Interview:

The majority of the conflicts that we face today, be they in our personal lives or on a larger scale masquerade as battles over grand ideological principles, when in reality they are rooted in more base human drivers; ego, insecurity, jealousy, bitterness and a need to belong to some larger cause or community. We battle our own fears, when this energy could be invested in bettering ourselves and those around us. The power of music and art is that they are universally human, it can transcend these artifices and can bring people together with a humility and parity that other mediums cannot. Our appreciation of its power and appeal can provide the common ground and the opportunity for cooperation and mutual understanding when there seems to be none.

Art and music communicate. That is their most positive value.  They can communicate with a sincerity and precision that words are unable to. It is a cliché that music has been there for many people experiencing tough times and provided the support and understanding that no one else was willing or able to provide. There are very few of the problems that we face that cannot be traced back to poor communication, or a lack of an opportunity to communicate. Music bridges context, language, dialect, culture, and communicates in a language we can all understand. I have been fortunate enough to travel to many countries and cultures where our music and language was completely alien to the norm, and yet when you take the stage it’s abundantly clear that what we are communicating is clearly understood and appreciated. In an age where we have an unprecedented ability to communicate with others and are able to articulate what it is about our identities that set us apart from others, the value of music; an art that can speak a universal language and unite different interpretations of the same medium cannot be understated.

Since the Internet has fundamentally changed the music world it’s easy to see music only as a commodity whose value is being progressively devalued. In some ways the endeavour of creating, recording, and touring is a much more frustrating, expensive, and futile experience than it has ever been in the last seventy-five years. For several years, I actually made a conscious decision to make music far less of a priority in my life partly because I felt the returns were far less than the effort and sacrifices required. Taking that break reminded me however that the act of creating and pursing an idea bigger than yourself is one of the deepest sources of satisfaction and purpose that we know. Although at times it may not be clear, the act of giving without expecting return, of expressing without attachment to outcome is the true source of happiness. My experiences as an artist and a human being have cemented the value and the importance of expression and struggle for its own sake.

“The power of music and art is that they are universally human.”
– Rigel Walshe, Bassist & Vocalist in Dawn Of Azazel