Interviews

Alexisonfire, Emery, Poison The Well, Saosin, and more go piano on “Formative”, new album from Kathryn Georgina

6 mins read

South African musician Kathryn Georgina steps beyond conventional boundaries with her debut album, Formative, set for release in February 2025. A classically trained pianist and singer, she channels self-doubt and disillusion into stripped-down versions of early 2000s post-hardcore and hardcore tracks that many will recognize from the era’s defining sound.

The album features piano-driven reinterpretations of Accidents (Alexisonfire), Aimless Endeavor (Beloved), Walls (Emery), Pieces Of You In Me (Poison The Well), Outdated (No Bragging Rights), Bury Your Head (Saosin), Dear Youth (Day 52) (The Ghost Inside), Operative Word (Comeback Kid), and Tie Me Up! Untie Me! (mewithoutYou).

We’re stoked to give you the official premiere and first listen of the album above!

Kathryn Georgina

“Music shapes us all,” says Kathryn. “As an entry point, it makes sense to share the influences that speak volumes, bringing new life to classics but also showcasing the melody in lesser-known genres.”

“The message of the album is that there is beauty in everything,” Kathryn shares. She recorded these renditions at home on an electric piano, contending with daily interruptions and partnering with her engineer spouse, Ashley. Imperfections linger, but they capture honest grit. “Even listening to it now is such a love/hate thing,” she admits, underlining the vulnerability behind each note.

Kathryn Georgina

Throughout our discussion with Kathryn Georgina, we delved into the intricate process of stripping down abrasive post-hardcore tracks to uncover their melodic core, balancing imperfections during home recordings, and the emotional weight of reinterpreting lyrics into piano compositions.

Kathryn shared the deeply personal memories tied to the original songs, the challenges of capturing raw intensity without vocals, and how collaboration with her partner influenced the project.

Many of the original tracks on Formative are celebrated for their raw energy and abrasive sound. What was your process for stripping them down to their melodic core? Was there ever a moment where you felt like the essence of a track might be lost, or did you discover new depths in the music as you reimagined it?

A: I think I naturally lean into the melodic nature of any music I listen to, so finding the musical shape on the piano wasn’t too much of a stretch. I kept the same key as the music was written in, and adjusted where it made most sense to. It’s fair to point out that I’ve been listening to most of these tracks for 10+ years now, so the ideas had been marinating for quite some time.

Each song on this album comes from a deeply emotive and heartfelt genre. Do you have specific memories tied to these songs or bands? For example, what made Alexisonfire’s Accidents or Poison The Well’s Pieces of You in Me a must-include for this project?

All the artists I have covered have many memories and moments attached to them. I remember buying the AOF Watch Out! Album at a local gig based purely on the cover art and recommendation of a friend.

Dallas’ vocals were such a beautiful surprise, and the soaring guitars and lyrical concepts were all so poignant to my life at the time. Heavy music with strong melodic sensibility has always tugged at my heart strings.

You mentioned recording this album at home, balancing the process with life’s daily interruptions. How did this environment influence the final product? Do you think the imperfections and rawness of that process added something unique to the recordings?

Our young girls were in and out the room constantly, demanding attention and snacks. So we had to carve the time out slowly and intentionally. Sometimes I played when I really didn’t feel like it, or had to redo tracks that had been going so well, but had the flow interrupted…which was frustrating! My impatience with the recording process meant we had to let imperfections slide. But Ash was so patient and encouraging, and pushed me to get a good final product.

Kathryn Georgina

Lyrics in hardcore and screamo often carry heavy emotional weight. In translating these tracks to instrumentals, how did you approach conveying that same emotion through the piano? Were there particular songs where this felt especially challenging?

I’m hoping the music speaks for itself in this regard. Of course I want people to go discover new music and read the lyrics, and be moved by that. But in the end, I really wanted the power to be in the simplicity of the product. Having said this, after I had figured out the keys and chord progressions, I printed out the lyrics and let those guide the musical interpretation. So, the lyrics are central to the making of this music.

With your partner engineering the recordings, how did collaboration shape the album? Was there a specific moment where their input changed the trajectory of a track, or was it more of a technical partnership?

We are both pretty headstrong, and so in this instance I think Ash knew if I was going to do this, I’d need more encouragement and less musical input. However, there were a couple of times where I doubted something, and asked his opinion, and he let me know where he thought the track should go (for example, the melodic solo on the Saosin track was very much an adlib in the moment, and I didn’t know if it sounded right, but Ash said to keep it in. So, I did).

Your reinterpretations may expose these songs to listeners outside the hardcore scene. Was it a conscious decision to bridge those gaps, or do you see this album as more of a personal offering to fans who already know the originals?

I’m hoping for both as an outcome: For those that know the music to see it through a softer lens, and for those that don’t, to discover something new.

You’ve spoken about uncovering beauty in music not typically seen as beautiful. Is there a particular moment in one of the songs on Formative where you felt that transformation most strongly? Did any track surprise you with its melodic potential?

Ash and I both agreed that the Comeback Kid track was the most surprising, as though it had a strong melodic sensitivity, nothing in that particular track comes across as immediately lyrical. It was one of the more loosely reinterpreted tracks because of this reason.

As a classically trained pianist, how did your background inform your interpretations? Were there any elements of classical music you leaned into more heavily to bring out the emotional core of tracks like Dear Youth (Day 52) or Bury Your Head?

Everything I’m trained in musically informs the way I play. From pedalling, to weight in the fingering of the melody, to dynamic range, to accompaniment patterns…everything I studied, played, and teach, informs how and what I play.

Do you see Formative as something that could translate to live performance? If so, how would you approach performing these tracks live for an audience—both for fans of the originals and for those who might not know the source material?

I have actually played a couple of shows, opening for local band Lower Hollow on their album launch tour this year. I played a couple of my favourite tracks, interspersed with a few originals and other covers which I also sang, just to keep things interesting.

You’ve described listening back to the album as a love/hate experience. How do you navigate that vulnerability in releasing such a personal project? Has the process of sharing Formative changed how you view the music you created?

This is still something I am struggling a lot with, and don’t really have a definitive answer as of yet. I guess I’m trying to see the beauty in imperfection, and looking at this as a moment in time, as opposed to something that fully encapsulates me as a musician.

For fans of the original tracks, Formative may evoke nostalgia, but it’s also transformative. Was that balance—between nostalgia and reimagination—something you aimed for, or was it a natural byproduct of your process?

I think knowing that fans of these bands have been sitting with these tracks for many years (as I have) means that nostalgia will be a natural byproduct for most.

However, I love being able to show sides from the two musical worlds in which I have found a home: classical and the heavy underground scene. We love to point out the things that divide and make us different, but it’s so important to see how connected we all are at the end of the day.

If you were to continue exploring other genres or artists in a similar style, where might you go next? Are there other musical influences you’re itching to reinterpret through this lens?

I’m not sure! For the next album I release I intend to have original tracks on which I will be singing. But as for another cover album, I’m not sure. I love finding the gentle beauty in the unexpected…so that leaves a lot open to interpretation!

Karol Kamiński

DIY rock music enthusiast and web-zine publisher from Warsaw, Poland. Supporting DIY ethics, local artists and promoting hardcore punk, rock, post rock and alternative music of all kinds via IDIOTEQ online channels.
Contact via [email protected]

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