Godsticks Interview 25/03/2026
MM: How excited are you about release date and do you have anything special planned for the day?
Yeah, the waiting game is finally over, and we’re excited to hear what everyone thinks. We have a lyric
video for ‘Can’t Withstand’ that we’re also releasing on the day of the album
MM: There’s a darker emotional weight on this record. Were there any non‑musical influences films,
books, art, personal upheavals that shaped the mood of “VOID”?
That’s an interesting question. I would imagine that a lot of TV or books would have perhaps an indirect
influence on the songs. I struggle to think of the TV and films I’ve watched during the time of writing –
enjoyed Severance and a bunch of films that I can’t recall!
Lyrically one of the biggest influences has been social media and the impact it has had on public discourse.
Like many, I scroll on social media regularly and it never fails to disappoint me how divided we seem to be
as a species. The fact that this division is engineered makes it even more depressing. The way people
seem to communicate now is they state their opinion on something, dress it up as fact, insult any opposing
view, and then close down any opportunity for reasonable discussion – and that goes for both sides of the
political divide.
We don’t live in a black and white world, yet it feels that we’re all forced to choose a side – either left or
right. I miss the days when a middle ground existed, and collaboration, compromise, and cooperation were
encouraged and vaunted.
MM “VOID” feels like a precision‑engineered descent. What were you running from or running
toward when you built this record?
Music has always been something I run toward, to escape both the mundanity of and frustration with reality.
As mentioned earlier, modern day life can be quite frustrating and feel hopeless. But music – whether
you’re a listener or creator – provides a means of escape and for some people a purpose.
MM: Which song on the album is the most emotionally volatile the one you almost didn’t want to
release?
‘Hope is burning’ is the most emotionally taxing as a singer. The outro is probably my favourite piece of
writing and it really stirred my emotions when performing it.
MM: Your sound is technical but never cold. How do you keep the emotion sharp without losing the
precision?
It’s very reassuring that you would perceive it that way because we like to think of ourselves as a band that
doesn’t use technical playing for the sake of it. We use technical playing to convey certain feelings - for
example, anger could be conveyed by a fast guitar line. Had we not developed our ability and technique on
our respective instruments then we’d arguably struggle to express ourselves how we would like to.
I also find it strange that technical playing is often viewed as cold. Of course, I’m sure there are plenty of
musicians out there that use technique to show off, but this accusation of emotionless technical playing
never gets levelled at classical players who are arguably even more proficient on their instruments than
guitar players.
MM: Which new track is going to cause the biggest eruption when you play it live?
I think MIA will. There’s a ton of energy unleashed with that track, with the nice breakdown in the middle in
preparation for the full-on onslaught of riffs at the end. We’re really looking forward to playing it.
MM: What should a live show feel like ritual, riot, or something stranger?
My recent thinking of performing live is that, at its best, it’s an exchange of energy between the band and
the audience. If you’re performing well and enjoying yourself then the audience tends to feed off that
energy, which in turn fuels the band’s performance. We see it as a challenge to get the audience moving
and physically reacting to our performance. When we first started out, I think we were sometimes annoyed
that the audience weren’t responding in the way we thought they should, but we quickly learned that we are
100% responsible for the audience having a good time.
666 questions:
Please name your 6 Favourite Albums
Frank Zappa – Broadway the Hardway
Steve Vai – Flex-Able
Rufus Wainwright – Release the Stars
Meshuggah – Koloss
Faith No More – King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime
System of a Down – Mezmerize
You’re trapped in a lift for 24 hrs. Which 6 track saves your sanity?
Radiohead – You’re all I need
Meshuggah – Demiurge
Steve Vai – The Riddle
Rage against the Machine – How I Could Just Kill a Man
Kendrick Lamar – DNA
Frank Zappa – Any Kind of Pain
1.Play a sold‑out arena… or play a tiny bar where the crowd is absolutely feral
Having only experienced one of those things, I’d probably like to play a sold-out arena – just to compare! I’d
be surprised if I didn’t choose a tiny bar with a wild crowd in the end though.
2. If you could steal one song from another band’s catalogue and claim it as your own
“You’re all I need” by Radiohead
3.If you were a musical instrument what would you be
Drums, so I could beat the shit out of myself
4.Made up song about your personality
Objectionable human
5.Leather jacket forever… or spandex trouser
If I had a gun to my head, it would be a leather jacket
6.saints or sinners? Facebook
Saints