Ahead of the release of their new EP Renaissance (keep an eye on the site in the coming weeks for our review of it), we caught up with lead guitarist Andrew to find out a bit more. See what happened below!
Can you introduce yourself and tell me a little about the band?
My name is Andrew and I am the lead guitar player in Antoinette. We play a unique brand of metalcore that is pretty much an amalgamation of everything we enjoy about heavy music as individuals. The music definitely reflects the broad spectrum of our taste; we dabble in both the ridiculously heavy and soaringly melodic. Ultimately, we are writing the music that we love and paying homage to every single one of our influences at the same time.
How did you get started?
The band started at the beginning of 2013, although I didn’t join until later on in that year. Having heard the bands previous EP I was very keen to be involved when a position was announced. The chemistry between me and Joe (guitar) from the first ever time we jammed was undeniable; I instantly knew I had to be a part of the band. The line-up was later completed by Tom (Drums) and Sam (Bass) who stepped in only 2 weeks before we went into the studio to record the follow up EP.
You’re currently getting ready to release your new EP Renaissance, can you tell me about the writing and recording process?
Renaissance was written over the course of about a month and a half before I had even officially joined the band. The songs were actually the first tracks me and Joe had ever worked on together, the ideas came so naturally we pretty much had the foundations of the EP finished after only jamming a handful of times. We spent the following few months tweaking ideas, working on lyrics and prepping everything for the studio which we entered in February. We had the pleasure of working with Justin Hill (Sikth) at Fortress Studios in London, who went above and beyond his role as a producer to help create the sound that we desired.
Were there any tracks that were more of a challenge to get down?
Bar a few issues with guitar intonation, recording was for the most part a very smooth process. Nothing really stood out as being more difficult to track than anything else, other than maybe some of the harder guitar riffs haha.
Which track are you most proud of?
Probably Conform/Control as it was written the first time me and Joe had ever jammed. It also features probably my favourite riff on the EP @ 1.46.
Any interesting tales from the studio?
Joe insisted we all wear this one pair of shorts whilst we tracked our respective parts in the studio, I still don’t really know why but we didn’t question it. Unfortunately for most of the band, as drums were tracked first they became rather unpleasant almost immediately.
What has been your best experience in the business?
Thus far probably working with Justin Hill, and shooting an awesome video in Sheffield which will be revealed soon!
And what’s the hardest thing about being in the business?
Being skint I suppose, haha.
What inspires you?
My love of music. And riffs.
Who are your role models and idols?
I wouldn’t say I necessarily idolise anyone but certainly have the utmost respect for all the bands out there who are writing and recording music for the love of it and keeping the scene alive.
