1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new ep?
A lot of planning for this release, lining up artwork, videos, press etc. While our gigging plans were halted with coronavirus we’ve used the time to work on the follow up to this EP. We’re constantly working on new material and moving forward, there’s fewer distractions now so there’s no reason to slow down the momentum or take a step back.
2.In March you have a new ep coming out, musically how does it differ from your previous release?
Yes, “Splitting Tongues” is coming out March 11th via Cursed Monk Records and Fomorian Hate Records. Musically it’s definitely a similar vein but a natural evolution from our first EP. We’ve consciously tried to avoid boxing ourselves into one particular genre, so there’s still a large Death, Black and Sludge influence on this one, but also some new influences thrown in. As we’ve grown as a group we’ve been able to incorporate new elements into the writing process and try new things. We also had more time to record this EP, so we could spend longer honing in on our sound and controlling the maelstrom of tones we needed to give us the best end product we could.
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?
A lot of the themes and lyrics are based off real life experiences, both in our own lives but also in what we have observed in others. The main themes would be misery, hatred, death and the depreciation of society as a whole. Each track is left open to interpretation, but has it’s own relevance to us and is grounded in something we have experienced. Sometimes keeping things totally abstract doesn’t always work, so we also aren’t afraid to go straight for the jugular.
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Fraught'?
Well, we originally started under the name “Drought” but due to other bands of the same name playing a similar style we felt it better to change it to avoid confusion. To us, the word “Fraught” represents the overall themes that we deal with in the music and lyrics, themes centred around things that would be largely undesirable to most or things that most people choose to ignore - death, self-destruction, the negative impacts society has on itself and the world we live in.
5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the ep cover?
The main artwork was created by Sarah at Black Fever Art with the overall layout being done by the band ourselves. Sarah is one of those that we view very highly and as a direct extension of the music. Her art is not only mind-blowing, but she also has a deep understanding of what we do and how we work. The artwork represents a lot of the lyrical themes of misery and hatred and as with the lyrics, it is also open to individual interpretation. To us however, it most closely relates to the track “Throne of Traitors” and the explicit repercussions that life can have on those who betray you.
6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
To date, given the COVID-19 situation, we’ve only been able to play one show back in Feb 2020, which was a great first show. We feel our music takes its full form when performed live, so we give our all in every performance, 110% and nothing less. From day 1 we committed to creating more than just the 5 of us standing on a stage, we bought our own lighting equipment and got our own lighting guy, so we’re able to do each show on our own terms and give the music the mood and feel we want. There’s a lot of energy in the music and that translates to our live performance well and the audience can feed off that. The more energy and chaos in the show, the better.
7.The ep is going to be released on 'Cursed Monk Records', how did you get in contact with this label?
Cursed Monk are handling the CD release and Fomorian Hate are handing a limited Cassette release.
CMR had put out a number of great releases around the time we recorded the EP, particularly the latest TOOMS release and we felt they shared the same interest in and commitment to the style of music we create and that we would be a good fit for their roster. Alex from TOOMS actually gave us Rodge’s details and we reached out to see if he would be interested in working with us on “Splitting Tongues” and thankfully he enjoyed the EP and was eager to work with us on it.
8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black, sludge, doom and death metal?
So far it’s been very positive. Obviously given the worldwide situation right now it has hindered our abilities to get outside of Ireland to play shows and promote the release as you typically would. However, luckily the internet has made it much easier to reach people in different countries and share the music. We’re still a relatively new band, but we’ve had some good responses from people across Europe, the UK, the US and Canada.
9.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Writing is already well underway for the next release, but we’ve yet to discuss the form it will take, be it a full length album, a split or another EP, we’ve a lot of ideas for each so it’s a matter of planning it out and seeing what fits best. Musically, we will continue to create the music we enjoy listening to and playing, but as we develop as musicians we’re always looking at new interesting techniques or ideas so the new tracks will showcase a lot more of our abilities as musicians.
10.What are you listening to nowadays?
We all listen to a large array of music, but the main ones would probably be: Ulcerate’s “Stare Into Death and Be Still”
Dragged Into Sunlight’s “Hatred For Mankind”
Skinless “Foreshadowing our Demise”
Moral Collapse’s Self Titled
Nasum’s “Inhale/Exhale”
Nomadic Rituals “Tides”
11.What are some of your non musical interests?
A lot of True Crime documentaries, Horror Movies, Guinness consumption and keeping ourselves sane with various hobbies: Cycling, Reptiles, Photography, to name a few.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you for your time. If you enjoy what we do, consider supporting us by picking up the EP, supporting our labels Cursed Monk and Fomorian Hate and also Black Fever Art. We have a number of exciting things in the pipeline including some new merchandise so keep an eye peeled for that.
https://www.facebook.com/Fraughtband
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