Ralph Brown – Without Belief ‘Overcoming Loss And Grief’

Posted on April 7, 2020 by Tamara May

It’s inevitable, but everyone will go through the grieving process on more than a few times in their life. It’s tough, losing a loved one, but Melbourne metalcore act Without Belief are here to help you get through this dark period. No one is ever going it alone. Here with their debut EP, The Parting Gift, the band have collaborated with other legends in the Australian music community, pooled their emotions together and unleashed their take on the Stages of Grieving. We caught up with Ralph Brown, who makes up one half of Without Belief, to tell us all about their new musical venture.

Without Belief was created to help those deal with grief and loss, and for your debut EP, The Parting Gift, you’ve collaborated with several members of the Australian music community to help spread the message. What else helped to push the fruition of this project?

Without Belief is project that was created shortly after my Dad passed away March 1st last year in 2019. The project or writing for the project started after Jake Kershaw, guitarist of Melbourne Band, Earthbound, lost his Aunty and we began writing music together in our spare time to create what everyone has been listening to since release. The project is in dedication and memory of our family members we had lost and to help establish a message to those who have suffered through loss and grief that they are not alone in what they feel and have gone through. Suffering, grieving, we all have gone through it or will one day.

Love the concept and inspiration behind the band! What music were you both listening to to inspire your sound?

We were listening to a range of acts and bands, such as Beartooth, Being as An Ocean, Bellehaven, The Beautiful Monument, Aburden, Earthbound, Wither, Betraying the Martyrs, For the Fallen Dreams, Alpha Wolf, Dealer. This was a collaborative list of sounds and approaches that helped shaped the instrumental influence to create the mood and sound of each stage of grief we tried to capture.

You chose guest collabs from people who had also experienced loss, which is very touching. Of course, some people prefer to deal with these issues themselves, but how important is it to reach out in dark times?

I think it is extremely healthy to reach out and at no point should anyone feel like they are burdening someone with their troubles or grief. If you ever think you cannot open up and speak about your grief, you can and we will personally listen and have that talk with you. We aren’t experts, we won’t have answers, we can’t professionally help you. However, we can support you and resonate with you through the music and message. You are not Alone.

We are all in this together one way or another. It is better to open up and have support then it is to bottle up and feel trapped and alone in your own thoughts.

You are not burdening anyone if you speak up. You are helping yourself and possibly someone else with their own issues.

In working with The Beautiful Monument’s Lizi Blanco and Belle Haven/Wither’s David De La Hoz, what life lessons did they invoke onto yourselves?

Lizi and David have been beyond amazing as musicians and people I can comfortably call friends. They helped guide me and talk me through grief when we saw one another, the messages and conversations really helped me understand from an outside perspective, how someone can go through grief and remind me I am not alone in my thoughts and struggles. I was very blessed to know that they had gone through similar thoughts and emotions I thought I was only facing and no one else had. They reminded me time and time again it’s okay to speak up and that bottling in my emotions and not talking about my Dad would be a very dangerous thing. I am thankful that I had them as well as Jake Kershaw there to support me any time I needed to reach out.

Let’s go more into track 5 ‘Depression’. This track in particular stood out for me, and it feels much like what I feel from the huge bands like The Amity Affliction, Beartooth and Silverstein. What made you choose to head into a post-hardcore melodic sound for this song?

That is a very big compliment and cannot thank you enough for that. Some of my favourite bands were just listed so I am incredibly thankful! It is kinda hard to say. I am never one to steer away from a sound or subgenre, this song made a lot of sense to be somewhat moody and post hardcore just naturally. The lyrics I had already written in the early days kind of set the bar and mood we wanted to represent Depression in. It made absolute sense that when I had those lyrics that David was the perfect fit for this song as well, which I really believe helps sets the genre and sound we wanted to deliver. It was one of those songs where it all just fell into place. I listed a few bands and songs for Jake to get the ideal influence from and it couldn’t have been more than a few weeks he had most of the song completed and ready for tracking.

What else do you have planned for Without Belief? Given live shows can’t exactly happen, but have you made alternative arrangements to continue to spread your message and songs?

Honestly, it is tough to say, I have no idea. I wasn’t even expecting the huge response we have received so at this point it could be anywhere! I want to give a proper answer but I can’t. *laughs* I have ideas of where I want to take this, but it’s still early days and the virus issues are creating some blocks of where this could go or do for now.

I can imagine when this whole thing has settled and live shows become possible again we will be there straight away without hesitation to really get out there and meet those who supported the music and message as soon as possible. But here is the music for now. We are in the early days of talking about the next release and future of this. So stay tuned for what is to come.

Interview by Tamara May (@citylightstam)

If you or anyone you know needs help with their own mental well-being call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or find your closest Suicide Prevention/Crisis Support Organisation on Google…

The Parting Gift is out now. Listen here