
Interview // 2021-04-08
Pupil Slicer
Wounds Upon My Skin was the song that caught my attention and introduced me to Pupil Slicer. Then I learned that they were about to release an album. I checked it out, and for me, the album is best listened to as a whole. I just prefer it as the full piece of art.
I am okay with not being able to define what genre this band is; it feels real, and that is what I like.
I am thankful that they were willing to have a conversation with me!
Send some love their way - check them out if you haven't already and you crave chaos!
Your album, Mirrors, came out on March 12. How does it feel, now that it is out there and being consumed?
Luke Fabian: The response has quite frankly been incredible, and has far exceeded any expectations we had for the LP. Listeners from across the whole spectrum of heavy music - from straight up metal heads, to hardcore kids and alt hipsters - are into the record, which is really great, and I think this reflects the wide variety of styles on it.
This is your first album after being signed with Prosthetic Records, but it also seems like a new start, as far as the direction of the music and lyrics. Was there a shift in how the songs were composed for this record?
Luke: This release did indeed mark a shift in production value, in comparison to the EP and Splits. They were more death-grind focused, but once I came on board - Kate then had all the tools at her disposal to move the band into the technical mathcore phase, aka - the music Kate actually wants to play, not carcass-worship as before.
I see Nick Povey did the artwork for your single, L’appel Du Vide, as well as your new album. How did you find and decide on this artist? What do these two pieces of artwork mean to you?
Luke: To add, as well as the artwork for our split with Sense Offender. I recommend anyone reading this check Nick out on Instagram and follow him to see more of his brilliant work. I had previously played in a progressive post-metal band with Nick, called Crevassian (he is a great drummer, to boot), and I had suggested we use some of his work.
Katie Davies: Nick sent over the album piece to me and Josh. We were immediately struck by how it just seemed to fit the vibe we were going for. It has a grimy, kind of violent look to it with the war elements, but then the lone female figure looking forlorn and the glitchy sort of cuts through the picture which really capture the aggressive and raw, yet technical sound we’re going for.
Katie, I heard you like to play music based on a mood that the music creates. What mood do you feel your new album is? Or are there several?
Katie: I think there are a lot of moods across the album. I would say a majority is rooted in sheer anger, hopelessness and desperation, but there are also more reflective and contemplative moments, even points of hope scattered throughout. I tried to make the album not be one feel for too long, as it’d be quite hard to sit through 40 minutes of one thing. There’s a reason Nails records are less than 20 minutes, haha.
What about you? Is there a certain mood to it for you?
Luke: The album oscillates between thoughtful meditative moments, and complete unhinged fury. The record then culminates with the last track, which was a conscious effort by the band to showcase that we have a wider repertoire than just short and sharp, to-the-point, grind tracks.
You have three videos: L’appel Du Vide, Wounds Upon My Skin, and Interlocutor. Can you give some detail as to the vision you had for each of these? I found they all stood out as unique videos.
Luke: I’ll talk about Wounds Upon My Skin, and let Katie cover the remaining two. For this we wanted a grimy / industrial vibe and we enlisted Scott Canty at Dark North Media, who is a true professional, and I would recommend his work to anyone. For that video, my sister features in the video performing some contortionist type moves, which suited the video really well, and certainly enhanced the visuals of the video. Her performance adds a general unease and tension to the video. The shoot took place in a partially in-use traditional red-brick (I assume late-Victorian?) warehouse in Manchester which had various industrial units and a rehearsal studio operating from it. From the outset, we wanted to create a dark and slightly unnerving performance video, and in this respect, I think the final product achieved this ambition.
Katie: The video for L’Appel was a lot more straightforward and a product of the environment. We needed a video for our first single and had some live footage lying around, as well as wanting to use something from Un Chien Andalou at some point. So we chucked all of it at the fantastic Art Of The Glitch. They did a really great job creating something cohesive out of it. Interlocutor was a lot more thought out, I sat down for a chat with the director Joe Cocklin and he really understood what I was going for with the lyrics. He wrote a fantastic script that I feel really captured them well. The video was filmed at Josh’s house and was a nightmare to coordinate, but the finished product came out really well, and I think that’s the one we're most proud of.
The first time I heard this album, taking in the lyrics as I went, I felt a sense of injury, injustice, and frustration. It was a little overwhelming. But as I listened to it again, I was able to take in the music side, as well. I think this is the amazing thing about music. It can take something that hurts, and turn it into something tangible to many. When did you make the decision to go all-out and put your heart out there?
Katie: It was pretty early on in the writing of the lyrics. This was my first time writing lyrics and really anything creatively with words in my life, so it was quite daunting. I figured that the best way to do something meaningful was to just be honest and write from the heart (as cliche as that sounds). At first it was quite hard to tap into capturing personal experiences with a storytelling and poetic lens, but by the end of the process I was really enjoying it. Collective Unconscious was the last song to be finished and I think that’s my favourite work, from a lyrical standpoint; I poured everything into that.
Is there a dream guitar, bass, drum set out there to you, or are you happy as long as you have something that is functional?
Luke: In true DIY punk spirit, any gear will do the job. But with the luxury of choice (and roadies), I would run a distorted and clean bass tone through two separate rigs, like I have seen the bassist in Fen do in the past. This is a really interesting approach for bass, and really helps create soundscapes especially in the context of a three piece band, which Fen also are. For what those rigs would actually be, I’m not sure, haha. Maybe a Gallien-Krueger for the clean and an Orange for the dirty. I have played Ernie Ball Musicman Stingray for many years, but really would like to get my hands on a Musicman Bongo, which is a more modern, updated version of the Stingray.
Katie: No idea; anything works for me, as long as it plays well. I’m not a super gear freak and my main things I look for are convenience - locking tuners so I don’t spend as long restringing when I inevitably break strings on stage, an EverTune bridge so that I don’t go out of tune when I fall over, and sturdy equipment all round so that I don’t end up breaking it too easily with how clumsy I am, haha.
Katie, I heard that you have ASD. My son has ASD. I know everyone is different, but what has been your experience with sound? Were you always drawn to chaotic and busy sounds, or was there a time when this was actually upsetting? What about the scene at a show, that is loud and full of noise? I ask because I notice there is a lot of talk about the chaos level of your music.
Katie: Yeah, I didn’t actually get into this kind of music until I was around 18 (I’m 24 now). Before then it just sounded like nonsense to me. The music that was a gateway for me was Deafheaven. I was drawn to the more post-rock sections and then the rest of it broadened my horizons to the idea of harsh vocals and louder production. In terms of live shows, the volume at those hasn’t ever bothered me for some reason - which is strange as I can freak out at the sound of a vacuum cleaner or a car passing by and get really upset, but then at a show, I love the volume. Maybe there’s something about a controlled chaos there being different to unexpected or unwanted sounds?
I also wanted to say that I am sorry to hear of your maltreatment, but thank you for putting it out there. This side of things is very real to me, as I saw firsthand through my son’s experience that even teachers can be biased against people they don’t understand. The injury my son suffered, even just in kindergarten, was infuriating. Thankfully, he is in a better school now. Fear of what we don’t understand, and persecuting those that aren’t exactly like us, needs to stop!
“An outlook bred from fear, reluctance to understand. Easy to be dismissed as irrelevant when you become the object of ridicule.”
-Taken from Collective Unconscious.
Obviously, sharing your music live isn’t something that can really happen right now, but what does live performance do for you?
Luke: It is of course the foundation of everything for the band and extremely important to me personally. I earnestly hope, like all other musicians and gig-goers, that a semblance of normality returns in the near(ish?) future, and shows of all sizes and types can start again. I look forward to when this can happen, immensely.
Katie: Performing live is a great release for me. I really enjoy getting out there and having a good time, seeing people in the crowd having a good time too. That’s the reason we do this, to bring a bit of joy and fun into our own lives, as well as others. The first time we saw a mosh pit going in front of the stage was something I’ll never forget, the energy in the room can be crazy at times.
Do you already have ideas flowing for more music, or will you sit in your album and perfect the material for when you can perform again?
Luke: There is material brewing for LP II, and I cannot wait to start playing it with my fellow Slicers who are finessing the songs. I guess what is most exciting are the songs that are not written yet, because we have not been able to jam together to come up with some more post-metal / atmospheric type sections, which ideally, we could all jam together to form the core of song ideas.
Katie: I finished writing Mirrors in like October 2018, so there’s definitely been time to start working on new stuff. I’d say we’re about halfway there with a second LP at this point, with the starting points for all the songs already written.
Video game you're playing? Book you recommend? Show that is amazing?
Luke: Fyodor Dostoevsky - Devils. This book is generally overshadowed in the West by Dostoevsky's other big-hitters - Crime & Punishment, Brothers Karamazov, etc., but I have read that this has been viewed as his most profound work of all. I have been working my way through all his work for years now and have just started Devils, so am looking forward to getting stuck in. It's a long one, so I may be able to discuss my takeaways from it with you, when the next record is out.
Katie: Well, that’s books taken care of! I’ll take the other two - I recently finished Cyberpunk 2077 and really loved it. Sure, it’s a little buggy (although a lot of that is fixed, now) and some of the systems are janky, but at its core it’s a wonderfully realized world and atmosphere. Not much else has sucked me in the way that did. I’m a huge fan of Cyberpunk media in general. Being able to explore a world that can capture the atmospheres of Blade Runner, Dredd, Mad Max, and the Matrix in one seamless experience is something else. Plus, the soundtrack (licensed and score) rules. Also extremely excited for the NieR Replicant remaster that’s out in May, one of my favourite games. As for shows, I’ve recently been watching through the CG Clone Wars show and that’s pretty great; criminally underrated, I’d say, in terms of Star Wars properties (yes, I know I’m the lamest member of the band).
Based on your personalities, what would your special abilities be if you were a superhero or villain?
Luke: I got stuck on this one, so I consulted my wife. Verdict was that I would be a superhero, with an ability to send out immense sound-waves and emit war cries so loud, that they could be used defensively and offensively against any evil foes. Reason being that, and I do agree with her here, I am a loudmouth and generally quite a loud person, haha.
Katie: Given how introverted and quiet I am off stage vs when I’m performing, maybe some kind of Hulk type thing? Smart and nerdy to very angry. Plus, I love the Hulk; still feel that none of the live-action portrayals have captured how ridiculous he is (also hype for the She-Hulk show coming later on in the MCU).
I often go to music for varied moods - for example, when I am excited or angry. Can you give me an example of a song (that is not your own) you might go to for a specific mood?
Luke: Countryside, hills and mountains - atmospheric black metal, like Wolves, Fen, Winterfylleth. If I was chilling and it was sunny, my go-to would be the whole Tres Hombres LP by ZZ Top. For a session and getting on the booze, would be ...And Justice For All, first and foremost, but any Pantera or Black Label record will do the job equally well. If I am walking in the countryside or hiking, Wolves in the Throne Room, Winterfylleth, or Enslaved fits a more contemplative, reflective mood. If I am working out, hardcore and death metal are generally the best, to get you motivated. As you say, there is a song or genre for every mood.
Katie: Angry or upset - Abandon All Life by Nails. Happy, sunny day - Sunbather by Deafheaven (I know those are very obvious choices).
During this stressful time with the whole pandemic thing, what would you tell fans they can do (in addition to buying your album) to help support you?
Luke: Keep any eye out for when we are able to announce a tour and come and see us at a show.
Katie: We have records, CDs, and tapes available at pupilslicer.bandcamp.com and also just recently put up a limited run of very metal-looking shirts via a collab with christwvrks.com. Thanks for having us!
Playlist Pick
After interviewing Pupil Slicer, I decided to add the song Collective Unconscious to my playlist.

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