Royal Thunder is back with a brand new record! We got to ask Mlny and Josh a few questions about it.
Your new album is about to release in a few weeks, are you ready to support it?
Mlny Parsonz (vocals/bass): Oh yeah! More than ready!
Josh Weaver (guitar): We’re very excited. It’s fine to take a deep breath and excel seeing the fruit of our labour finally coming out.
“WICK” is your fourth record. Can you first explain the title? What’s the link with the artwork?
M: It represents holding a candle which gives off light if you light the wick. But it’s the whole idea of feeling like you’re seating there holding a candle and staring at the wick and you have access to the flame. You just have to get it, light it and make it happen. I think the artwork link to that is that’s a very dark cover but behind it there’s a lot of light and smoke. I think that’s what ended up happening like we were all kind of dark with it and all of a sudden it exploded and the light came in.
J: We all kind of worked together around the cover. We sent the artist just some basic classic albums covers that we thought were great and obviously we had a dialogue about it, coming back and forth. We shaped it up together and I think having the music and hearing it really all came together.
But “WICK” is also one of the twelve tracks. Why this one sum up the whole album comparing to the others?
M: I think it’s kind of my cause. (laughs) With all of that in mind, I’m just standing here and got this fire in and around me and I have so much I want to say and I want to shed light on it, that link to the album artwork and the whole idea what “WICK” is about, there are hints of that struggle to get to where we are and has a lot of stories within it. That was also a song that really broke the shelf for me. “Alright it’s one” but three days later “alright, it’s not on”. (laughs) We got there it’s all that matters.
You first released “April Showers”. Can you explain your choice? What message did you want to share with this first track?
M: I think that was just a clever approach. It was called “April Showers” but we didn’t know the album was coming in April. So that’s one thing. But it’s also the first song of the album that was fully done.
J: It was one of the songs when we got to the studio that was pretty damn close.
M: But knowing it was a new song, we were able to do whatever we’d like live because nobody knew it then. We tried different things.
J: It’s a good first impression for the album.
We read that the process around this album was hard and sometimes complicated. In which way did it influence your work here?
J: We wanted it to be right. Each record is hard to process. Just us carrying 110% and working hard, in the end it made it right and we’re really happy about the final product.
M: It was a bit shorter to make this album but still a long time like six to eight months. We had to constantly push each other.
You said about this album “is different and the band’s evolution”. How can you define this evolution? What make you feel that’s obviously an evolution?
J: I think audibly it’s a more open record. We’re all more confident in what we’re doing and were influenced. Life influenced. Audibly it breezes a little bit more, there’s more space in it. Another cycle of touring really grew us as musicians.
Are there any differences in the process/writing/recording comparing to the previous albums?
J: No it’s still been the same it’s just getting in the studio with the basic idea and build on it.
What do you think of Mlny’s singing here? Does she reached a new level in emotions?
J: As her bandmate, I always thought her singing is incredible. Once again, we grew up so much as musicians. She’s learnt a lot, the way she takes care of her voice. She’s grown like all of us.
M: I’m comfortable with it and like he said I learnt a lot but I always come through and did the best. It’s a part of it, it’s not just only the vocals and I wanted them to be proud of me representing them and us as a band. Plus I only write lyrics once the music is done.
A word about “We Never Fell Asleep” and its strange ending. What’s the idea here?
M: I don’t know. When that song was even unfinished, that choir was in my head. It’s also a tip of the hat to “Floor” from “Crooked Doors” album where there’s exactly the same type of thing. It was kind of a continuation to it and those two songs are in some way connected and bridge towards one another.
Any message to your French fans?
M: We hope that people take something positive from it and hopefully there’s nuggets in there for someone when they’re listening, something to hold on to and enjoy. If we can be a part of that, that’s all we really want. We’re thankful for that, we appreciate it. It keeps us able to do what we’re doing here.
J: We appreciate anybody who takes time to listen to our music and we can’t wait coming back here, meeting fans and making new friends.
Finally, we are “RockUrLife” so what rock Royal Thunder’s lives?
M: What rocks my life is riding my motorcycle. Walking into my house and seeing my little dogs. Lately I’m new to fishing but that rocks my life too and just having a good fucking day. A good day rocks my life because it’s a good feeling.
J: Good music, anything guitar gear (laughs), cat and dog videos (laughs) and waking up having a good coffee.
M: Yeah!
J: Having coffee after lunch and then having coffee after dinner. (laughs)
M: And having coffee in our sleep.
J: All things coffee.
Website: royalthunderofficial.com
