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Arcane Roots: "If everyone hates it, fine"

Arcane Roots have made a giant leap away from their rock of old. "I want people to not like this record," says Andrew Groves. Well, he's going to be dis...

Arcane Roots have made a giant leap away from their rock of old. "I want people to not like this record," says Andrew Groves. Well, he's going to be disappointed.

By now, you probably know what to expect from Arcane Roots. Big, bold, arena rock with a love of riffs, rock moves and over the top shapes, yeah? That want to lead a crowd has always been their goal, from the choppy off-kilter riot of ‘Left Fire' to the pristine follow me of ‘Heaven & Earth'. The band promised a change this time last summer, telling us their new record was "absolutely different," and, "even more left-field." We've all heard that one before though. ‘Melancholia Hymns' isn't just course correction though. It's not a new colour on the existing canvas or the same destination achieved via different roads. Having finished 2013 debut 'Blood & Chemistry', the band were left asking, "Is that all we are?" The world that Arcane Roots have been slowly crafting over the last ten years is still present on their second full-length, but everything you think you know about the band only makes up one little corner of this mighty new universe. Different isn't just a mask; it's pumping through its majestic veins. "My biggest fear was that it would sound like ‘Arcane Roots Find A Synthesiser'," admits Andrew Groves. "'Rock Band Finds Drum Machine'," he shudders. He's standing backstage at Reading Festival, the same spot as last year's promise of change. In the days, weeks and months since he and his band, Jack Wrench and Adam Burton, have been locked away, shedding skin and growing new limbs. "It's been a metamorphosis," he grins. This record is so much more than their attempt at an electronica album. "We were just trying to be self-aware as much as possible," he continues."When we've done records before, and people say it's felt different, I've always doubted it. ‘Hmm, really? ‘cos it's still the same'. ‘Heaven & Earth' is very much the record we always wanted to make with the last two before it. That's where we were aiming for, and as soon as we hit it, ‘Cool, I'm satisfied'. I don't feel like we need to make any more points with that. It's been done."

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Features

Arcane Roots return with intent (and a bigger line-up)

Arcane Roots are back as a five-piece, armed with new single 'A Wave, Across The Sea' and festival slots at 2000trees and ArcTanGent. From Iceland studios to “beauty and chaos”, Andrew Groves and Daryl Atkins unpack how time away sharpened the band’s ambition.

Rather than continuing to try and force the expected path to the big venues and big noise that continues to draw comparisons with the likes of Muse and Biffy Clyro, Arcane Roots decided to go their own way. "We were so lucky to share stages with those kinds of bands, but after the initial daydream of what I would do to be in that position and have that production, crew and access to stuff that we've only dreamt of, [our outlook shifted]. We're getting older, and we're not heartthrobs. We never will be. We're not that kind of band; we never will be that kind of band." That single-minded desire for big venues and big crowds started feeling hollow. Arcane Roots wanted something more fulfilling. "I feel like this is us," he starts, comfortable in their musical skin. "We're that band who are there when you want a bit more. When you want something else. We've got a promise and a morality, and that's really our band. We promise you; you'll be surprised. We promise you; you'll be challenged. This record was about understanding our place as a band. I wanted it to be something I liked. I like rock music, I love playing guitar and those big riffs and when I play that with the other guys, it's really fun. It makes me smile every time we play, and that's always going to be there. I love the energy of that, but my own interests were way more electronic and took in scores, soundtracks and classical music. I wanted to make something that was worthy, if I could." The result is 'Melancholia Hymns'. Ten tracks of shimmering beauty, subtle confrontation and lush escape. It flits and dances with a powerful sense of purpose, yet sways with an effortless charm. Dynamic climbs and devastation breakdowns exist alongside seas of tranquillity and an ever questioning search for something pure. "If we were going to do this, it needed to feel effortless. We had to make sure there was no point in the record that felt forced, laboured or imitative of anything. I had to feel like we'd always been doing this. It had to feel completely comfortable." From the opening crackle of ‘Before Me', ‘Melancholia Hymns' makes it look easy. Before Arcane Roots have started with hundreds of demos, chopping, pulling, tugging and shaping them to fit. This time out, there was only these ten songs. Polished and allowed to grow, it's a record that blooms. "I'm really pleased it feels different," Andrew grins.

It's so different that it almost feels like another band entirely. There's an expectation of Arcane Roots, and this record definitely isn't it. It might have been easier to start again to avoid that struggle in changing the tide. And they almost did when Daryl Atkins left. "I'm very precious about stuff," explains Andrew. But not in a sacred way. As our managers or label will tell you, I'm more than happy to get rid of everything and start again. There's a purism about it. You do something better that way." Breaking up and starting again was almost a thing, but it would have broken that promise the band hold dear. "To some extent, our back catalogue and small magnitude of legacy comes into that but really for me; Arcane Roots was always around. It's us." And fighting those expectations, "it's become a turn on. I sat there rubbing my hands waiting for the first play of ‘Curtains'. It's the opposite of what you'd expect, and I'm pleased about that. I want people to not like this record. I'm excited about that conversation; people deserve that surprise." Setting out to do the best thing possible, there's a search for goodness across ‘Melancholia Hymns'. Despite their best intentions, the current worldwide search for the same thing sticks in the throat of the record. "When we went into the record, I wanted to remove myself from it and try and make it about more timeless things. But the same themes always come up; time, money, madness, us versus them. I almost hate that politics is something that's snuck into that. With the way the world is at the moment, I feel like there are no clear lines to anything anymore, morally or otherwise. We're kinda discovering quite obvious things all together. "Take Cecil The Lion, when that happened everyone was outraged, saying ‘This is wrong', but we've been doing things like that for thousands of years. What a strange thing to all discover at once. Same with politics, we're all deciding what is right and wrong. Even my belief in human beings has changed so much. I thought we were old enough to understand right and wrong. The majority are not what I thought." In the confusion and the hurt, Arcane Roots lead a quest for hope.

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