A Dirty Dozen with KARL MIDDLETON from EARTHTONE9 – May 2024

According to a recent press release: “Iconic British metal band earthtone9 has unveiled their intense, thrash-infused new single, “Navison Record.” The track is the second release from their highly anticipated album, In Resonance Nexus, scheduled to drop on June 21st through Candlelight. earthtone9 is rightly hailed by those who know as one of the most forward-thinking, clever, musically wise, and creatively smart in the history of British metal. Emerging in the late 90’s as nu-metal was beginning to surge, their more nuanced palette and intelligent approach saw them hailed as something special and excitingly against the grain from the very beginning. Making an album a year between 1998 and 2000 – beginning with their expertly crafted Lo-def(inition) Discord debut and culminating in 2000’s staggering Arc’tan’gent – it was a work rate as intense as the music was uniformly brilliant.” We get vocalist Karl to discuss new music, influences, and 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 you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

It’s been a long time coming! We like density and always incorporate multiple layers of meaning. There’s a lot for the listener to absorb, we prefer to not be prescriptive and let people find what they find at their own pace.

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

Hmmm, off the top of my head: watching Live After Death on VHS, the epic-ness of it blew me away. Also, “We Gotta Know” by the Cro-Mags. The video for that song encapsulates the energy and vitality of youth, the visceral nature of hardcore, and the passion of scene orientated music. “The End of Silence” by the Rollins Band was the final piece of the puzzle for me – I could imagine myself onstage performing music when I saw Henry do his thing for the first time. The thrash movement was blowing up when I was in my mid-teens and that was a major gateway into heavy music. The speed and energy of it really lit me up.

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

I think seeing Neurosis for the first time really set the bar in terms of what intense performance looks like and creating a blueprint for experimental heavy music.

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

Mike Patton… because he is Mike Patton.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour?  What do you like to do to unwind?

I like to get my hand in the soil and grow plants, and to be in nature.

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?

Modern metal with experimental, post hardcore and metal-core influences. In the late 90’s we were compared to various Nu Metal bands, which didn’t sit right with us. It goes with the territory, we’re way past getting hung up on that stuff at this point.

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

Haha! There has never been an acoustic singalong in the long history of earthtone9. Owen is often the host when we get together, and he is a most excellent host and a generous and thoughtful human.

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

Download 2013 – Duff McKagan and Josh Homme.

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?

Creating, sharing ideas and performing. I love music, coffee and a good chat so maybe working in a record store or for a coffee roaster.

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?

Do you like being interviewed? I don’t like being asked questions! Rather, I much prefer organic conversations to interview situations.

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?

We spent a good chunk of time being frustrated with the promotion machine in the music industry. In hindsight a lot of what we did wasn’t very wise. Being aloof and petulant is a rather unlikeable trait haha.

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?

Probably the first Black Sabbath record. It’s ground zero for heavy metal, and I was obsessed with Sabbath in my late teens. It would be pretty rad to see what went down. The myth is that it was recorded in 12 hours, then the band headed off to do a gig.

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Category: Interviews