The release of their latest single, ‘Revolutionary Suicide‘ marks the start of the bands new chapter with bassist, Aidan ‘Willow’ Williams now taking on the role as bassist/frontman, taking the bands sound that little bit further down the creative path from their 2020 isolated single, ‘Sky Burial‘, which featured Soilwork vocalist, Björn Strid.
It’s been some time since AeSect have been in the public eye. Can you briefly tell us about the timeline to your last single, ‘Sky Burial’ back in 2020 to the latest release, ‘Revolutionary Suicide’?
LUKE – Covid definitely put a spanner in the works, we obviously couldn’t get together to jam and our rehearsal studio was closed down. In the meantime we tried to collaborate online and also worked individually on pieces to try keep the ball rolling. Life also got in the way a bit, as since 2019 we have five kids between us! We have moved into a new rehearsal space, have been working away on material and are back on track again thankfully.
There have been configurations regarding the line up, and we now see AeSect as a four-piece. What was the decision process/reason behind that, as the band has always had a sole vocalist/frontman?
DAVE – We’re going to blame Covid again!! With us unable to audition people live, we decided to focus more on writing material. Willow also took some time to mess around with heavier vocals unknowingly to the rest of the band. We all knew he (Willow) was a talented clean vocalist, but he surprised us one day with a vocal demo of the first verse of ‘Rev Suicide’, that blew us away.
Luke, Aido [Guitars], and myself have been the constant creative driving force since day one, and then with the addition of Willow on bass a few years ago, he added to that mix. So when he came to us with the heavier vocals, it all just clicked and it made sense for us to keep it as a four piece, and enhance that dynamic.
Had the band considered a new frontman prior to Willow taking the position?
LUKE – Before we heard Willows demo, we had discussed what we would do as lockdowns started to ease etc, and we just kept hitting the same questions where will we find someone that’s as into it as these four core members are. At this point we also had a lot of material recorded, so we thought someone might find it daunting to walk into a band where four of its members have known each other years.
This was in the back of our minds, but we never stressed over it really as the lockdowns allowed us to take our time, and not rush into anything. It also allowed Willow time to get comfortable and practice with a different vocal style than he is used to, so it all just slotted into place nicely.
Tell us about the new single, ‘Revolutionary Suicide’ and when it was written?
LUKE – Some of the musical patterns go way back. I think the verse ‘Revolutionary Suicide’ had existed for a while in various versions until it found it’s proper home in this track. I recorded drums for it in late 2019 at the same time as our last single, ‘Sky Burial’ believe it or not. The theme “Cults” has always fascinated us as a band, and has been circulating in the practice room for quite some time.
The intro was created originally to be used as an intro live, but we really felt it helps set the tone for the track, so it made its way into the recorded version. Lyrically the song is a story told from a cult leader’s perspective sort of an internal monologue. Willow did a great job in piecing together a very stark story that is all too common and relatable these days.
Besides the new single, how many other songs are completed?
DAVE – We recorded the guts of an album back in 2019, and have recently been back in the studio recording some of the tracks we had written during the lockdown.
Are there plans for an EP or album, or will there just be a series of isolated tracks?
LUKE – We are going to focus on each track individually for our next few releases. We love the idea of being able to focus on each piece, and I personally love creating the visuals and themes to go along with them, having said that, an album is the over-all goal of the band, and something we are ultimately working towards.
Do you have any live plans for the remainder of this year?
DAVE – We have always written songs with the live set-in mind and cannot wait to share it with everyone. Our live performances are something we work hard at and try pride ourselves on. We have nothing confirmed yet, but there have been a few discussions happening since the new release. We are taking some time at the moment to work on our next few releases, and all going well, we are aiming for a return to the live scene in Autumn.
When can we expect to hear more new music?
DAVE – We are always working away in the background and are very excited to share with you what we have been working on in the near future. Keep your eye on our socials. Like, share and subscribe for the latest news.
LUKE – We’ve some great things planned so watch this space.
For more information on AeSect, please click here.
Check out the bands new single/video below:
