From the moment we first heard Air Drawn Dagger we were hooked. They may be very much a new kid on the block but they sure sound like they know what they’re doing. They have great songs, a knack for story telling in their videos and a reputation for stunning live shows. Gary Trueman chatted to Lewis about their name, their sound and the concepts for their music videos.
We love your album which blends emo and pop punk just so well. Those aren’t obvious musical companion genres, but you make it work superbly. So which band members bring which of those parts of the music spectrum to your sound?
Thank you for having us!
It’s a mixture of all of our varied influences that bleed into what we make. Maisie brings that emotional vocal punch from the emo world, Ross playing metal when he was younger, that probably drives the heaviness of our drums, and my (Lewis’s) love of stacking melodies probably creates the emo-centric guitars. But we all have a love of melody and enjoy the pop contrast to the heavier side of things.
Do you constantly write and just work things out during touring and at rehearsals, or do you set specific time aside to write? Do band members write alone and then bring stuff to the others or is it all done as a unit?
I am always writing and then eventually our ‘creative conveyor belt’ kicks in and ideas turn into demos where me Maisie and flesh out melodies and lyrics and then they turn into actual songs with drums and production from Ross. There are no set rules, it’s just finding an organic flow to birth the songs that need to come out.
One of the things about ‘A Guide For Apparitions’ is its consistency in quality and also a themed ‘plot arc’ if you like. So, how much material do you reject before you’re happy? And do you write the lyrics to fit the music or the other way round, or even a bit of both?
We always write as much as possible, we wrote around 50 songs for an EP and I don’t know how many for the album. When it comes to rejecting material, we definitely don’t hold onto anything we’re not 100% stoked on. If a song doesn’t feel right, we move on to one that does.
As for lyrics and music, it usually happens both ways. Sometimes we’ll have the music, then Maisie will find a melody for it and then write lyrics that fit, while other times the song’s theme is clear from the initial idea. Sometimes we just know that a vibe, or a certain energy, or itch that hasn’t been scratched yet, so it’s a mixture of consciousness and instinct.
Does Maisie write all the lyrics as it’ll be her singing them predominantly?
One of my favourite elements of creating Air Drawn Dagger songs is that I can bring a demo that has a bunch of lyric ideas or a demo that is pure instrumental ideas, and we will create something we love. Hearing lyrics I’ve written, delivered in Maisie’s style is always awesome as I get to see those ideas come to life. But getting a demo back with lyrics and melodies, Maisie has written is always fun as I get to be the first fan of the song. She’s got a gift of turning emotion into words that stick with you.
On ‘Apparitions’ you have Trash Boat’s Tobi Duncan guesting. Was that part written for him or at least a guest in mind from the outset?
Tobi from Trash Boat was actually someone we’ve admired for a while, and when we were working on ‘Apparitions,’ we thought his voice would be perfect for the track. It wasn’t initially written for him specifically, but once we had the song together, we couldn’t imagine anyone else doing it. We were super stoked when he agreed to guest on the track—it added such an amazing energy to the song!
The band name is taken from Macbeth meaning an emotional outburst. So who’s the literary classic fan that came up with that name suggestion? It’s a pretty cool way to describe your music isn’t it?
I was studying English at Uni and came across the phrase. Band names are hard and we were looking for something that reflected that feeling of ‘letting it all out’ without pigeon-holing a sound. This reference felt like a fitting way to name what we were setting out to make.
We’re guessing you’re pretty big fans of My Chemical Romance and Paramore, but what other bands have influenced you?
Oh, we’re definitely fans of My Chemical Romance and Paramore! But we’ve also drawn a lot of influence from bands like Enter Shikari, Marmozets, Misfits, BMTH, The Prodigy and loads more. We’ve always been inspired by music that blends different emotions and sounds to create something bigger than just one genre. It’s all about that dynamic energy.
You’ve less burst onto the scene but more built up a solid fan base over time while you also matured as musicians. Do you think that has helped you to understand both the music industry and also yourselves which is now benefitting you when you most need it to?
I think being able to build naturally over time has been an invaluable experience for us. In terms of building a solid fan base, working with amazing people in the industry and learning how to operate effectively internally as a band. But when we reflect, each year has seen huge milestones for us. From DIY UK touring to American stages in 3 years, being self-sufficient and creating during the pandemic, creating a multi-genre mixtape followed by our biggest EP after that; and now the debut album. It’s been both a steady progress and a whirlwind for us but we’re lucky to be here.
You put a lot of effort into your music videos. Who comes up with the ideas for them? They also look very professional, and expensive. How much of them do you shoot yourselves and how much of a team do you have to help you with them?
We’re lucky to work with an incredible team who help bring our ideas to life.
We usually know what concepts and themes fit for each video, but Maisie really goes all in with the concepts, casting and direction of scenes.
Aaran McKenzie of While She Sleeps directs our videos and Tom of Konjr Productions, Riccardo Cenci and Franz Brandl make up our talented team who can make it all look top-notch. We’ve always wanted our videos to match the intensity of the music and really convey the world we’re building.
In a scene awash with bands you manage to stand out for all the right reasons. Are there any other emerging artists out there that you think have a cool sound? And anyone you’d like to give a shout out to music wise?
There’s a ton of amazing emerging artists right now! We’ve been really into bands like Lake Malice, Displacer, S.T.A.T.I.C, Mustard Mitt, Bait Britain, Skint Knees, Artio, High Regard, Dacara and a bunch more.
What live dates do you have coming up that people can come and check you out live?
Corporation, Sheffield on Saturday 5th April for our debut album release show. Tickets here: https://corporation.org.uk/event/air-drawn-dagger-2/
Your support has grown hugely over time, so is there anything you’d like to say to those people that have been with you since the beginning and also those just discovering you now?
Just a massive thank you to everyone who’s been with us from the beginning. Your support means everything, and we really do build this together.
To anyone just discovering us now— Welcome to the Church of Dagger.
Interview by Gary Trueman
Photo Credit: Riccardo Censi Media