Hello, thank you very much again for being here and taking the time to do this interview. It is rare to see a depressive black metal band coming from the “land down under”. For a long time this was more like a studio project.How come it evolved into a full scale touring band?

Mitch: So if you're talking about the entire history of the band, to briefly summarize I started the band sort of as a solo project. I didn't release anything for about two years, then Tim and I went to school together, and we played in some other bands together, so then we decided to work together on Аustere. We didn't have any major plans about playing live. We had the idea at some point, but it never happened, and then we went on a long break, and then basically just came back. We had some offers to do some gigs, and we have some friends overseas, and we just tried it and it seems to be working well. 

It is one to be in this state of mind when playing in the studio ... is it hard to express that on stage? What's the difference and which thing do you prefer?

Mitch: I actually enjoy playing the songs live, because I get to travel inward and re-experience things that I've written about in the past. But it is quite different, performing things live as opposed to sitting there and taking your time and writing music. But yeah, I enjoy both experiences.

Your latest album „Beneath the Threshold“ was released some months ago and comes just a year after “Corrosion of hearts”. This is the shortest span between albums. Looks like you are on a roll, are you already planning some new music already?

Tim: Yeah, it was short. There was only like one year in between the release of the two, but it was pretty much two years in between when they were recorded, because we recorded “Corrosion of hearts” in 2021 and then “Beneath the threshold” Was the end of 2022 start of 2023. So it was 18 months between us recording them. I think тhere was less time than that between when we recorded “Withering Illusions and Desolation” and “To Lay like Old Ashes”. So I guess we like to have long breaks of a decade and doing nothing obviously, but when we actually doing stuff, we are pretty productive. Yeah, we already have a new album that's pretty much 99.9% finished. It will be a 2025 release, obviously. But, as long as the inspiration is there, and we enjoy what we do, then we'll keep going.

Can you tell us a bit more about the other musicians that will take part in the live performance, because it won't be just the two of you, of course?

Mitch: The other musicians are friends of ours that we've known for many years, and they've played some shows with us before. And obviously they're great musicians, but they're also great friends too, which just makes the experience easier.

Okay, so Mitch, this question is to you, you actually a graphic designer, if I'm not mistaking?

Mitch: Yes, once upon a time…

How important is visual art to represent the music?

Mitch: I think it's important because essentially, that is the face to the album. That's the thing people recognize. You know, if a friend is talking to you about a band, you can sort of think “what album is that?” And you remember the album cover, and it's also like adding a visual representation of the sound. So, yeah, I think it's important

Do you have any favorite visuals of bands?

Mitch: Oh, I love all the 90s black metal stuff, you know, the whole corpse paint, spikes, forest and fire, all those sorts of things. It's just primitive and a sort of ghastly image. And I feel that it represents that time quite well, young people just trying to outdo each other and create something unique.

Speaking of Old school… The label “Black Metal” has changed a lot during the years bands have been labeled as black metal just because of their member’s attitude and as you said  the spikes and corpse paint. Others even try to run away from this genre because of the so-called “cancel culture”. Do you think that somewhere along the way we lost the meaning of “Black Metal” or we actually never knew it?

Mitch: Yeah, I do agree that black metal is very different now, to my memory of it when I was a teenager. But the whole labeling and sub-genres and all of this stuff, it is so foreign to me. People refer to us as certain sub-genres, and I've never heard of them before. At the end of the day, I just listen to and play what I like, and I'm not really too interested in what it's labeled as.

As long as you feel it is right for you?

Mitch: That's it. 

What about the attitude? I mean a lot of bands have changed their attitude. It was, as you said, it was primal. It was in your face. It was brutal and rebellious. But now we live in an age where everybody is offended by something. We see this in the metal genre as well.
For example, I'm listening to Dire Straits yesterday, and I heard a part of the lyrics ….

See the little faggot with the earring and the makeup?
Yeah buddy, that's his own hair
That little faggot got his own jet airplane
That little faggot, he's a millionaire

Dire Straits – Money For Nothing 1985

…And I said: “Oh, this… this cannot be released nowadays.” There will be someone offended! There will be somebody suing someone. There will be canceled and boycotted concerts and everything. Where Do you think this “cancel culture” is taking us?

Mitch: I don't think it's just particularly in metal music either. I think it's worldwide. And it’s not just in music, it’s in all forms of life. Everybody is sensitive and afraid to do things because it might offend somebody else. I think if you're a courteous person and you do the right thing, then all of that other stuff shouldn't matter. But to answer your question... All this it's further degenerating and watering down the music scene, because everybody's afraid and feels like they're walking on eggshells.

Tim: I agree. I think people really need to just grow a thicker skin and stop complaining about everything. And if they don't agree with something, a band or whatever someone says or does, then they can feel free to stop supporting that person. But to go on some stupid internet crusade complaining about it and trying to get the person canceled, banned or whatever. And, yeah, it's watering down. Everybody's too afraid to say things or do things, or what if it gets taken the wrong way? What if this happens? What if that happens and it's just ridiculous. As I said, if you don't agree with someone and you don't want to support them… Then by all means, don't do it, but don't make your own problems, everyone else's problems.

Yeah. Well said, but actually, we also see a lot of politics being involved in the music scene as well. When all this war started, we saw festivals canceling Russian bands, which actually don't have anything to do with this. What's your opinion about that?

Tim: I would never put anything political in anything I do musically, because I'm just not a political person. It doesn't interest me. I think that all sides are idiots, so I just try and stay away from it. But to add to that, I did a spoken word thing last year in Novosibirsk in Russia, and I got death threats from people on the internet for doing it. “Oh, you're going and entertaining terrorists. Blah, blah, blah….” I'm like, so a bunch of 22 year old metal heads are terrorists now? What's wrong with you people? It's ridiculous.

Mitch: If I can just add something to that too…? The political side of anything, and using an art form such as music to push a message is quite silly. As far as Austere is concerned, It's an introspective band. It's a way for me to express how I feel, not a political agenda. It's more based on the feeling and the atmosphere I can create with the music. So in terms of a message, an outward message, I don't really have one with this band. It's probably a selfish way of looking at it, but that's the beauty of being able to do music. It is what I create for myself and Tim, and if other people like it and can relate to it, that's a great thing as well.

So about music? You probably are interested in all kinds of music. I know that Tim is listening to all kinds of stuff, and even plays a lot of other instruments too. Are you also a fan of OASIS?

Tim: Haha Yeah, yeah!

Do you think it's really important for a musician to look around and to be interested in all kinds of music in order to understand his own art a little bit well?

Tim: Look, it's, it's up to everyone. It's an individual thing. For me personally there's so much good music in so many different genres. I would never limit myself to listening just black metal or just metal, because I'd be missing out on so much other amazing stuff. And it absolutely does make you grow and evolve as a musician. And from a compositional standpoint, listening to other things… you just say “I want this song to be influenced by Oasis” for example… I would never say that when writing a song, but because they're one of my favorite bands, probably some influencers are being added subconsciously. And it definitely does make you grow as a musician and as a person. And I think everyone should really sort of open their minds.  Don't, don't be like a Manowar fan in the 80s and say “Oh, heavy metal or die!” He-he

What about instruments? I think all of you play a lot of instruments, and do you think that someday maybe you can include a different instrument in your skills portfolio, or your music as well? Something traditional, folklore and more atmospheric maybe?

Mitch: Sure why not? I mean, anything that works to create a unique sound or spawn a new and interesting idea that you may not had before, then why not? I think anything that will help you try something new is a good thing. If it doesn't work - it doesn't work. It's not really a waste of time, because at least you've learned a little bit more about yourself and about your capabilities as a musician and your ideas.

When are you writing new music and when you already have something new to share with the public? Do you still feel like the “stage right”? How are the people going to accept it? Is it going to be okay? Are you still having this gut feeling, or you're already feeling safe with your new music?

Mitch: I don't give it too much thought. Like I said before, it's nice if people enjoy what you do, but at the same time. I'm still doing it for me at the end of the day. So as long as I'm happy with the music, then that's enough for me.

You will visit Bulgaria for the first time on the 25th of september. I know that some people saw you some years ago in Romania but… What should the fans expect from your show?

Mitch: We have some new songs, and I think we've played a few more gigs since Romania, as it was our very first gig. So we gained a little bit more experience and we are a bit more comfortable with taking this band live. And I think what the fans could expect is some atmospheric music that comes from a country that not many people have visited. So hopefully we create a unique experience for the people.

I'm sure it will be great. In Bulgaria and Greece Dimholt will be supporting you.. Did you have the chance to check some of the bands that play with you on tour?

Mitch: I checked out a little bit of Dimholt online, and I was impressed. It was quite unique music, and I'm also looking forward to seeing them play live because I don't know much about the Bulgarian scene.

It's not that big. I'm sure it's even smaller than the Australian one. What's the typical Australian thing about you guys, that you do while on tour or at home?

Tim: Surfing. That's it.  Music's obviously a very serious thing and Austere is. We focus on it, and we put everything into it. But, you know, when we're off stage, we're probably a lot more lighthearted people than you would think. We both surf. We both like to have a laugh and joke around and stuff. So that's probably a pretty Australian thing.

Australia, it's really a sunny place. You said that you liked surfing and stuff. But how do you find the inspiration for your music? How hard is it to switch your mind and start making, you know, the depressive black metal stuff?

Tim: For me, personally, I don't think where I am in the world has any bearing on the type of music I create. Because whenever I'm doing music, whether it's working by myself or with Mitch together, I think we're looking inwards, not outwards. So it's sort of diving deep into yourself and emotions or feelings. More like being inspired by any landscape or natural surroundings or anything. So for me personally I don't think it has any bearing whatsoever with being from Australia or being from, I don't know China or Canada or fucking South Africa, it wouldn't make a difference

Mitch: I don't think where I'm situated in the world really has any importance on the music that I write. I focus inwards and on things like personal experience. Like the question you asked before, playing on some new and unique instrument that I've never used before. Sometimes that will inspire me to create something new. I just recently bought a new guitar that's totally different to the normal guitars that I play, and I created five or six songs on that guitar, I would have never written otherwise. And then as far as the lyrics, most of it is based on personal experience or a thought that I had.  So, yeah, I don't think Australia really has too much of an influence on what I'm doing as a musician.

Any “last words” ….as we say… to our readers and the people that аre going to the show? Can you just leave some message to them?

Mich: Thank you for coming to the show and for your support. And we both hope that you enjoy the evening, we look forward to meeting you and coming to Bulgaria.

Tim: Yeah, I would say exactly the same thing. Ha-ha

Thank you. Okay, and let's make an open promise that this won't be the first and the last show for you in Bulgaria. Yeah?

Tim: Certainly hope so. 

Thank you very much for your time, guys and see you in Sofia, and have a great time.

Tim: Thank you, mate. 

Mitch: See you in a couple of days.

Author: Nikola Petras