DISCOVER | Dawnwalker – London, United Kingdom.

Today on DISCOVER I’m with Mark Norgate from Dawnwalker. Dawnwalker are a four piece Post-Metal, Prog, Shoegaze from London, United Kingdom. Current member line up consist of Mark Norgate (Guitar/Vocals), Dane Cross (Bass/Vocals), Matteo Bianciotto (Guitar) and Roisin O’Toole (Keys/Vocals). Today we talk about spooky vibes, Dark Souls and 10 minutes songs!

Let’s start at the very beginning, Dawnwalker. Where did you all meet and how did the band come to be?

Mark: Initially it started as a home recording project as an outlet for ideas that didn’t really seem to fit into the bands we were playing in back in the mid 2010’s and it grew organically over time. Dawnwalker is a sort of revolving door with a constantly changing lineup, so how and where we all met is a combination of friends, work colleagues, members of bands we’ve shared stages with and just interesting artists we’ve met along the way.

2010, that’s along time! Could you tell me about the current members and their roles in the band?

Mark: Currently, we have Chris J. Allan on drums, Matteo Bianciotto on guitars, Róisín O’Toole on keys/vocals, Dane Cross on bass/vocals, and myself, Mark Norgate on guitars and vocals. This is largely the lineup we made our last album ‘House of Sand’ with, and is the closest we’ve come to a consistent lineup for a while. Aside from Chris who lives further South, the rest of us live and work in London and we’re as much likely to have dinner together as work on the band. It’s a lovely group of people and great chemistry when we play together.

It’s always good to have that vibe with your fellow band mates, makes things a lot more fun and music should be fun, right? Could you tell me about your recent album “‘House of Sand'” , What can people expect from this album?

Mark: ‘House of Sand’ was a strange record for us. It’s a sort of ghost story that speaks of a spiritual malaise and demonic possession all set against the backdrop of the idyllic British countryside. I’d say there is homage paid to the British prog rock and indie canon – Pink Floyd, Radiohead and Mansun come to mind – but mixed with a modern post-metal and shoegaze sensibility. It’s also a very organic record, masterfully captured by Joe Clayton at No Studio, and sounds like it could have been recorded in a haunted house.

Spooky vibes, love it. What do you feel sets your band apart from other bands in your genre?

Mark: I would say that the type of post-metal that we play is usually associated with lengthy instrumental passages and atmospherics. While we certainly have those elements too, we’re also very conscious of songcraft, structures and lyrics. We usually have two, three or four vocalists who each bring a different element and vibe, so we’re able to move through many different moods – sort of like a heavy Fleetwood mac.

That defiantly sounds unique. I have listened to some of the songs on Dawnwalkers Spotify and absolutely adored ‘XIII: Death’. I’m curious, what has been your favourite song so far lyrically and what has been your favourite song to play live?

Mark: It’s always tough to pick favourites but just off the top of my head, I remember feeling chuffed when I finished the lyrics for “The Wheel.” It’s a fantasy epic about the creation of a world with some dramatic imagery, great storms and upheaval, tectonic plates shifting. Very prog! And at the moment, a fun one to play live is ‘Coming Forth By Day’ – it’s short, fast, has some proggy metal riffs that are fun to play and is over in under three minutes.

I shall have to go back and check those out if they are up on Spotify. I noticed you guys are actively gigging at the moment, what you would you say has been your favourite show to date and why?

Mark: Yes indeed, we’re heading out on tour this December (with the awesome Healthyliving out of Edinburgh) and we’re super psyched to play some places we’ve never been before. Back in late 2021, we did a one off show in London as a 6 piece band where we played three songs off of our album ‘Ages’ that all clock in over 10 minutes each. These are some of our heaviest songs as well so it was great to play those with a big band, that’s something we don’t often get the chance to do.

That sounds like an amazing experience! If you could play alongside any artist current or past, who would you choose?

Mark: I love for shows to have varied and interesting lineups where the bands are complimentary but not necessary similar. King Crimson in their mid 70s era, maudlin of the Well in the early 00’s, or somehow blag our way onto a show with a massive band like Deftones. We also get compared to Opeth a lot, so we’d love to play with them but we might get a few funny looks.

 

A nice variety there, I love Deftones. Probably one of my top 10 favourites by far! We’re almost at the end of the interview now with only two more questions to go, both slightly fun questions. When you’re not creating music, touring or practicing. What do you do in your spare time?

Mark: I like to walk, and try to find time for quiet contemplation. I find it benefits creative endeavors to have time away from them and come back refreshed or with a new perspective. Lately I’ve been into reading history (must be getting old) and I’ve also gone down a rabbit hole of playing a lot of Dark Souls and other from Software titles. It’s the opposite of relaxation because they’re so stressful, but also great fun in a strange way.

 

Artist: Dawnwalker / Label: Unsigned / Genre: Post-Metal, Prog, Shoegaze
For Fans Of: Opeth, King Crimson, Tool, Radiohead, Wolves In The Throne Room
Next upcoming shows:
UK CO-HEADLINE TOUR w/ Healthyliving
07.12.2023 – Le Pub, Newport w/GOAT MAJOR
08.12.2023 – Retro, Manchester w/ DEATHBLOOM
09.12.2023 – Flying Duck, Glasgow w/CWFEN
10.12.203 – Black Heart, London w/CODEX SERAFINI

Can be found on the following platforms: BandCamp, YouTube, Tidal, Spotify and selected streaming sites.