Emerging from the post-industrial backdrop of Albany, New York, FLATWOUNDS offers an organic, raw take on grunge that refuses to be pigeonholed. With influences tracing back to the likes of ALICE IN CHAINS, ACID BATH, KORN, and STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, this crew crafts a sound that is both an homage and a progressive step forward in the alternative metal scene.
Since their inception in December 2022, FLATWOUNDS has quickly etched their mark with a fiercely original sound, now promoting their third EP, “Drain.” With five tracks that delve into new territories, the band explores a broader palette than before. The EP embodies a dynamic roller coaster of emotions and sounds, showcasing their evolving style and solidifying their place in the underground grunge scene.
To dive deeper into their journey and the gritty layers of their new EP, FLATWOUNDS sat down for an artist-to-artist exchange with fellow grunge infused noise rock metallers LACQUERHEAD from New Hampshire.
LacquerHead interviews Flatwounds
How was Flatwounds started?
Flatwounds: Flatwounds was started after I (Colin, singer) met Matt (guitarist) at a show we were both playing at. We both mutually agreed that we’d like to make a heavier type of music than what we were making at the time. That’s when Matt brought in his friend David (bass) and I contacted Wade (drums) to see if he was interested. After that it just kind of stuck.
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Tell us about the new EP “Drain”. How many songs? How has the sound changed and what can we expect vibe/lyric wise?
Flatwounds: The EP has 5 songs on it. It was originally supposed to have 4 songs but we wrote The Ladder while recording the other ones and decided it belonged on the EP as well. As for the sound of it, we think the common theme is versatility within the writing. We didn’t really plan for it to be that way, that’s just how the direction of the writing went. There’s an overall “roller coaster” vibe to it. As for the lyrics, the inspiration came from a different source. Rather than coming from personal experiences, most of them were written based on scenarios.
How has the dynamic between members changed since the band’s inception? Do you guys get along on the road? in the studio? What’s the writing process look like?
Flatwounds: For the most part we’ve just grown more comfortable with each other. For better or worse that’s what it is. We all get along on the road and in the studio. The music comes before the personalities. Thankfully our personalities all mesh pretty well. As for the writing process it’s pretty freeform. Almost every song was created simply by jamming. Matt (guitar) is usually the one that gets things moving though. Playing riffs until something sticks.
How do you feel about the music scene in the northeast right now? Where do you guys feel most at home playing?
Flatwounds: The scene in the northeast always has its ups and downs, but overall we think it’s starting to become a full unit. The major cities like NYC, Boston, Providence, Albany and Buffalo are slowly building steady connections that link our communities together. It’s really great to see. Of course we feel most at home playing in Albany. That scene has really helped us out. And they always pop out to our shows. <3
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Funny stories/things that happened on the road over the last year you wanna share?
Flatwounds: Definitely. This one time we got invited to play this show out in Maine, a solid 6 hour drive for us. We were under the impression that this was going to be a big show. At least big enough for us to put some gas in our tank lol. But when we arrived, it was in some strange (fully operational) office building. There were women getting their hair done in a salon, and people getting their taxes done next to them. Then you walk upstairs and there’s the show. It was so strange. We got paid like 28 dollars and 4 cans of monster energy.
Thanks LacquerHead for interviewing us and thanks IDIOTEQ for having us :)
LacquerHead interviews Flatwounds:
I guess we’ll start from the beginning. When and how was LacquerHead formed, and what’s the inspiration behind the name?
LacquerHead: LacquerHead was formed by two childhood friends Drew (Vox, guitar, art ) and Andrew (Bass. he’s no longer in the band). We were just a two-piece band that played heavy sludge riffs all night while drunk in our college band room.
We met Alex (drummer) in a jazz band, and he was too nasty to not be in the band. Over time, we got another bass player(Aeden), but he also left, and now we have the wonderful Tim.
We also got another guitar player (Nick). Our name came from our first bass player’s experience working in a seafood restaurant with people who huffed paint. He constantly heard the term Lacquerhead, referring to people who huffed the paint. Just Making it clear that we’re not inspired by Primus, and we didn’t even know LacquerHead was a song by them, Primus is an annoying band.
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The sound that you guys have created throughout 2 EPs and a few singles is dark and dissonant but also rhythmic and catchy. What are some of your major influences?
LacquerHead: Thanks for the kind words. We are all inspired by different things, but we all love grunge, bands like Soundgarden and AiC. Alex was originally a jazz drummer, so he had to learn how to play heavy at the start. Other influences are bands like Converge, Thou, Black Sabbath, The Pixies, Thee Oh Sees, the list goes on forever.
Your use of imagery seems to be a key piece for the band as well. How important is that for you guys?
LacquerHead: The visuals are just as important as the music, they go hand in hand. If you have bad art then the music suffers and Vice Versa. We have two visual artist in the band and Nick (guitar, film) is a very talented filmmaker, so having him join the band only enhanced our visual aesthetic.
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Coming from the New Hampshire area, was it hard for you to find your niche or did you have to seek out a scene nearby?
LacquerHead: Yeah, it felt pretty dire, especially since we got kicked out of our college and we were constantly ignored for a long time. We still have to travel to play and to be part of any scene. Due to our location, we aren’t really in a scene but we found a bunch of dope bands to play with all over NE.
Underground music is more accessible now than it ever has been thanks to social media. Do you think it’s now a necessity to use social media if you’re an underground band//artist?
LacquerHead: Unfortunately, yeah you need it to organize/promote shows. It’s a great tool for networking and meeting fans as well as bands. Without social media, we wouldn’t be able to show off our visuals as much. While it’s a tool, it’s also so annoying to use, and constantly having to keep people’s attention can be exhausting. seeing every band playing the same game makes it all feel shallow at times.
What are your thoughts on the direction that modern music is going? Do you think it’s still viable to start and play in a band in 2024?
LacquerHead: There is always amazing new music coming out, you just gotta dig. I think bands will never go away. I feel people really want raw and stripped-down music again, and being able to play music with a group of friends is something everyone should experience, no matter if you play out or not.
Thank you so much for being a part of this. We hope to play with y’all again soon.
