In the sonic intersection of djent and metalcore, The Northern, a Canadian band, has carved out a distinctive niche that resonates deeply with their dedicated fanbase. Their inaugural full-length release, "Solstice," dropped in 2017 under Tragic Hero Records, swiftly ascending to the #5 spot on the iTunes metal charts on its debut. Garnering acclaim from Alternative Press, Lambgoat, Revolver Magazine, New Noise Magazine, and idobi Radio, The Northern established themselves as a force in the metal scene. Post their departure from Tragic Hero Records, the band independently launched their EP, "Cloudburst," in December 2021, navigating the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Undeterred, they collaborated with producer Jonathan Dolese in 2022 to bring forth "Hourglass," their January 2023 single, marking a pivotal moment for the band. The subsequent signing with Blood Blast Distribution and the release of "Usurper" in September 2023 further underscored their resilience, receiving acclaim from press outlets and securing multiple playlist placements on streaming platforms. The Northern's musical journey, marked by innovation and perseverance, promises an exciting trajectory in the dynamic landscape of heavy music. Just last week they released their latest single, "Drown" and Stef from The MIC caught up with the band to talk about their musical journey and new music!
Photo Credit: Jordan Gallant
SJ: Hey The Northern! We’re so excited to hear more about your musical journey and talk about your latest single!
TN: Thanks for having us! We are a metalcore/djent band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Northern are: Mike Cutway – vocals, Eric Leblanc – guitar, Jordan Gallant – guitar, and Adam Linka – drums/vocals. We just dropped our single “Drown” and we are stoked on the response so far!
1. SJ: You guys have been together quite a while, releasing your first single “Imperium” back in 2013. Can you tell us how The Northern started?
TN: Yeah, the history of the band is kind of divided into two chapters; 2013-2015 and 2016 - present. Back in 2013, The Northern was strictly a studio band and side project for our former vocalist Nick Papageorgiou and former guitarist Leo Valeri. They released a handful of songs from 2013 to 2015, and eventually Nick wanted The Northern to be a fully functional touring band, so he started recruiting members. Leo left to fully focus on his band The Afterimage, and Nick recruited the members (who are still currently in the band to this day) in early 2016. We signed to Tragic Hero Records later that year. The band parted ways
with Nick back in 2018, but there is no bad blood and he’s still a good friend of ours.
2. SJ: Together, The Northern overcame many hurdles from leaving your record label, to The COVID-19 pandemic. What do you think is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from conquering these challenges? How do you think that has affected the band and your music?
TN: Parting ways with Tragic Hero was pretty messy, but the take away from all of that just solidified the fact you never know what is going to happen in the music industry. If anything I think it just made us more cautious to future offers and drove us to do things more independently. The pandemic definitely challenged us to be able to write with each other remotely, since we all live in different cities. Along with experiencing our first time recording with a producer remotely. All of the challenges this band has gone through together has made our music much more raw and emotional, lyrically and instrumentally.
3. SJ: You just released your latest track, “Drown.” Can you tell us a little bit about the story and songwriting process behind this track?
TN: Lyrically, Mike and Adam wrote this song about finding hope during the darkest of times, and the harsh realities of growing up in a society and world that can be very bleak at times. Instrumentally, we actually wrote this song on the fly with our producer at the studio. It was the result of two separate demos we had brought him, so we Frankenstein’d the song into what you hear now!
4. SJ: What did your recording process look like for this track and how has the process evolved since the start of the band?
TN: We recorded this song in Nashville with Jonathan Dolese at Konkrete Studios (he also did our previous releases “Hourglass” and “Usurper”). This was the first time we had traveled and stayed at a legitimate studio since the band’s inception. Before, we had always kept it local and recorded with our good friend Doug Meadows in Toronto.
5. SJ: What is one song you wish The Northern wrote?
TN: Hmmmm I’m going to say “The Northern” by Alexisonfire :)
SJ: What’s next for The Northern?!
TN: We have plans to continue to drop singles into the new year, which will eventually be an EP! We have also been writing new music so we can go back to Nashville and record more songs. After our last two shows of this year coming up in December, we plan on focusing a lot more on that.
SJ: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us about
your latest single, “Drown.” We’re really digging this track, and look forward to what you guys create next!
TN: Thank you so much! We have no plans on slowing down, so expect to hear more from us very soon. Cheers!
Listen to "Drown" below!
Credits:
Written and Performed: The Northern
Recorded and Produced by: Jonathan Dolese at Konkrete Studios
Vocals: Mike Cutway
Guitar: Eric Leblanc, Jordan Gallant
Drums, Vocals: Adam Linka