This interview was conducted with Andrew John, the guitarist of Save Us From The Archon. In this 2nd interview, we've asked a few questions about their signing to Tragic Hero Records and their newest upcoming album, L'Eclisse.  

How does it feel to get signed to Tragic Hero Records? 

We feel very blessed and honored to be able to work with a label we all looked up to and have listened to since we were teenagers. For years we've had a very DIY take on music and art, partly due to our own resources and finances. They've been able to help us out so much with everything we've been trying to do, and have never limited our creative values.  

Do you feel SUFTA had changed with being signed?

No, not really haha. We still just want to write our music and tour the world. We just have more options now that we're very grateful for.  

How do you write each album? Is it all at once or do you each try to fit pieces of songs together like a puzzle? 

We usually plan everything out and notate the structure, then go in and experiment with loops and textures for a while. There's usually two themes we bring together in the middle with interconnecting melodies. The whole album has a seamless structure though, much like Thereafter. 

How do you determine what you will name a song once it's done?

For L'Eclisse, we ordered the whole album, split the tracks into pieces, and then named them around the two musical themes and intersecting interludes. They all reflect an internal existentialist conflict, heavily influenced by the ideas of European New Wave artists and film makers of the late sixties. 

Can you explain why you chose the name "L'Eclisse" for your newest release? Do a certain work or person influence this release? 

Michelangelo Antonioni was an Italian director who made very strange, oddly angled, surreal films in the early sixties, specifically his alienation trilogy. The third part in the trilogy is L'Eclisse (1962) starring Alain Delon and Monica Vitti, and is one of my favorite films. Antonioni used his back drops and exterior sets to give the impression that the characters were being crushed and isolated; stuck in place, left to fill scenes with silence and thoughts. There's several other old film references throughout the album, mainly all from New Wave directors who's films gave birth to existentialism and surrealism.  

Will there be a tour or any videos being released in the upcoming months with L'Eclisse? 

Yeah, we're hoping to be touring again in the summer. I'm actually working on a new video already, and will certainly have more to follow!

For our gearhead fans, what kind of pedals and gear do you typically use to make that signature SUFTA sound?

I usually play some form of telecaster, currently an old fender wood body with dual humbuckers. I run it through a Framus Dragon Head and Mesa Cab with V30s. Live, I'm usually very minimalistic about effects and pedals, aiming for the cleanest chain possible from guitar to amp. I use a TU-2 for tuning, an ISP Decimator for noise suppression, and TC Electronic Transition for delays. In the studio, we use different loop pedals for every interlude and overlaying effect, usually a DL4 or a DigiTech LoopMan. 

Anything else you'd like to add?

Catch us on tour next month with Angel Vivaldi, Plini, and Intervals on the Shape of Color Tour, and thank you so much for your time!