Experimental two-piece Swedish sludge merchants The Moth Gatherer have trodden a long hard road to get their first record out, working on music together in various incarnations since at least 2006. But after a two-year writing/recording process, their debut album A Bright Celestial Light is finally out worldwide, on Agonia Records. Ghost Cult chewed the fat with Alex Stjernfeldt, discussing the painful inspiration lying behind the new album’s darkness, and the long, difficult process of moving towards life in the light.
How did the band originally get together, and why did you choose the name ‘The Moth Gatherer’?
Back in 2006 me and Victor played together in a hardcore band named Oceanlift but eventually we split up and me and Victor went on to other projects. But then in 2008 or 2009 we got back together and formed what would become The Moth Gatherer. We went through some personal tragedies and felt like we were lost in darkness and we fumbled towards a source of light, just like moths. So the name The Moth Gatherer felt kind of fitting for us.
When you started the band, what/who was your inspiration and what did you set out to achieve musically?
When we started to write the songs that would become A Bright Celestial Light we just felt that it was something that we needed to do. It was like therapy to us. It was a way to escape and a channel for our thoughts. We knew that we wanted the music to be like a storm, beautiful yet ominous. There are bands that are an influence to us, some more than others. Bands like Breach, Neurosis, Cult of Luna have paved the way that we walk on, but I would say that the biggest influence is life itself.
Your music is very hard to define – how would you therefore describe the music of The Moth Gatherer to potential fans?
Some albums or some songs by some bands strike a nerve in you, it takes control and forces you away from reality. It makes you dream, think and process your time on this earth. That album or song is often long and varied. Brutal then fragile then beautiful etc. In my world, we are one of those bands. I probably think so because this is a personal album…
What makes The Moth Gatherer different from any other band currently in the rock/metal scene?
Well, A Bright Celestial Light is our journey into dreams, losing someone and losing hope and on this journey people are welcome to tag along. It leaves us naked, with our feelings on the outside, but this is our truth, and we feel that this is how we need to do it. And how we differ from other bands is in the eye of the beholder…
A Bright Celestial Light is an ambitious body of work – did you set out to make such complex and challenging music?
No, it came over time. The feelings we wanted to achieve through the songs were complex and so the songs grew bigger and longer. Each song holds a story, and a lot of that story is being told through the music and not by words. But it was never our intention.
What are you most proud of with the album?
That we were able to finish it. It took us two years to write, record and mix this album. At some points it felt like we would never reach the end. But we endured and now it’s here, and it is being released worldwide nonetheless. It’s insane but very satisfying!
Compared to many other artists that play a similar brand of music, The Moth Gatherer seem to be more melodic. Do you agree? And if so, was it important for the songs to be melodic?
I don’t know. You can do a lot through a melody, really set the mood. So to be able to tell what we wanted with the music, the melodies came along. If we wrote a part where a melody really didn’t fit we wouldn’t use it, but if it was spot on, it was a no-brainer. So it is important but we don’t write around the melodies.
I haven’t seen the lyrics but when I listen, I get the feeling that the lyrics on this album are very deep and emotional. Is that correct and can you expand on some of the lyrical themes?
They are very personal. They were a way to deal with a lot of thoughts and feelings. I lost my mother to cancer and after that my world was up-side down. I lost hope in a lot of things. The lyrics were a way for me to gather my thoughts and turn it all into something creative instead of something destructive. Therefore, this whole album is important to me and the process of making it became like therapy, a way to move on. I’m glad I did it with one of my best friends.
How do you write your music, and where does your inspiration come from?
We write it together, and since we both play all the instruments it is a very creative environment to write in. Victor usually comes up with a musical theme and then we both write from that. Needless to say, there is much bickering but in the end when we are both satisfied, we have a song that we both can stand behind.
What does the future hold for The Moth Gatherer, both in the short-term and the long-term? Do you plan to tour in support of this debut album?
Well, now we ride this release out and see what happens with A Bright Celestial Light. And then we go back into the studio and start the process of writing our next album.We won’t tour, we won’t even play live. But if someone makes us an offer we can’t refuse I guess that we will go onto a stage and put on one hell of a show!
Matt Spall