INTERVIEW WITH UNDERSMILE – OLLY CORONA
‘Female presence in the scene is getting better, but there are still reviews of great bands that solely concentrate on what the musician is wearing. Strangely though, it doesn’t seem to work the other way’
Doomers UNDERSMILE are known to be one of the most talented bands in the scene, they have performed in many well known festivals such as DESERTFEST, HELLFEST among others. With two female leading in vocals and guitars make them an unique band in the scence. They have recently released Anhedonia with Skyhammer Studios and has been a tremendous success.
Taking advantage of the situation, we had the chance to have a chat with the bassist of the band Olly Corona , it was a really interesting journey through UNDERSMILE´s career…are you ready for it?
For those who still don’t know you, please tell us who are UNDERSMILE and what are you here for?
Undersmile is a doom/drone band from Oxford, UK. We’ve been together since 2009. We’ve released two albums and a handful of EPs – our new album has just come out and it is called Anhedonia.
You have a new album Anhedonia what can you tell us about it?
Although the album is recognisably UNDERSMILE, we experimented with dynamics more than we had on previous releases. In the past we cranked the distorted guitars as much as we could, but with the new album there are lots of clean passages. We also used cellos and guitar textures, something we’d been wanting to do for a long time.
How was the vibe in the studio? How long did it take you to record it?
The vibe in the studio was great, but pretty intense. We had been working on the material for over a year and recorded it in four days, with a gruelling 16-hour mixing session at the end. It was the first time we recorded at Skyhammer studios with the very talented Chris Fielding. We emerged blinking in the sunlight, tired but happy.
How similar and different is Anhedonia from Caretaker?
The split EP we released with Caretaker was our second release, and we were still honing our sound and finding our feet musically. The songs, Big Wow and Anchor, are very sludgy and raw in comparison to the new stuff. Although we’re still proud of the two songs, Anhedonia is a very different beast.
If I could pick a song from Anhedonia would be Song of stones, what’s the story behind this track?
The song is based on the apocalyptic novel The Road by Cormac McCarthy – in particular one scene. If you haven’t read the book or seen the film, I won’t ruin it for you, but it’s pretty desperate.
When it comes to writing lyrics and music, what are your main inspirations?
Taz and Hel write all the lyrics to the songs. They write about dreams and nightmares, books, films, past experiences.
What bands in the past have influenced UNDERSMILE to play the music they do?
We all bonded over the 90s American sound – bands like BABES IN TOYLAND, L7 and NIRVANA. As we progressed musically, we were (perhaps erroneously) compared to bands that we hadn’t even heard.
There are very few female musicians in the Stoner/Doom scene specially playing main guitars and vocals, so I find it very inspiring to see musicians like you. How do you feel about the female presence in the Stoner/Doom scene? Do you think it is improving?
The problem is most obvious when a musician’s gender becomes the focal point, rather than how good or bad they are. It is getting better, but there are still reviews of great bands that solely concentrate on what the musician is wearing. Strangely though, it doesn’t seem to work the other way.
Some people have compared UNDERSMILE with Grunge Female fronted bands like BABES IN TOYLAND…anything you would like to say about it?
BABES IN TOYLAND are a phenomenal band and to be used in the same sentence as them is a massive honour.
It is known that the four of you are married with members of the band…it is easy to separate music from personal relationships?
It was all fine until Tom and I kissed, an action we both regret to this day.(Laughs)
Oxfordshire is full of great Stoner/Sludge/ Doom bands and most of them are succeeding in the underground music industry…what is your secret?
It’s the gentle pace of life – the bicycles, the colleges, the tea… we need to release our anger somewhere…I guess.
When it comes to live action, how is an Undersmile show like?
We usually play a mix of old and new material but for our last few gigs we have been concentrating mainly on new stuff. It’s been great fun. For our set at Roadburn we were able to use a projector; we played a fifteen-minute loop of scenes from Onibaba, a cult Japanese horror from the 60s.
How do you see yourselves in four years?
Reclining on a beach in Hawaii, sipping cocktails and laughing.(Chuckles)
Any plans to tour outside UK soon?
We really enjoyed playing Roadburn, and we hope to play some dates in Europe next year.
Finally please feel free to say whatever you feel to your fans and Metalcry readers….
Thanks for the support!
