MY DYING BRIDE guitarist Andrew Craighan: “we have some problems to sort out' within the band”
30-05-2024
In a recent interview with Brazil’s Headbangers News, guitarist Andrew Craighan of English doom metal pioneers MY DYING BRIDE was asked when fans can expect to see him and his bandmates on tour in support of their latest album, “A Mortal Binding”. He responded: “I’m sorry. I really, really don’t have a real answer for that. To try and give you some understanding that MY DYING BRIDE is not a full-time band. We all have very much normal jobs and sadly that drags on our time, as you can imagine. And, obviously, it means we have to ask permission to leave work and all those kind of things. So that’s one difficulty. And also the distance, because we would need more than one gig for the promoters to make it make sense and all those kinds of things. So the sad and real answer is I don’t have an answer. But on the plus side on this, if there is a light at the end of this well, we do think about it. We do try, and our agent does listen to various promoters and tries to get things going. But like everybody else, we’re at the mercy of how it all works and how our professional jobs keep us sort of — not necessarily held back, but it’s all got to align.”
He added: “I mean, we have some problems to sort out. Some people have some personal problems that we need to sort of overcome. It’s not insurmountable… I know people are concerned because obviously people, they care for the band in ways that we didn’t expect. But I reckon we’ll be okay. Everything’s a little bit messy right now. We have some things that we have to organize and iron out, let’s say, but it’s not insurmountable.”
Last month, MY DYING BRIDE issued an official statement regarding the recent revelation that they were canceling all of their previously announced 2024 tour dates, including an appearance at this year’s Maryland Deathfest. The band said: “The production of this latest album was arduous and challenging to such an extent that it has revealed fractures within the band. These tensions had already been observed during the creation of the previous 2 albums and were only exacerbated during the Covid period. Over the past few months, they have intensified, causing a profound sense of discontent among the band members. The resulting stress and the pervasive feeling of burnout, along with the physical and mental malaise it creates, necessitated a period of time off which unfortunately impacts on live shows.
“The reason for the lack of an official statement until now is because the band has truly hoped to resolve these internal issues and perform some shows this year while trying find a resolution in time to satisfy all parties involved. Sadly, this resolution is yet to be found.
“Regrettably, a lack of understanding and poor communication from our professional partners has resulted in an untimely and chaotic mess from which a recovery is challenging. However, the promoters have now been officially contacted and it is hoped that steps can be taken to minimise the impact on you all.
“We apologise for keeping you in the dark, but these are indeed challenging times.”
In an interview earlier this year with Lindsay C of This Day In Metal, Andrew Craighan stated about the band’s 2024 concert cancelations: “Well, Maryland Deathfest, firstly, shouldn’t have said what they said in a statement announcing MY DYING BRIDE‘s withdrawal from the event, and they know that and have since apologized — well, privately apologized.
“We have some live problems, which we’re — how best to say it? — massaging, I would say. They’re not insurmountable. I don’t have all the facts just yet, which means I don’t wanna blab too much. But we’re in talks with everybody who has the facts, and we will be putting out a statement, basically, that either will explain or at least calm people down as to what’s going on.
“It’s all a bit weird right now, so it’s difficult to talk about — mainly because I don’t wanna say anything out of turn and then everything you say will be used in evidence against you and all that,” he added.
MY DYING BRIDE released their 15th studio album, “A Mortal Binding” on April 19 via Nuclear Blast Records. The release of the last single “Thornwyck Hymn” was announced earlier. The track comes with a video directed by Daniel Gray, depicting a maritime story of unfolding desire and tragedy.
Watch ‘Her Dominion’, “Thornwyck Hymn”, “Thornwyck Hymn”, ‘A Secret Kiss’ and ‘To Outlive The Gods’ below.
A Mortal Binding, the follow-up to The Ghost of Orion (2020) finds the Yorkshire-based quintet “delighting in anxiety, loss, and toil to resplendent effect. From the raw distress of ‘Her Dominion‘ and twisted horror of ‘Thornwyck Hymn‘ to the funerary violins of the 11-minute monolith ‘The Apocalyptist‘ and the classic-feeling ‘The 2nd of Three Bells‘, A Mortal Binding is pinnacle My Dying Bride. If Songs of Darkness, Words of Light (2004) elevated the band to new heights and A Map of All Our Failures (2012) expanded upon the group’s mid-tens grandeur, then A Mortal Binding stages My Dying Bride’s next exultant phase of elegiac misery”.
A Mortal Binding tracklisting:
01. Her Dominion
02. Thornwyck Hymn
03. The 2nd of Three Bells
04. Unthroned Creed
05. The Apocalyptist
06. A Starving Heart
07. Crushed Embers
A Mortal Binding formats:
Aaron Stainthorpe | vocals
Andrew Craighan | guitars
Lena Abé | bass
Shaun MacGowan | keyboards / violin
Neil Blanchett | guitars
Dan Mullins | drums
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