INTRODUCING: Soothsayer

Our world is incredible, with areas of awe-inspiring beauty. From lush rainforests to grandiose city skylines, to the enormous Grand Canyon, there’s more beauty in the world than we could possibly hope to see in a lifetime. But our planet is also in dire need of help; the ravages of industrialisation and the exploitation of the natural world have taken their toll and something needs to change. Drawing on a deep connection and empathy with the natural world, Irish atmospheric doomsters SOOTHSAYER channel the fury and pain of the earth through their debut LP Echoes Of The Earth. 

“We don’t concern ourselves too much with the expectations of others, we just create what feels right to us and do things our own way,” they answer when we ask if they’ve felt any pressure or the weight of expectations after their initial EPs were well-received by the underground. Doing things their own way meant that they “recorded Echoes Of The Earth live in the studio, with each of us performing at the same time… going back afterwards for some minimal overdubs.” This process has lent the record a very organic feeling, one that the band are happy with as long as it meets their own expectations. 

When quizzed about the themes around the natural world and climate change, they responded, “nature based themes have always been evident in what we do. Coming from the rural south of Ireland, we each have that connection to nature and that wraps its way around the SOOTHSAYER sound like a vine.” It’s not something they all experience in the same way; “we are each drawn to different aspects of nature and that makes its way into the stories we convey of its own accord. It’s something that was there within us before the band was ever formed.” Clearly, then, these themes were always going to come out in their music thanks to this close connection to the land itself. 

Despite sounding like the collapse of civilisations, the album was in fact mostly written and recorded prior to the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, the recording taking place mostly during Spring 2019 and it’s only become more relevant since then. “There is a blend of esoteric dream and grounded truth weaving throughout the songs that are bound to a heavy exclamation of despair and frustration. War Of The Doves for example, contains the line ‘don’t go outside, all the streets have been quarantined off as the virus takes effect’. We had no idea that line would become a true and distinct reflection of our reality so soon. The frustration is there from a pre-pandemic era but illustrates an accurate feeling of today and feeling for days to come,” they declare when we ask about this sense of prescience in the album. That a line was so accurately predictive of the future is eerie and only feeds more into the mystique and esotericism of the album. 

It’s not just an organic recording process; the writing itself requires all five of SOOTHSAYER in the same space “in order for The Soothsayer to unveil itself” and let them bring the songs to life. “We write in our rehearsal space, working out riffs and layouts as most bands would. Con or Marc [both guitars] would come in with a few riffs and we will each come together to flesh it out. Liam [vocalist] works out his lyrics and soundscapes in his own time and applies them afterwards but is always present throughout the process,” they say of how their songs come together. It’s a simple description that belies the complexity of their sound, with atmospheric and ambient elements running throughout.

The album opens with the one-two combination of Fringe and Outer Fringe, the former of which was written as a part of the latter. “It was something we would jam when rehearsing and it became part of our intro. It was a natural decision that we’d open with that for the album. It does set the scene and helps to get you into that ‘slightly off’ headspace, with one foot placed in another world entirely.” The ambient moments are something they “have always embraced, since the band’s inception. It’s another colour to add to our sonic painting. These elements are a minor but important part of the SOOTHSAYER sound. They help to connect to that other world that is being drawn from when the SOOTHSAYER is present.”

The esoteric and even meditative nature of some songs lend themselves towards longer songs, something the band are conscious of but never set out to do deliberately. “It’s more important for us to create a space with the sound,” they say. “It would be well within the keeping of The Soothsayer’s essence to create something that was shorter in length as long as the feeling is true”. 

Throughout the answers they gave us to our questions, the themes of being true to themselves and ensuring they had as much creative freedom as possible to explore their sound and identity became clear. All of their artwork is handled by Liam while graphics and layout are handled by Marc. When it came to creating the artwork for their debut, they again took a literally organic approach. “With intention, it was painted using just a broken twig and the fallen leaves of Oak, Sycamore and Beech. Tools provided by the Earth herself, in order to help convey her feelings on the matter. The broken twig and dying leaves offered their essence and dismay when creating the piece.”

It made sense, given their clear passion for their work and staying true to their shared vision, that they would choose to work with a label whose passion can equal their own. “Transcending Obscurity were one of a few labels who expressed interest in releasing it. We immediately connected with Kunal’s [label owner] passion and he was able to recognise that same fire in us,” they explain about their choice to work with the label for the release. 

While they channel the rage of a dying planet through their music, the passion they have also extends to their own scene and lifting up others within it. In the past, the band have made no bones about them playing a relatively inaccessible style of music; coupled with being from rural Ireland, it can make it hard for the scene to gain the recognition it deserves and they were only too happy to lend a few suggestions as we wrapped up our questions. 

“Ireland is home to many truly unique and innovative bands. The quality of music coming from the Emerald Isle is staggering. It would be impossible to name them all but CORR MHÓNA are a band from Cork who have just released their incredible second album Aibhainn. Their lyrics and concepts are written and sang entirely in the Irish Gaelic language. NOMADIC RITUALS from the north of Ireland are a force to behold and their recent album Tides is a journey. PARTHOLÓN are another band from our native Cork with whom we align with on a special level. We recorded a split 7” with them some years back and their Follow Me Through Body EP is essential. Along with them, there is FOR RUIN, GOD ALONE, COROZA, THE GRIEF and PROCESSION OF SPECTRES that are all bands from just Cork that need your attention. There is a wealth of ferocious and emotive music coming from all corners of this small island and is absolutely worth investigating.”

Until they can regroup live on stage and truly show the world what they’re capable of, they signed off with a statement that we couldn’t have put better ourselves: “don’t give in and keep fighting your fight, however small or large it may be. Be good, be weird, be yourself. Wield the fires of Mars and ignore orders alien to you.” 

Echoes Of The Earth is out now via Transcending Obscurity Records. 

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