Out Of The Darkness with The Ansible

Out Of The Darkness with The Ansible

The Ansible’s new EP entitled Existing To Repeat: An Extended Play of the Isolated Mindset is sonic artistry created within the depths of a worldwide pandemic.  Featuring five astounding post hardcore reveries that tantalize the senses, Existing To Repeat is sure to launch this Austin based collective above and beyond the vast confines of the Lone Star State.  Highwire Daze recently interviewed lead vocalist Derril King to find out more about the making of Existing To Repeat in the midst of isolation, their live shows including a performance in Southern California at an Orange County pizza venue, plans beyond the age of Covid, and more…

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in The Ansible, and how long the band has been together?
Hey! I’m Derril and I’m the lead vocalist for The Ansible. Greg and I started writing music together in late 2014 and released our first album in May of 2015.

Where is the band based out of and what is your local music scene like there?
So we’re based out of Austin, TX. We’re pretty lucky to have a pretty diverse music scene here. Austin is full of talented people so there’s no shortage of original bands and musicians.

Is there any overall story or concept behind the upcoming EP title Existing To Repeat?
Well, we always try to write relatable music, especially with Existing to Repeat. After the pandemic forced everyone into lock down, we lost a pretty lengthy tour along with all the progress we were making with our last record release. It was pretty devastating so when it came time to write and record Existing to Repeat, we really played on those emotions, especially the affects of constant isolation.

What was the inspiration behind the leadoff single Let’s Drop?
Let’s Drop is the happy song on Existing to Repeat. Our guitarist, Greg, wanted to capture the feeling we got from being able to finally all get together and write music again. Funny enough we compared the feeling to taking hallucinogens, where you hit the reset button in your brain and bring your emotions back into balance.

Select any other song from Existing To Repeat and what inspired the lyrics.
From Here, We Fade definitely captures the feelings of hopelessness and defeat that came with life being brought to a grinding halt. Sometimes, no matter what you do, you can’t shake off those feelings and you just slide further and further into a dark place. I was so anxious when I wrote the opening lyrics of this song that when I sang it, I didn’t leave any place to breathe. Normally I’d do a rewrite because I want the vocals to translate well into a live show, but the feeling was transparent in my delivery that there was no way I could change it.

Who produced Existing To Repeat and what was it like working with them?
All of our music has been recorded, mixed, and mastered at ChopHarder Studios, which is our Guitarist Greg’s studio. It’s definitely a plus having a member who can handle all the production within your band, but you can become overly critical of yourselves. I’d say this is definitely the best we’ve ever sounded and we’re proud of our instrumental leader.

What was it like writing and recording new music in the middle of a pandemic and all the social unrest in the world today?
Man, it’s f**king wild. The EP is quite literally about what it feels like to be forced into isolation and have your world slammed to a halt. When the time came to record, we moved Greg’s studio equipment into my apartment and holed for like 10-12 days and just went for it. We had maybe 14 instrumentals either started or completed. At the end of the day though, we decided to move forward with the 5 songs of Existing to Repeat because they expressed our feelings best.

The last time I saw you guys live was with Memories In Broken Glass at Out Of The Park Pizza in Anaheim. What were the highlights of that tour and then of that particular show in Orange County?
FUN FACT TIME! Our newest member, Mark, is a founding member of Memories in Broken Glass. He’s been a homie since before that tour so it was awesome to tour with him and the other MIBG guys. That show was a lot of fun too. I remember the owner gave us a ton of pizzas and beers which is awesome when you’re pinching pennies on tour.

What could one expect from a live The Ansible show?
We LOVE to play live above all else. We take pride in our live shows. Personally, I love interacting with the audience. High fives, hugs, singalongs, I love it all. As a band we work hard at playing tight, being entertaining, and having fun together.

If The Ansible could open for any band either now or from the past, who would it be and why?
Honestly, this answer would be different for all of us, but I know that all of us would love to play/tour with bands like Loathe, Spiritbox, Sleep Token, Sevendust, and definitely Deftones. The reason is pretty simple. We’re fans of those bands and love what they do live.

What’s up next for The Ansible?
We’re pushing this release hard, for sure. Our first show back since February 2020 (was) September 27th in Austin at Come and Take it Live. It’s also Mark’s first live show with us! Past that, we’re working on some tours and shows towards the end of this year into next year. We’re always working together on new music as well.

Any final words of wisdom?
Be kind to others. Practice your instrument. Make the art that you want to make. Listen to Existing to Repeat!

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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