A Dirty Dozen with EMILY HIGHFIELD of SULDUSK – April 2019

According to a recent press release: “Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, SULDUSK – a new project led by other-worldly frontwoman Emily Highfield – weaves acoustic tones of dark folk with elements of doom, atmospheric black metal and post rock. SULDUSK is set to release her debut full-length album, entitled Lunar Falls, on April 12, 2019. The album is available for pre-order now via Bandcamp. The album has caused a massive swell of interest within it’s genre both with media support and fans devouring the tracks released so far.” We get Emily to discuss new music, influences, and much more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Lunar Falls is the debut album of Suldusk. It is a one woman project which has woven acoustic tones with elements of heavy guitars and atmospheres.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

I sang in a choir when I was 7 and I got goosebumps when the three part harmony kicked in. I kept my melody but was in a state of euphoria when I realized the sounds that could be created by the human voice.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

I was obsessed with 60’s music when I was growing up. I was always into the history of music but that era really captured me. The first song that caught me was “The Sound of Silence.” The lyrics, the melancholic melody, the acoustic guitars and the harmonies. It moved my soul and still does. Then I segued into metal. Finally I heard Opeth, Agalloch and Alcest and realised there was room for acoustic heaviness.

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Agalloch, Opeth, Trees of Eternity, Alcest and Austere.

5. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Tim Yatras of Austere/Germ. He was a pioneer is blackgaze, which is black metal combined with shoe gaze. Dark and dreamy sounds.  Actually there are so many musicians and bands that I would love to work with.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

I would say it was dark folk music with elements of heavy atmospheres. It is not for everyone, and every mood. I choose not to remember the bad comments!

7. When the band are all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

At rehearsal we love to joke around, but its great to get stuck into the tracks and break them down.

8. When was the last time you were star struck and who was it?

I met Lindsay Schoolcraft of Cradle of Filth when I opened for her solo show. She was incredibly kind and gracious.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

I love connecting with people from around the world who send me messages telling me how much the music means to them. This is everything. If I couldn’t do music I would become a hermit in the woods. Totally off the grid.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

The question I would like an interviewer to ask is – why do you feel compelled to write? The question I get sick of is – who are your influences?

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”, even if it didn’t change your current situation?

So far, there has only been one moment of wanting a do over… my in between song discussion that got a little too convoluted!

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

I would love to have sat in on recording of The Mantle in 2002 by Agalloch. It is simply a masterpiece to me, so timeless and just gets better with every listen.

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Category: Interviews