Currents Vocalist Brian Wille: ‘It’s a Great Time to Make Heavy Music’ – Interview

2020-05-11

Currents – Story by Anne Erickson, courtesy photo

Brian Wille of Currents discusses the band’s upcoming album, “The Way It Ends,” and life in the music world amid COVID-19

Fairfield, Connecticut’s Currents brings together progressive metal, aggressive metal-core and djent is a way that’s fresh, novel and a sound all their own.

The band will release its sophomore studio album, “The Way It Ends,” on June 5 via Sharptone Records. The album’s first single, “A Flag to Wave,” is a deep track about the search for identity and purpose.

Currents vocalist Brian Wille checked in with Audio Ink Radio to discuss the new album and what the guys are up to on quarantine during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Audio Ink: Congratulations on your new album on the way, “The Way It Ends,” and the first single, “A Flag to Wave.” What made “A Flag to Wave” the right song for the album’s lead single?

Brian Wille: We thought that “A Flag to Wave” did a good job of encapsulating our intentions with this record. It is an introduction to new listeners and a return to our existing fans. We felt that the themes of adventure and self discovery fit well with announcing “The Way it Ends” to the world.

“A Flag to Wave” is about the search for identity and purpose. Will you please elaborate on that?

We’ve spent the last four-plus years touring the world with countless amazing bands in an attempt to get our name out there and connect with new people. In that time, we’ve found out a lot about our personal goals and how far we were willing to go to make this our livelihood. Flag is about that journey in the sense that even though we’ve come pretty far since our first tour, the search is an ongoing process, as it should be, and this song serves as a reminder to never stop searching and to always keep the same enthusiasm as we had on day one.

What makes this new music different from what you guys have done in the past?

We’ve been surrounded by a lot of talent over the years and have gained a larger following as well. With this release, we felt that we had more eyes on us and had a certain “standard” we were holding ourselves to. These tracks are much more focused and intentional than our previous releases and I personally feel that the lyrical themes and song structures are much more cohesive than they’ve been in the past. We remain proud of our previous work but we are excited about the progress we feel we’ve made on this record.

You’ve toured with a bunch of great bands, everyone from August Burns Red to We Came As Romans. What’s your favorite memory – the one that sticks out most – from the road?

There’s too many to name, but one that sticks out to me is our first time in Europe. We met Miss May I when we supported them on a US headliner in 2017 and they decided to bring us along with them on a European headliner in 2018. We shared a bus with them, Fit For a King and Void of Vision, and it was a blast! None of us had ever been to Europe or traveled in a tour bus, let alone with some of our favorite bands. I’ll never forget that tour and all the good times we had with those guys.

What are your thoughts on the state of heavy music today?

I think heavy music is in a great place! There are so many great bands out there killing it and pushing boundaries. I also feel that heavy music is more relevant in popular culture than it has been in previous years between the come-up of XM Radio, heavy bands doing amazing numbers on music charts and gaining respect from prestigious awards institutions. It’s a great time to make heavy music and a great time for heavy music fans.

The coronavirus pandemic has changed everything in the music industry and in so many other industries. How has the pandemic impacted you guys so far this year?

So far, we’ve lost a few tours and even had to abruptly drop the remainder of a tour we were on with Silent Planet, Invent Animate and Greyhaven. It’s complicated the release of our new record as well, but we will still be going forward with releasing it on June 5 as planned.

Do you think we’ll ever be able to go back to concerts, as we knew them before?

I think they will return. Whether they will be bigger and stronger than before remains to be seen, but I’m hopeful that things will return to normalcy some time in the future.

How can fans continue to support bands and artists, even when live shows aren’t an option?

Be sure to support bands that are continuing to work, release music and print merchandise during this time. The live show is obviously critical for musicians, but it’s not the only way to interact with your favorite bands.

What’s next for you guys?

Our new record comes out June 5 through Sharptone Records. Other than that, we will continue to promote the album, write new music and connect with our fans in more creative ways. This pandemic may have changed the path a bit, but we don’t plan to let it stop us, stunt our growth or stop us from staying in contact with everyone.

Anne Erickson
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Posted by Anne Erickson | Music, Rock, Rock News