BLACK SMOKE TRIGGER – ARTIST SPOTLIGHT & INTERVIEW

AMP last spoke to New Zealand’s hard rock jugganauts Black Smoke Trigger in 2020. We interviewed the band after the release of their debut EP Set It Off which yielded their huge hit “Caught in the Undertow”. They immediately became darlings among the AMP staff. Their music is full of unbridled fury and their musicianship is flaming. “Caught in the Undertow” was one of our favorite tracks of the year. The band is comprised of Baldrick (Vocals), Charlie Wallace (Guitar), Dan Fulton (Bass) and Josh Te Maro (Drums).

Black Smoke Trigger have recently dropped two pulverising singles that totally encapsulates their dynamic groove. “The Way Down” is full of ferocious guitar riffs and brutal vocals. Baldrick’s voice carries a tension filled fervency while Wallace’s guitars wail with primal authority. Fulton’s bass is thundering while Te Maro’s drums hit with an intense urgency. “Perfect Torture” starts with a melodic guitar strum and emotive vocals but soon builds into a ferocious beast of a song. Every note demands attention. The arrangement is cinematic and explosive. Baldrick’s voice is full of ruthless inflections. The track is pure sonic heaven. Both tunes are off their forthcoming debut full length.

AMP is fortunate enough to interview Black Smoke Trigger once again. And once again, they are on top of AMP’s best of list for the year. These boys fucking rock.

AMP: First of all, I have to say that we at AMP are huge fans. Your sound is killer and your rock swagger is impeccable. We just wanted to put that out there.

BST: Thank you so much! We worked very hard on these new tunes so it’s great to hear such amazing feedback already, and see people connecting with it.

AMP: We last talked in 2020. What’s the band been up to the last few years?

BST: Yeah it has been a while! The last two years have been spent finishing off our new album, Horizons and working on the music videos for the singles. It has been a long journey but we finally have a finished product that we are all very happy with. We have already filmed 4 music videos for the album, about to do a 5th and we are now getting ready for our first international dates with Filter and Bruce Dickinson!

AMP: Your music seems to get stronger with age. What’s your secret?

BST: Well after we released our debut EP, Set It Off, we decided to take the time to really tune in our skills as songwriters and musicians. We spent countless hours writing new music and going over everything with a fine-toothed comb rewriting and making things stronger. I don’t know if we have a secret other than working hard on our craft. Working with legendary producers like Michael Wagener and Nick Raskulinecz has also taught us a lot.

AMP: We also had a discussion about your high end video production. The “Caught in the Undertow” video is spectacular. After seeing the one for the “The Way Down”, I have to ask if you guys are the Tom Cruise(s) of music videos?

BST: Haha! Well some would say that, and we have done all our own stunts so far! Setting the bar high with the “Undertow” video put us in a position of having to better ourselves going forward. People always asked us how we would top that video and we feel like we managed to do that with the music video for “The Way Down”, with us playing on the edge of a skyscraper. Now the question we have to ask ourselves is, “How do we top that one?” We do have some ridiculous ideas that we keep talking about that may one day see the light of day. We have already joked about playing in space!

AMP: Your new song, “Perfect Torture” is fire. Is there a backstory to the track?

BST: Thank you so much! The theme of “Perfect Torture” is something that most people have likely at some point in their life experienced – a love that is both blissful and torturous. Someone that you can’t get enough of but they also drive you crazy at the same time. It is a track full of raw emotion, and I think we captured that feeling really well.

AMP: What would you like your fans to take away from your music?

BST: We want our music to move our fans both physically and mentally, we want to connect with people. To take them on a journey and give them a get up and go vibe. The same song can have different meanings to different people so as long as it evokes some kind of emotion in somebody, we’re doing it right.

AMP: In addition, what’s the one thing people don’t know about the band that they should?

BST: One thing people may not know is that Baldrick never planned on being a singer. That may surprise a few people.

AMP: We discussed the New Zealand music scene last time. Has anything changed and are there any new bands our readers should know about?

BST: The New Zealand music scene is alive and well. Bands like Alien Weaponry and Written by Wolves have been touring internationally, which is awesome to see! Our good friends Devilskin look to be back in the studio, so they will have some new music coming soon too. A lot of great music is coming out at the moment.

AMP: When can we expect a new EP or full length?

BST: We’ll have a release date for you very soon, it should be early May, 2024!

AMP: In the same vein, any plans for a US tour?

BST: Absolutely. We have dates booked in New Zealand, Australia, UK, and Europe this April/May and we are working on some US dates also.

AMP: Any last words?

BST: It has been great to talk with you again! The feedback on the first 2 singles from Horizons has been amazing and we can’t wait to share the rest of the album with you all.

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