Interview with LONE ASSEMBLY (2/2)

With “Knots & Chains”, Lone Assembly present a debut that moves between darkness and awakening. The Swiss band brings wave and synthpop elements from the 1980s into the present and weaves them into a unique sound. We continue our interview with singer Raphaël Bressler about control, inner tensions and the search for balance. Missed the first part? No problem, you can read it here .

Time management

The band members all had one challenge, as Raphaël explains: “I think the biggest challenge we faced with this album was time management and the stress that comes with it. Each of us has a life outside the band and sometimes we have to balance these commitments. There are four of us – with four very different lifestyles and schedules. Coordinating all of that so that we could make this album at all was probably the hardest part.”

Cathartic space

For Raphaël, Lone Assembly is not just an artistic project. “I think each of us has a slightly different idea of what the band means to our lives, but we all agree that it’s worth a lot to us. We have the same goal: to make it our main activity one day, to make our dream come true and to continue creating together. It’s different with ‘Knots & Chains’. The roles are much more balanced now than on the EP ‘That Never Happened’, and each of us contributes equally to shaping the project. It will always be more than just an artistic project. For me, it’s a kind of cathartic space.”

Control

In Raphaël’s opinion, is it possible to break out of control or do we humans simply learn to live with it? “That’s a great question,” he says. “I think it’s something very personal: what do we do with the control we experience or impose on ourselves? Do we try to free ourselves from it, or do we perhaps even need it in order to function? I wouldn’t answer that for anyone else because it’s deeply individual. Some forms of control are clearly toxic and easier to recognize, but reflecting on our own patterns is much more complex – especially because so much of it is unconscious. It’s also an inner conflict that each of us has to face. With this album, we’ve simply shared our own perspective on it.” In the end, he sums up the debut in one word: “Intense.”

Katrin Hemmerling

Line-up:
Vocals – Raphaël Bressler
Guitar – Glenn Le Meur
Bass – Jim Bodeman
Drums – Romain Segu

You can find out more in our May/June issue:

Listen to Lone Assembly in our “Current Issue” on Spotify: