156/Silence: The Grit To Triumph
156/SILENCE have become impossible to ignore. After their last album, People Watching, came crashing through our speakers, they’ve been non-stop. With the release of their latest single, No Arms, countless tours and exciting new collabs, there are no signs of them slowing down. In an industry of such high demands, the grind cannot stop. There’s no opportunity to slow down or regroup. Jack Murray reveals the behind-the-scenes of what the band is truly up to in between albums and shows. As well as revisiting familiar faces and upcoming tour dates in the UK.
On their last album, this band literally broke the mould. Its infamous artwork captures the intrigue and nightmares of anyone who comes across it. Phillip is the uncanny valley mascot that people either love or hate. The strangest part? The final product is technically an unfinished version. “We asked our buddy to give us a creepy smile inspired by APHEX TWIN. He gave us this and said, it isn’t done yet; it’s just a frame of reference. And we’re like, ‘nope, it’s done. Good job’.” This artistic intuition follows them around. Always one step ahead and finding new exciting opportunities. This facade is now synonymous with the band and that particular album cycle. There is a fire in 156/SILENCE that needs to keep burning if they’re to maintain the vigour they found in People Watching and carry it over to From A Distance.
That pressure to keep the foot on the gas impacts so many bands. However, 156/SILENCE knows how to move within the tides of demands, rather than fight them. Murray discusses how they have no plans to stray from what is true to them as musicians and storytellers, but are taking a more open-minded approach to this cycle. A huge part of this is credited to Producer Josh Shroeder. He was there to nourish the creative vision and unafraid to provide constructive criticism when needed. With bands like LORNA SHORE, KING 810 and THE PLOT IN YOU under his belt, he clearly has a magic touch. “He is just a breath of fresh air to work with.” He creates “a warm environment; he makes you feel comfortable. But if it’s a bad idea, he’ll tell you it’s a bad idea, and you need that.”
156/SILENCE represent the reality of what musicians must do today to stay visible and appease algorithms. It’s not an industry famous for being warm, but the machine mindset is visible everywhere, which was once reserved for 90s pop acts. There is huge stress put on bands to maintain momentum, adapting posts to keep engagement up before disappearing from feeds forever. “It’s nonstop work. We practise every week. We’ve done it for years. We accept any tours we are offered. It’s nonstop. And when we’re home, it’s nonstop writing.” Despite this, From A Distance strikes a balance of learning from the previous cycle and applying them without creating a carbon copy. Most excitingly, the collabs coming down the line are huge achievements that the band can be proud of.
Alex Reade from MAKE THEM SUFFER is sure to add a wonderful layer of complexity to the title track From A Distance. As well as Mike Hranica from THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, “he’s a hometown hero for me. So that’s absolutely mind-blowing as well that we got him”. Rather than relying on streaming and social media numbers to guide them, it is clear that they’re committing to the grind for the love of it. The numbers are sure to follow. When Murray speaks about their journey, he never suggests it is a burden. There is only excitement when he talks about creating new things, whether that be a music video or merch ideas.
They are bringing new techniques and structures to this record that they haven’t tried before. “We experiment more with singing, and I think we did it tastefully on this one. There’s definitely a lot more choruses.” It’s not only song structure they’ve decided to play with, but there is also a bigger lean into soundscaping and cinematography. The cinematography in No Arms is beautiful. There isn’t a creative field that goes untouched by this band, as their worlds remain their inspiration.
Particularly in this latest video, the whole piece is a chase scene that blurs lines between virtual and reality. “Video games inspired a lot of it, experiences or just shit that I’ve lived through, that I turned them into like a line in a song that’ll hopefully relate to somebody. It’s all kind of just a hodgepodge, but the main thing is that it flows and sounds good.” This video also brings the return of the Phillip mask, connecting the two albums perfectly. It can also be seen in the album art for From A Distance; the mask is seen…from a distance.
Keeping that relatability is what maintains a connection and growth; people respect authenticity. However, throughout the conversation, Murray returns to the word luck. That they have had so much of it, with the producers they work with, tours and artists enthusiastic to join them on this record. Although it does play a part, they are also fiercely hard workers. He speaks on the dedication of his bandmate Jimmy Howell with such admiration and respect. They are merely getting to reap what they sow. Outside of the music they stream on Twitch, they interact with their fans, and they run their own merch. But when they’re on tour, they pour their heart and soul into it. “When we’re on tour, it’s the biggest priority. Getting rest and just being able to perform the best and be as present as possible.”
When asked for a word to describe the band, Murray chooses “Grit”, and that truly sums up this band perfectly. They will be back touring here in the UK later this year with THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, and they are ready to make yet another lasting impression.
From A Distance is out now via Pure Noise Records. View this interview, alongside dozens of other killer bands, in glorious print magazine fashion in DS132 here.
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