When did you first realise that COVID-19 was going to have an effect on your band?
We played our album presentation show on March 6th 2020, and a week later we were not allowed to leave the house. So any possible future gigs were obviously not going to happen. A Permanent Shadow is not really a band, it’s me and two producers working with some guest musicians, so it was never a case of meeting regularly for rehearsals, which means my day-to-day routines were not greatly affected as most of the work can be done from home anyway.
Initially, what was that whole situation like, and how did your band overcome/react to it?
It didn’t affect me a lot initially, to be honest, it was just a prolonged WTF moment. When it became obvious that this COVID thing was going to last longer than expected, I started taking advantage of the additional spare time to read and watch documentaries, which inspired me to write new lyrics. The writing lead to a new bunch of compositions which will be the core of our fourth album. We are about to release the second album soon but already have a third record demoed, so there’s a lot of material waiting to be recorded and released.
How has your creative process changed as a band over the last couple of months?
Usually I write all the lyrics and my friend Albert fleshes the basic compositions out with arrangements. We meet once a week at least, which of course during lockdown was impossible, so we swapped files for a few months with no face-to-face interaction. Luckily, we are back to the usual modus operandi which is more fun.
What’s been the hardest part about writing/doing music this way?
The lack of personal interaction was a bit of a challenge. We love to bounce ideas off each other, which in a remote environment is not possible.
What bands/artists have you been listening to over the last couple of months?
Angel Olsen, Cold Cave, Trail of Dead, Glasvegas and a lot of John Cale. I have all his albums but sometimes he’s not on top of my playlist, and then I stumble across some of his songs and remember how great he actually was and still is. Right now, my favourite is his Circus Live album.
So, what do you think you’ve learnt the most from being a band through COVID-19?
It’s possible to adapt and do things differently. And moments of adversity can actually ignite your creativity.
What kind of effect do you think that it’s had on the music industry all together, and how excited
are you to see it return to normal?
The music industry for years has relied on income from live shows. With concerts being an impossibility, it became obvious that the current model is rotten. Even well-known artists with a more moderate following were driven out of business or had to completely reinvent themselves. It became even more evident that either you are a blockbuster artist or you better start thinking about a day job.
What tips/advice would you like to give to other bands who are also going through this?
Keep calm and carry on. Nothing lasts forever. Try to stay upbeat and creative.