Absent Theory emerged during the pandemic, blending alternative rock, nu-metal, and metalcore. Their introspective lyrics and diverse influences create a powerful, emotionally-driven sound.
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1. Absent
Theory came together in the aftermath of the pandemic. How did the band form,
and how did that unique time influence your music and songwriting?
I launched my first project in more than a decade during the early stages of the pandemic, a combination of alternative rock, emo, dark pop and hip-hop, and a somewhat experimental project as a whole. It was more of a self-therapy project than anything at the time. As time progressed, and I began finding some successes and making some strong connections - I found that my writing was naturally gravitating back towards my "roots" which are moreso in alt-rock, nu metal, melodic metal, and just more of the "rock spectrum", and my vocals were increasing pulling me back there, and so I started writing some new stuff that just didn't fit my solo project. As the lockdowns lifted and I was looking to get back into touring and such, I was also reflecting on the live experience and how much more powerful the band dynamic is. I decided to set out to form a band to write and perform together, which I did in 2022. The process has been uniquely different, but the melding of sounds and the collaborative approach has resulted in by far some of the best music I've ever written and we're really excited to see where this takes us.
2. Your sound blends alternative metal, metalcore, nu-metal, and alternative
rock. How do you navigate these diverse influences to create a cohesive sound
that is distinctly Absent Theory?
Realistically,
our sound blends more than that - we come from a pretty diverse musical
background, and there's a wide range of influences going into what we do. We've
been able to somewhat root ourselves in key themes, like this concept of
purgatory, and in a general direction for the sound, the process and
collaboration are important and we're working with a great extended team to
help us bring the sounds together in the best possible way.
3.You’ve
cited bands like Linkin Park, Breaking Benjamin, and Three Days Grace as
influences. What is it about these bands that speaks to you creatively, and how
do you incorporate their essence into your own music?
The answer
would differ a little based on the specific band, but I would say some of the
main things that stand out are lyricism, emotion and cross-genre elements. I
started writing again following one of the toughest periods of my life, and
that was even before coming into the pandemic which just exacerbated things -
but I think over the years I've been able to connect more and more with the
lyricism of some of these acts, especially ones like Linkin Park and Red. The
power and emotion in vocalists like Chester Bennington is a strong delivery
system for those lyrics, and I've really focused on dynamic performances on the
vocal side, to help with the delivery of my own stories. While I've always been
into various sub-genres within rock, for as long as I can remember, I went
through a phase for a few years where all I was listening to was hip hop and
rap, and I think that I've grown an ear for a lot of those influences seeking
into rock, such as with the nu-metal acts. It's left us wanting to create
something new that connects to this broader system of sounds.
4. Your
debut single "Break" made a powerful impact when it was released
earlier this year. What message or emotion did you hope to convey with that
track?
Break was
one of the first two songs I wrote for this project, and was a fitting debut as
it's focused on themes of breaking out, breaking free, accepting the darkness
in yourself and rejecting external pressures, and was a somewhat "center
leaning" release balancing melodic metalcore and nu-metal elements with
pop-leaning production elements. We wanted to use that somewhat anthemic track
to announce "we're here", and we're just getting started.
5. “Running
Away from Myself” has gained attention on several major Ontario rock stations.
How does it feel to have that kind of recognition so early in your career, and
what does that song mean to you personally?
We really appreciate the support, and it's extremely validating. I feel we're onto something special with what we're working on and putting out, and we have a lot of music in the works, so the feedback is encouraging and critical, and beyond the highlights locally, we've made some incredible connections across the world, notably in Brazil and Mexico, the UK and beyond. Ultimately, each opportunity like those we see as an opportunity to connect with new fans and it removes some barriers acting as social-proof to an extent, and we're really grateful for that. There's never been a time like this to connect with literally the whole world online, but with 100K+ tracks a day being released, it's noisy out there, so these types of outlets can help us cut through the noise and connect with new listeners faster, which helps us accelerate what we're doing. I'd love to get more music out, faster, and the feedback and validation is a major component to supporting that.
6. Your latest single, "Of Monsters and Men," was released just
recently. Can you tell us more about the themes behind the song and what
inspired its creation?
Of Monsters
and Men was actually the first song I wrote for this project, and it remains
one of the ones closest to me. It speaks to the human capacity for evil, for
darkness, broadly speaking. It can be harrowing to consider the things that
some people do, and they look just like the rest of us. I often say that
monsters are real, they just aren't like what we see in the movies, they look
just like we do, only they can't be human, they take our form. It can take time
to see people for what they are, and the song came after a series of
experiences with betrayal and such, but is continuously more and more fitting
based on some of the evil we see happening in the world.
7. Absent
Theory’s lyrics often deal with deep emotional themes. How important is it for
you to connect with listeners on a personal level, and what role does
storytelling play in your music?
It's
everything to me, it's the entire reason I got back into writing. The
therapeutic aspects, the catharsis, and the potential to connect with people
with shared life experiences, is a massive component to why I do this - and to
the music I connect with as a listener. I've focused a lot on introspective
lyrics and open exploration of concepts, and it's only because I am tapping
into emotional, personal concepts, that I'm able to generate the emotion in the
music and convey what needs to be conveyed.
8. As a
band that formed in the aftermath of such a challenging global event, do you
feel your music reflects any particular emotions or thoughts related to that
experience?
The
pandemic was a catalyst to getting me back into music, but ultimately it was a
lot of other things I have been navigating that were the true drivers of
needing to return to this outlet, from a personal perspective. From a band
perspective, the pandemic forced a lot of self-reflection and has resulted in a
lot of change, broadly speaking, but I think for many, if not all, of our
members, this is something we need to do. The passion and love for music, for
performing, for recording, for connecting with audiences, it's an undeniable
force and we've been fortunate to connect and find each other through all this
noise, all this chaos, all the constraints - and to leverage the positive
benefits and developments, to make this happen. The self-reflection, feelings
of isolation and detachment, depression, anxiety are absolutely pillars within
the lyrical content.
9. What
has the journey been like working on new music as you build momentum? Can fans
expect an EP or full-length album in the near future?
Each release, and the feedback we get, generates energy and momentum. Each show we play does the same. Every fan we connect with, pushes us forward. We can take that feedback, those experiences, and integrate them into projects we're still working on. It's been a lot of fun "testing" upcoming tracks live. Having only released 3 songs so far, and having setlists live that span anywhere from half an hour to an hour, we have a lot more music than you can find online. We're working on recording again right now and have discussed an album a number of times now, it's a very strong possibility. Finding the balance between writing, recording, rehearsing, playing live, producing content - it can be tricky - but we're actively pushing through and we're excited to keep the music flowing.
10. Toronto has a vibrant rock and metal scene. How has being based in that
city influenced your sound, and how do you see Absent Theory contributing to or
standing out in the local scene?
Toronto is
interesting in the diversity of music on the scene, and it's changed a lot
post-pandemic in terms of venues and how bands are approaching live shows - but
the reception has been incredible across the greater Toronto area. I think our
unique blend of sounds stands out in the scene, and can make for unique nights
combined with other acts who are also finding new and exciting ways to blend
genres and styles. We've seen a lot of great talent coming up across the city.
It's hard to deny that Toronto has been the source of some of the best music
over the past many years. We're excited to keep building here and leveraging
the support from the local community to keep pushing ahead, but we're also
eager and excited to connect with new audiences in a wide range of other
places. We're looking at playing some shows in Montreal at the moment, hoping
that's on the not-to-distant horizon.
Absent Theory | Official Website of Absent Theory | Canadian Alternative Metal Band
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