SPRAIN - Interview

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Tell us a bit about Sprain.

ALEX KENT - SPRAIN

Sprain was formed in 2018 and has been slowly falling apart ever since. We started off playing very shitty music and have been getting slightly better with each release. Hopefully, we will continue in that direction with subsequent releases.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

We found your most recent release climbing the charts on RYM with tons of positive feedback.

Can you tell us a bit about 'The Lamb As Effigy?'

ALEX KENT - SPRAIN

The Lamb As Effigy is our second full-length record, released through San Francisco based record label The Flenser on September first, 2023. It is our best, and most original work.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

On this project, you have two 24-minute tracks, 'Margin for Error,' and 'God, or Whatever You Call it.'

Can you speak to the creative decision of having two massive tracks? 

ALEX KENT - SPRAIN

The length was never necessarily a creative decision, in that we never outright decided to make long songs for the sake of. We just never put a limit on the appropriate length of the songs we were writing. Whatever the song called for is how long it ended up being.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Tell us about the title track, 'Man Proposes, God Disposes.'

ALEX KENT - SPRAIN

This was the first single we put out and perhaps the most immediate song on the record. The music was primarily written during separate improvisations we would do. I save rough recordings of every time we play so I can make sure we save anything worth saving.

Later we took the best parts of different improv sessions and stuck them together to form this song. I gathered up some friends who contributed saxophones and strings.

I think it came out decently.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Tell us a bit about the nine-panel album art.

ALEX KENT - SPRAIN

Inspired by the photographer Eadweard Muybridge's work, specifically the piece "Woman Throwing a Bucket of Water," I gathered a few of my friends who, from the back, looked nearly identical and had them assume different poses and postures. The different poses are meant to symbolize different themes of the record.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

The album is dark, to say the least. Can you speak to being in a creative headspace to produce such a raw album?

ALEX KENT - SPRAIN

The album was definitely made during a difficult period of everyone's lives, and that undoubtedly bled into our writing and recording process. However, that isn't to say the entirety of the record's creation was completely miserable.

Creating music, for me at least, no matter what the emotional implication of said music may be, is always a joyous and fulfilling experience. We feel that creating this music, despite the obstacles, is rewarding and wonderful.

There is no monetary or careerist impulse in our impetus to create; we do so only out of a fascination and love for sound.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Can you speak to the themes of self-loathing presented on the project?

ALEX KENT - SPRAIN

I just try to be as honest as I can be in my lyrics. There are moments of self-doubt and insecurity in my life, and I do my best to channel it into the music. I do think that the themes of "self-loathing," or however you may say, are oversaturated in the response of listeners, which is fine.

People are allowed to interpret the lyrics however they may please, but there is much more going on than "Oh, I hate myself."

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Can you speak a bit on the religious undertones of the album?

ALEX KENT - SPRAIN

I was raised Catholic and even went to Catholic school for nine years so that inevitably has affected/inspired my work. The themes of religion or spirituality on this record pertain entirely to questions rather than answers. I would hope sincerely that they come off as neither dogmatic nor preachy.

Through the lyrics, I am asking questions that I believe are very common, nothing particularly special or profound, like why do I exist? Is there an afterlife, and if so, what is it like? Why do I feel the need to create? Is there a hell, and am I going to it? Am I an evil person? Does evil exist? Does good exist? Etcetera, etcetera.

Like I said, nothing profound, but maybe things that other people ask themselves, things that I would hope others can relate to. No answers, only questions.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

What's next for Sprain?

ALEX KENT - SPRAIN

We are hitting the road pretty intensely next year and already have quite a bit of material ready for our next release. Other than that, making music until the day we die!

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