No Echo readers might recognize Patrick Shannon from his work as one half of the guitar team in All Else Failed. While he's still playing in the influential Philadelphia-based metallic hardcore outift, he's on the website today talking about a solo project he recently launched.
Husband Lost at Sea finds Patrick exploring the more introspective side of the musical spectrum. The 2-song debut, Precurser, features him strumming acoustic chords while he lays down hushed and melancholic melodies beneath them. It's world's away from the chaotic arrangements and brutal intensity Patrick is best known for.
We recently had a brief conversation about his new endeavor and future plans, including All Else Failed.
What inspired you to take the leap and start penning the Husband Lost at Sea material? Was branching out into something outside of the hardcore/metal realm something you had thought about a lot for years and you finally pulled the trigger?
That's a complicated question for me but the short answer is yes. The reason the question is tough is that All Else Failed, when we were full time in the early 2000s, really was an "anything goes" kind of band, musically speaking. Heavy music is obviously in our blood and front and center as to what AEF was all about, but we really felt like we could bring anything to the table with that band and if it was cool, it worked.
Later on, after AEF's hiatus from 2007-2011, when we started playing again and writing a bit, we had all done or started other projects that sort of took over those other avenues we wanted to pursue musically, so AEF became probably even heavier than we ever even were prior.
So yes, now it's a bit more compartmentalized but I think that's a good thing. I feel like I can dive into this project headlong without worrying about if it's "too lo-fi" or "too weird" for AEF, but I guess the distinction is, that was never anything imposed by AEF or any of the guys, just sort of the way it worked out.
How would you describe the HLAS sound and what artists inspired the stylistic direction we hear on these first two tracks? Codeine comes to mind, but curious about what bands/styles factored in.
I am obsessed with sad music today in the way I was obsessed with heavy music in my teens and 20s. It might be a natural progression, possibly? But for sure, when a Sun Kil Moon or a Smog song hits me at the right time of day, I feel that same rush of "this is emotionally important to me" the way Deadguy or Vision of Disorder hit me in 1997. Not that those bands don't occasionally still get me today, but it all leans much more to the slower, sadder side of things.
Were you worried what All Else Failed fans would think about HLAS? Was there any hesitancy there?
I think it is such a different thing that I can't imagine anyone would be too bummed out. There is always the possibility of more AEF, we get along great and play occasionally. We did a weekend this past September that I think we were all in agreement was amongst the most fun we've ever had as a band, so hopefully that all continues, but if it doesn't, it's not because of HLAS or this musical direction.
This was always a vision I had and if anything it helps keep everything else moving forward too.
You recorded these songs on your own at home, but do you have a plan to flesh out a proper band and start playing shows?
Yes, the proper debut EP is about halfway done and I hope to have that out this Summer, and I do hope to play with a band or at least some other musicians when that comes out, although I always want to be able to perform each song solo as well. I was actually going to wait until all of that happened to start promoting this project, but my buddy Mike who plays with us in AEF and does a million projects was like, "nope, I'm putting this out, you're playing out, it's starting."
He's great like that, really at just getting through the immediacy of things. Not that you shouldn't occasionally take your time on some things too of course, but I have definitely been guilty of overthinking things in the past. His view, which really launched this thing, is that if you have something cool, don't find excuses to hide it away from the world.
I was like "dude these tracks are literally me in my room with GarageBand" and he was like "doesn't matter- they hit me, they'll hit people, I'm putting it out."
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Patrick has an Instagram page set up for Husband Lost at Sea, and he also wanted me to include his email for anyone who would like to connect about the project and possibly book a show: [email protected]
Tagged: all else failed, husband lost at sea
