"We Are Proud of This Album!"
And So I Watch You From Afar Bass Player Ewen about "Megafauna"
Surprise! I talked to And So I Watch You From Afar bass player Ewen Friers about the new album, "Megafauna"! He shared some of the band's secrets with me, and we talked a lot about the origin of the ASIWFA members as well as about their motivation, sources of inspiration and what drives them. Please enjoy the read—and listen to this record! Incidentally, Ewen has been a vegan for seven years now. We talked about that, too (A quick side note for my vegan friends).
Anne: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview! It's an honour and a pleasure to finally get to know you guys! How are you doing today? How is everything going with the planned release of "Megafauna"? How is the promo going so far? How is the feedback?
Ewen: Hi! Great to meet you, too. All things "Megafauna" are going well, thanks. It's been a lot of fun releasing singles and videos online. The response from the wider ASIWYFA family has been overwhelmingly positive. But we're on the road now (hello from Texas), and playing the songs live is my favourite way of promoting a record. The feedback is immediate and impulsive. The record feels alive now.
Anne: I have to say the album is impressive (ONCE AGAIN!)! I love how it's so introspective. These songs have the power to transport the whole movie of your provenance, home and musical life over the years in the most colourful pictures. I think it's one of your most brilliant releases so far, and I'm really looking forward to you sharing it with the whole world and hopefully getting the live experience someday soon. You must be satisfied with the outcome of your work. Are you?
"'Megafauna' is a record we really wanted to make!"
Ewen: Thank you, such kind words. Yes, we were delighted with how the record came together. It feels very personal, very honest. We're really proud of it, and I think that's important. It feels fully realised, as if it was the record that we really wanted to make! It's early days, but people seem to be responding positively to that, which is an incredible feeling.
Anne: "Megafauna" is a homage to Portrush and Belfast. Can you describe the feelings you lived through when engaging with your home places in such an intense way when making these nine new songs?
Ewen: So, we made the record during COVID-19. We were totally immersed and isolated together in our rehearsal space in Belfast for months. For a band that has tackled big, almost cosmic or conceptual themes on previous records, "Megafauna" became something much more self-reflective and zoomed in. I think lots of people did that during the pandemic, right? Self-reflection, exploring your psychology. And because we were staying put, exploring our psychology around our home place in particular. Thematically, this record holds a microscope up to our home place, the lens through which we view our home, old and new, past, present, and even future.
Anne: Did you always want to make a record about your Irish origin?
Ewen: I don't think explicitly, but as we gradually started to move "Megafauna" in that direction, it all felt totally natural.
Anne: You said the pre-released track "North Coast Megafauna" is one of your favourite songs on the album. You wrote it as a love letter to the North Coast, the cold days, skateboarding, the ocean and everything that defined you in the early days. I can very much relate to that, and I think we all have those places in our childhood or teens that we hold dearly in our thoughts. Would you say that, in a way, this place is still the same? Or has it changed so much that it feels much more like a fading picture you preserved for the future to make sure not to forget it at some point?
"The Atlantic Bar in Belfast was our safe place for growing up"
Ewen: Again, thank you. That's a beautiful compliment. Whilst that song is imbued with our particular feelings towards our upbringing in Portrush, the sea, the scene, and the people, it's nice that it might rouse similar feelings of the listener's own particular upbringing. For everyone, those formative years, the highs and lows, and the tensions that shape us are universal themes. So, I'm glad to hear you connected with the track at that level.
In terms of the North Coast, and whether or not it has changed? I think yes and no. There has always been a sense that the creative or alternative community up North is at odds with a version of the North Coast that is being promoted by local politicians, local council, and the "establishment" for want of a better word. So, in that sense, a lot of our community has felt ignored, if not downright suppressed. Parts of the town are being rapidly remodelled to create some kind of upmarket, golf resort-type place, but at times, those changes feel like they come at a cost to locals. A major change has been the closure of The Atlantic Bar, our safe place growing up, a venue that encouraged the marginalised groups of the town rather than shunned them.
Despite the closure of The Atlantic and the fact that, after decades of campaigning, Portrush still hasn't been given a skatepark, there remains a vibrant alternative spirit in the town that gives us great hope. I run "Coaster", a music/skate all day festival in Portrush. Each year, that eclectic, creative spirit that made Portrush such a cool place to grow up is showcased by a whole new generation of skate kids, surfers, punks, and hip-hop fans, and this gives me great cause for hope!
Anne: One thing that came to my mind when listening to "Megafauna" for the first time was that it's even more contrast-full than your previous works. Was that a thing you were working towards, or did it evolve naturally due to the topics of the story behind it?
Ewen: That's exactly right. We spent long days in the rehearsal room talking and pontificating on both the themes of the record and the environment we were currently living through during COVID-19 in Belfast. With that comes the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, and I think you're exactly right when you say this is presented sonically on the record. That range or contrast of "Megafauna" is a reflection of the influences.
Anne: The post-music scene is one I'd describe as very open-minded, familiar and creative. It connects so many different types of people in many countries and cities, growing beautiful flowers in the form of very creative independent festivals and labels every now and then. Would you say Belfast is one of its hotspots?
"ATG and Dunk! are a physical manifestation of the wonderful global post-music family!"
Ewen: We are so fortunate to have discovered that over many years. Festivals like Dunk! and ATG are a physical manifestation of a weird and wonderful global family. As cheesy as it may sound, there is an inherent friendliness about that "Post-music scene", as you describe it, that's very important to us. In many ways, the music scene of Belfast fosters similar attitudes, open-mindedness and an astonishing level of creativity. Coming of age in an artistically rich city like Belfast has put us in good stead, there's no doubt.
Anne: It's been a while since you released your first album. What has changed since your debut? I think it was 2005, was it? Wow, time flies by so fast.
Ewen: You're telling me!!! I myself only joined ASIWYFA in 2020 and a lot has changed, even since then. I have the privileged position of having been around ASIWYFA from the very beginning, working with the band in a crew capacity since day one. The world the band operates in is totally different. Major changes are all the smart technologies, devices, and programmes. They have altered the way musicians write, rehearse, record, release, and tour. But, ultimately, the core purpose of ASIWYFA remains the same, four friends trying to create something we love.
Anne: Would you also say post-music has changed since then?
Ewen: Of course! New, younger bands, particularly, are bringing new ideas into that sphere all the time. God Alone are a young band from Cork in Ireland. We toured with them a couple of years ago, they are doing very interesting things!
Elements of the Post-music infrastructure have come and gone, too, of course. Some festivals or labels have shut down, but new things appear in their place. Things have to evolve, and it's nice to be part of an ever-changing landscape.
Anne: Speaking about which. Do you have any more special post-music projects? Recommendations are also very welcome here!
Ewen: Aside from the above, we always like to mention bands we tour with. We're fortunate in that we get to forge meaningful friendships with good people on the road, but they also happen to be in killer bands. Big shout-outs to our current road buds, Caspian, as well as Lite, A Burial At Sea, Delta Sleep and a heap of amazing Belfast bands like Problem Patterns, Chalk, Robo Cobra Quartet, Junk Drawer, and Blue Whale.
Anne: You travelled to many countries and regions and played on many stages—from London to Paris and Houston to Brussels. Which one was your favourite so far?
"Belfast is a very important city for And So I Watch You From Afar"
Ewen: It's impossible to pick a favourite! And as the years go by, favourites change, right? But for the sake of speaking about a specific place, Belfast is obviously a very important city for the band. We're fortunate that our home town has always supported ASIWYFA, we care deeply about that scene, we see its vitality and consider a stamp of approval from the Belfast audience as very significant. In a way, Belfast gives us the confidence to go out and explore the wider world. Returning home for our annual Xmas show each year is joyous.
Anne: What do your plans post the release look like?
Ewen: We have some festivals and a UK tour to round out the year. We're also currently collaborating with Boundary Brewery in Belfast. The "Megafauna" IPA ferments as we speak! Lastly, we're going to be announcing a whole wave of new tour dates very soon… Please keep an eye out, everyone!
Anne: It's partly due to the name of my magazine (which combines post-music and veganism) and partly due to personal curiosity. May I ask if there are any vegans in the band? If yes: Since when and why did you decide to go vegan?
Ewen: You have come to the right member! I am the sole vegan in the band. I have been veggie for 19 years and vegan for seven—I think! I would rarely speak about my veganism and have never been asked to set out my reasoning publicly, so apologies if it makes no sense! Whilst I have deep-held beliefs, I am careful about offering them up without an invitation. Choices around diet are personal to me, and people do their own reading and make their own choices without me weighing in, which is fine with me. But since you asked…
For me, it's simple in a way; I don't like the idea of eating something that felt fear, panic, anxiety, pain, or terror. We all shrink at the sound of a yelping dog; it makes us sad, and sorry for the animal. When I realised that the animals we eat yelp, cry out, display fear, feel extreme pain and try to escape in their last moments, I decided to op out. I discovered that I could eat a perfectly adequate diet that didn't expose me to that particular ethical quandary (not that plant foods are free from ethical quandaries!) Environmental or health benefits are an added bonus, and whilst it's my veganism is probably messy, complex, and full of hypocrisies, I still think that as an animal lover, it's the best I can do.
Anne: Thank you so much for sharing this insight with me and my readers! And thank you for answering one of my questions in such detail! It means the world! All the best for your plans and the publication!
Ewen: Thank you for having me.
The official release day for "Megafauna" is August 9th. Check out my preview here!