Interview - From Sorrow To Serenity

The metal scene in Glasgow is one that is constantly changing, and yet more and more impressive metal acts are emerging from this city. "From Sorrow To Serenity" guitarist Steven Jones took the time to chat to me about the band's plans, and how they work together as a group.

CB - Hi! So could you give us a wee introduction to your band, if there are those who haven’t heard of you guys?

Steven - We're a metal band from the UK who lean more toward the extreme side of the genre. If you haven't heard it, check out our newly released album 'Remnant of Humanity' on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon or any digital retailer that streams or sells music.

CB - I saw from your Facebook that the band’s hometown is Glasgow! How do you find the music scene in general there, and more specifically the metal scene? I have always thought Glasgow’s music scene was fantastic!

Steven - We love Glasgow. The band is primarily made of members from Glasgow with the exception of Gaz, our singer, who actually stays in Sunderland at the moment. The music scene here is excellent; the city thrives on music. There are venues everywhere around the city where on a daily basis bands and artists of all genres and all backgrounds perform, and that's the way it should be. The metal scene here is great too. Bands come and go but the love for metal never leaves! We love playing to our hometown fans, they always remind us why we love this city so much.

CB - I have to ask you about the time you spend in the studio. Do you use just one studio, or do you move around to try and get a feel for how different ones work?

Steven - We record at my home studio in East Kilbride. It's a great resource to have, particularly when writing songs, as you get to know from the ground up what it's going to sound like on record, unlike in a practice room or rehearsal space where we've never really been too fond of writing songs. We recorded 'Remnant of Humanity' there in January 2015 before sending it off to be mixed and mastered by Will Putney (Suicide Silence, Northlane, Stray From The Path etc). You can check out my website here if you or your band are interested in working with me - www.stevenjonesaudio.com

CB - How does a normal recording session with From Sorrow To Serenity go? Give us a little insight into how it all works!

Steven - As standard, we begin with drums. Once we're happy with the parts we'll move on to guitar before bass, I know some do this in reverse however we are liable to change guitar parts while recording, and generally the bass accompanies that so its easier for us to do guitar first and finalise the parts. We'll then move on to bass and end with vocals. Any post pro generally comes when recording guitars or once everything is recorded in its entirety and we can reflect on the product as a whole, make additions where required.

CB - What can we expect from you guys in 2016?

Steven - Shows in your town or city! We're hitting the road hard this year with our headline album release tour at the end of May running into the beginning of June, check out our Facebook page or Bandsintown for dates. We're then on the road with Fit For An Autopsy in July where we'll be in Germany, then Netherlands, then back to the UK to end the run, and I may or may not be allowed to say this but we are in early stages of booking a long EU run with a sick band at the end of the year, eyes peeled for that announcement. We'll begin writing for our next release this year too, but don't expect anything soon, with Remnant of Humanity just released last month we still have a lot to do!

CB - What would you say got the band’s members into music in the first place?

Steven - For me it was my parents and I wouldn't be surprised to hear the others say the same. I think what got us playing music in a group, writing songs and performing would vary differently from member to member. Personally I just remember seeing and hearing bands I adored through my youth and thinking shit, I wanna do that. In honesty though it wasn't a conscious effort, feels more like it's just built into me at this stage.

CB - Finally, do you have anything you want to say to fans of From Sorrow To Serenity?

Steven - Absolutely! Would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has picked up our new album so far, overwhelmed with the support this past month or so. We're touring as much as we can this year so keep an eye out for announcements and shows near you before the end of 2016 - all dates can be found on any of our social media pages and on Bandsintown.

To pick up a copy of the band's release "Remnant of Humanity", search on Itunes.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FSTSOFFICIAL/