Interview: Filth is Eternal
Filth Is Eternal by Joshua Simons
Seattle's Filth is Eternal is a band that's had us hooked all year. Their latest album, Find Out, is a powerhouse of hardcore bangers and its singles are in a constant rotation on our radio show. When the band headed to UK shores last month for a string of headline and support dates, we jumped / lept / scrounged at the chance to catch the show and have a chat.
Fresh off an electrifying performance supporting Finch at Manchester's Academy, Nic Howells had the chance to chat with frontperson Lis Di Angelo about the band’s latest album, working with some of the most respected names in the industry, and being part of a generous community.
We couldn't be more stoked to this group returning to UK shores next year to grace one of our favourite festivals, ArcTanGent.
So, jumping right in! We're with Lis from Filth is Eternal, in Manchester just before the Finch show. Obviously, your new album Find Out was recently released in October, how are you feeling about things so far?
“I feel really good about it. People are starting to listen to it, it feels like it has a very organic reach. People are talking about it, friends are talking about it, the community is talking about it. Slowly but surely people are starting to get it in front of them and give it a listen.”
I read that it's sold out in select physical copies quite quickly? That's huge, in an of iteself, producing on a scale to have variants of a record and then also sell set variants out.
“It's pretty special. I wasn't sure what would happen. But I'm really happy that people are just getting in their hands and they're excited about it.”
Filth is Eternal by Nic Howells
And then even more recently, it was announced you're playing Arctangent next year!
“Yeah, I didn't even know! And finding out while we're out here that we get to come back. It's so beautiful. I've been wanting to come to the UK since we put out a release with Church Roach - they're really, really great friends, good people - so this has been something very special for me in general. And I always think of them.”
As a fan of both bands, I can't help but imagine what Filth (is Eternal) and Employed to Serve tour looks like?
“I've had so many people talk to me about that. I feel like it's destiny, we're gonna do it at some point. I hope so, I'm crossing my fingers.”
Keep your eyes peeled. So talking about making the new album, you recorded this at Studio 606, Dave Grohl's studio. Obviously Grohl is a huge name in the industry and specifically in the Seattle-scene. Interestingly, one of our directors lived in Seattle and has mutual connections to your band, which we thought was a funny, small world thing. But anyway, also the record was produced by Paul Fig, again a huge name. So how was that whole recording experience, being at Studio 606 and working with Fig?
“I love that. Honestly, that's what I love about touring, you discover how many mutual friends and family that you have. Really at the end of the day, it's all one giant community.
So recording, as it happens, Paul Fig has his studio in LA too. And that's why we're able to also work at Studio 606, which is Dave Grohl's studio. But Paul has ties with a lot of the Seattle scene, having worked with a lot of artists that are from there. It felt like such a natural fit. So we flew down to him and we found this tiny, tiny little place to stay and just made it happen. Made a record.
But being there, you know, there's that part of you that wants to be like "it was chill, you know", but...bullshit! It was so powerful. Just being there. I've worshipped these bands for so long. I love them so much. They're such a part of the foundation and bedrock of who I am and who we are as artists. To be in that environment? Honestly, there's no other word for it, it was magical.”
For anyone who's just getting into Filth is Eternal for the first time, I've described it as a melting pot from grunge to metal to punk stuff, it just rips. So how would you describe it and what can listenings expect from this new album?
“I think we do touch on many different genres. You're right, it is a melting pot. But I think we sort of splash, there's a dash of everything. That's the best way to describe it at its core. This record in particular, I would say it's equal parts punk and grunge. You know, you really get a sense of that. And then there's all these other little subgenres that weave in and out of the whole record.”
When I listened to and reviewed the record, 'Roll Critical' gave me a bit of a 'Bleach' Nirvana vibe. But later on in that same review said it doesn't feel right to simply label it "hardcore" because the album is clearly influenced by everything.
“That's the thing. Our roots, especially when it comes to our community, is very much hardcore and very much grind. We have a huge grind community family that we are part of. We love playing with grind bands, and of course hardcore. So that's kind of our family. But the record, I agree with you. Maybe it's a little difficult to market because it's a little of this, a little of that. But that's why I keep going back to punk and grunge. At the end of the day, little splashes of everything else in there.
I heard someone else describe the record, and now I'm gonna make them my friend, he said ‘it's not a complicated record, there's just a little bit of this and that to always go back to, it's a record you want to play a few times, you don't want to just play once’.”
Filth is Eternal by Nic Howells
And listening through many times is quite an easy thing to do; it's a fast record! I wanted to ask about 'Magnetic Point' which has kind of old school ‘don't give a f***’ attitude, but in 70 seconds. At what part in the creative process do you convene at a point where you say, ‘this song will be 70 seconds’.
“A lot of that comes from Brian. He loves writing songs, he wants them to be little diamonds and basically ‘all killer no filler’. There's kind of a nice juxtaposition between the way that we approach writing. Because I like to make a little bit of room for repetition, to give people something to chew on and come back to in the song itself.
And I think we are working on creating - and we will continue to, its always a process, right? - we're going to continue to grow on that and find that even playing field where we both get what we need out of the songs. But he loves a short track. He wrote a grind record that was 30 songs in under 10 minutes.
Just straight up sprints. 'Magnetic Point' was definitely one that brought grind concepts to mind the most when listening.”
You said during your set ‘it's nice to see you all in person, not just on Instagram’. Tell me a bit about how it feels being in touring circles again.
“Honestly, I'm an emotional person. I'm just gonna say it, I'm sensitive. And this blows me away. I've been cultivating family and friendship with people online - it has its blessings and it's curses - but a lot of those relationships led me on my path here today. I'm grateful that I had a way to connect with people and I'm even more grateful to see their faces in person. And give them hugs, I'm a big hugger.”
I think we got that energy from your set too. It's a lot of really fast, angry songs, but it's also just nice.
“You know, in life, I'm just trying to be nice. I think I said in an interview recently that "existence is futile". I'm just trying to find some joy and all the chaos. At the end of the day, I think that's what Find Out is all about. I really do. I think it's a representation of what's real and raw. But we're trying to figure it out, we're trying to find some joy in all of us.”
Filth is Eternal by Nic Howells
If you had to pick one song off of Find Out, to show it someone to get them into Filth is Eternal for the first time. Which one would you pick?
“Man, that's so hard. I guess each person would have a different answer. Just picking what I would say, my song, and I think this foreshadows where I think we're going to, I'm going to cheat and pick two, 'Signal Decay' and 'Body Void'. And that's gonna be a spin for you.”
This is why I love asking that question. There's usually a difference between personal favourite and what you might show someone listening for the first time.
“Right! Well the singles, we did because they were urgent. They're fun to get people's attention. The videos were weird. But if you're gonna ask me where my soul sits? It's those two songs.
'Body Void' because it's weird. Kind of like existentialism 101 or something. And I kind of love that as an introduction. And then 'Signal Decay' because it's just raw and honest.”
'Signal Decay' is one of my favourites. Similar but different, if you could hear any song for the first time again, what would it be?
“Probably 'Them Bones'! (By Alice in Chains). I'm obsessed (Lis was wearing an Alice in Chains shirt during the show). I remember the first time I heard it, I just absolutely, I don't know! I love that band so much. I love their sound, I love how they recorded that record. And that song just does something for me.”
That's what music is all about. That's what Find Out is all about ultimately, to give someone some kind of feeling.
“That’s right, absolutely. Oh wait! One more, 'Windowlicker' (by Aphex Twin). I lost my mind when I saw that video and heard that song for the first time. So those are my answers. Two totally different songs.”
Filth is Eternal by Nic Howells
I interviewed Oxymorrons recently, they cheated as well and said the entire Catch a Fire album by Bob Marley. But I'd never listened to it. So I went and listening to the whole thing.
“If I could get 100 people to go watch the Windowlicker video, that would be great.”
Well I will be listening to it right after, and while I edit this all together with the song playing. Just like a little ode.
“Oh, that's perfect. Makes my heart so full. That that's gonna happen.”
Well, thank you so much Lis for your time tonight. It was great to review your record and now see your set. I can say for me, I've heard of Finch but I came here tonight to see you. This has been great, glad we could make it happen.
“I'm really glad that this is sort of our first ‘out of the US’ visit. Like I said, this is where the bulk of our family outside the US started. So it felt like the natural step. And now you're gonna watch Finch and your little heartstrings are gonna get pulled so hard. I cried like the first night they played. I totally get it. I'd listened to them before and it's just really beautiful. It's emotional, so melodic, it's so beautiful. But then seeing them, they just blew me away.
But thank you so much for this. I want to bookend with, thank you for all your support. The Scene has been really great to us and it means a lot. We're still a very unknown band and it means a lot.”
