Emerging dark hard rockers The Devil In Faust have just released the
spanking new video single for Soulmate, which is pulled from their explosive
debut EP, Come Apart, out on Friday 28th April.
The Devil In Faust were formed at the end of 2014 and conceived by old
school friends Al Pritchard (Vocals/Guitar) & Ben Codd (Drums). The duo soon
started to play a cluster of shows in their local vicinity before releasing
their debut video single, Dark Places. Following the online success of Dark
Places, TDIF went on to release further singles during 2015: Forsaken & So
Clever. All three singles secured strong support from BBC Introducing.
In 2016, the band continued to perform a series of dates. Shows with Dani
Filth’s Devilment and Sinnergod only added greater weight to the band’s
rising cause, as did support from underground sources such as Uberrock,
TBFM, Amazing Radio, BBC Introducing and Blank TV, to name a select few.
With their live reputation on the up, TDIF were invited to record in Aarhus,
Denmark with Tue Madsen (Moonspell, Meshuggah, Sick of it All). They demoed
twelve tracks and decided on four choice cuts, which were shaped and
carefully created to form the band’s debut EP.
Since their inception, The Devil In Faust had experienced difficulty in
trying to hold down a permanent bassist. However, all this changed when Al
was introduced to Jess by Dave Catching at an Eagles of Death Metal show.
Jess showed interest in joining TDIF, and after just a couple of rehearsals,
the band transpired. You can check out Soulmate below!
We caught up with the band as they talked about their latest single and more!
So how has the release of Soulmate gone so far?
Great, we’ve had some really nice comments. What’s different though is that they’re coming from wide range of age groups and people who I normally would’ve expect to like our music. We’ve recently received support from Huey Morgan via BBC 6 Music which was insane, not forgetting our local BBC Shropshire Introducing show has also been spinning the tunes.
Tell us about the track
Soulmate tells a story. When paired with the music video it displays; confusion, frustration, anger, sadness and exhaustion. These are all feelings that we can relate to throughout friendships, relationships and life goals in general. It’s about the pressure on today’s youth to meet expectations of others and how failure is not seen as an option. It demonstrates that no matter how attached you can become to someone, they may not feel the same way. There’s a man, woman and those in-between for everyone. Soulmate is the fastest song on the EP and gets listeners attention, making it the single. A catchy vocal melody, loud guitars, biting drums and a grounded bassline make Soulmate.
How pumped are you for the release of Come Apart?
Very! We’ve not released any new material since So Clever, 2015 and the latest Come Apart EP really shows how far we’ve developed as a band and explores a slightly different direction for the band, sonically. It was amazing to get other creatives I admire involved such as Tue Madsen (Producer) and Seth Siro Anton (Artwork). We have a bunch of shows we’ve just started and in all honestly they’re going way better than expected. We just got back from performing in Belgium a couple of weeks ago and went straight into shows in York, Sheffield, London and Liverpool, tomorrow.
What is your favourite track from the EP?
I love to play Cross Your Heart and Seed live, they really set the tone of the record and then In My Eyes and Soulmate explore further, either side of the message and art. That being said I wrote these songs at different times but the inspiration was still the same. In fact, we have more recent songs that we’re currently rehearsing. These new ones are my favourite but you won’t get to hear them for a while.
So if you could work with any band on a new song, who would it be and why?
I’ve thought about this ever since picking up a guitar and writing songs. Some of the list includes; Martin Gore, Peter Murphy, Fernando Ribeiro, Jesse Hughes.
What has been your funniest moment while recording the EP?
This is a tough one, there’s too many. We recorded the EP, Come Apart in Aarhus, Denmark and decided to have a few celebratory drinks. After we had finished a bottle of Faustino, we continued to drink at a recommended bar.
Ben was keen, single and ready to mingle. He gulped his beer and noticed a woman walk in with long, blonde hair. At this point we had made local friends, one of whom was a regular and knew the person in question. He suggested that Ben made a move. After downing his beer, he casually walked up and introduced himself.
We all slyly watched with anticipation, until our new friend informed us that the female, was still in the transition of becoming a female (visually). At this point, it was a little late and Ben was enjoying himself. I got us all a coffee liqueur and cream shot, they were fantastic. Ben and his acquaintance then joined us at the table. I see hands touching, it was becoming a little physical. However, Ben still had no idea what we knew. The night goes on and no one knew how far this was going to go, Ben’s lady friend then decided to leave, but, not before a kiss on the cheek and tease.
We’ll never know what that friendship could’ve really been. Once we updated Ben on the situation, he wasn’t too pleased. I think we’re forgiven now though!
When not in the band, what do you get up to in your spare time?
I don’t really have any spare time, the band is almost full time when we have shows to constantly book and plan ahead. We currently do everything ourselves. Ben & Jess have their own responsibilities within the band but the majority of the business side of things I maintain. When I do get a day to myself I enjoy visiting gothic architecture, castles, churches and various museums. I’m often in London though during my free time, visiting friends or attending gigs. I drink a lot of tea as well…more than beer.
What were the first ever gigs you went to?
My parents took me to gigs and musicals throughout my childhood. One of the most memorable being, Mark Knopfler’s Shangri-La (2004) tour. I then began going to Download, Reading, Leeds festivals.
What has been your proudest moment to date?
As of late, having my art played on BBC 6 Music is surreal, I had friends messaging me saying they heard it and that was really really cool. The show in Belgium was a turning point for The Devil In Faust as it showed that a crowd can mosh, crowd surf and head bang all at the same time to our songs. I’m really grateful to everyone who listens to TDIF and continues to support the bands journey by coming to our shows and playing our music.
Current tour dates:
22/04 – Whitchurch – Percy’s Cafe Bar
03/05 – Manchester – Rebellion
04/05 – Addlestone – The Cave (The Holly)
06/05 – Worthing – Bar 42 w/Krysthla
09/05 – Newcastle – Trillians
10/05 – Northampton – King Billy
12/05 – Leeds – Verve Bar
13/05 – Doncaster – Vintage Rockbar
14/05 – Nottingham – The Bath Inn
20/05 – Workington – Lounge 41