Written interview with Draconian \m/

How was the making of Under a Goddless Veil?

The songwriting took some time, because of a lot of things happening in my life during this period. But when all songs were finished it went rather smoothly. We recorded the drums at Studio Gröndal in sthlm and the rest by ourselves in our hometown.

 Was there a preconceived idea for how you wanted this album to sound or was there a lot of improvising and experimentation?

Sure I had some ideas before, at least that there were going to be some more traditional songs on the album. But I also wanted to incorporate some new ideas to make it fresh for the fans and for us.

Could this conceptually be a direct continuation of Sovran or was this a new beginning for Draconian?

I personally think that “Under A Godless Veil” is a lot different from “Sovran” It’s darker and more atmospheric. It’s a whole different journey.

 Is there ever a time when lyrics or a concept can dictate the direction of the music, or is music needed for lyrical ideas to form?

Yes, I received drafts of the lyrics under the whole song writing period. Some music was written already but the later part of the songs was indeed inspired by some of the lyrics.

  How do you decide who sings over each part?

I mostly know ahead which part that goes best with what. But occasionally we throw things around and sometimes the outcome can surprise you in a positive way. It’s good to have an open mind.

  Do you look at the entire of the Draconian catalogue as a representation of who you are at a particular time? 

In a way, it’s easy to be hard on yourself, wishing you had done things in a different way but that’s who we were back then and we did our best.

Does inspiration for the music come out of nowhere or do you need to be in a certain place and time for ideas to form?

I prefer to work alone and most of the ideas come out of silence. I can get an idea into my head at any given time but when I pick up the guitar and make a song out of it it needs to be calm around me.

 How do you decide when a song is finished?

That’s always hard I think. Beginning and ending is always the hardest. There are some songs I think should have ended in another way for sure. I’m no fan of abrupt endings.

 What does the future hold for Draconian?

Planning at the moment it’s quite difficult but there are some plans for live streams and making new music.

Under a Godless Veil out now on Napalm Records \m/ \m/