Kurz vor der Veröffentlichung ihres vierten Studioalbums Buried In Jade sprechen Thousand Below im exklusiven Frontstage-Interview über die Entstehung der Platte, die Bedeutung hinter dem Titel und den kreativen Prozess zwischen roher Post-Hardcore-Energie und modernen, atmosphärischen Klangwelten. Frontmann James DeBerg gibt dabei tiefe Einblicke in die emotionale Basis des Albums, die Arbeit mit neuen Produzenten und die Herausforderung, nach der Lockdown-Phase wieder im Studio zu stehen. Außerdem verrät er, wie sich die Band auf ihre bisher größte Headliner-Tour vorbereitet – und warum er seinem jüngeren Ich nichts vorwegnehmen würde.
Frontstage: James, you’ve described „Buried In Jade“ as a diary of everything you can’t control. Was there a specific moment or period where you realized this would be the emotional core of the album?
James Deberg: I generally enjoy coming up with an album title and a concept before the writing process begins so I have a consistent ‚angle‘ to approach the lyrics from, but this time around the title came about halfway through recording the record. We made this album over a much larger course of time than usual though, so I’d say about 6 songs into the album is when it all came together.
Frontstage: “Kerosene” hits with raw intensity but carries a melodic depth. Did the emotional concept or the musical direction come first when writing that track?
James Deberg: Before making each record we generally come together as a band and create a „mood board“ via a handful of playlists we share with each other. These playlists show what sort of sound each of us wants to do for the record and we see where the commonality is between us and go from there. Once we have a musical direction then I work on the concept afterwards.
Frontstage: The album blends post-hardcore roots with modern pop textures, atmospheric rock, and even ballads. How do you manage to explore new sonic territory without losing the essence of what Thousand Below stands for?
James Deberg: We’ve always tried to push the envelope and metaphorically dip our feet into different soundscapes for each record. Part of that is working with different producers and using different engineers to mix the record so each one sounds unique. I’d like to think that combining all of this keeps the music fresh each time we drop something.
Frontstage: Your last record was created during lockdown, largely from your own homes. Returning to the studio for this album — how did that shift affect the creative chemistry within the band?
James Deberg: Night and day difference in quality in my opinion. The 2 producers we worked with really brought such a great side out of our band and helped us hone in on what we wanted to accomplish. Working on our own was a nice experience and held a handful of advantages but I think the overall feel and ‚polish‘ of a record made in a proper studio will always shine through when recorded properly.
Frontstage: The imagery of being “buried in jade” is both poetic and ironic — representing protection, luck, and futility all at once. How important are symbolism and visual themes in your songwriting process?
James Deberg: Extremely. Art direction in general is a huge inspirational piece in my mind when creating a record. At the end of the day, we’re all using the same guitars, drum sets, production elements etc. Trying to create as original of a sound as possible–but good art and
Frontstage: You’re about to head out on your biggest headlining tour yet. Beyond the logistics, how are you mentally preparing for that level of intensity and visibility?
James Deberg: I have been rehearsing the set in full every other day for the past month and working out 5 days per week to make sure I’m in pristine physical shape for the tour. I quickly learned that performing an hour or more set at a high level of quality is no small feat, but I think I’ve prepared enough.
Frontstage: Nearly ten years into Thousand Below — if you could talk to your younger selves from the early days of the band, what would you tell them now?
James Deberg: This question always brings a bit of a laugh when I think about it. I wouldn’t tell my younger self a single thing except keep going. I’d like to think my past self wouldn’t want any of the good stuff spoiled anyways. He was a bit of a hard-head.
Fotocredit: Jaxon Whittington
