Exclusive Interview: Raze talk writing and recording “Pyrography”!

The second in our pair of creature double feature exclusive interviews with Raze mastermind, founding member and vocalist Louis Dunham finds us chatting about what went in behind the scenes when it came to writing and recording their long in gestation debut album “Pyrography“. A stunning piece of work that crosses the territories of Post-Grunge, Progressive and Groove Metal so you get the best of the melodic and the heavy with some violent mood swings and outbursts of aggression, it’s a surprising piece of work that is worthy of your time and attention…

How did your previous experiences writing and recording help to smooth the path of the new record? “What we learned from the original EP recording was that we need to take our time and make sure everything is to the standard we want it, and spend time on the production to hone it in. Song writing and performance-wise – everything was structured, written and practiced before we even hit record for the first song, so no doubts there. Everything was planned exactly how we wanted”

How does the writing process of a new track start? Melody, riff or rhythm first? How does it evolve from there before you consider it the finished article? “Band members tend to bring semi-structured song ideas to practice, then as a group we play them through and refine, then refine again. Vocally I improvise lines over the top as this goes on, and the lyrics come later. I’ll take a room recording over a playthrough and use that to write something more specific”

As a band you’ve got a glowing reputation for your live performances; have you ever found it challenging to capture that live energy like lightning in a bottle in the studio without the audience to feed off? “There’s a different thrill to the studio – hearing tracks (that have only existed in person) recorded for the first time – that’s a thrill. It sounds precise and clear in a way that it can’t anywhere else. So that is a different form of energy that makes its way into the recordings!”

If you had the opportunity to work with a guest in the studio next time around, who would you like to work with and why? “I think it’d be really cool to get a guest vocalist in on a track. Some dual vocal parts could sound really, really cool. There are a few people I’d like to work with – maybe we can get something together for a future release?”

For us gear nerds out there, can you tell us what you’re using gear wise (pedals, strings, drums etc) to get your sound? “Our two guitarists and bass guitarist are using Line 6 Helix to model their sounds, running through power amps into Victory cabs for the guitarists. Live I use TC-Helicon effects for delay throws and doubler, where required.”

What difference would it make to you as a band if you could land an endorsement from a gear manufacturer? “I think it would be cool – that endorsement carries a seal of approval, a pedigree for the band. Additional exposure is definitely welcome. Plus, money off of new gear? Never a bad thing”

“Pyrography” by Raze is out now via One Eyed Toad Records and is available over at bandcamp.