I personally feel that THE SHROUD is perhaps one of the most prominent underground gothic bands in todays genre.  Do you feel this is a fitting honour, and what do you think it is that has kept your group together for the long period you have endured thus far?

- It's very hard to be objective about that sort of thing, but we certainly have been around for a long time and have gotten some good exposure during that time, so I suppose we could be considered a prominent band.  I think the reason we are still around is that we still have ideas we want to work on. If we ever don't have ideas, that's when we'll stop!

You have appeared on numerous compilation volumes and you have yet to be wholly realized by a label, does this aggrivate the band members in some fashion?  Or do you perhaps feel it is a driving force to keep the group motivated and always expanding?

- We would strive to grow and expand our horizons whether or not we were signed to a label, that is our driving force. But it sure would be nice to have a label behind us. It's very hard to get any real exposure on your own plus the business stuff really interferes with creativity, and I would love to have a business oriented person do that that stuff instead so we could just work on music!

 

Are you at all familiar with the death, black, or atmospheric metal scenes? What of dark ambient and / or experimental music?  Do you feel THE SHROUD would be well received among such audiences (as there is a growing trend for black metal fans to find interests in the gothic rock genre)?

- I don't have a lot of time now to be up on things going on outside my genre. I used to be really into staying current with all types of music, but since the band is so consuming now, it's hard enough to keep in touch with everything in the gothic scene. I've had a little more exposure to the dark ambient and experimental scenes though. THE SHROUD could most likely be well recieved by these other scenes, because we try to not only do one kind of thing. Basically, we do whatever the hell we want, and some of it comes out ethereal, some hard, whatever is right for the song!  We have gotten mail from people in these other scenes, saying something like, "I'm not usually into this type of music, but I heard your CD....."  I don't care what scene anyone is in--I just want people to respond to our music.

Your lyrical prose regard aspects of medieval times, poetic declamation, and dark atmosphere.  How important do you think your words are to the music? How do the two intermingle for THE SHROUD?

- Well, since I'm the lyricist, the words are extremely important to me! I do think the two need to inter-relate. I often base my subjects on something the music suggests to me. I'm also really careful to have the syllable structure of the words go with the melody so that the inflection makes sense. The words and music have to work as an integrated whole. The music sets the mood on an instinctive level, and the words communcate the mood in the realm of language.  A former band member and I used to say that the songs already existed in the "song realm", and our job was just to try and "channel" them in their purest form. We saw it as a sort of posession--we didn't so much write the songs as let them out through us. The music provided the emotional basis, and then the vocals were the part that communicated in the area of language and images...I still do feel a bit like a medium, as I try to write in a way that rings true for all somehow...

 

You have also recorded two music videos that were featured on a Propaganda Video compilation / art film.  One video portrayed a deep emphasis on witchcrafte and black magic.  What are your thoughts on the subject of occultism?  Are you a steady practicioner yourself?

- I wouldn't use the word "steady"...! I'm a terrible student, mostly because have too many things to do in a day. But I have been into witchcraft since I was a child, and I just started studying in a serious manner this past Yule. It's amazing how much of this I did instinctively as a child.  When I was first exposed to Wicca a few years ago, it was very strange to see how much I had already done as a little girl, with my little altar and wands and leaves...I'm not into occultism though. I'm really not big on serious ritual and formality. I'm definitely a kitchen witch type!  Although I must admit that all of the props in the "Spectre" video came from my bedroom...

Many gothic bands have a tendency to conceptualize around witching themes and magic in general.  Do you feel this is a prosperous subject matter in many forms of music or have you only found it in the gothic genre?  Why would you feel it necessary to discuss 'religious' matters in your music?

- Oh, it's everywhere, not just in the gothic scene! LED ZEPPELIN and Stevie Nicks are two big examples, but there are many, many more that give subtle hints in that area. For myself, it's not exactly a "necessity", but it is part of who I am and what I think about. I'm not going to get up there and do a ritual on stage or anything, as I feel that would prostitute the craft. But I would (and do) write about things that I feel during or as the result of a ritual, as well as aspects of being Wiccan in a society that is (supposedly) predominately Christian, or things that I hope for in the future of the craft. But part of the Wiccan tradition is to be very involved in the material world as well as the magickal, so I do write quite a bit about all that too!

In your video for the song "Ophelia" there is a majestic atmosphere set around the story of Ophelia herself.  This ocular presentation inspires thoughts of Pre-Raphelian arte in my mind.  Do you hold an interest with the painters of this period/society?

- Yes, quite a bit! They are my favorites! There have been several Pre-Raphaelite Ophelias, and I did have them in mind when creating our video. Something that most books and classes fail to mention is that there were just as many women in the Pre-Raphaelite society as men (very progressive at the time). Elisabeth Siddal is known for being Rosetti's main model, but she was also a very good painter in her own right...

What strikes your fancy with the medieval times?  What qualities are present that enthrall you to the point of finding an urgency to express it within your music?

- It would have to be the mythos associated with the time, the fantasy and legends that we have held onto as a sort of ideal. The actual middle ages were full of poverty, disease, warfare and opression, but what we "remember" is the Arthurian romances sort of thing. I think it is because we have a need for connection to the ancient, some sort of roots to the past. Especially here in America, where our history is so brief! In Europe, you can walk down the street and be on the same road someone walked on a thousand years ago. In America, the oldest structure is only 200 years old (with the exception of the pueblo structures and that sort of thing). Sometimes I think I may have had a past life in medieval times. The music from that time really elicits an emotional response from me! I love how the music is so simple, and yet it carries so much emotion... That's definitely something we strive to acheive in THE SHROUD.

Thank you for your time Lydia.  Do you have any final comments for the readers of Vae Solis?  Perhaps future plans for THE SHROUD?

- I never have any final comments--we are far from finished!!! As far as future plans, we are working on a new album right now, and we hope to have it out this fall. We'll make some more videos and then release a video compilation, perhaps with some interview footage. And we plan to play a lot of shows whenever we can, and get signed by a real label so that we can achieve even more!

THE SHROUD
P.O. Box 25112
Fresno, CA  93729
USA