talk about mental health, loud minds and other mind matters.

Black Velvet: Your EP, ‘Where Lost Things really a decision to start or stop. I just knew I ing. The same goes for general life. Just be ex-
Go’, was released on April 13th. Song titles wasn’t able to do much of anything other than, cellent to each other.
include mentions of vultures, wolves and honestly, drink too much, smoke too many cig-
ghosts! What brought those to mind? arettes and think about what had happened. A BV: As a five-piece band, how do your own
Mikey Lord: The vultures represent depression. few months on, I just needed to be on a stage minds differ? Who has the loudest mind in
The idea being that they wait around for some- again. I just had to get on with it. Looking back, the band?
thing to die, or become too weak to carry on, be- I probably still wasn’t ready. I’m so glad we did ML: We work together on most things. That
fore attacking. I’ve often thought mental illness it though and it was certainly the best thing for being said, I don’t think the rest of the guys
has worked for me in a similar way. Any moment all of us, getting back on stage. That first show would mind me saying that I can be the ‘loud-
of weakness or a trip-up can lead to the vultures back was sold out and it was just incredible. We minded’ one sometimes. We all know what we
striking and you have to be prepared. In ‘She raised a fortune for the charity Mind and it want, but we also know how to make those
Runs With The Wolves’, the wolves are beautiful marked the start of something new and exciting things blend together into something we think is
and visceral. They are artistic freedom, bound- for us. A fresh start we all needed. really special.
less energy, love and fire. Visually, in the ‘In My
Mind’ video, they are the complete opposite. In BV: You set up We Are Not Dead Yet follow- BV: What goes through your mind before
the video, they are brutal, unforgiving and com- ing the personal loss. Aside from giving pro- you're about to take to the stage for a show?
pletely hateful. They present opposite perspec- ceeds to Mind, you have articles on your What do you focus on as you head to the
tives for two songs with very opposite meanings. website from people with mental health is- stage?
‘In My Mind’ is very much about dealing with sues. You mentioned that you were im- ML: I used to have to get myself as angry as I
darkness by means of aggression and revenge, pressed by the honesty displayed in the could. In years past, I would go sit in my car and
whereas ‘She Runs With The Wolves’ is much written pieces. Have they changed your per- scream and punch. I am the least violent person
more along the lines of acceptance, freedom ception about mental illnesses that you have in the world. I honestly couldn’t hurt a fly. That’s
and hope. ‘My Only Ghost’ is about having a personal experience of? not me trying to be coy or cute, I just don’t have
soulmate and knowing that however many lives ML: It has given me a greater interest in dealing aggression in my coding. It’s not really a part of
you have lived already, and however many you with other people in the real, physical world. It’s who I am and if it is, then it is buried somewhere
will live after this one, that soul will always be easy to forget that behind every sad blog post, deep and out of sight. I’d get as riled as I could,
with you. dark tweet or heartbroken text is a real person and for some reason that would give me the
with a real problem. Setting up #WANDY after drive I needed to play the character I was play-
BV: Your music is mental health-related. what happened was hugely therapeutic for me. ing when I was on stage. At this point, though, I
What messages in particular do you want People were incredibly supportive of it and the just focus on being an exaggerated version of
your listeners to keep in mind? contributions were ALL incredible. There’s plenty myself. I stopped drinking before shows a long
ML: We want listeners to keep in mind that not that still hasn’t been published. I’ve taken a cou- time ago, but I will probably drink a lot of water
only is it okay to be fucked up, but it’s okay to ple of months away from it (the merch is all still and an energy drink right before we go on. I tend
be scared of yourself sometimes, and it’s okay active, as are the monthly donations to Mind), to do a bunch of stretches and vocal warm-ups,
to not want to wake up in the morning. It’s okay but I’ll be back on it with full force in due course. then I take myself off somewhere and sit alone
to feel like you can’t do what seems to come to for ten minutes to calm the nerves. I get very
everyone else naturally. Just that it’s okay. It’s BV: Is there anything you’ve become more nauseous before shows, no matter how big or
always so much more normal than you think. mindful about doing when on tour or to- small they are, and I’m sure I don’t have to tell
gether as a band, or just in general, in life? you, throwing up is bad for your voice! That’s
BV: The band took some time off and re- ML: As far as touring, how important it is to sleep about it really. I jump up and down when I’m
grouped late last year. How did taking time as much as you can, eat as well as you can and nervous, so that too.
off change your mindset and the way you ap- party as little as you can. Also be nice. It doesn’t
proached your music? matter how much you love someone – if you’re Visit www.assirensfall.co.uk for more info.
ML: We took a few months to deal with the in a van with them for weeks on end you WILL
death of someone incredibly close. There wasn’t come to hate the sound of one another’s breath- Words by Athena Kam
Photo By Donna Coombs
AS SIRENS FALL