The Fall Of Troy

The Fall Of Troy are in Australia right now and we're very happy for them to be inside of us all. Ah, goddamnit, that sounded so much better in my head. Anyway! We shot a few questions at the math-rock/post-hardcore trio recently and they were more than happy to answer.

With the Australian tour, you have Closure In Moscow, Meniscus and Osaka Punch supporting, all appropriate picks for the tour. But each band have strong progressive elements in their music. Do you find a lot of bands nowadays have incorporated elements of your music in their own sound, and what’s your opinion on that? Is it humbling at all?

I hear elements of us in bands sometimes, but more often than that, bands will tell us that they were fans of us early in their musical careers. When its’ bands like Chon, who are pretty incredible, it's definitely humbling and cool.

Along with Australia, you have a lot of touring coming up this year. What’s been the most challenging or perhaps the most annoying aspect of touring together again that you’ve had to re-engage with over the past couple years?

It’s difficult sometimes to spend so much time with people you have a huge backlog of history and experiences with, because old patterns are easy to fall into, and it can feel a little bit like walking in circles. In addition to that, we aren’t living together or spending as much time together outside of tour, so it can be an adjustment getting used to just being around the same people for 24 hours a day, unlike when we lived together and then got in the van and left town.

Have you found it challenging at all to re-capture the energy and youthfulness of the older songs when playing live? I’m just curious as I do think that OK recaptures that kind of sound, just ON THE RECORD.

That part has not felt like a problem, although the results take a much greater toll than they used to. A 30-year-old body doesn’t bounce back like an 18-year-old one.

Was it scary or nerve-wracking at all to come back with your first new material since 'In The Unlikely Event'? Considering how fans of progressive/experimental music can be sometimes…

It was scary because we wanted to do right by the people who have been supporters and fans throughout our career. At the same time, however, we just tried to write and record songs how we wanted to, without worrying what people would think, which is what we did at the start of the whole deal. The fear was balanced by the belief that we would just be ourselves, and then if people didn’t like it, we knew at least we weren’t being artistically dishonest.

How much did working in other bands and projects influenced the creation and writing of 'OK'? Or was it the other way around; you went what you would normally do on a Fall Of Troy release?

I answered this a little bit above, but to expand slightly, we didn’t look so much to other bands/experiences, as we tried to look to the best parts of ourselves: the parts that aren’t selfish or concerned with what others think. Those are the reasons we came to the conclusion that it would be good to release it for free.

Now, you guys self-released 'OK', is the plan to remain independent and self-release your work from now on?

That is the plan at the current time, we don’t see any reason to alter it right now.

With releasing two different mixes of 'OK', you’ve said that you felt that this version showed the songs in a different light, in a different sonic quality. Is that something you’ve maybe considered for your older albums or maybe even for any future releases, whatever they may be?

This probably won’t ever happen for our older material, as we don’t own the rights to the recordings. As far as future releases, it’s not out of the picture, but it would have to make sense. It's not blanket plan for all future releases.

I see that you guys respond a lot to fan questions and comments online. I think that’s a very healthy way to keep an audience engaged, do you agree with me at all? If so, do you think more bands should engage more online with their audience?

Yes, we think paying attention to the people who care is a good strategy, although I see tons of other bands that still maintain the distance that used to be the standard doing very well. We don’t really care what other bands do, we certainly don’t have all the answers.

Finally, stemming from that last question, a lot has changed in the music world since 2010 and 2013. What have you guys found has changed the most in the industry between the break-up and the reunion, if anything at all?

Bands seem to come and go quicker than before, and image seems to be more important than we remember it being.

The Fall Of Troy are touring nationally right now with Closure In Moscow, Meniscus, and Osaka Punch. Tickets here.