In a current interview with Shawn Ratches of Laughingmonkeymusic, STABBING WESTWARD vocalist Christopher Corridor mentioned that he and his bandmates are not “chasing new followers.” He defined (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “There’s bizarre debates and conversations within the van about, ‘Oh, what if we did this?’ or issues you could possibly do to get a youthful fanbase or get new followers and stuff. And I do not actually assume it is well worth the effort. I feel that you simply simply put out good music for the people who know you, and if one thing organically occurs the place youthful children… As a result of we’re taking part in loads of festivals.
“We performed a competition in Ohio the place we obtained to play in entrance of BAD OMENS, which is a very large, form of fashionable band for the time being,” he continued. “And I feel loads of their followers obtained to see us play, and that is form of cool as a result of I feel that there is some cross-generational similarities or whatnot. And alternatives like that come up once we play loads of the larger festivals, simply an opportunity to get in entrance of different folks’s uh followers.
“Within the early days of STABBING, you needed to consistently promote your self and attempt to construct [a larger fanbase], since you’re on a report label, and it’s important to get able to play and you’ve got MTV and it’s important to consistently be constructing. I do not actually really feel that stress anymore. A number of it is simply because we do it for the love of it. It isn’t concerning the cash anymore. I’ve cash so I needn’t hustle each single day to attempt to pay the lease or no matter. So for me, it is extra about us going out and taking part in reveals ‘trigger we like to play, giving the followers form of what they need.
“We have the thirtieth anniversary of [STABBING WESTWARD‘s second album] ‘Wither [Blister Burn & Peel]’ arising, I feel, in 2026, so I might wish to concentrate on doing one thing actually particular for that, possibly doing the entire album with some cool manufacturing and doing a correct tour and possibly do some form of a launch primarily based round that,” he added.
Relating to the potential for a follow-up to STABBING WESTWARD‘s 2022 album “Chasing Ghosts”, Corridor mentioned: “We’ve not actually talked a lot about new music. I went via a fairly horrific couple of years [after being diagnosed with throat cancer in July 2022] and did not even know if I used to be gonna be capable to sing once more. So the truth that we’re simply touring once more and doing that feels actually good to me. And the one factor I do not wanna do is write a report about going via most cancers. I do not wanna be that man. I wanna get to the purpose the place I do not give it some thought on a regular basis or care anymore, after which possibly I can write music. However for me, writing new songs could be very private and it needs to be one thing that is impressed. I’ve to have one thing in my life that has triggered me, that has made me need to sit down and write one thing. I can not simply say, ‘Okay, it is time to write a brand new report. Let me self-evaluate and see if I can choose at any scabs and dig up some type of intense factor to write down about.’ I form of have to have one thing set off me. And that did set off me, however I do not know that there is any songs that I wanna write about it.”
Elaborating on his lack of motivation to write down new music, Corridor mentioned: “Truthfully, no person’s ready for us to write down a brand new report. [Laughs] Once we play reveals, we hardly play something off of ‘Chasing Ghosts’ as a result of you’ll be able to see the followers both have not heard it or they do not know it nicely sufficient that it entertains them whereas they’re on the present. And at finish of the day, we’re there to entertain the individuals who paid 25, 30 bucks to see us play. And I do know once I see a band play, I wanna hear… If I have been to go see Gary Numan play, I might wanna hear songs from ‘Savage (Songs From A Damaged World)’, like ‘My Title Is Break’. That is the album that I form of obtained into throughout COVID. And I would not essentially wanna hear a bunch of songs off his latest album. I might wanna hear the hits of the songs that I’ve identified via his profession. I might hearken to songs that he performed off his new album, as a result of I am an enormous fan, however I might do it with much less enthusiasm than I might than if he performed the songs that I really like dearly. If I will see PETER HOOK & THE LIGHT, I wanna hear [songs from] JOY DIVISION and NEW ORDER. I do not wanna hear Peter Hook‘s new songs. He would not play new songs. He is aware of that we do not care, and I recognize that…
“We’ve got to assume that our followers are usually not 15-year-olds; they’re 40- and 50-year-olds that need to hear the music they grew up with,” Corridor added. “And that is why once we play a present, we play 95 % the it songs from the [first] 4 information. We add in ‘Weird Love Triangle’ [NEW ORDER cover], we add within the ‘Burn’ [THE CURE] cowl, ‘trigger everybody likes to listen to a music that they know, a distinct model of it, and we simply attempt to make it as you stroll away feeling such as you obtained all the pieces that you simply’re hoping to listen to. Now there’s at all times gonna be the folks which can be, like, ‘Oh, I wished to listen to the Japanese B-side [song], some bizarre obscure monitor. ‘Oh, you as soon as sang a Tori Amos music at a soundcheck. I wanna hear.’ Nicely, do not depend on that.”
Mixing the scathing electronics of underground industrial/rock with the emotive melodies of goth and a decidedly radio-friendly sensibility, STABBING WESTWARD rose to nice heights within the mid-Nineties various increase. Fashioned in 1986 by Corridor and multi-instrumentalist Walter Flakus, the band went from underground cult sensation to the heights of vital and industrial success because of such songs as “Disgrace”, “Save Your self”, “So Far Away” and “What Do I Must Do?” To at the present time, these songs stay anthems of heartache, dejection, rage, betrayal and despair. With two gold albums and quite a few hit singles, STABBING WESTWARD fell from grace with the 2001 self-titled album amid private {and professional} turmoil, disbanding the next 12 months and leaving a void in trendy music that was considerably crammed by Corridor‘s later work in THE DREAMING. Nonetheless, it was the discharge of that band’s “Rise Once more” in 2015 that the seeds have been sown for a reunion. That album noticed Flakus as soon as once more making music with Corridor, with STABBING WESTWARD guitarist Mark Eliopulos becoming a member of THE DREAMING onstage in Chicago for a set of previous hits. In 2019, Corridor and Flakus got here collectively once more to launch the “Lifeless And Gone” EP, the primary new STABBING WESTWARD materials in 18 years. Written and produced by Flakus and Corridor over the course of three years, and recorded in a number of states and time zones, these songs captured the very essence of the STABBING WESTWARD sound.
“Chasing Ghosts” was launched in March 2022, marking the influential industrial rock band’s first new LP in additional than 20 years.
“Chasing Ghosts” was made obtainable through COP Worldwide Information. It options 10 tracks that showcase the commercial rock band’s attribute sound with a contemporary sheen that picks up proper the place they left off with their final full-length in 2001. With the brand new tracks, STABBING WESTWARD has not solely managed keep true to their unique sound, but in addition expanded it to suit the frantic new actuality of the twenty first century.
“Chasing Ghosts” options brand-new songs in addition to re-workings of the band’s acclaimed 2020 reunion EP “Lifeless And Gone” that discovered unique founding members Corridor and Flakus honing in on the unimaginable partnership that when produced a string of hits that dominated various radio and movie soundtracks, together with “Disgrace”, “Save Your self” and “What Do I Must Do?” — and resulted in two gold information.
To recreate that unique chemistry, the band recruited the legendary producer John Fryer to once more helm “Chasing Ghosts”. Fryer, whose manufacturing credit embody DEPECHE MODE, NINE INCH NAILS, 4AD, COCTEAU TWINS and LOVE AND ROCKETS, initially labored with STABBING WESTWARD on their best-selling early releases “Ungod” (1994) and “Wither Blister Burn + Peel” (1996). “Chasing Ghosts” was additionally mastered by Tom Baker who, like Fryer, labored with STABBING WESTWARD on their early releases and is a part of the reassembled manufacturing crew on the newest album.
