Interview with SISTER MAY (1/2)
Sister May ‘s concept album “VII” is immediately captivating. Each song is intended to describe a different aspect of the great collapse that is about to happen – or perhaps has already happened? – We talk about this in our two-part interview.
Orkus: Let’s start at the very beginning. You founded the band in 2017. What prompted you to make this decision?
Bert Goethals: Sister May was born out of a need rather than a plan. At the time, I felt there was a lack of music that really reflected the tensions of the world we live in – something raw, mechanical, yet emotional. We didn’t want to imitate a scene, we wanted to create something that felt real. 2017 was simply the moment when this urgency could no longer be ignored.
O: How did you come up with the band name?
BG: The name Sister May harbors a duality: “Sister” seems human, intimate, almost fragile. “May” is uncertain – it suggests possibility, but also instability. Together, it reflects what we are trying to do musically: the balancing act between connection and disintegration.
O: With “VII” you have created a sophisticated concept album. How did you come up with this idea?
BG: The idea for “VII” came about organically. We realized that everything we were writing was about repetition, pressure, systems and how people slowly get lost in them. At some point we realized that this wasn’t just a collection of songs. It was a story. The number seven gave it a structure, almost like chapters in a cycle that you can’t escape.
O: The number seven symbolizes all kinds of things. What does it mean to you personally? For us, seven stands for a cycle.
BG: Nothing mystical in the romantic sense, but something inevitable – patterns that always repeat themselves until something breaks. It’s about tension that builds up over time. Seven felt like the right number to capture this balance between order and breakdown.
O: The album starts with “The Burning” in a fascinating way. Is there a background story to the song?
BG: “The Burning” is the ignition point of the album. It’s that moment when something starts to change inside you, but you don’t quite understand it yet. It’s not an explosion – it’s a slow, inner fire. And once it’s started, there’s no turning back.
The next part will continue soon. – And also in our May/June issue
Claudia Zinn-Zinnenburg
Line-up:
Bert Goethals- vocals
Carl Vangheluwe- guitar
Wannes Desramault – bass
Stefaan Degryse- drums
Listen to “VII” on Spotify:
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