With „Realms“, DARKHER released an album between doom metal and folk that felt like a spiritual experience. Six years later, the band around Jayn Maiven is obviously still drawing from supernatural sources, as can be heard on their haunting second album „The Buried Storm“. Why the darkness in Maiven’s songs nevertheless does not flow from the supernatural per se, how she deals with reactions to her artistic work and in which way a flood in her hometown made its way into the last track of the record, the front woman told us among other things in the following interview.
As far as I know you had to postpone some concerts because of the pandemic. How well have you managed through this turbulent time so far?
Yes, as with many other bands, there have been a lot of cancelled shows in the past two years but fortunately I was able to put that energy into finishing the album without distractions.
Since the release of your debut „Realms“ a few years have passed, now you have released another album „The Buried Storm“. Did you work on the new record throughout this time or did you also take some time off in the meantime?
There was some time following the release of ‘Realms’ where touring and live shows took priority and I dont tend to write when I’m focused on rehearsing already written material. I then had a period of illness, so it was during the time of recovery, that I began writing again and the recording and mixing which followed.
When you compare „Realms“ and „The Buried Storm“, what comes to mind?
‘Realms’ was made during a very dark time, as was ‘The Buried Storm’ but I found this album to be more healing and spiritual.
The new album entered the German charts at number 14 – quite an achievement for an underground band. Do you have the impression that you have attracted more attention with it than with your debut?
I was very surprised when this happened, I didn’t have any expectations, I just felt like a conduit to the creative flow, not knowing if it would be recieved well or not.
On social media you share a lot of reviews about the album. How important is it to you how people perceive your music?
I was quite overwhelmed by all the reviews, especially when someone takes time to listen to the album and immerse themselves in the journey, then write about it in such detail. I can only thank them by sharing the review with others. I don’t put importance on peoples perceptions of the music while creating it, that’s not something I could ever by influenced by, but releasing a record can feel like baring the soul and I did hope that it would be met with kindness and that it would resonate with some people, as that gave it more meaning to me.
In reviews and also in short comments, comparisons are often made with other bands, in your case some people also noted associations with certain other singers. Does it bother you when your music is measured against the standards of other artists instead of being considered on its own merits?
I just accept that it’s one of the ways we navigate through life, to find familiarity with things and label or compare. I don’t let it bother me but I like it when no references are mentioned other than to my own previous works.
Women are much more present in metal now, but still underrepresented. The fact that bands with female members are often marketed as „female-fronted“ or „all female“ suggests that it is still considered unusual to be a woman playing heavy music. What has been your experience in this regard?
It’s not something I really think about, but times seem to be changing and evolving.
Your visual aesthetic revolves mainly around black and white imagery. What is the appeal that draws you towards colorless pictures?
Sometimes I make images or videos in colour, but I do love the feeling that black and white images evoke and sometimes I feel they suit the feelings within the music better, aesthetically. I think it’s also because we see in colour, so black and white can feel like another universe at times, it takes an image to another time or place.
On the new album, the songs flow into each other even more fluidly and they can no longer be so clearly divided into doom metal and folk. Did you aim to create a more coherent work?
I think the album is a mood, it wasn’t intended to be such, but it came to me piece by piece and as I was working on it, it became more like a whole entity rather than seperate songs.
Many artists prefer not to have their music classified into certain categories – like doom metal and folk in your case. How do you feel about this all-too-human urge to catalog things?
I think as I mentioned earlier, it’s just what we do to navigate through life and find our way and reach for the familiar or unfamiliar. I don’t label my own music within a genre, unless I am asked to, and then I find it difficult because it’s open to interpretation.
One could say that there is less that obviously stands out on the new record than on your debut because of the more fluid songwriting. Do you think some might therefor prematurely consider it unremarkable?
Possibly, I don’t contemplate how it’s perceived or compared, it just is what it is. To me that’s like comparing one child to another, I accept it for its own uniqueness and I honour how it came to be. To be honest, it’s a miracle it was ever created at all considering how unwell I was, so I focus more on it being an acheivement from that perspective and a relief that I was able to complete it.
Your music is very layered, with a lot of it playing out in the background in a rather vague and atmospheric way. In what way do you approach these layers of sound – do you create them very purposefully or rather intuitively?
The layers are all created in the moment, without too much thought, more a feeling materialised in sound.
The strings that were previously heard on „Buried“ are now present in almost every track on the new record. What inspired you to put more focus on the strings?
I loved the sound created by the cello, particularly on ’Buried‘ from ‘Realms’ and I wanted to explore more cinematic elements with this album by also adding the violin – played by Lambert Segura alongside the cellos.
„Realms“, to my knowledge, was influenced by the supernatural. „The Buried Storm“ too has a really ghostly feel to it. Do the two albums draw from the same or similar experiences?
Yes, ‘Realms’ was a reflection on life, death and what is beyond, this album felt more like a part of me had died and was trying to reconnect with the soul, in that sense it was ghostly.
The belief in something incomprehensible can give people strength. In your music, on the other hand, the supernatural usually seems threatening or saddening. Why is that?
It’s not the supernatural that I find threatening or saddening, it is my relationship with fear and how at times that can feel like a suffocating force. It’s that darkness that I often refer to as a way to try to overcome it and make peace with it, to transform it into light and ultimately to free myself from its grasp.
From your point of view, is there nevertheless also something comforting or even encouraging to be found in your songs?
I write songs as a way to purge emotions and connect with the soul and find calm, so in that sense there is comfort within the songs. The lyrics on ‚Where The Devil Waits’ or ‚Fear Not, My King’, those words have a sense of hope within them, also ‚Lowly Weep’ is a lullaby to the inner child.
„The Buried Storm“ doesn’t seem to have such a clear ending as „Realms“, rather the closing track „Fear Not, My King“ has an atmosphere of uncertainty to it. What lies behind this open ending?
‚Fear Not, My King’ was written during a time when more floods occurred in the town where I live, the siren in the background was recorded through my studio window as the flood warning was being sent across the valley and the music resonated with that feeling of foreboding uncertainty. In that moment I felt it would be a perfect ending to the album as the lyrics reflected a kind of awakening.
Do you already know what you will do next with DARKHER?
I have some ideas, but I am always led by my creativity and my muses, so I will see what arises.
Thank you very much for your answers!
15. August 2022 Stephan Rajchl
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