Matt Flood - Caskets 'A Lot Can Happen In Five Years'
A lot can happen in five years. Somehow it feels like a long time, but also a tiny little glimpse in the span of our lifetimes. UK Post Hardcore act Caskets recently hit the five-year mark as a band and are about to embark on their first ever headline tour of Australia in support of their stellar new album Reflections. The band graced our shores in support of Windwaker last year and have been aching to return. We caught up with vocalist MattFlood to chat about the path that lead them to here and what it feels like to be flying to the other side of the world to headline in some very big rooms around the country.
"Yeah, it’s not real dude. I’m literally lost for words with it. We’ve never even done a proper UK or EU tour as a headliner band, so when we got offered it, I was scratching my head a bit. I can’t believe we’re coming to Australia to do a headline tour and that shows have already sold out. It’s insane."
[gallery type="square" ids="https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Caskets-18.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Caskets-17.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Caskets-23.jpg|"]Caskets’ 2021 debut album Lost Souls quickly put them on the radar with post hardcore fans around the world. Blending rich, soulful melodies with immense arrangements featuring low tuned guitar riffs and dreamy synths, it was clear from day one that this band would explode. Their sophomore album Reflections builds on the sound of Lost Souls but with the energy ramped up in a big way. Flood admits this was very much on purpose.
"We never want to do the same album twice and it was scary going into the process for Reflections. We wanted to take all the aspects of Lost Souls that made the Caskets sound, but we also wanted to add way more elements along the way. We didn’t think our fans would’ve wanted another full album of soppy post hardcore songs, so it was quite a scary ordeal. Touring Lost Souls made me want to make something more upbeat and energetic and I really hope that people connected with that."
Both Lost Souls and Reflections have been brought to life with the help of DanWeller, well known as the guitarist for legendary UK band SiKTH but also as the genius producer behind the likes of Enter Shikari, Dream State and many more. Flood says having Weller at the helm has been paramount in helping both himself and the band grow.
"That guy is a god with music. He can do everything, and he helped me grow as a vocalist loads and he’s so patient. When we were recording Reflections, we hadn’t toured for a while, and I lost my voice on day two of tracking vocals so we had to wait a week and a half for my voice to come back.
I was in bits, worried about wasting all this money and that the boys and Dan were all going to be annoyed at me. He made me realise that you can’t rush it anyway. So, even though we had to leave it for a week and a half, it allowed us to sit down and go over the melodies again quietly, go over the lyrics and make everything better. He really helped me with my mental health and the fact that I don’t have to blow my voice out on every single song.’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e5vUER20hoThe UK music scene has produced some of the most legendary post hardcore bands that the genre has ever seen and many of these bands have laid the path for generations to follow them. Flood notes that there is one particular band and vocalist that ignited the musical spark for him at an early age,
"My top influence would have to be Charlie Simpson from Fightstar. They’re my favourite band. I grew up listening to them and they were the first band I ever saw live. It always impressed me that Charlie walked away making millions with Busted to do Fightstar just because he wanted to do something that he loved. Not many musicians at that calibre would’ve taken the jump and that’s why I love the guy. He’s a big idol and mine and I pray to God that one day I get the chance to work with him at some point."
I said above that a lot can happen in five years. So many bands call it quits before things barely get off the ground while others pour everything they have into their art and hit the ground running with drive, passion and ambition. Caskets absolutely fall into the latter category and Matt acknowledges that there’s no way he could’ve foreseen that the band would be where they are today and admits that he didn’t even know if he would still be here when looking back at the state of his life in 2019.
"I was in a really bad place when we started this band. I had some serious drug problems and was living in a halfway house. I didn’t even think that I’d be living in five years. This band really sorted my life out.
I had two options, I either stop being a selfish prick and put my all into this band that might actually do something good for me, or I just keep wasting my life down the drain. Obviously, I made the right decision and the guys stood by me.
When we started the band, we had a five year plan. The plan was that within five years, we’d hopefully get signed to a label, release one album and maybe tour Europe. We’ve done America three times, this will be our second time to Australia. If the band finished tomorrow, I would be really happy with how far I’ve come and how far the band have come.
To me, we’re still just four Northern guys from England, trying to live the dream."
Interview by Nicholas Simonsen @blackechomusic
Caskets hit Australia on May 10th - shows are selling out like hotcakes!
Caskets - Reflections Australian Tourwith The Home Team, Stepson and Bad Love
FRIDAY - AMPLIFIER BAR, PERTH - SOLD OUTSATURDAY MAY 11 - LION ARTS FACTORY, ADELAIDESUNDAY MAY 12 - 170 RUSSELL, MELBOURNEWEDNESDAY MAY 15 - DICEY RILEYS, WOLLONGONGTHURSDAY MAY 16 - CROWBAR, SYDNEY - SOLD OUTFRIDAY MAY 17 - NEWCASTLE HOTEL, NEWCASTLE - SOLD OUTSATURDAY MAY 18 - BRIGHTSIDE OUTDOORS, BRISBANE - SOLD OUT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SbYwNtf26Y&pp=ygUHY2Fza2V0cw%3D%3D
