In today’s A-Z challenge, we tasked Jack, vocalist for Asira, to tell us all about the band by taking on our famed 26 questions!
A song that made you want to make music?
‘Autre Temps’ by Alcest really kickstarted our passion to explore this kind of music in particular.
Best rider you have had?
A homemade carbonara in Oxford!
Craziest moment as an artist?
Not long after we released our first music, we had a message from a fan saying that they had been struggling with suicide and don’t think they’d have survived if not for our songs. Unbelievable, and very humbling.
Deepest lyric one of your songs features?
From ‘Clarity‘, a song about questioning and hoping for an afterlife after the loss of a friend: “and should you hear, may clarity declare / by what shade you live on, ascendant, in air”
Easiest song you wrote?
‘Cauterise‘ came together really easily. Martin brought this very angry and aggressive music to us more or less fully-formed, and I was freshly processing something that I was furious about (the rape of a friend). The lyrics and vocal delivery really wrote themselves.
Favourite song in your set?
I adore playing ‘Efference‘ live. We usually close our sets with it, and it finished with such a climactic cathartic release. The end also has no clean singing, so I can take my in-ears out and just melt into the volume of the stage.
Guest you’d most like to feature on your record?
It would be just incredible to work with Devin Townsend, in any capacity at all, quite honestly.
Hardest thing about being in a band?
Interesting fact about you?
I’m a twin! Frustratingly, my sister is a better singer than me.
Joke you like to tell?
Why did the baker’s hands smell? Because he needed (kneaded) a poo.
Key to writing a song?
Don’t be disheartened if the song you’re working on sucks. Don’t even be disheartened if the song never gets better than sucking. Songwriting is a muscle – it gets stronger the more you use it. The song you’re struggling with today will make the song you write next week even better.
Longest distance you’ve travelled to play a show?
This would be for my other band, Battle Born, but we went all the way to Estonia earlier in the year. Beautiful city.
Most inspiring musician you’ve experienced?
It’s a bit of a vanilla metalhead answer, but I got very emotional hearing Bruce Dickinson sing again after his throat cancer recovery. He sounded better than ever.
New band/artist you’d recommend?
Nightbearer had an incredible album this year called ‘Defiance‘. It’s largely inspired by ‘His Dark Materials’, some of my favourite books ever.
Opening for this band/artist would be ideal?
I’d love to open for Zeal & Ardor. Their fanbase is very open to peculiar genre recipes, and I think we’d go down very well.
Place you’d most like to tour?
France! And not just because the travel is so easy, we’ve got a lot of fans over there.
Quote that you’d like to pass on to our readers?
“All men who wield power must be reminded of it constantly. Reminded that it can be lost, that it is only lent, that it is entirely dependent on the whim of others.” – Dan Simmons
Reason for the title of your forthcoming release?
The title ‘As Ink in Water‘ reflects the darker tone of the record. It’s a visual analogy for how depression, trauma and self-doubt can be such a pollutive influence, but also how by increasing our capacity we can mitigate the damage.
See us live at?
We have no live dates announced currently – where do you want to see us?
The old days of music were better than the current, do you agree?
I really don’t. It’s easy to see how people have a rose-tinted view of our musical past, because it’s always the most incredible and iconic music that gets remembered. I honestly think there is more incredible music being created now than at any other point in human history, and the barriers for anyone to start creating and putting out their music are lower than they’ve ever been.
Unusual merchandise?
I’d love to see official Asira tea cosies one day…
Variations you’d like to do on one of your songs?
It would be really fun to pick one of our more melodic songs and give it a Cocteau Twins-esque synthpop makeover.
What do your fans mean to you?
The thing I most appreciate about them is their passion. We don’t have the largest fanbase (and in fairness, we take along time between our releases) but when there is some new music to celebrate, they will really let us know what it means to them.
X-rays or treatments for performance-related injuries?
Nothing that dramatic, although I did once complete a run of shows with a broken toe.
You’re late for a show, whose fault is it?
Probably Freya, from Cairiss, somehow.
Zoo animal that best describes the personality of your band?
A flamingo!
Picture credit: Marie Korner Photography