Q: Looking back a few months after its release, how has the response from fans and the progressive rock/metal community compared to your expectations?
A: This album has been very well received by the progressive rock community. To be honest, it has exceeded all expectations that we had. We are so honored and excited by the number of people who have taken the time to discover and dive into our music!
Q: “Gravity” is the third single from the album. What made this song the right choice to continue introducing listeners to Falling Together?
A: We have been releasing the entire album one single at a time on streaming platforms. Gravity was simply the next single in line to be released!
Q:The track unfolds like a two-part progressive metal mini-epic. How did the songwriting process evolve from the atmospheric opening into the heavier, riff-driven second half?
A: While this song was written in two separate segments, I always intended the segments to flow into each other. Because the previous four tracks on the album are all heavy-hitting progressive metal tracks, I wanted to give the listener a little bit of a break from the intensity, and Gravity Part 1 was the perfect opportunity for that. I’m a big fan of bands like The Contortionist who use atmospheric instrumental sections as a sort of interlude between their heavier tracks. Gravity Part 2 was written almost with the opposite intent; I wanted a song that was heavy-hitting and exciting from the first note until the last note. It seems like a perfect juxtaposition to the soft beauty of Part 1.
Q: The song explores how fear is used as a tool by people in positions of power. What inspired you to tackle such a timely and thought-provoking theme?
A: This whole album is all about exploring the beliefs I was brought up into, and evaluating whether they are truly my own beliefs or whether I was just taught to believe them. There are many different facets of this topic that I try to explore in the different songs of the record. For Gravity in particular, the intent was to talk about how people in positions of power (specifically in a religious context, though obviously this is also applicable elsewhere) tend to use their influence to guide their followers towards whatever path benefits them personally the most. This is something I have spent a great deal of time thinking about in recent years with all of the current political goings-on, and seeing how intertwined politics and religion have become. I am certain that this is a topic I will end up writing about more in future albums, as I feel like I have a lot more to say that was not said within this album.
Q: The lyric, “Gravity is what holds us together, we are one when we are all afraid,” is incredibly powerful. What does that line mean to you personally?
A: It is incredibly troubling to me how often fear is used as a catalyst to unify groups of people and drive them towards specific beliefs or behaviors. We see this in so many places in society these days, but most prominently from politicians who use our “fear of the unknown” to drive us to hate people and lifestyles that we don’t understand. This division is, in my opinion, a cancer that is tearing our world apart, and it’s deeply troubling to me.
Q: “Gravity” touches on political, religious, professional, and personal relationships. Was it important to leave the interpretation open so listeners could apply the message to their own experiences?
A: While this album is intensely personal to me, and while I have my own stories that are wrapped up in the songs within my mind, I do also believe that the themes are universally relatable. I’d like to think that we all want to learn all we can about the world, and feel like we’ve made the best decisions we could with the information we’ve been given. I also think that most people at some point in their life experience a life change, whether it be a change in religious belief, political leaning, career path, family, relationships, or otherwise, and we all need to occasionally look back on the path that led us to where we are now, and reflect upon the things we’ve learned along the way. At its core, that’s what this album is about for me, and I’d like to think that it’s something that everyone can relate to in their own way.
Q: Grant Matheson delivers a standout vocal performance on the track. How did his approach help bring the emotion and intensity of the song to life?
A: My favorite thing about Grant’s voice has always been his gritty high register. He has a way of singing the high parts with an intensity that my voice will not personally deliver very easily. When I wrote the chorus of Gravity, I knew that this part would fit his voice so much better, and it was so exciting to hear it all come together in the studio! As good as the studio track sounds, he’s honestly even better with it live!
Q: Musically, “Gravity” balances cinematic textures with crushing riffs. How do you approach blending melody, atmosphere, and heaviness without sacrificing either side of your sound?
Progressive music often gives artists room to tell larger stories. Did “Gravity” begin with the musical ideas or the lyrical concept?
A: I believe it’s possible for all of these elements to exist in harmony without sacrificing too much. Many of my favorite bands have been able to strike that balance beautifully. Porcupine Tree, Opeth, Leprous, and so many others have made a point of being heavy, melodic, and beautiful all at once. For Gravity, the songwriting started with the introductory guitar riff for Gravity Part 2, but from there it very quickly blossomed out into a full-fledged composition and the vocals came at the same time as the music for most of it. This tends to be how my songwriting goes. I’ll start with one riff, and then very quickly expand out and flesh out the rest of the composition, adding lyrics, melody, and instrumentation all at the same stage in the writing process.
Q: The singles “Past Life Parable,” “Faith’s Window,” and now “Gravity” each showcase different sides of Advent Horizon. Was that intentional when choosing the singles?
A: I feel like every song on this album showcases a slightly different side of our music, so any singles that we release are going to show a slightly different view of the bigger picture that makes up the album. It’s been very exciting releasing one single at a time and seeing people’s reactions to each single!
Q: Since the album’s release, you’ve been busy performing live, including a livestream concert. How have these new songs translated to the stage?
A: In a word, amazingly! It has been so gratifying seeing the way that these songs have come together live. I feel like we’ve done a very good job of catching the emotion of the album, but with the organic raw passion of a true live performance behind it, it takes the songs to a new level!
Q: Have fans connected with “Gravity” differently than they have with your previous singles? Have any reactions surprised you?
A: The performance video that we released for Gravity has been received better than any of the other videos we’ve released so far, which was honestly a surprise to me, as this song is a little more of a slow burn than some of the others on the album. To me, this is proof that it’s not necessarily the most catchy or shortest song that will perform the best; oftentimes fans are able to discern which songs have the most unique artistic value.
Q: Progressive rock and metal audiences appreciate technical musicianship, but emotional connection is equally important. How do you strike that balance when writing?
A: In my opinion, these two things are not mutually exclusive. So many of my favorite bands have been able to strike this balance beautifully (Rush, Porcupine Tree, Opeth, just to name a few). In my early years, I used to place instrumental and compositional complexity at a higher priority than the song’s subject matter, but in recent years I’ve realized that when all of these elements come together, each with equal importance, they weave a beautiful and intricate tapestry, something with enough depth to allow the listener to continually discover new elements in the music even after dozens of repeat listens.
Q: Were there any bands, albums, literature, or life experiences that influenced the creation of “Gravity”?
A: Musically, I would say the primary influences behind this song are Rush, Haken, and The Contortionist. Lyrically, I was mostly influenced by the current events of the world and the troubling nature of fear and its relation to power.
Q: Falling Together has been praised within progressive circles. What aspects of the album are you personally most proud of?
A: I honestly feel like we have made an album that is worth being proud of in just about every way. We truly put our heart and soul into this record, and it has been an absolute honor to see how positively it’s been received across the world. As far as specific aspects of the album that I’m proud of, a few come to mind:
I feel like Falling Together captures the sound that I’ve always dreamed this band could one day achieve, and that is incredibly exciting to me.
This album features four people on lead vocals: myself, Grant, Kristen, and Mike (for the harsh parts). I feel like this is something that is fairly unique, and that we can continue to build upon as a band in the future. I love hearing the way that our four voices blend together, and I’m excited to see where we can take it!
The production on this album, in my opinion, is heads and tails above everything else that we’ve done. I’m so grateful to our good friend Zach Boorman for dedicating so much of his time and energy to recording, editing, and mixing the record.
Q: Looking back on the entire recording process, what was the biggest challenge the band faced while making this record?
A: I would say that time management is always our biggest challenge as a group. When working with a group of six people who all have different schedules and busy lives, it can be very difficult to coordinate times for everyone to collaborate. With that said, I am proud of us for how quickly we were able to produce this album following our last album in 2023. I hope we can continue this pace in the future!
Q: If someone has never heard Advent Horizon before, what do you hope they take away after listening to “Gravity” and Falling Together?
A: Ultimately, I would like people to feel reflective. For me, that’s what this album is all about: reflecting on my life, my upbringing, my family, and the choices that I have made that have led me to the point where I now stand. Obviously, for me personally, this reflection has been primarily spiritual, but I do not believe that spirituality is the only thing we should reflect upon. I think it’s important for everyone to look back on every area of their life from time to time—careers, relationships, community, etc.—and to honestly answer the question, “Am I where I want to be?”
Q: Progressive music continues to evolve. Where do you see Advent Horizon’s sound heading on future releases?
A: I feel like with this album we have finally found our signature sound, and I would like to expand upon it even more for our future releases. I want to make more heavy use of Kristen, Mike, and Grant’s vocal abilities, and I want to experiment more with different sounds and textures in the studio. I am feeling very inspired and motivated to get to work on writing our next album!
Q: With the momentum you’ve built through these singles and your recent live performances, what’s next for the band in the coming months?
A: In the immediate future, my attention is focused upon writing new material and booking live performances for the year 2027. Our goal is to play across the United States and in Europe next year. We have some exciting announcements on that front coming very soon!
Q: Finally, is there a message you’d like to share with your fans and those discovering Advent Horizon for the first time through this interview?
A: I would like to express my gratitude to everybody who has listened to our music, and especially those who have helped to spread the word to others! I truly believe that Advent Horizon has the potential to “reach the stars,” so to speak, but we cannot do it alone, and it has been so wonderful and meaningful to see a community of people slowly growing around the band. To everyone who enjoyed this album, thank you for your support! To those who are just discovering us now, we are so excited to get to know you, and we hope to meet you all in person soon.
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