Page 65 - Poze Magazine Volume 74

Q&A

w/ SPECTRES

Brian Gustavson- Spectres Vocalist

Presence explores various themes alongside a
search for meaning. What specific aspects of
modern life are you reflecting on in the album,
and what kind of hope do you offer your
listeners?

I always try to offer listeners a sense of past,
personal history, and nostalgia in my lyrics. Other
themes that are explored on Prescience are anger,
betrayal, and change.

Are there any specific stories or inspirations
behind some of the individual songs on Presence
that you’d like to share?

Many of the songs were written with a sense of
impending change and impermanence. They are
imbued with bearing the burdens of the past while
being aware that change is necessary to facilitate a
way forward. Ending the old to begin the new.
Presence is a strong follow-up to your widely
acclaimed album Hindsight; What are your
reflections on Hindsight in the rearview mirror,
and how did it inform the direction of Presence.

My intention with many of the songs on Hindsight was
to present something that felt more
pop-influenced than previous Spectres releases, and
I think to a large degree, some of that came
through in the end product. There are certainly
elements of that present, but overall, the styles of
the songs might be more diverse.

With nearly two decades in the post-punk scene,
what are your observations on the evolution of
the genre and how has Spectres adapted or
stayed true to its roots?
When Spectres first started, we were heavily
influenced by UK Anarcho Punk and bands like
Crisis. It felt to me like in those earlier years, a lot of
the bands we played shows with had pretty diverse
influences. Our first couple of tours were a strange
time as we often played with bands
that were pretty mismatched; we played with a lot of
crust, metal and hardcore punk bands, which was fun
and certainly made for some odd bills.