With only josh4 albums behind their back, NORTHLANE are one of Australia’s biggest acts. At the same time, they gain more and more popularity among music fans in other parts of the world. Recently, they surprised everyone with putting out their new album “Mesmer“, which is the living manifestation of their constant growth. We from Metal Hangar 18 contacted Josh Smith, who plays guitar in the band. We have the pleasure to present you NORTHLANE‘s first interview for a Bulgarian media.

Hello, Josh! Thank you for agreeing to this interview. How are you and what are you up to today? Fantastic! Today I did some yoga, played a lot of guitar, ate a lot of curry and listened to “Rust In Peace“. There’s a lot of preparation happening in the NORTHLANE  camp right now for the huge slew of dates that we have coming up.

Do you think that it’s important for your fans to understand the ideas that stand behind your music by themselves? If yes, do you prefer making your music more transparent and straightforward or it’s better to leave little hints to guide them through the more complex and yet fulfilling journey?
I am a huge fan of multilayered songwriting. I think the best written songs are ones that are easy to grasp a rough idea of on the first few listens, but hold a deeper meaning for the more patient and conscientious listener. My favourite songwriters all write in this way and I find it inspiring. Songs that have less complex messages or tell a story can be relayed in a simpler manner but it’s always a fun challenge to slip in little deep pockets to keep the listener thinking.

The effect that a certain song can have on someone depends on both the performance and the message it sends out to the listener. How do you see the relationship between musicians and fans?
There’s a relationship we see, and a relationship we don’t see. What we don’t see, but thankfully is relayed by social media is the fans experience listening to our recorded music. That’s a very personal connection that the individual has to the music itself in the way it was captured in the studio. They might have a real personal moment by themselves when a song connects with them for the first time, especially lyrically. The relationship that we see first hand is what happens when the songs are played live, how the audience connects to it. You can really see what it means to them by the way they act to the songs they have a deep connection with. They get very emotional and so do we when we recognise it. It feeds back and forth between the band and the audience.

What’s the meaning behind your new album’s title and artwork? 
 The title came from me reading about Franz Mesmer and his theory of animal magnetism which is a transference of energy between all living things. He was also one of the first people to really delve deep into hypnotism and what could be done with it. I found his work fascinating although most of it was debunked in later years.
 The record itself has an interconnectivity between the songs with a theme of loss followed by a thread of hope. Although this was a second degree of separation with meanings we thought the name “Mesmer“ had a very mysterious ring to it and made for a great title.
 The artwork contains the cube motif we’ve used on every full length LP but one. It was drawn up by a guy who goes by the name of Fvckrender. We’d commissioned him to do our artwork but the drafts we were getting back didn’t really do it for us. He does a new render every single day and one day while we were preparing a new brief he uploaded what was the first incarnation of our cover art. Straight away we thought it looked perfect for what we wanted, we asked for a few alterations and then took it for our cover art. It contains a lot of refracted light and reflective surfaces, showing sometimes dark places may have a sliver of illumination depending on your perspective.

Who exactly is Mr. Snow and does he like “Mesmer’’?
Mr snow was a nod to Edward Snowden, who was the inspiration behind the song “Citizen”. We haven’t asked if he liked the record, he’s a bit hard to get in touch with to say the least!

You dedicated the song “Paragon“ to Tom Searle and I know that you got your name from an ARCHITECTS song. What impact did their music had on you not only as musicians but as human beings.
ARCHITECTS were heroes to us as a band when we were first starting out. Then they became friends and almost like mentors too. We have a deep respect for everything they’ve done as a band and as individuals. They’ve challenged our paradigms and in some cases encouraged us to take lifestyle changes and also work harder as a band. They set the bar extremely high as a live and studio act and give us something to aspire to, which is very important.

Are you satisfied with what NORTHLANE has achieved so far? Is there something you’ve not accomplished yet, but you want to?
I get to do this for a living so I’m satisfied. It’s an amazing feeling. We are always looking forward as a band though, always have our eyes set on the next task at hand or goal that we want to achieve. We’ll keep growing like we have for the last few years, I’m not one to speak about goals until I achieve them.

People have gotten used to giving out their opinion freely. Even when they talk about things that they don’t fully understand. What’s the one thing that irritates you the most when fans critize bands and the music industry?
The fact that none of these music fans have a project of their own and a platform to be criticising acts from which gives them credibility, yet they think their opinion is still valid. Which is insane.

Imagine if you could make Northlane’s music a soundtrack to one movie. Which one would it be and why?
‘’The Matrix’’, it’s collectively our favuorite movie as a band and has some scenes to it that could really use a big chug or two. I couldn’t even tell you how many times we’ve watched it together.

What has helped grow the most as a band – the challenges you’ve faced during the years or the enjoyable moments you’ve had? What’s your fondest musical memory?  
I think the thing that’s helped us grow the most is overcoming the challenges we’ve faced. When you fall on harder times and make your way out of them, you experience personal growth and become closer as a band. That translates when you play and make music. Making records has a huge impact as well because you’re really pushed to your limit creatively and musically to reach new heights. Finally, touring with certain bands can be a humbling experience you can learn from, we once supported KARNIVOOL in Australia and it changed our band forever because we were forced to adapt to a prog rock crowd and focus on so much more of our live performance than the energy. My fondest musical memory is watching them play every night.

When do you think NORTHLANE will be able to tour Eastern Europe? You have fans here in Bulgaria who are eager to know when they’ll be able to see you live.
I’m hoping we’ll be able to make it over during the ‘’Mesmer’’ album cycle, we’ve already been booked at a lot of countries that we’ve never played in before and we’re spreading our wings across the globe. Finger crossed it doesn’t take too long!

Is there something else you want to say? Perhaps a message for your Bulgarian fans.
Please sit tight, we’ll make it over to your country someday!
NORTHLANE 2K17