Emerging band THRNWLKR reveals a new dynamically obscure single, "Counterfeit Kin," a part of their upcoming EP, Iscariot.
Sometimes when one has another vision of the type of music they wish to pursue, it often falls outside the lines of other dreams they began first. For THRNWLKR, a new band that had emerged from the dreams of passionate musicians who sought to create a unique sound that defied traditional boundaries. Comprised of members from old bands and a still active project Ghost Heart, the band's aggressive amalgamation of hardcore, thrash, metal, and metalcore elements is proof of their commitment to pushing the limits of what's possible in music in their first new single, "Counterfeit Kin," which is set to be featured on their upcoming EP, Iscariot.
Our entire upcoming EP ‘Iscariot’ is mainly about betrayal, interpersonal relationships, and heartbreak, and covering those experiences to become the best versions of ourselves. "Counterfeit Kin" is about a fractured relationship with a family member and finally letting the pain and anger go, I hope that others can hear the song or read the lyrics and think “wow, I’ve been there and I’m glad to know that there is healing on the other side”.
“Counterfeit Kin" is a dynamically obscure and powerful track that delves into the dark themes of deceit and hypocrisy, exploring the idea of those who don't stand by what they say. An intense and potent experience that offers a glimpse into the band's unique style and musical approach, their innovative sound and uncompromising vision on their new single is a small taste of what to come for the emerging new band.
What is the story behind THRNWLKR? What inspired you guys to create this project?
Brae: After leaving another project here in Seattle, I knew I wanted to keep creating music so I went to work on writing some new material more in line with what I wanted to do while in that other band. Then when Charlie and Garrett both left the old band we were in together, we talked about working together again, which I was happy to do. Then being in Ghost Heart with Zack already, having him join this project was a no-brainer.
Instrumentally, your new single flirts with a few different genres, from hardcore, thrash, and metal, to metalcore. It creates these really cool, dynamic, obscure, and powerful foundations that set the groundwork for “Counterfeit Kin.” What was this instrumental process like going into this new single? How was this different from anything you worked on in the past? I know Ghost Heart in itself was somewhat of a different beast musically for you.
Brae: Thank you! When I was writing this, I had already mostly finished up other songs that we were working on, so this one was later overall in the writing process. As we were writing and coming up with ideas, we were stretching our legs a little bit and trying to find what sound we were going for as a band. I took an approach to this one as more of a “traditional” metalcore song, which was a familiar place after being in a few metalcore bands, and tried to add some elements of things we were already doing like the dissonant noisy bits and some chromatic runs. It is a different beast instrumentally from something like Ghost Heart. A lot of riffs that I play for GH are these big melodic chords that utilize almost every string all of the time. Even in the heavier sections of GH, it’s nothing like what I am doing here.
Lyrically, “Counterfeit Kin” is talking about deceit, people letting you down in life, and those same people making excuses for why they can’t keep their promises or stand by what they say essentially. Is that fair to say? Can we talk a bit more about the themes in this track?
Zack: Yes, you guessed it exactly. I had been sitting on these unfinished lyrics for probably over ten years and struggling to find a conclusion to the song or even an outlet to produce it. After working with this band for a few months and coming across this song the inspiration struck again and I was finally able to finish it. To me, the song is extremely personal as it is about someone in my life who did exactly what you mentioned. But after sharing the lyrics with the rest of the guys in the band and also with a few friends in our circle it became very clear that it wasn’t just my song, I was tapping into an experience that is very real for many people.
For you coming out of Ghost Heart, I want to say this is embracing new musical territories while also stepping into a new chapter yourself. What has THRNWLKR come to mean to you as you close one book and are essentially writing another with a new band?
Zack: I have played all sorts of music genres in many different bands over the years, a time when I have felt most genuine is when I’m able to do vocals. Ghost Heart went on a weekend tour with the band Brae, Garrett, and Charlie all came from and where we met. Shortly after that tour Brae joined Ghost Heart and then when the other band was reaching their end, Brae told me he and the guys had been writing new music so I went to jam and it clicked immediately. In THRNWLKR I’m able to step out from behind a bass guitar and share my passion and my stories to the audience in a new way. Ghost Heart is still an active project in our lives but this new band gives us the ability to experiment musically and lyrically with something that wouldn’t be genuine to what Ghost Heart has and continues to create.
What do you want listeners to take from “Counterfeit Kin” if anything?
Zack: I write my lyrics about personal experiences which is what probably 95% of all bands in metal and otherwise are doing and would love to see if listeners can connect with what I’m saying in their personal experiences. Our entire upcoming EP ‘Iscariot’ is mainly about betrayal, interpersonal relationships, and heartbreak, and covering those experiences to become the best versions of ourselves. "Counterfeit Kin" is about a fractured relationship with a family member and finally letting the pain and anger go, I hope that others can hear the song or read the lyrics and think “wow, I’ve been there and I’m glad to know that there is healing on the other side”.
What’s next for you after “Counterfeit Kin?” What else can we expect this year from you guys? Can we expect a larger work to span from this?
Brae: We have some stuff going on behind the scenes that we are very excited to show. We feel like we are just getting started. Coming up we have our debut EP Iscariot which is a big milestone for us. We have been working on these songs for a while and are excited to finally get them out to people to listen to outside of our performances. We also will be performing throughout the year. But behind the scenes, we are already working on the next phase of THRNWLKR which I think is going to be another big step for us as a band.
Zack: Brae covered most of it. We have the EP which we will continue to roll out over the next couple of months and playing more shows locally and regionally to keep building up an audience. I’m most excited to release the EP and move focus towards the new material. All the songs on Iscariot we have been working on for almost two years and the newer demos we’ve been cooking up are our best work yet.