Interview: Forever Never

Sometimes its good to step away and find that hunger for being in a band. That is what Essex metallers Forever Never did after calling it quits in 2012. After nearly ten years as a band, the five piece went on hiatus but soon found themselves yearning to get back into action. Fast forward to 2015 and Forever Never are firmly back in business.

Having played festivals such as Takedown, YNOT and Isle Of Wight this year, the quintet have unleashed their latest single – ‘One Life’. Inspired by the London riots of 2011, the track delivers a positive, uplifting message that rides on the idea of making use of what time you have. Stylistically ‘One Life’ thrives off Renny Carroll’s huge, melodic vocals, George Lenox and Frank Ransom’s drilling guitars and the tracks overall anthemic tone.

With the release of ‘One Life’ just around the corner, we spoke to vocalist Renny Carroll to discuss the past few months, their new material and future plans.

AH: Hey guys. So 2015 has been the year when Forever Never came back! How have you found the past few months?
Renny: On the whole it’s been an incredible relief and a joy to be doing what we love again. I’ll admit the first six months off were glorious, but past that I was itching to start tapping everyone up to get started again. Now we’re back in the saddle armed with the best material we’ve ever had and it feels SO DAMN GOOD. It’s exciting!

AH: I understand you took a hiatus for a couple of years. Do you think that time away was needed?
Renny: I think we all needed a bit of time off to recharge the batteries, but after a while it made us realise what we were missing. For me, in particular it was difficult going such a long time without performing, so I’m delighted to be doing it again with my boys. The time off has just made me appreciate what we had, and we’re definitely not doing a runner again!

AH: You’re now set to release a new single called ‘One Life’. Lyrically was the track inspired by? It seems to have a rather positive message?
Renny: ‘One Life’ was initially inspired by the London riots, but over time the idea of the song has become broader. The track has a perfect balance of aggression and positivity, which is a good mirror image of British culture today. 4 and a half years on from the riots it feels like the right time for this song to surface. Originally the track was angry and more about pointing fingers. Now it’s more about compassion and encouragement.

AH: What has the feedback been to the new single?
Renny: So far, so good! There has been a great buzz around the single – no doubt helped along by the song’s positive vibe but mainly because it’s got one of the biggest choruses we’ve ever had! Rock Sound said it had “one of the biggest grooves you’ll ever hear”, which was nice. I guess that could have something to do with it too!

AH: There is also a video for the track. For those who haven’t seen it yet, what can you tell us about it?
Renny: The video was filmed in Tottenham, again a subtle nod towards the riots. It’s just us partying with friends and making a bit of a mess whilst having a good time. There are balloons, toilet rolls and lots of teeth. Lots of smiling teeth. And we like that. Smiling, I mean.

AH: I hear you’ve been working on a new album. Does ‘One Life’ give us an idea of what to expect from the record?
Renny: We have a LOT of new material. Six years worth so there is easily enough to make an album BUT an EP will be coming your way before that. At the moment, the plan is to release an EP in early 2016, with an album towards the end of 2016/early 2017. ‘One Life’ probably is a blueprint for what is coming, as it carries all the elements of our new sound. Heavy grooves, a massive chorus and lots of positivity. I think that’s quite a common thread amongst the newer lyrics. There’s a feel-good vibe throughout. Even when it appears negative there’s still light through the darkness.

AH: How does the new material differ compared to your older material?
Renny: I feel like the songwriting has stepped up a great deal. Our last original material was released in 2009, and it definitely feels like we’ve come a long way in those six years. It’s more positive in general, and I feel like these are some of the best vocals I’ve ever put together. Musically we’ve evolved a great deal too, encompassing even more of our influences from outside of the rock and metal world, which I feel has made it even more refreshing. We’ve grown a lot as people and musicians and have been doing this for a while, so now we feel less inhibited than ever before.

AH: When can we expect to hear more about the new album? Early 2016?
Renny: Early 2016 for the EP, and then late 2016 or early 2017 for an album. There’ll be an announcement with some more solid information in the coming weeks.

AH: Any closing comments to share?
Renny: Yes! Make sure if you’re free on the 17th November you get down to our London Barfly headline show for the ‘One Life’ launch night! It’s gonna be a good night, and it’s probably going to be our last show before we hit the studio so it’ll be a great opportunity to get a glimpse of some new tunes! Here is a tasty link to get tickets.