Q&A: From Reeling to Revelations: The Mysterines Reveal Deeper Emotional Landscape in ‘Afraid of Tomorrows’
UNMASKING THE SHADOWS – UK alternative rock band The Mysterines pursue a provocative exploration of the human psyche with the announcement of their upcoming sophomore record Afraid of Tomorrows, marking a highly-anticipated follow-up to their critically-acclaimed debut, Reeling. Alongside this revelation, the band has unveiled their latest single, “Stray,” providing a tantalizing glimpse into the evolved and mature sound that characterizes this new musical chapter for The Mysterines.
With “Stray,” the band delves into the intricate complexities of human emotion, exploring the aimless and untamed nature of the polarities that surface when faced with suffering. The song lyrically navigates through feelings of guilt, paranoia and unexplained bouts of grandiosity.
In the grip of loneliness, these emotions can transform dangers into open doors, tempting one to venture into uncharted territories. The narrative captures a poignant moment of no return, a juncture where the allure of the unknown leads individuals astray.
Afraid of Tomorrows promises to be a deeper and darker exploration of The Mysterines' psyche compared to their debut album Reeling. The record serves as a testament to the band's maturity and growth, showcasing their ability to navigate the complexities of the human experience with an elevated and refined musical approach. As they embark on this new sonic journey, fans can anticipate thought-provoking lyricism and a sound that reflects the evolution of The Mysterines.
“Afraid of Tomorrows is a mirror where you find you’re nothing more than a formless being, one made from celestial constellations — of traumas, of the old and new, mistakes, addiction, fear and happiness, loneliness, but ultimately a desire for life and the fight to keep living. It’s a collage of what’s been lost and of love unbounded,” says frontwoman Lia Metcalfe.
LUNA: Thank you for sitting down and talking to Luna Magazine. Our readers would love to get to know your newest music more. You just released “Stray” which is the lead single off your upcoming album. I really love the rawness in both the lyricism and sound. What is the inspiration behind the single?
PAUL: It was one of those songs where the demo wasn’t fully developed and then we talked to John Paul Watson in LA and he turned it into the life it is now. It is a departure from our older sounds, but still has our signature Mysterines elements to it, so we felt like it was the right song to start our new record with.
LUNA: I would love to know more about the creative process. How did you go through this experience and has “Stray” helped you express feelings?
PAUL: It was a weird one because it was me and the rest of the band throwing out ideas and it was a long process, but it was quite an exciting one, just because early on we realized that we wanted to do something different. It was a case of trial and error of throwing stuff against a wall and seeing what sticks.
GEORGE: It was a very fun experience. I really enjoyed recording the album with John, he’s certainly a character and changed my outlook on recording because he made it such a fun experience.
LUNA: The accompanying music video conveys a lot of complexities especially within the rope and push-and-pull metaphors. What is the inspiration behind the video and how was your experience filming it?
PAUL: Lia had the idea for the rope scene and everything else stemmed from there. It’s my favorite Mysterines video to date. It was a step up from anything we had done previously.
LUNA: “Stray” is the first glimpse into your upcoming record Afraid of Tomorrows. What can listeners expect from this new era of music?
GEORGE: I think it’s a more mature sound than the first record. There’s been quite a gap from recording the first record and the second due to the pandemic. I think we’ve all come a very long way as actual musicians and performers. I think that comes for everything including the lyricism and the layers to the music and visuals. Afraid of Tomorrows is more mature and has more evolved, solid sounds.
LUNA: What is the inspiration behind Afraid of Tomorrows and why did you choose that as the title of the record?
PAUL: There were a lot of inspirations really, I think that was the goal of ours and to create something that pulls evidence from our new sounds. “Afraid of Tomorrows” was a song we wrote pretty early on in this barn in the middle of nowhere. It was always meant to be the last song on the album. If you listen closely to the lyrics, it shouldn’t be the closer of the album which is why we did it. It’s also a phrase that’s not a very common phrase that’s used, but I think it’s quite fitting considering the weird world we live in.
LUNA: Did you take any creative risks or experiment more either lyrically, emotionally or instrumentally with this project since your Reeling album, and if so, how would you describe that growth?
PAUL: Instrumentally we changed things up quite a bit because the demos were already all over the place and just pure noise and trashy elements and cool things with the drum machine. The songs weren’t set in stone, so going into the studio, we were able to experiment a lot more and take the non-finished songs to a whole other level and be able to connect ourselves into the sessions more.
LUNA: What was the recording process like for Afraid of Tomorrows? Any fun memories you’d like to share?
MYSTERINES: John Congleton is one of the funniest people we’ve ever met, so it always felt like one big comedy show when we would sit on the couch and laugh at him. It was a very exciting time because we’ve been looking forward to doing new songs for so long, and I think everyone was so excited to finally be in the studio. We were in LA which is a place that we all love and it was such a lovely experience.
LUNA: What kind of atmosphere or emotional space do you aim to create for your listeners?
PAUL: I think lyrically on the record, Lia said it herself that Afraid of Tomorrows is more brutally honest. I think that as a listener, it’s always an interesting listening experience. Musically, there’s a lot more diversity to the songs on this record. Even in one listen, it goes through a whole musical journey. I think all in all, it’s a more elevated Mysterines experience.
LUNA: How are you feeling in this current era of your career and what does the rest of the year look like for you that you would love to share with Luna?
GEORGE: Busy in a good way. Lots of festivals and we are going on our headlining tour in the UK and Europe run in October and the start of November. We’re all looking forward to that and obviously the album release in June. Big things are on the way.
