When ‘Pelagic Records’ and ‘post-rock’ are used in the same sentence, I’m usually locked in pretty quickly. As such, I’ve had June 28 (this coming Friday, for everyone else that has lost track of where they are on the calendar) circled for a bit now. That marks the release of the fifth full-length from Sweden’s Oh Hiroshima, titled All Things Shining. I’ll tell you right now, without spoiling anything specifically, that it is a thing of beauty. The atmospheres Jakob and Oskar Hemström have created are simply mesmerizing. If you gravitate towards anything shoegaze, electronica, and yes, post-anything, you’ll find plenty to cling to here. So, to get us ready for the release in a few days, they were kind enough to complete our Profile questions and catch us up on all things Oh Hiroshima.

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How and when did you first get into playing music, or metal more specifically, and how did your band get its start? Any pushback from family/those close to you?

I come from a bit of a musical family. My father and siblings played instruments from early on, but for me, it wasn’t until around the age of 17 that I picked up the guitar, mostly because my closest friends all played together. I’ve always felt very encouraged by my surroundings when it comes to music, never experiencing any kind of pushback. At the beginning, Oh Hiroshima was more of a side project for me and my friend Leif. We both had other bands that took our main focus. It was just something for us to explore post-rock music within, which we had gotten heavily into at the time. Over the years, the project slowly grew as we started to take it more and more seriously, recording records, getting into the live scene, etc.

How would you describe your band and what you play to someone who is completely in the dark?

I have kind of given up on that and usually just ask them to go and have a listen.

Is there one (or more) thing about your latest / upcoming album or about your band that no one will find in any interview or review that you care to divulge?

There probably is, but can’t really think of anything specific, sorry!

Any funny stories from playing shows / tours / festivals, etc?

Since Oh Hiroshima has been more of a recording project up until the pandemic, there isn’t a lot of live history for the band. I think the stories for us have revolved more around bad stuff happening that you have to deal with. For example, a couple of weeks ago our vehicle broke down, and we had to leave it in Belgium with all our gear, then figure out how to get everything back in time for a show in Paris the next weekend. Things like that. Stressful at the time, but nice memories when you manage to solve things and get on with it.

What do you see as some of the great things happening in and around the metal scene (yours or just in general) and what are some of the worst things happening right now?

As we’re not really a metal band and I’m not well-versed in the metal scene in general, even if we do add some post-metal elements to our music from time to time and there are several metal bands I really enjoy, I don’t feel I have anything qualified to say. But, of course, it’s hard to miss the rise in popularity the genre has experienced over a long time, which brings with it both good and bad things.

Most folks have passions for a cause or causes that are close to them. What, if any, are some of the most important issues (social/political/humorous/etc.) for you / your band and how do you insert those issues into your music?

There are a lot of causes I care deeply about, and all our lyrics are based around existential questions that arise from our late modern western culture. I wouldn’t say we’ve ever been a political band, although in some sense everything is political, but things like individualism, consumerism, the loss of community, and the loss of a greater common goal are things that I think affect us deeply and create many difficulties for us as human beings. These are things I often gravitate towards lyrically.

Do you have day jobs or hobbies you want to share?

I work as a teacher and my brother, the second half of the band, works at a kindergarten and with installing audio equipment. For me, all the spare time I have besides work, family, and friends is spent making music and working on things related to the band. If I find any time besides that, I enjoy reading.

What advice do you have for music critics and outlets out there? How can we all better serve the genre in the eyes of a hard-working musician?

I don’t really know, actually. As a musician, I’m just grateful that there are people out there who truly care about music and give their time and energy to write about our and everyone else’s music. Thank you!

Any specific long term goals in mind?

I always have ideas for our next three records floating around in the back of my head, but in general, it’s all about becoming better songwriters and a better live band while also broadening and deepening our exploration of the music and sounds we love.

When you’re not obsessing over your own material, what are some of your favorite albums to listen to currently?

I’ve been getting back into Godspeed You! Black Emperor a bit lately. From this year, the new The Smile album, and I’m really looking forward to the upcoming Nick Cave album. I’ve also been getting into a French kraut/post-rock band called Alber Jupiter that I saw live at a festival we played at last week.

What is the near future outlook for you or your band? Any specific events on the horizon that the masses should be aware of?

Yes! New album out through Pelagic Records on June 28^th, playing Pelagic Fest in NL in August and then a European tour in December. Really looking forward to all of it!

Summarize your band in one word.

Crispy.

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Many thanks to Oh Hiroshima for the time!

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All Things Shining will be available through Pelagic Records. For more information on Oh Hiroshima check out their website.