Wir sprach kürzlich mit For I Am über ihr neues Album „The Righteous And The Wicked„, das kürzlich über SBÄM Records veröffentlicht wurde. In diesem Interview teilen sie Einblicke in den kreativen Prozess hinter dem Album, diskutieren die Entwicklung ihres Sounds im Vergleich zu früheren Veröffentlichungen und erläutern die Inspirationen und Themen, die zu den politischeren Texten geführt haben. Das und mehr erfahrt ihr nun hier im Interview mit For I Am.
Frontstage Magazine: „The Righteous And The Wicked“ is your new album released through SBÄM Records. Could you tell us about the creative process behind this album and how your sound has evolved compared to your previous releases?
For I Am: The Righteous & The Wicked was indeed released on SBÄM, as well as on Double Helix Records (US), Pee Records (AUS) and Bearded Punk Records (BE) and it’s already been a wonderful collab with all of them! The album to us feels like another step on the punk rock ladder, as we’ve combined the catchy uplifting vibes we’re commonly known for with some darker tunes and with this record, even more so than in the past we’re trying to speak out against injustices in today’s world. We’ve worked together with Tim Van Doorn, like we did on Late Bloomers and he’s just the best. His contributions helped us professionalize our sound that extra notch. We all take part in the writing process. That’s why I think we’ve got a good combination of different styles and sounds that come together in one well-rounded whole. We’re really happy with the way it turned out and we’re hoping punk rock listeners out there will agree!
Frontstage Magazine: Your new album features heavier guitars and more political lyrics. What were the main inspirations and themes that led you to take this artistic direction?
For I Am: To some extent the new record is more political, but not entirely. Haha! We named the album “The Righteous”, because it still features some tracks that stay true to our positive, uplifting songs that celebrate life, like Bonnie, The Storyteller’s Tale and Shoestring Sailors. But we counter-balanced that with “The Wicked”, because we feel like it’s becoming increasingly more important to also address some of the world’s problems. We will always be a band that loudly promotes trying to listen to everyone’s side of a story. We all grow up in different places and are raised with different values etc., so instead of fighting each other, let’s just try to understand where someone is coming from and what they’ve gone through. Tracks like Jack Shit, Riler, Jaded etc. are the more political ones on the album, I’d say. So, it’s all about finding that balance between The Righteous & The Wicked. Justice is blind, but we cannot be blind to the injustices going on.
Frontstage Magazine: As one of the leading bands in the Belgian music scene, you’ve already built a loyal fan base. How do you think your existing fan base will react to „The Righteous And The Wicked,“ and how do you plan to attract new listeners?
For I Am: We can only hope they like it as much as we do ourselves! Though we’ve experimented with heavier, more serious sounds and lyrics, there’s still the typical For I Am undertone. I think we’ve not strayed too far in that regard. About attracting new listeners, well, we’re constantly working on that, trying to play as many international shows as possible and trying to spread the For I Am message through our socials. There’s still a huge punk rock audience that probably have never heard of us and we definitely want to change that!
Frontstage Magazine: How was your experience collaborating with SBÄM Records, and how has the label contributed to supporting your artistic vision on „The Righteous And The Wicked“?
For I Am: Just like our other labels, SBÄM has been nothing but supportive! Stefan said he’d already been following us for a while and congratulated us on the new music. When he agreed to work with us on the new album, we were over the moon. Let’s face it, SBÄM is fast becoming one of the most well-known punk rock labels in Europe, so we couldn’t be happier that he’d be willing to work together with our lil’ old Belgian band. Dreams are hard work, but sometimes they do come true!
Fotocredit: Luna Terweduwe
