“It’s a kind of self-therapy for me” – Interview with SETYØURSAILS

German modern metalcore –band SETYØURSAILS have just released their second full-lenght album “Bad Blood” on April 12^th via Napalm Records. The band is currently touring with Rising Insane and Vinta in Europe. Chaoszine managed to contact vocalist Jules Mitch mid-tour and have her tell us about the new record. It seems there might be a chance to catch the band in Finland at some point, but we’ll have to wait and see.. 
 
Hello and first off thanks for taking the time to do this interview. Who is answering our questions and how has the spring of 2024 been so far for you and the band? 

Jules: Hi, I’m Jules, the singer and songwriter of the Band SETYOURSAILS. Spring has been fantastic so far, thx! We’re in the middle of our first co headliner tour and the clubs are selling out like crazy. 

Your new album “Bad Blood” was released on April 12^th. What kind of overall feedback have you received from the album and have you been pleased with the feedback so far? 

Jules: Only positive feedback. I wasn’t expecting that, since I’m always questioning everything I do. I am overwhelmed and thankful. Playing the new record live feels completely unreal. People sing along to it und have a great time. It makes me feel so good about myself. 

Are you as a band in general the type of guys who read what medias and fans write about you or do you try to stay away from that? 

Jules: To be honest, I have completely distanced myself from it. I know that our bassist Nicolai reads everything that comes out. I myself have become very protective of it. I generally have a lot of doubts about myself and don’t want to be discouraged or demotivated. I do almost all the press work, but I say what I want to say and then that’s enough for me. 

The album is your second one to date. Was the writing / recording process somehow different from the debut album and did you have a certain vision musically where you wanted to go with “Bad Blood”? 

Jules: The writing process was completely different, yes. I wrote the album with our producer Julian Breucker. So it was the first time I wrote it directly with the producer without André. We had very little time, so I just started working. Julian and I have a very good working relationship. He always understands straight away what I want to express and we inspire each other. I usually sent him choruses and he continued working, sent them back to me, I continued writing, etc. For the previous album “Nightfall,” André also wrote some instrumentals and we wrote the album together in our bedrooms. We’ll see how the next one goes. 

I must say my personal favourite track from the album is the title track. At what point in the writing process did you write the song and was it somehow the key songs on the album for you since you decided to name also the album after it? 

Jules: I think “Bad Blood” was one of the first demos. At the time of writing I was dealing with a personal shitstorm that arose from a broken friendship. I wanted to somehow get these negative feelings out of me and so the title seemed to fit perfectly. The message of the whole album is that I am getting out of my victim role and standing up for myself. And I thought the title was very fitting to express this. Along the lines of “You stay where you are and I’ll move on”. 

Some of the lyrics seem quite personal. Are they based on your personal life/lives? Where did you draw inspiration to “Bad Blood”‘s lyrics? 

Jules: All my lyrics are very personal and always taken from my life. That’s the reason why I write music in the first place. It’s a kind of self-therapy for me, which wouldn’t make sense if I just talked about irrelevant things or had nothing to say. The inspiration for the album this time was definitely conflicts with former friends, but also sex and my struggle with depression. 

What would you say are the easiest and most difficult parts when writing a new album? 

Jules: For me, the easiest parts of writing are definitely the choruses. I love writing melodies and lyrics. There is nothing better for me than a catchy chorus. Breakdowns are also always very easy for me because I just love it. Most of the time I find it more difficult to find good melodies for verses. But I am very happy with my work on this album. 

Do you have a personal favorite song on the new album? If you do, why that particular one? 

Jules: Definitely “Halo“. It embodies everything I wanted. From the melody to the lyrics to the breakdown, everything is on point for me. The message is strong and has a certain lightness and attitude that is almost funny. I find the song very strong and easy to listen to. 

What does the future hold for you guys touring-wise? Any chance to catch you in Finland with the new album? 

Jules: We still have a lot of dates in the pipeline, but I can’t reveal them yet. You’ll have to check out our Instagram in June. ;) And as for Finland… Hmm… 

Lastly, would you like to add something for Chaoszine’s readers? 

Jules: Thanks for having me! Greetings to Finland! Our album “Bad Blood” is out now! Stream the Shhhhhh out of it! Thank you! Love from Germany <3 

Jules