-Interview- (5/4/24)
1. How did you get started with music and how did you develop your sound? How did the name "Haint" come about and is there any meaning to it?
Darren (bass) and I had known each other for 20+ years and ended up living close to each other. Neither of us were in bands so we ended up jamming at Darren’s house one night and the writing spark was lit. We’ve both played and sang in numerous bands ranging from Death metal, hardcore and post-metal. We didn’t have a sound in mind to start but it grew very organically and has certainly evolved. We wanted something that had many dimensions. Both heavy and light with big soundscapes and layered vocals.
Haint is an old southern word for a specific type of ghost or evil spirit found in tales from various regions of the south of the US. The spooky vibe fit the music haha.
2. What do you want people to take away from your music?
We want people to feel it as well as hear it. Hopefully see it as an experience rather than just a band playing music. Our lyrics are very much based on personal experiences that we hope can relate to and take comfort and strength from.
3. How would you describe your sound to the average listener?
A mix of big heavy riffs and melodic soundscapes, odd time signatures and vocals that run the gamut of what people would associate with heavy music.
4. Who are three bands you’d like to tour with?
That would vary for us all. Right now I’d say Jinjer, Meshuggah and Mastodon, but that could change tomorrow knowing us.
5. How has the pandemic affected what you do?
It was actually fairly positive for us as a band. Our very first gig was right before the world shut down. But in that time Darren really knuckled down and learned the production side of things while myself and our first drummer, Steve formed a jam bubble and worked on the areas we identified from our first gig to get tight and write more music. When the world reopened we were ready and not playing catch up.
6. What’s your take on the current state of Progressive Metal?
Progressive is a very loose term these days. With bands from Tesseract to Sleep Token being put into those brackets. We all love those bands though and it’s great to see progressive music getting the attention it deserves from all sorts of fans not just other musicians.
7. What’s the current music scene like there in Belfast?
Belfast has very healthy and diverse music scene. It’s a small city compared to most, so most of the bands here are doing very different things. No two bands really sound alike and it’s inspiring and great to see.
8. What’s your take on the royalties that streaming services pay out to artists?
It’s very different to how we all grew up listening to music. Less personable and interactive and I think it’s a shame that streaming platforms have taken advantage of artists as a result. To be paid next to nothing for something you have put your heart and soul into is always going to have a negative impact. That said, the reach it gets some smaller bands can be seen as a positive. But yeah, pay musicians what they deserve. The music industry is very undervalued in terms of what stands for. Freedom of expression and emotion.
9. What’s next for Haint?
We are currently writing for our next release and getting ready for a few short spells in the UK mainland. Hopefully we will get some new music out soon and the cycle will continue. World domination is never off the cards haha.
10. Any shoutouts?
Big shout out to our Manager Paul for standing behind us this last while, and to our buddies in Nomadus. They’re a great band to watch out for if like your early Sepultura inspired riffage.
