Interviews About Albums: Harvest Of Ash - Castaway (2025)

In this new interview, we sat down with the American Doom Metal/Post-Metal/Sludge Metal band Harvest Of Ash to ask questions about their album, "Castaway".

1. What can you say about this new EP/CD?

“Castaway” is our second album. Here we really pushed ourselves to improve and tighten what we had previously done, in both songwriting and performances. We tend to start with the basic conventions of doom metal, but we add our own twist to things, mixing in the influence of post-metal, and even a little hardcore is in there. We think that the album turned out great, and it sounds terrific, mostly thanks to the amazing abilities of Wes Johnson at Archive Recordings and an outstanding mastering job by Stephan Hawkes.

2. What is the meaning of the EP/CD name?

The making of the record was difficult, falling at a time when we faced lineup changes, injuries that kept us from playing for months at a time, and various personal problems. These troubles, and overcoming them, became the main theme of the album. “Castaway” refers to the idea of casting off the old ways and reemerging with something new. That could mean cutting people from your life, but also simply finding new ways to understand yourself. So, instead of thinking about yourself and the world as broken and out of step, reimagining yourself as someone with many gifts and abilities to share with the world. A key part of that thinking is the philosophical idea of “amor fati,” or “love of fate.” This means understanding everything in your life, both good and bad, as a performance that you are doing in the most authentic way possible. So much so, that if you had to do it over, you would not regret a thing.

3. Which one is the composer of the CD/EP?

We all composed the songs, mostly by developing the song structure collectively, but our individual performances done by ourselves. We often work hard to slightly twist parts so that, while they may seem conventional, they have a fair amount of complexity to them. For example, the main riff of our opening song, also titled “Castaway,” seemingly has a 4 beat groove to it in a familiar southern rock style, but it is actually a mixture of 5 and 6 beat measures. Adding Ben Dodds, our new bass player, for this album really upped our game as well. His thoughtful additions to the songs, as well as a bass tone that will feed a family of four, really made this recording something special. We hope that all of this has the effect of making the music more interesting for listeners.

4. If you had to pick one song, which one would you pick?

That’s a tough one, as I think that each song on the album does a different job, from the “heavy hitting opener” (Castaway) to the “hit single” (Embracing) to the “power ballad” (Shine) to the “epic” (Constellation) and finally the “torch song” (Of beloved flame). But I think the one we’re most proud of is “Shine,” as it really highlights our dynamics as well as our work to develop a flow and recurring themes in our songs.

5. Is there a special message in this EP/CD?If there is what it is?

I don’t think that anyone has actually noticed, but the songs create two sentences when linked together: “Castaway embracing shine” and “Constellation of beloved flame.” These sentences sum up the story of the album, about a lost person moving from despair to self-acceptance, and then finally connecting with your community and seeing your life as important and worthy.

6. Are there some lyrics that you'd love to share?

Our song “Embracing” is a kind of personal manifesto about moving from a life that others define for you into one where you live more authentically. The first verse is about rejecting other people’s vision of yourself, which is often hostile to life, a life lived by how other people define it. The second verse is about waking up and forming your own pathways, and the chorus reinforces the idea that we should be constantly learning and growing throughout our lives instead of being defined by a single philosophy or standard – All praise new ways.

“Birth death in false symmetry

This life your sworn enemy

Praise decline, pure decadence

Set in your ways

All praise new ways!

A life against slumber

We reject your errors

No pathways, call the cavalry

Embrace the change”

7. Which inspirations have been important for this album? Like musically or friends, family, someone you'd love to thank especially?

What we have found in Salt Lake City is an entrenched community of artists who have greatly supported us. This has long been a hub of heavy music in general, and doom metal in particular, with bands such as The Otolith, SubRosa, and Eagle Twin, and we are honored to meet, play alongside, and work with these tremendously gifted people. Aces High Saloon is especially crucial as a space for heavy music in Salt Lake. We are also completely spoiled to have fantastic people with whom we have recorded locally, including Wes on this album, but also Andy Patterson at the Boar’s Nest. Bands often travel long distances for such expertise, and these studios are just a ten-minute drive from my house.

8. Something to add?

Nothing that I can think of. Thanks so much for giving us the opportunity!