On September 8, singer Mike Kerr, 33, and his bandmate Ben Thatcher, 35, will release their self-produced album titled “Back to the Water Below.” Prior to the album’s release, a taster track titled “Mountains at Midnight” will be made available for download.
“It feels like I was writing from that place of being somewhere that is very isolated, dark, and deep down,” Mike, who has been clean for about four years following a struggle with alcohol and drugs, said in an interview with The Cut. “After all, I was there.”
The latest album by Royal Blood was composed while the band was in a “dark” place.
“When I get to that point, it’s not necessarily about escaping it, and that’s something I have to remind myself. It’s not about attempting to get to the surface; rather, it’s about recognizing that this is where I am and learning to sit with the sensations that come along with it. I’ll do my best to refrain from disclosing everything, though.”
However, he said that the album does not just consist of loud noise that matches the tone of his statements.
Mike said, “Walking out onstage looking cool as f*** and hiding behind a wall of noise without having any art or meaning to what you’re doing is the greatest risk of being in a rock band right now.”
“That’s the surest way to wander off in the wrong direction. I want you to experience what I’m talking about. I want it to originate from a place that is grounded in reality… I truly toiled over each and every word, and I am completely aware that I will go out, provide an explanation for it, and therefore undo all of that laborious effort.
Mike also mentioned that the band’s set-up may seem straightforward, but their work is in no way “easy.”
He made the following statement: “I’m sure there are folks out there who believe what we do is easy.
“Don’t be afraid to give it a go. Within this band, there is nowhere to take cover.
He continued by saying the following on the band’s newest song: “It feels like the sort of Royal Blood song that should have always existed.”
Mike also commented on the new album in an interview with NME, saying, “It’s always about capturing people’s attention, and tracks of this sort appear to be unusual.
“It sounds so much like what we are renowned for and so much like us. It seemed like a daring approach to come back and say ‘Hi!’ to us as a reintroduction, and we really appreciated it.
