Deafheaven Have ‘More Confidence’ After Continuing to Expand Sound on ‘Infinite Granite’

Deafheaven's George Clarke was the latest guest on Full Metal Jackie's weekend radio program. The vocalist discussed the group's latest album, Infinite Granite, and explained the significance of the band's stylistic evolution on the album wrought from the pandemic.

The new record is the shoegaze/black metal group's first since 2018's Ordinary Corrupt Human Love and, again, Deafheaven continue their sonic expansion and redefine themselves, gaining more confidence along the way.

Read the full interview below.

The new album is an exploration of musical styles and influences in sharp contrast to what you've done before. What exhilarates you most about challenging expectations?

For this record, we wanted to really expand on and develop that part of our sound. From a musician standpoint, it's very exciting to have the time to develop these things and I think that subverting expectation while we do it is an added bonus. It keeps things interesting for us.

Infinite Granite was born of the pandemic. What did you find in isolation that said your creativity?

For this record, there was a lot of tension — there's a lot of push and pull that happens in a lot of the tracks. I think that that's a real direct influence from the anxiety and this sort of tension that was happening in the world. I don't think that the sounds would have come out so urgent and driving if we hadn't been placed in that unique situation.

Deafheaven, "In Blur" Music Video

The way you use your voice on the new album is a bold stylistic change. How has restraint broadened your ability to emote and connect with the listener?

It's brought a lot. The lyrical clarity on this record has put them much more at the forefront, which is important to me. The cleaner vocal allows for more nuance and to not deliver at a level 10 the whole time can sort of draw the listener in more. Having both ends of the spectrum just creates a fuller, more balanced picture.

The sound of this new record is delineated in terms of each instrument being sonically independent. How will the vulnerability of that focus embolden the band in the future?

Moving forward, we're definitely going to have a lot more confidence. We were able to really get into these smaller parts of the guitar work and the bass work — all these different elements mixing together in the way that they do… Having done that this time around, we'll be more capable of doing it moving forward. Paying more attention in general is kind of the mode that we want to exist in from now on.

Deafheaven, Infinite Granite

The record establishes a willingness to challenge yourselves. How would not making this album have ultimately jeopardize the integrity and creativity of Deafheaven?

It would've been a dishonest move. We, as well as our audience, deserve more and that more this time around was doing this different approach and doing something that we really felt invigorated by. To have chosen a different direction, it just would have been disingenuous.

Thanks to George Clarke for the interview, Grab your copy of Deafheaven's 'Infinite Granite' here and follow the band on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify. Find out where you can hear Full Metal Jackie's weekend radio show here.