Flynn Effect are giving their new dark and brooding filmclip to the world and releasing the details of their OBSIDIAN album tour. Second Album 'Obsidian' will be available for purchase on August 4 and can be pre-ordered now at Bandcamp.
Tomatrax caught up with lead singer Tomina Vincent to talk about the band's music.
How did the band form?Three members of Flynn Effect were in a band called Leadlight rose. I was asked to audition after they disbanded and that's how it all started. Geoff Irish used to be our drummer for a couple of years and then we got James Laurie in, and that's the current lineup.
Where did the name Flynn Effect come from?We were entertaining many names for this, but this one stuck around. The Flynn Effect is basically the substantial and long-sustained increase in both fluid and crystallised intelligence test scores. We thought that was kind of nerdy and it fit us well.
Your second album is coming out in just over a month, how will it compare with your debut?I'd say its a lot more varied and complex, and a little bit more calm. Its a very honest and forthright record as well. I think the atmosphere and the vibe are quite different, its a little more bold and mature.
Where did the title Obsidian come from?Obsidian is essentially about love and loss in all their forms. Its a sort of a separation record, a lot of it is about finding and losing love and dealing with the aftermath. I remember reading about obsidian, and the phrase "volcanic glass" caught my attention. Its not so simple, but symbolically it represented something seemingly fragile, born in chaos and violence, and to me that represents the way we change in the wake of a separation or any major, disruptive event in our lives. The colour is a nod to the darker tones of the music and the brooding vibe of the record as a whole.
What made you pick 'Fade' as the albums single?'Fade' was a very non-Flynn Effect song to us. We wanted to put out something that people didn't expect to hear from us. Its also one of our favourites so we thought it wold be a good idea, especially because its 5 minutes and our old record had nothing that long or complex in it. We were excited to surprise people. We never know where the band is going or what will end up being the new direction or sound, we just do what feels right and 'Fade' was a good way to sum up the whole record, too.
You've said that the band members faced difficult situations in making your latest album, what did you do to get through and and finish the album?We were with each other a lot, we are best friends, joined at the hip. We made sure to always be there for one another and I think that helped us the most. After a few months off, we slowly began working again and I remember the first show we played after that felt like a new beginning and it shook us to the core. the bond between band mates is a very specific one and we're incredibly close, we speak every day. It has been a really tough couple of years for everyone, but eventually we moved forward smoothly and we were very focused. The actual recording process was very quick once all hands were on deck.
When writing what comes first the words or the music?Definitely the music. I usually get a draft or a demo and I start working from that. When the song comes to the rehearsal room, I usually develop the vocals and lyrics further. The first thing I do is find words that fit the music thematically, thought I never really have an idea from the very beginning. I tend to sing gibberish until something sticks, It just appears out of the ether and eventually It reveals what the song is going to be about. I also make sure that the phrases are easy to sing, the vowels are open, just clinical stuff like that.
Do you ever listen to your own music?Not too often no, if you've ever tried to mix your own album, you'd know you have to listen to it a million times and its a bit old after that. But i definitely put it on every once in a while.
What music do you listen to?At the moment i'm back to old loves, like Depeche mode for example. Really digging Fleshgod Apocalypse and I listen to Andrew Haug Radio pretty much constantly, its my favourite place to discover stuff and also hear old favourites.
What do you have planned once the album is out?We will be playing a few shows in support and then we're actually back to writing new music. I'm very excited to start the next chapter. We're working on more touring, and hopefully heading overseas with the next release.
Check out Flynn Effect's website to find out more!
