With their debut EP out on February 20th, and a gig tonight at Nambucca, what better time to hear from today’s young upstarts After Smoke Clears…
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We’re a mixed bunch, Dan, Ale and Dave are from various parts of Italy, Nick is from Leicester and Aaron is from Australia.
How did you meet?
We met online, like tinder but for metal.
How long have you been playing as a band?
We started writing songs in 2017 but officially started playing shows in and around London in 2018.
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
After Smoke Clears is both a reflection of the band’s journey and an ambiguity for our audience. Our name means a lot to us, we’ve been through a lot as a band and the name represents the calm which can only be found in the cleanse after a fire, something that can only be born of destruction. We decided on After Smoke Clears to re-define what the band and music means to us.
What are your influences?
Our influences are wide and varied, of course mostly metal, from the likes of Whitechapel, Gojira, Decapitated and Parkway Drive, to The Contortionist, Opeth, Mudvayne and Monuments.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
Our music goes through a rigorous collaborative process, with each band member playing a part in the song creation. This at times makes it hard, and we’ve discarded many more songs than we’ve kept, but this ensures that what we do end up putting on stage, is curated and meaningful to everyone. We like to incorporate dynamics, feelings of momentum and momentary confusion. Our songs are designed to get people involved and moving, but also push ourselves musically.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
Nick writes all of the lyrics himself, bringing his past experiences to life through creative prose. Touching on sometimes current political issues, mental health and self discovery.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
Our live shows are raw and untamed, something we pride ourselves in is our ability to really convey the emotion of the music through our presence on stage. Nick can’t help but interact with the crowd, forming an intimate connection with the audience and the music. We’ve played about 20 shows since the start of 2018.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
The wildest show we’ve played was on the beach in Italy! Alongside our good friends in ‘Tribunale Obhal’ we were able to convince a beachside bar to let us set up and play – it was incredible! We scared a few people away, there’s video of them running, I guess our music isn’t for everyone, but we had a blast!
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
We play Ibanez and Schecter guitars, Warwick bass, Tama Drums and Shure microphones. Ale runs his Ibanez through his EVH 5150, Dan uses his Peavy 6505, while Aaron runs Darkglass microtubes gear. We incorporate some digital effects and soundscapes but we play 100% live with no backing tracks.
What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
We’ve got so much going on at the moment! On the 8th of February we launched our first single and video “The Crusher” directed by Charli Whatley, and produced by Odelay Films. “The Crusher” is the first single from our EP Disillusioned coming out on the 20th of February. We’re celebrating this with a gig at the Nambucca with some good friends, on the 17th of February.
What are your plans for 2019?
Plans for 2019 include gigging more, promoting our EP and really giving the UK a chance to hear what we are about – we have a message, we have a passion and we want to share this with as many people as possible.
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
We would love to play on a three-band bill, supporting the mighty Whitechapel. We really look up to these guys, how they have evolved their style and taken creative risk, but they never cease to entertain and are amazing live. To open for the show, we’d want to be supported by our good friends in Sphinx (local London based deathcore band, and really amazing guys).
After Smoke Clears: facebook | twitter | instagram | youtube
Amazing! Thanks for putting this up!