Exclusive Interview with Post-Hardcore Band Reclaimer

Formed in 2015, Lincoln post-hardcore band Reclaimer broke into the local scene with the release of their debut EP, Same Hell, Different Devils. Since then, Reclaimer has broken new ground with their innovative, expressive and unwaveringly impactful brand of hardcore; a mesmerizing and raucous harmony of floating, ambient melodies, dancing between incisive and bone-crushingly heavy breakdowns, with a technical execution of the highest order.

I got the chance to talk with the band about how they got together originally, how they would describe their sound without using genre names, their latest single “July” and so much more. Keep reading to see what they had to say!

For those who might not have ever heard of y’all, can you give us a brief history of the band and how it culminated into what it is now? 

We’re a band which met through college and formed properly after finishing our studies around 4 years ago. We’ve released an EP and a couple of singles in that time, and are set to release our follow up EP, Grief, Enslaved on August 2nd!

Where did the name Reclaimer come from? 

The name Reclaimer comes from the Halo video game series. We’ve played a lot of Halo in our time.

You guys are based out of Lincoln, UK — what’s the music scene like there? Does it play a role in the music you create, whether it be references in the lyrics or just the overall sound of your music? 

The music scene in Lincoln isn’t as big as it used to be, but it has for sure played a part in our sound. Bands like Martyr Defiled and Climates were coming out of Lincoln as we were getting into music, so that probably took us down a heavier route.

I’m always genuinely curious about what artists want to convey to listeners with their music. You guys classify your sound as post-hardcore, but if you had to describe it without using genre names, how would you describe it?

Good question. We’d probably describe our sound as being emotional, heavy and lively. What we’ve created most recently is a really interesting mix. We can’t really say there’s much else out there in the UK scene like it.

Kind of going off of that, who are some of your musical influences? 

We’re all massive fans of Counterparts and Casey, but otherwise all branch off in other directions whether that be metal or not. For example, our guitarist Michael produces trap music (quick plug! – @iceyAP). Our taste is very eclectic. 

Let’s talk about your new EP, Grief, Enslaved. What was the recording process like for this EP? How long did it take for this to come together from start to finish? 

The recording process for this EP has been a long one to say the least, which is our fault more than anything. We’ve had the songs written for a couple of years; for example, our songs “Chapter II” and “Merge” were due to be on the EP, but we were very indecisive with our release plan. Thankfully our management, and more recently Famined Records, have helped us get it together. 

The lead single from the EP is “July”.What inspired that song? 

“July” is a collective of all our frustrations. We were all going through tough times when this song came about and that likely shows within the song itself.

What was the songwriting process like for this song specifically? 

Our songwriting process is roughly the same for all our music. We share basic ideas with each other online and if we like an idea, Harrison will write some lyrics, Cameron will compose some drums and then we tinker with it till we’re happy.

Was there any major changes to “July” that happened once you guys got into the recording studio, whether it be in the lyrics or something sonically? 

There were no major changes to the song to what we remember. It’s one of the tracks we’re the most pleased with. Pretty sure the intro lead changed 3 or 4 times, but that was prior to recording.

As a band, what are some music industry-related goals or benchmarks that you’re aiming to reach in the next couple of years? 

We don’t have any specific goals, but we want to take the band as far as possible. We’ve already done a short European run which was cool, but we’d definitely like to hit up Asia at some stage. The shows there look insane.

Last question — we’re called Talk Nerdy With Us because we all have an inner nerd so what is something that you’re currently nerding out about? 

It’s got to be Stranger Things, hasn’t it? Going to avoid spoilers here, but the second season had a really lackluster ending which definitely had us skeptical. The third [season] has completely blown it out the water. Can’t wait for the fourth season to come around.

Make sure you follow the band on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Grief, Enslaved comes out August 2 wherever you listen to music.