Thornhill are set to release their second full-length Heroine tomorrow. Driven by odes to classic Hollywood and cinematic scores, Heroine expands upon sonic elements explored on Thornhill's 2019 debut album The Dark Pool. The cinematic influence is only one side of the story though, in this Maniacs exclusive feature, vocalist Jacob Charlton and guitarist Ethan McCann share with us the musical artists that inspired the immersive and expansive soundscape of Heroine.
John Frusciante & Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Ethan: "For me, a big one inspiration coming into Heroine was John Frusciante’s playing, John Frusciante from the Red Hot Chili peppers. I really wanted to focus a bit more, because I was taking a backstep with the riffs on this album I really wanted to convey some emotion and storytelling a little bit through my leads and chord progressions, which I hadn't really touched on. I was almost writing them as if they were my own vocal melodies sitting alongside Jacob, as opposed to all of us trying to compete for the same space. It was more so interlocking parts, which I think the Chili Peppers do really well."
Elvis Presley
Jacob: "For me definitely I would say Elvis was a huge inspiration for me on Heroine. Just the way he embodies being a performer and not only a singer. There were so many elements that I didn't know I was missing until we started with this album, and I just really wanted to be persuasive, to be emotive, to be central when I needed to be, and to really just act out the things I'm singing about. That was really important for me, especially for my live performance and for my music, video performances and things like that. I really wanted to just bring every aspect of being a performer to a frontman of a heavy band. It was just really important to push myself in every way possible to really own the things we're going for."
The Smashing Pumpkins
Ethan: "Probably one of the biggest ones for me with Heroine was definitely The Smashing Pumpkins, especially from that Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness era. I think that's where we got a lot of the inspiration, or at least where I got a lot of the inspiration for that sort of super theatrical/pantomime vibe, that 1920s, French cinema, stage show sort of look with, you know, the clouds and angels and stuff hanging. That whole aesthetic was a big inspiration to us, and I think they pulled that off really well with the artwork and the videos, that Tonight, Tonight video is just amazing. We sort of try to apply that, especially on the first track The Hellfire Club."
Jeff Buckley
Jacob: " I would definitely say Jeff Buckley was a huge inspiration for both myself and Ethan. As a vocalist…well, I guess both us are vocalists now on this record. But as a vocalist and as a songwriter and as a guitarist, Jeff Buckley’s always been number one in terms of our inspiration. He's the king, he's just perfect at describing everything he wants to, and it just doesn't feel like he's ever given himself borders - and it always works. And I think it's something that we really try to bring to our own music in terms of chord changes, vocal performance, lyrics, the longing he has in the way that he sings and the way that he emotess with his leads. And his changes are just…they're just next level. And it's really something that we always kind of strive to be. "
Ethan: "I think because we were raised with that sort of music, these days that's where I think we get the most fulfillment in listening, with those big sort changes and core changes and stuff like that. That's why we fell in love with Deftones too, I think they do that really well, that whole feeling of like dropping into a chorus and it kind of makes you feel like you're getting dropped into an ice bath. Like - it's kind of shocking, but it's kind of soothing at the same time. We love that feeling and we just tried to pull that off as much as we could on this album"
Portishead
Ethan: "Another big inspiration for me on Heroine that I don't think has been mentioned publicly yet was Portishead. They’re a band with a very specific mood, and they’re obviously a massive inspiration for our song Valentine, just with their use of samples and their use of manipulating samples and creating such a specific atmosphere. That was just so cool to us. I actually watched an interview with them and they pull a lot of their samples, like the guitars and stuff, from the composer that did all the old James Bond movies. So, it's like that really specific guitar tone that makes you feel like you're watching a Bond movie and then they just warp it and put a drum loop over it. And it's the sickest thing ever, it makes you feel like you're smoking a cigar"
Meg Myers
Jacob: "I think in terms of my singing with Heroine, I would have to say Meg Myers was an inspiration. The album Take Me To The Disco was a big light bulb moment for me, she just really nailed the atmosphere she was after on that album as a frontwoman. And she really inspired me to own the lyrics I'm singing about in terms of the way that I actually project, and how she kind of describes it through the way that she sings it. That was something that I never thought about until I heard that record. And just especially through heavy music and “heavy” parts; I really wanted to find a way to sing and make it still feel impactful instead of screaming. And I think that that was one of the things I was hunting for on this record, because I just don't see too many people doing it. I just loved the idea and the battle to create the hook over a heavy part where I'm not given a lot of options in terms of the note changes, just because it's very low and it's supposed to be that sort of darkness and that sort of impactfulness. That was really something that Meg Myers brought to the table and something that I'm gonna take into the future for sure. "
Following the release of Heroine Thornhill are also set to take to stages around Australia this July for their Heroine Australian tour, with special guests Dayseeker from Southern California, Melbourne metallers Gravemind and Melbourne modern heavies Banks Arcade along for the ride.
Tickets for all shows are on sale now via Destroy All Lines.
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