Alright, let’s roll back the calendar a few months, shall we? I (Corey) have been on quite the post-rock/post-metal kick lately, so I thought I would take the opportunity during this ever-so-slightly slower release stretch to circle double back on albums that caught my attention earlier in the year that I may have moved on from a little too quickly. Such was the case with Midas Fall and their March release in Cold Waves Divide Us. Out through Monotreme Records, their fifth studio album is landing so, so well. Delicate in sound perhaps, it still finds a way to completely envelope a space with one blissful passage after another. It’s heavy emotionally, but in a hopeful way, so it really is hard to pull away from. It’s worth getting lost in, is what I’m saying. So on that note, earlier in year singer/guitarist (amongst other things) Elizabeth Heaton was kind enough to answer our Profile questions and introduce this project and album a little further. Give it a read after the jump and dive into this stunning collection while you do so.

—

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 was about 12 years old when I first started taking a major interest in playing guitar and discovering new music. But it wasn’t until university that I discovered that I could actually sing. My flat mates would comment that I had a nice voice, which I always scoffed and laughed at. My mum was really understanding and supportive of me pursuing music, she has always been a big fan of the band.

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

This is always a hard question for us because we span a lot of different genres. I guess we are a rock band but with prog like structures and twinkly shoegaze guitars, with some electronica and neo-classical thrown in. Our music is sad and hopeful and likes to build in tension to a big climax.

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?

I was watching a lot of Game of Thrones reruns through the making of the album, so a lot of the songs had working titles related to the show. There was even a spider that lived in the corner of my studio during that time that I named “Aegon Targaryen”.

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

We have found ourselves in some pretty amusing situations over the years. Especially in our early tours when we had just started and booked all our shows on a DIY basis in the UK and Europe. Every day would be a surprise. Sometimes we would be playing sold out shows and staying in nice hotels. Then next night we would be playing in a dodgy bar somewhere and asked to sleep in the back of a grocery shop with all the stock. One night someone would stay awake “on watch” because we thought we were going to be human trafficked. One night we actually just slept on the stage on which we had just played.

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?

I can’t say I feel too optimistic about the scene in general in recent years. In the UK a lot of smaller independent music venues have shut down. Large established bands and shows seem to be doing really well but there has definitely been a reduction in appetite for smaller touring bands in the UK since COVID. It seems like a lot of people are more interested in watching Netflix than wanting to go out and discover new music. That is why we prefer to play in Europe, the appetite tends to be more positive there.

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?

We have always written our music from a personal perspective and tend not to lyrically focus on social or political issues. However, after we first toured in Romania years ago and witnessed all the stray dogs and cats just wandering the streets in desperate situations (and seeing how they are treated as pests), we have been very invested in helping them. Rowan and I have worked with Romanian and Croatian animal charities, doing fund raising gigs and also fostering and adopting the animals here in the UK.

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

So, my day job is as an EMT for the ambulance service in Scotland. I get to see so much crazy shit day to day and never know what I’m going to walk into. That is what I like about the job.

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?

We have had a lot of really positive reviews and features about our latest album from music critics and publications, so I have nothing to fault really.

Any specific long term goal(s) in mind?

We would love to tour the US or further afield than Europe. The ultimate goal would be to gain a support slot with a bigger band than ourselves which would give us the opportunity to play to new and bigger audiences.

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

Currently listening to………
Chelsea Wolfe – “Whispers in the Echo Chamber”
Slowdive – “Everything is Alive”
The Twilight Sad – “It won’t be like this all the time”

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

We are heading down to London at the weekend to play Portals Festival. This is an awesome festival for post-rock, post-metal and alternative noisey bands. There are lots of bands we love like This Will Destroy You and Overhead, the Albatross we will be sharing the stage with, so we will be making time to watch bands too.

[Editor’s Note: Obviously this festival was months ago now, but the lineup was incredible. Mark it down for a 2025 goal. Also, seconding the love for This Will Destroy You.]

Summarize your band in one word.

Gnarly.

—

Many thanks to Liz for the time!

---

Cold Waves Divide Us is out through Monotreme Records. For more information on Midas Fall, head on over to their website, or you can do the Facebook/Instagram thing.