Down Royale are a groovecore band from Brisbane, Australia who combine a technicality and ambience with crushing grooves. They are currently in the process of writing and recording their debut full-length album and have got a lot planned for this year alone. Guitarist Corey James discusses about the debut and plans.
1. Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Down Royale?
Corey: My name is Corey and I play guitar in Down Royale.
2. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
Corey: We are from Brisbane, Australia. The heavy scene is fantastic here at the moment. The scene around the whole of Australia is doing great! A few bands from Brisbane everyone should listen to are Humality, Paul Wardingham and The Schoenberg Automaton.
3. Why did you want to call the band Down Royale? What does it symbolize and represent for the band?
Corey: Down Royale doesn't actually mean anything. Not a lot of people can tell what kind of music we play just from our name. It gives people nothing so there are no expectations going in.
4. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Corey: I first formed the band in 2008. Pretty much like any kid, looking for other musicians to jam with. We've had a few line up changes since then.
5. Can you tell me what happened to your old vocalist and why has new vocalist Clint Baker taken the title role?
Corey: I guess it was mainly artistic differences. Clint has been a friend of the band for years. It was an easy decision to make. We didn't have any tryouts. He brings so much passion to the band. It's what we've always wanted.
6. How has he adjusted to the band and what do you think he will bring to the table for Down Royale?
Corey: He's adjusted very well. We've known each other since around 2009 from our different bands playing together. He is very experienced and has one of the strongest voices I've ever heard.
7. What bands have influenced your band and its sound?
Corey:There are a fair few. Bands like Pantera and Lamb Of God influenced me to actually start a band. We all grew up in the 90's listening to bands like Slipknot, Korn and Mudvayne so a lot of their influences creep in. Also a lot of newer bands. We try to blend old and new together and the end result is Shadow State.
8. What lyrical theme do you guys use in your music? What message do you want to send?
Corey: Clint writes a lot about personal subjects, whether they have directly affected him or not.
9. What can you tell me about the song and video for "Shadow State"?
Corey: The response so far has been mind blowing. Shadow State is my favourite song we have released so far. It was recorded with Sonny Truelove at STL Studios. This was my first time with an actual producer. I loved the whole process. The video was shot by KTB Design and directed by Mitchell Fogarty (Drums). They both worked super hard on the video and it's turned out amazing.
10. You released your debut EP "Proving Ground" how do you think that relese differs, compares, and has evolved onto your debut full-length album?
Corey: Proving Ground was our first ever release. We were still trying to find our sound so it sounds a little mixed up. With Shadow State, we knew exactly what we wanted and didn't stray from that. The song writing is a lot better. Plus working with Sonny, he has taken it to that extra level.
11. Can you tell me briefly about your EP "Proving Ground" where the title came from, is it a concept release, what was this release like for you guys it being your debut release afterall.
Corey: The term Proving Ground came from the fact that this is our first release and we are here to prove ourselves. The release was quite good. Played to 400+ people at our Brisbane launch. This EP has given us a lot of buzz not only in Australia, but around the world.
12. Where are you in the recording process of the new album?
Corey: I can't give too much away about that. It'll definitely be a 2014 release. We have a few more surprises before that though.
14. How is the vibe in the studio?
Corey: The studio vibe is great. We did a lot of pre-production before so we knew exactly what we had to do. It was exciting to actually hear the song come to life.
15. What label will be releasing the album?
Corey: We will be releasing through Convergence Records.
16. How would you describe the overall sound of the new album?
Corey: Dark, hectic and angry but it will also have some beautiful moments too.
17. Are you using any new instrumentation you've never used in the recording process before?
Corey: Nothing new for me. We used most of the studio equipment and brought our own drums.
18. When did you start writing for this album? How was the songwriting process different/similar to your previous Down Royale release?
Corey: I guess we started writing for this album mid 2013. It was a lot better this time around. Last time it was just myself and Jackson (GUitar) but this time it was a group effort. We have all had our say about everything and I feel it shows in Shadow State compared to our previous release.19. Do you feel any pressure about releasing this debut full-length album?
Corey: No pressure. The response from releasing Shadow State has given me the confidence in this album. People will enjoy it.
20. Can you go into one or two tracks on the new album? If so, can you give us the track title and brief description of how the track sounds and how it came about?
Corey: I can't go into that too much but we have a song called Inertia that we have been playing live for a while now. That will definitely feature on the album.
21. When can we expect the new album to be released?
Corey: 2014 is all I know at this moment.
22. What can the fans expect to see from you in the future?
Corey: We have a lot of big things planned for the next few years.
23. Anything else you'd like to say or add?
Corey: Thank you to everyone who has supported us. We could never do this without you.
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