Stereoboard Talk To Sacred Mother Tongue Following The Release Of New Album ’Out Of The Darkness’

With the recent release of their stunning second album – 'Out Of The Darkness' – Northampton metal-legends-in-the-making Sacred Mother Tongue have shown that the hype surrounding them is well and truly justified. Featuring ten hard-hitting tracks of emotionally charged melodic metal, they've blown away any notion of a 'difficult second album', giving themselves a perfect platform to attain the kind of success they've been hotly tipped to achieve. Stereoboard caught up with singer Darrin South to discuss the making of the album, how his battle with depression informed the writing process and why he's more than a little suspicious about the blokes who run the country.

Hi Darrin. 'Out Of The Darkness' is a cracking record and you must be really proud of it. Was there a particular point during the recording process when you realised you had something special on your hands?
Generally, it feels good once you start to lay down the guitars. Get a few riffs over the drum patterns and you can feel the groove, you can tell what works and start to get a vision for it. It doesn't really hit you though until you get finished takes on the vocals. That's the point where the music and the melodies either work together as you expected, or they don't. Throughout recording each song on the album it was all feeling really good, and we were confident. But for me personally it was whilst recording 'A Light will shine'. Sometimes you just have a moment in the studio where you realise the hard work is paying off, that your vision is coming together and that you were right about the impact of certain melodies or lyrics. I always judge how good something is by the reaction of Scott, our producer. He's always positive about the good stuff, but on this particular song he physically stood up out of his chair as we listened back to the whole track. He never does that, so it kinda told me then and there that we had something special going on with this record.

What was the biggest difference between making 'Out Of The Darkness' and 'The Ruin Of Man'?
Just our approach really. We were green when we did ROM, still keen to impress each other as musicians and still too worried about what people thought of the stuff. That's gone now and we are far more relaxed. We've found our feet, we do what we feel is right and stick to our vision. Our relationship with Scott Atkins has changed too. On the first record we were eager to please and impress our new producer and therefore shied away from certain challenges for fear of not pulling them off in front of him. We're much closer now, we get how each other works and I don't think we were nearly as scared of trying new things this time around. I certainly didn't shy away from anything and remained open to Scott's suggestions based on an element of trust that we've built.

'Out Of The Darkness' feels like a complete band effort, with each member crucial to the overall dynamic. So what does each guy bring to the band in order to produce the Sacred Mother Tongue sound?
We all bring something to the table in equal measure and have always given 25% of the writing credits to each member of the band because of that. As we see it, no matter who wrote the bigger part on a particular song, it's all a matter of perception. Some think the riff is what sells a song, some think it's the melody or the lyrics. It's irrelevant, the point is, a band needs to be a variation of musicians otherwise it's not a band. Drummers will probably feel that Lee is the best element of our band, bassists might say the same about Josh, and they'd be right. There's no real factual answer. Everyone brings something different to the band and our collective abilities are what makes us sound this way. We all value each other greatly, and a mutual respect and understanding is crucial to our writing process, our song content, our sound and how we present ourselves.

How difficult was it to sing about your depression and what must have been quite a painful time in your life? Was it easy baring your soul like that?
I write a lot anyway, whether it be songs, notes or paragraphs. I write short stories and sometimes papers about a chosen subject matter. Writing these songs was very personal to me in the sense that all the content came from the heart, based on my feelings. I analysed how I felt about certain aspects of my 'descent', and in turn 'ascent', and as I always do put pen to paper. It actually helped me to realise the ideas I'd been having of saving myself and pulling my head out of my arse! By the time the lyrics were written and nurtured, however, it was kind of a distant memory and I've had no issue singing these words out loud. I'm proud of every word on this album. There may be a couple of moments on the record that choke me up, tied to a memory about a particular moment or incident that spurred the writing of that lyric, but I'll keep those moments to myself.

Was making this album a form of musical therapy for you and was there a particular song that marked a turning point for you with regards wining that battle?
Writing the lyrics certainly was a bit of therapy. I had total writers block during my absence from reality and I really didn't care about writing songs. Nothing came to mind, and what's worse, I had no interest in the band or the writing of a new album. I knew I was letting people down - my friends, my family and my bandmates – but I was too wrapped up in myself to care about other people. I remember sitting in a hotel room at 4 in the morning struggling, as per usual, with the issues at hand as I couldn't sleep. For some reason I sat and reeled off parts of what would later become the songs 'Seven', 'Demons' and 'Believe'. It was a real turning point for me and I found that writing helped me start putting everything into perspective again.

'The City Is Crying' paints a pretty depressing view of modern society – what influenced that lyric?
I actually wrote this song first. It was the only one I had before a huge gap where I struggled to write anything else. It was around the time that all the banks started to go bust and we had the riots in London. A bunch of people were wearing 'V' masks like in the movie and they were giving speeches about a revolution and all that. I've always had a very cynical view about the government, any government really. Don't get me wrong, I respect the fact that we need leaders in society and I believe most politicians start out with good intentions, wanting to take a stand and make a change. But somewhere along the way, whilst walking a tightrope of very difficult decisions, they get turned. By whom I can't say. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, or a so called 'truther', but I'm not an idiot and I will look further than the media for some clarity. Money is such a powerful weapon, the most powerful in the world. When you bear in mind that mankind itself is propelled by greed and the need for power, is it so ridiculous to think that something as disastrous as a recession could be orchestrated by the government? Maybe it's eventually for the greater good, or maybe that's how it's justified in the minds of these leaders. Either way, I think that most of the real disasters in the world (excluding natural ones of course) are part of an orchestration by our governments, with a hidden agenda. A 'New World Order' comes in stages and I dread to think what stage we're at now.

Following on from that, 'Pawn' vents a very punk like anti-establishment attack too.
I obviously hold some strong opinions about the way things are run. 'Pawn' is basically an attack on the ignorant among us, of which there are literally billions. Most are happy to swallow whatever propaganda is fed to them on a daily basis. Whether it's based on religion, race or patriotism these people would rather not know any more than what they are told. They accept everything they hear on the news, point blame wherever it's implied and generally take no action or responsibility for the way things are going. This makes them nothing more than expendable pawns in somebody's game. The ones who are trying may not change the world and they may not sleep better for knowing the truth. They may not even find anything but more questions, more secrets. They may never be a king in the game. But at least they're trying. The best we can do is try to be better people, to open our eyes and our minds, think for ourselves, and remember what it is to be human and embrace life.

You've had a lot of important people and publications heaping praise and expectation on your shoulders, even prior to this album's release. Has that pressure been an issue and if so how have you handled it?
Not at all. No more than usual anyway. We always aim to deliver the best we can. We write music that feels good to us, always stay true to what 'we' wanna do, and we don't write songs for other people. Our only hope is that the stuff we put out gets appreciated, and in this case it has been. The hype is really just the press telling us they like it and that gives us an idea of a possible public response. The real reward comes when the fans hear the music, they're the important ones. Obviously we want people to like our stuff and we stand by it with pride, but expectations and pressure don't really play a part. We will continue to write and record the way we have until now, for ourselves. If you try and force a song with a particular agenda it generally turns out to be a bad song.

When people tip you for global domination how does that make you feel and is it easy to stay grounded?
It's amazing that certain people have that kind of faith in us, but we're not new to this game. We've been a band for a lot of years now and musicians even longer. You can never follow the hype too closely or you ending up waiting for something too intently. I've found this during periods of my life when I really thought something was about to happen, you end up 'on hold' waiting for it and you try and rush the outcome and in turn wish your life away. The task at hand can feel like it's taking forever if you let yourself think in that way. That's how I stay grounded. I ignore all the possibilities and live in the here and now. I take each day as it comes and I live my life at the pace it was intended. I can't say how the others feel about it, but as I said, none of us are new to this. I'm sure we've all found our own technique, none of the guys in Sacred are arrogant. We're proud of what we do and are humbled by the overwhelming response we've had.

What was it like touring with Halestorm recently? I'm sure many young male rock fans would love to know what Lzzy's like – any anecdotes?!?
Halestorm were awesome guys, very welcoming and really comfortable to be around. They've got a hell of a story that dates back many many years, so I guess they've stayed grounded along the way. It's nice to see because you meet a lot of characters in this industry and more than you'd think are totally up their own arse and have no time for the little man. Halestorm have found huge success in the last 2 years, which they are revelling in no doubt, but they've worked extremely hard to get to this place and it's nice that they still recognise the work involved. I can't speak highly enough of them, all great people with immense talent, a huge stage presence and very warm personalities backstage. Lzzy is probably the best live singer I've ever seen, night after night she would nail it, and I mean nail it. Power, soul warmth, grit; she's got it all, and it's pitch perfect every single show. It's all about the voice for Lzzy, nothing else matters. Just going all out and singing as hard as she can every show. She's definitely an Icon for rock vocalists, and will be for years to come.

How much are you looking forward to playing this year's Download festival and which other bands on the bill are you hoping to see, or if possible, meet?
Playing at Download is always a blast, and I relish the opportunity wherever they put us. But of course this year we're opening the main stage on Sunday! This is a huge deal and we're trying to not think about it to be honest. If we let the nerves kick in early we'll be too anxious about the show to embrace it and I'm sure it will hit us like a wet kipper across the face on Sunday morning!

I'm really looking forward to seeing HIM. I'm a huge fan and haven't seen them since their last Download appearance, so that's probably top of the list. I'm also looking forward to Rammstein, Satyricon and Hacktivist as I still haven't seen those guys play yet. I'm not really one for meeting people if I'm honest. I never know what to say and I'm not really a 'photo op' kinda guy. You meet a lot of famous faces in this business so it becomes kinda normal, they are just people after all. Some people really leave an impression on you but that can be said of anyone, famous or otherwise. I like to meet interesting people, with whom I have something in common, people with something to say. Actually I'd quite like to meet Austin Dickinson (Vocalist with Rise To Remain) if I get the chance. He's an interesting character with an interesting story behind him. Sacred have risen to where we are now at a similar pace to his band, and it feels kinda brotherly that we're both opening the main stage this year on different days. Hard work and integrity is the only way to do things and I think Austin will recognise that. I've also heard he's a lovely guy.

You recently hit out at Rock Sound magazine via your Facebook page for posting a negative review of the new album. All artists get bad reviews, so what was it that riled you so much?
We didn't hit out as such, everyone's entitled to their opinion and we can totally accept bad reviews. We simply pointed out our disappointment that certain publications, at times, allow your very personal journey of hard work and integrity to be reviewed by a sheep who knows nothing more about music than they do their own existence! The trouble with that particular review is, and it's all a matter of perception, that the listener takes it very personally so if it's just not their thing, (which in this case it clearly wasn't) then we're gonna get a bad review. See…I don't think the public are reading because they wanna know about the life and interests of the reviewer, they want an unbiased review of what the record sounds like, what it can be likened to, whether its well produced, what sort of content it has on it, are the musicians performing well etc. That's how I feel anyway. Most reviewers get it and proper music journalists know how the game works. Others sadly feel that their column in a magazine is an extension of their Facebook page.

Out Of The Darkness is a great record that deserves all the plaudits it's received. There's also a feeling whilst listening that - as a band - you've only begun to scratch the surface of what you're capable of. Is that a fair assessment and what more is there to come from you guys in future?
That's fair. As people we're always learning and growing as we walk through life. As four musicians we are growing all the time and with every new experience we find more inspiration to keep doing what we do. Music is not a choice for me, it's how I was made and it will always be my main focus. I'm sure the guys feel the same. We have the same goals, the same interests and we're doing Sacred for the same reasons. It's still growing for us and we've nurtured our sound into something that feels right for Sacred. We have a brotherhood that works for us on so many levels and we get each other now. We can play to each others strengths, the egos have left the room and we have the right thesis for song writing. That will only get stronger the more we mature. So yeah, there's definitely more to come.

What is your plan now – with regards taking 'Out Of The Darkness' to the largest possible audience and achieving the maximum amount of success for the band?
I don't have a plan. I'm not a businessman, none of us are. All of that stuff is handled by people we can trust, people who know what they're doing and above all people who believe in the band and understand what we're about. Of course I want my music to be heard by as many people as possible. I hope it touches people and that we'll eventually be respected as serious musicians. For now, we'll stick to what we do best; we'll write the songs, we'll tour as much as we can, we'll play each show with as much as we have to offer and we'll remain grounded. We always talk to people at our gigs, always make time for photos, signings or just for a chat. Furthermore we'll stay in touch on Facebook, Twitter and the likes - we try to reply to everything.

With EMI Label Services releasing 'Out Of The Darkness' (check out Stereoboard's review here) in the UK and Europe, as well as US Brooklyn indie label The End - home to The Prodigy, HIM and Fatboy Slim - following suit and distributing the album Stateside, it seems Sacred Mother Tongue have everything in place to take their music to a worldwide audience. However, none of that would matter without quality songs, and the band have those in abundance. Catch them live whilst you can, before they start to headline bigger venues where they're just tiny dots on the horizon!

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