Interview: Edward Warren of Ironstone
Ironstone is a progressive metal band out of Melbourne, Australia who just released their first EP, Prophecy, on May 29th after making their debut with two singles in 2019. The band had a switch-up of vocalists in the past year, but have locked in a lineup as they showcase their metal musicality and impressive skills to the world with this 6-track debut. Ironstone founding guitarist/songwriter Edward Warren (second from right in band photo) took the time to give some great answers via email to my questions about the band and the new EP. Check it out below.
Talk about some ideas that went into the tracks on Prophecy – is there any kind of theme running through it?
Through the individual songs there is a range of topics. Concern for the future, remembering where you came from, self control and even some black humour! The overall theme and inspiration behind the title comes from the idea of a ‘prophecy’ being a prediction, but rather than just leaving that to chance or fate, shaping your future with positive actions. It’s very easy at the moment to get caught up in hopelessness, doom and gloom. That’s a terrible launching pad to spring from as a young adult, and it’s easy to feel defeated before you even begin. So we like the positive message of becoming a ‘self fulfilling’ prophecy. Remaining positive, working really hard and making your own ‘luck’.
For a newer band just making their debut with an EP, Ironstone already has some solid and professional music videos, including one with your former vocalist, one with you on vocals, and now two new ones for the EP with Dan on vocals. What goes into the making of these videos, is it more formal with a production team, or do you work on some of it yourselves?
We’re extremely lucky when it comes to music videos. Our manager Annie Warren (who also happens to be my Mum) films and edits them, so they are completely DIY and made on a shoestring budget with minimal equipment. Annie is a pro photographer and was keen to transition into making music videos. She says it’s heaps more fun than photographing weddings and readily embraces the learning curve! Our guitarist Aidan is also very enthusiastic about film making, and shoots extra footage whenever he’s not in the shot. In fact most of us have done a bit of filming on a second camera at some point. We’re all very artistically minded and really enjoy the process. Annie will usually come up with a concept for the video, then we all sit and discuss ideas and make suggestions. The shoot itself is always hectic and hard work. It’s ALL hands on deck, and yeah…. it’s always just the band, Annie and a couple of extra helpers.
Your most recent video release is “Downpour”, talk about the experience of making that one in particular?
The funny thing about Downpour is… we WROTE that song because we wanted to make a video in the rain! Crazy. What were we THINKING? That’s the first time that a video idea was the main inspiration for a song. A lot of work went into planning the video. We made a ‘rain machine’ with garden sprinklers and lighting trusses. Jack had an old drum kit that he was happy to get very wet, and we knew that would look great, especially with the water on the cymbals in slow motion. We always planned to get our singer Dan really soaked too, using back lighting to show up the water. Strangely enough our biggest challenge was finding a shed. We were panicked because our warm weather was running out too. In the end our neighbor let us film in his huge shed, and that was the LAST weekend before our severe Corona restrictions kicked in. We JUST got Downpour shot in time (in just ONE night)… then it was edited during lockdown! I’d just like to add that head banging and wind-milling with WET hair is really difficult!
Still on “Downpour”, there’s a lot of cool things going on during this song, besides the more obvious Koto sounds, I found the subtle synths in the background another interesting choice, you could almost miss them if you’re not paying attention during the verse, but it’s overall such a great blend – what was the inspiration for this track musically?
Once I decided to write a song about a downpour, I was stuck on the idea of it being a monsoon… like heavy, tropical rain. So that translated to wanting an ‘Eastern’ or Oriental ambience. In terms of the synth sounds being a really discreet element, we usually strive for our music to be complex and multi faceted. You can focus your ears on different aspects, but probably won’t hear everything on the first listen. That gives the music more texture and layers, and hopefully increases the replay value. I also think the sounds added a kind of chug that was conducive to the inevitability of the storm itself.
The words “Killed A Man” had me thinking of “Bohemian Rhapsody” at first glance, but this was no Queen song, and in fact, it’s probably one of the most “Djent-y” tracks. Can you elaborate on what’s behind this song?
Musically the song was inspired by that intro part… which sounds a bit reminiscent of Eminem. While Jack (drummer) and I were playing around with that it gave us a real rap vibe, kind of gangsta and bad assed which we not only loved… we found it a bit amusing. The lyrics flowed on from that idea, but it’s supposed to be a bit of a juxtaposition. It talks about killing somebody which is very sinister, but using a very trivial tone, like saying ‘ooops’. I really wanted a song where the vocal style and bounciness of the music heavily contradicted the subject matter and created a strange, almost disturbing kind of disconnect. It was always intended to be tongue in cheek. Black humour.
Chris Themelco mixed and mastered the record at Monolith Studios, did he produce it as well? How much of a change do you feel that overall process brought to it – in other words, where your EP was when you started formulating the songs versus after working with him?
The EP is actually self produced. We wrote and arranged all the songs, recorded everything ourselves and went through the arduous process of refining and perfecting the songs and their arrangements. We made some drastic decisions before we started tracking, cutting out entire sections in some songs, and adding last minute ideas in others. Some changes were even made during the final recordings. Once we had everything recorded, we sent all the finished tracks on to Chris Themelco for mixing and mastering. We were absolutely blown away by his first mix. It was honestly SO close to what we wanted it felt like he’d read our minds! Plus he’d added some very cool effects that we really loved! We did sit in with him for a final mix which was great, being in the same room together and talking things through. We’re absolutely thrilled with the finished product. Chris really made the EP sound fantastic, and was on our wave length all the way which made working with him a great experience!
What is your background as a musician pre-Ironstone?
I’ve been playing in bands since I was very young, but I began with rock covers, so I feel like I’m a world away from where I started. The other guys all come from different backgrounds with varying degrees of previous experience. Dan had done a lot of original acoustic pop, Aidan and Jack had been introduced to guitar and drums through school programs. Ollie was a double bassist in an orchestra!! We all came together through a love of modern heavy music, and have individually worked really hard and adapted our skills to play what we’re playing today. We’re all pretty young, so we don’t have a history of previous bands!
If you could play a show anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I have a personal love for Germany. I speak fluent German and have already been there with a student program, so I’m going to say Germany. The other place I’d LOVE to play is Russia. (I’m also learning Russian at the moment). We’ve been told that crowds in Russia and the Ukraine are VERY appreciative… and really go off!! Haha. I love the idea of that!
And now that you know where you’re going, what’s your dream tour package lineup – say you can go out on the road with any 3 bands you want, who are they?
Definitely Periphery. They are absolutely genius… without doubt my favourite band and a massive influence. We ALL love Twelve Foot Ninja, a Melbourne band who also greatly influence our music. They are AMAZING and just a bit crazy, so just being around them would be fantastic fun. For a third band I’m going to choose another Aussie band called Voyager. Just for absolute ‘cool’ factor. If you don’t know of them… check them out. It’s like 80s synth vibes meets djent. Awesome band. Plus I think they’d be super fun to hang out with too. HA! We’re going all the way to Germany or Russia with 2 other Aussie bands… AND Periphery.
Most of the world has been in lockdown for a while, so I’m almost obligated to ask this type of question – what’s the last show you binge-watched, and the last album you listened to?
The last series I binged was ‘Das Boot’. I have to admit it was the second time though. I absolutely love it! The last album I listened to was ‘Handmade Cities’ by Plini. He is an Australian progressive, instrumental guitarist, and utterly amazing!
Are we going to see a full album to follow this EP?
We’re not sure. There’s a lot to be said for smaller releases these days. Less time in between EPs and a smaller financial outlay. In all likelihood we may choose to release a second EP before a full album. We certainly look forward to releasing a full album in the future though. Something to work towards!
It’s an awesome record, thanks so much for your time and looking forward to hearing more!
Thanks so much Chelsea!!
Find Prophecy on all major streaming services here, and visit Ironstone on Bandcamp and their official website.