Canadian hardcore crew Counterparts are preparing to release new album Tragedy Will Find Us next month, and they’ve given Metal Hammer the premiere of new video Collapse. We caught up with frontman Brendan Murphy to find out what it’s all about…
We’re streaming your video for Collapse, what are the ideas behind the song? “The song is a metaphor for falling out of love with someone, about how all the beauty is stripped away and you’re left (at least in some cases) hating the person you more or less shared a life with. After a relationship deteriorates, you look back on the time you spent together. You can either go over everything with a fine-tooth comb and try and pinpoint how or why it fell apart, or you can be content with the fact that it happened and grow.”
What can fans of Counterparts expect from your new album? “You can expect a Counterparts record. Brutally honest/emotive metalcore/hardcore/whatever the hell you want to call us. The lyrical content might be a bit darker than previous releases, but that’s because I was in a much darker place when writing this time around. Like all of our records, they represent the exact timeframe in which they were recorded. I think Tragedy Will Find Us does a great job at capturing not only the current state of the band, but also my mental state as a human being. This record is a progression in both the band’s musicianship and my own personal well-being.”
The album is called Tragedy Will Find Us, what’s the story behind the title? “The story being the title is that no matter who you are or what precautions you take, ‘tragedy’ will find all of us. Whether that means something as life-altering as the loss of a loved one, or even something simple as not landing a promotion you’ve been working hard for. The idea behind this is to not allow that ‘tragedy’ define you as a person, and not let yourself succumb to your hardships. It’s how you use all the negative aspects of your life to further your growth as a human being that defines you.”
It’s your first release on Pure Noise, why the change in labels? Has the process changed compared to Victory? “To put it simply, Victory was just not a good fit for the band. They had their own agenda and we had ours. Towards the end of our relationship, this caused a lot of problems that really didn’t need to exist. When our contract finished and it came time for us to explore other options or stay with Victory, we all decided that it would be in the best interest of the band to leave and find a label that allows us to carve our own path while giving us the necessary resources to do so – which is why we signed to Pure Noise so shortly after being free agents. In my opinion, there aren’t many labels out there that operate the way Pure Noise does – the music always comes first. There was really no doubt in our minds that we needed to migrate to the PN camp, and since we have things have been great. We finally feel at home.”
You’re coming over this weekend to play Download Festival, how does it feel to play Donington? “I think it’s going to be one of the more memorable experiences for our band. It will certainly be the biggest crowd we’ve played to at this point in our career. We’ve played some big festivals, but none as prestigious as Download. Especially considering we are not a very ‘accessible’ or ‘commercial’ band by industry standards. So to be playing with some of the biggest acts in the world is a surreal feeling. I think it’ll be great.”
What are your plans for coming back to the UK for a tour? “Very shortly we will be announcing our first ever European headline tour. I’m not sure how many details I can give away, but it will be in the fall of 2015 with two bands, one of which was a huge inspiration to us growing up. For whatever reason we have only played a handful of UK shows, so we’ve made it a point to include as many UK dates as possible in venues that allow us to create an intimate atmosphere for the people who really care about our band. I honestly can’t wait!”
Counterparts’ upcoming album Tragedy Will Find Us can be pre-ordered here from iTunes.
