Caskets’ latest album ‘Reflections’ delves deep into mental health with a collaborative approach, offering a genuine and emotional journey
Leeds band Caskets are trying something new. Following on from their 2021 album ‘Lost Souls’, which was a very personal record for vocalist Matt Flood, its follow-up, ‘Reflections’, is a more collaborative project than ever before, with guitarists Benji Wilson and Craig Robinson, bassist Chris McIntosh, and drummer James Lazenby each delving deep to leave their distinct mark on a record that gets up close with mental health.
Hi Matt, how’s it going? What are you up to today?
I’m really good; I’m in Australia at the moment on tour. We have a headline show tonight in Wollongong, so we’re getting geared up for that and doing a little exploring.
When did you begin working on your new album, and what was your headspace like at the time? It touches on some pretty dark themes?
We began working on the album just as our debut album was being released. We wanted to make sure we had plenty of time on the album as we were touring a lot throughout the process. It does touch on some dark themes as this album was written lyrically by all the members, not just myself... so we all had to put ourselves in some pretty vulnerable positions throughout
What draws you to tackling difficult topics in your music? Do you find it helps you process?
It’s my escape from reality. I don’t do well sitting down and talking about my problems, so to put them down on paper and in words, that’s how I draw my emotions out. It can be difficult to put yourself out there for the world to see, but I think that’s what you have to do for your music to seem real and genuine.
Is there anything else you lean on to help you get through rough patches?
Of course! I lean on my family and friends through my rough times. It’s no secret I’ve struggled with my fair share of problems, and the fact that I’ve always had people around me who understand and love me makes me one of the luckiest people in the world. Those people are my everything, and I owe everything to them.
Did you have any specific aims for what you wanted to achieve going into the album?
All I wanted to do was create a body of work that we could all call our own. I wanted every member to ‘have their say’ and be proud of the connectivity and openness we’ve created on this record.
How did you find the creation process? Did you hit upon any unexpected challenges?
There are always unexpected challenges that come up in the studio or even in your own head when writing lyrics. The time frame we had was a worry at the start as we had probably half the time to complete this album than ‘Lost Souls’. It was a worry, but thankfully, we managed it well.
It sounds like the album was a real group effort - what prompted the change in process?
We just wanted to make an album that came from all of us collectively rather than another record about my past and the situations I was once in.
What did you take away from this new, more collaborative way of working?
It’s shown me that as a group, we can work in more than one way; we can create a more open dialogue than before, which in turn will help us produce more creative music as we go further into our career.
‘More Than Misery’ features a guest appearance from The Word Alive’s Telle Smith - how did that come about, and what did he bring to the track?
So Telle and I have spoken for a while through social media. I’ve been a fan of Telle and his band for a very long time now. We wrote ‘MTM’ to have a feature on it, so we were scratching our heads as to who would fit the bill. We went through a number of different options, but we felt Telle was the perfect person for it. Also, I thought it would’ve been a nice surprise for the fans as Telle doesn’t scream as much as he used to. By the time Telle comes in on the song, you could say it definitely needs the lift he gives the track. The song is almost always rising into his feature, and he gives it the heavy impact the song needed.
Is collaborating with other musicians something you’re keen to do more of? Who else is on your bucket list?
100%. I truly believe music is a collaborative art form. It’s also no secret I’m a very big fan of Charlie Simpson (Busted, Fightstar). If there was anyone I’d love to collaborate with, it would be that legend! But I’m up for working with anyone that would love to work with me. Any style, any genre. I just want to write music and play live shows. Hit me up with that rap track, and we’ll get something going, hahaha.
What else are you guys working on at the moment? Do you have a lot in the diary?
We’ve got a pretty hectic touring schedule at the moment, which coincides with the album release. We’re out in the States next week with blessthefall for a six-week run, and then we’re going to plan a headline tour for the album! ■
Taken from the September 2023 edition of Upset. Caskets’ album ‘Reflections’ is out now.
