Sojourner - ''We just went with atmospheric metal'' Interview

Sojourner doesn’t just make records but experiences. Their music is a spellbinding journey that is challenging and rewarding in equal measure, haunting and beautiful combining both the traditional and the modern. From their formation in 2014 Mike Lamb (Guitars) and Emilio Crespo (vocals) have created atmospheric extreme music that is as haunting as it is memorable. Gateways is their superb new album that further explores the realms of heaviness and reflective emotion that took a long six years to create.

Mike: It was just a combination of our lives all individually taking a pretty massive hit during 2019, though we had an amazing tour with Draconian and Harakiri for the Sky around Europe that year as well as a UK tour with Havukruunu, so it wasn’t all bad. But our lives imploded a bit, my Scottish visa ran out and I returned to New Zealand, then couple that with me feeling pretty burned out after focusing on nothing but Sojourner for years…then we all know what happened in 2020. We had some tours and bigger shows cancelled, and like many bands everything just kind of fell apart a bit. I moved to Sweden to be with Heike, and we started Light Field Reverie and eventually Remina, so I just took a step back from Sojourner to focus on those bands and production work for a while. I moved between Sweden, New Zealand, Germany, and then eventually Heike and I moved back to Dunedin here in New Zealand where we’ve been ever since. So, there was a lot of stuff happening, but now we’ve been back for a while and have begun to get our lives a bit more stable, so it felt like a good time to kick Sojourner off again. Emilio and I had been missing it, for sure, and then once we got Heike onboard everything just fell into place.

Emilio: The biggest change for me was becoming a father which limited my time greatly in terms of focusing on music or anything else really. With all the issues surrounding the band and the break that Mike and I eventually chose to take, it was the perfect time for me to just focus on my family.

The changes that bought Gateways into existence?

Mike: Every time I sat down to write for Remina or Light Field Reverie, which are both very active and both have a lot planned over the next year or two, I kept writing stuff that was clearly Sojourner. Couple that with Emilio and I talking a lot about how much we missed doing stuff together with the band. So, I knew it was time, but I also knew when I started writing this album that it had to be the best thing we’ve done or there just wouldn’t be any point. There’s nothing more annoying than a band coming back with something incredibly mediocre and phoned-in after a long break, so I really wanted to make sure this album was something we could all be proud of. Emilio and Heike both turned in some of their best vocal performances and lyrics, so everything turned out better than I could have hoped.

Emilio: During the aforementioned break and the chatting Mike mentioned, a song was kind of written during that time which became ‘Epitaphs.’ When our lineup fell through Mike asked me, “what if we ask Heike to join?” I thought he was joking because both of them already had a lot on their plate but I, of course, jumped at the possibility to get her in the fold. She turned in the vocals within a couple days and I was blown away. It felt like the true final piece of the puzzle had finally landed. Once she joined it was full steam ahead. It still took some time but like Mike said, we did not wish to compromise or have anything half-assed whatsoever. I really do believe we accomplished that. Mike is also not held down this time by anything and was able to fully unleash what he’s capable of and it’s amazing. I always say I’m a fan of Sojourner before thinking of myself as a member because I am always in awe of the music he writes and this time was just insane.

Was it intentional or an evolution over time?

Mike: There were bits and pieces I’d written as ideas and shelved over the years since we did our last album, but we had a lot of hurdles both internally and externally so it wasn’t really active so much as just quietly simmering as a collection of rough ideas and constant thoughts about what would come next. Once we decided to get working again, it became a very intentional thing, and where the band and sound is now was an intentional approach to make sure Sojourner in 2026 represented who we are as people and musicians now rather than a sort of soulless facsimile of what we did before just for the sake of just “making more music”. The evolution of the band feels both true to what we did before and true to who we are now.

A cathartic release of energy and the result of passion for the music? 

Mike: Yeah definitely, we put a lot of passion into this album, and we always obsess over every minor detail of anything we create. In the end I think it’s a much sadder and melancholier album than previous ones, we’ve always had strong undercurrents of doom and goth influences, but this time around I think they’re a little more prominent. It’s a bit of a generic thing to say, but I think the state of the world also seeps into any creative work in one way or another, and the world feels a lot darker today than it did even in 2019. In saying that, I don’t see the point in unbridled nihilism. Some sort of positive human outlook in a time of AI is more important than ever, though it still feels depressing as hell when someone asks something idiotic like if the album cover Heike and I spent so long planning and Heike spent weeks drawing is AI or not…it sucks that this is just the state of things now.

Emilio: Both, truly. Lyrically I did go back to more storytelling this time and some of the songs have very “light at the end of the tunnel” lyrics because that’s where I was at the time of writing them. The only exception is Occultation which can seem a little “violent.” I was reading a book called “Alchemised” at the time and was very inspired by the absolutely amazing writing and I was also feeling a little angry at the time so that combination led to those lyrics. When Mike hands me ideas or tracks I just get so inspired and this album I definitely leaned on storytelling more than previous releases.

It's a heavier more direct/immediate work with many, many layers.

Mike: Definitely, it’s heavier and sadder as a whole, which is also reflected in Heike’s beautiful album art. Though we always wrote songs that aimed for a more melancholy feel than straight up soul-crushing depression, the kind of sadness that carries a little bit of hope and optimism or a bittersweet feeling. The kind of emotion that you attach to nostalgia and the feeling that abandoned places always emanate, that’s the emotional sweet spot that I always gravitate to. It’s definitely very, very layered though…which provides a whole other challenge during production, but it’s layered carefully during the composition so it’s not just a mess of competing parts.

Emilio: We wanted to reflect this in the vocals, too. Lots of parts during the songs that needed to hit hard or melt faces (that’s my hope anyway). So, in certain parts you do hear some layered harsh stuff to further emphasize that punch and directness. Always within the realm of reality though. I need to pull it off live ha-ha.

The addition of new co-vocalist Heike and the extra dimension that she brings to the band.

Mike: I’m biased since we’re engaged ha-ha but even before I met her on the Draconian tour, she was one of my favourite vocalists for years. Emilio can attest to that too, I’m not just saying it because I feel I have to. Her command of emotion in her voice, her melodic choices, and her lyrics tap into a dimension of emotion that resonates on a level that’s hard to articulate. We’re incredibly lucky to have her onboard.

Emilio: Yup! When Sovran released, Mike was like “this is my favourite album by them, hands down” ha-ha! As I said before, I didn’t even think it possible to have her in the band but I’m so glad we do. Putting being a massive Draconian fan aside, her artistry is basically unrivalled in my eyes. She’s so multifaceted and talented that she is exactly what we needed to fulfil Sojourner’s full potential and ultimate form. We say that a bit these days but it’s true. This is how this band should have always sounded. And to have a voice like that that I also mesh so well with is a dream come true.

The gradual shift from the original sound to a more atmospheric approach?

Mike: I wouldn’t say we’re any more or less atmospheric than we were at the beginning, it has always been a cornerstone of what we aim for, but I think we’ve been able to finally properly balance the atmosphere and the directness in a way that we initially intended. We were perhaps a little more limited on past albums due to both production and recording limitations, but as we expanded our capabilities and our access to resources, we have been able to finally achieve the sound we wanted in the beginning. We vaguely spoke about doing re-recordings of the old albums so we could hear them how we always imagined back then, but re-recordings are a little contentious, so we didn’t follow that up further.

Emilio: I’ll mirror what Mike said except I do still feel we could handpick a few songs here and there and re-record them. Imagine “An Oath Sworn in Sorrow” with Heike on cleans? Pffft let’s do it!

Sojourner is continually evolving. More of an emotion rather than a genre.

Mike: Yeah definitely, Sojourner was always a bit of a weird mashup of elements you would find scattered throughout atmospheric black metal, melodic black metal, melodic death metal, doom metal, gothic metal, goth rock, folk metal, and soundtracks. We never fit neatly into a specific genre, but we started out with the atmospheric black metal tag and eventually just ditched the black metal bit and called it atmospheric metal. We felt like the black metal tag was only a small piece of a bigger puzzle. We’re all huge black metal fans, but we were always leaning more on the melodic black metal side anyway. Honestly, genres can be kind of frustrating, so we just went with atmospheric metal, and people can just call us whatever from there.

The inspiration for Dawnrays.

Mike: Musically, I wanted the album to kick off with a song that sets the stage for 2026 Sojourner. Something that if you hadn’t heard the band and put it on blind, you’d get a pretty good idea of what we’re about today rather than something too safely old-Sojourner. Vvardenfell is a song that was more of a direct nod toward our earlier stuff and where we started out, which is why we placed it so far into the album, it was important to have it on there for us but we also didn’t want it to be something that came before we had a chance to showcase the first four tracks.

Emilio: From a lyrical standpoint it was written during a difficult time where I was so burnt out and tired that I didn’t know if I’d ever feel “alive” again. This song basically takes us through that thought process of wanting to get to the end of it and (here it is again) see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Your most epic work?

Mike: I think track two, And the Paintings Fall, is one of the best songs we’ve ever done. I also absolutely love the emotional punch Heike brought to the album vocally and lyrically on the final track, The Road Ahead. It really showcases what she’s capable of in the context of this style.

Emilio: Tough call but And the Paintings Fall is definitely up there. And The Road Ahead as well. It’s just such a beautiful track and a perfect closer. Now it just seems like I’m repeating Mike's answer but during our chats we were basically on the same page the entire time ha-ha! And the Paintings Fall is what happens when we can write without being held down by anything and anyone else. The Road Ahead is so special to me because it was the only song that I had no real involvement in because lyrically my well had run dry and I was working on writing lyrics and recording Vvardenfell at the exact same time so I asked Heike if she could just take over on that one. I’m so glad she did because that song is a perfect example of what I mean when I say I’m a fan before I’m a member. I can talk a lot, but I was totally and utterly speechless when I heard the demo and sent the shortest voice note I’d ever sent to them ha-ha.

What is the truth beneath the debris? Have inspirational forces changed over time?

Emilio: Lunar Tear is my homage to one of my favourite games of all time, NieR: Automata. It is written from the viewpoint of 2B, 9S and A2 and the thoughts/feelings that they have at different points in the game. But the game is so philosophical in its writing that it very much applies to real life. It’s heartbreaking, soul-crushing, uplifting, funny and so many other things.

Mike: I think we’re all still inspired by the same things at our core, but you also get inspired by new things every day. I think when people stop seeking out new inspirations and new experiences whether in the arts or in life, you see things stagnate pretty quickly and the rot sets in. I think the most important thing to me these days is the human element, whether it’s in music, books, art, games, or film etc., the most important is when human emotion and intention are the driving forces behind the reason something was created. Generative AI is depressing and incredibly dystopian, and it makes the human touch so much more valuable and important to prioritise. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a luddite and I’m not saying AI doesn’t have a place in medicine or certain parts of the tech world, but I strongly believe it has no place in the arts which is a fundamentally human field where the process is as valuable as the output.

The anguish at the continual cycle of violence and how do we break it?

Emilio: Play NieR: Automata and you’ll know. Other than that, beats me.

The challenges of being such an international band?

Mike: It’s really not a challenge at all, until it comes to live shows. The bulk of the band is based here in Dunedin with myself, Heike, and our bassist Mike Wilson. Emilio is in Sweden and always has been since we started this together, but he’s got a good setup there, so I send him music and he sends back his vocal parts. The two of us are always working really closely throughout the process, so there’s no friction at all. I’ve always recorded all of the guitar parts on every album, so that usually constitutes the bulk of the work during production, alongside all of the accompanying instruments and synth parts. Mike Wilson comes over to record bass here at my studio, and we record all of Heike’s vocals here at the studio too. I wrote the drums on this album due to a series of unfortunate time clashes and awkward work schedules with our drummer, but typically I’d give Riccardo (who is based in Finland now but was originally in Italy) the finished songs with my original drums and a version with no drums, and he’d go into the studio to record the finished version and add his touches. So, it’s a really easy setup in terms of creation and writing, but when it comes to live shows it’s almost always in Europe, so Heike and I have to fly over, and it becomes expensive quickly, especially if we take both of us and Mike W. Then everyone has to meet in whatever city we’re playing a few days before to practice together. We’re really lucky to have two very good friends joining us on second guitar and bass for the live lineup, Matt Bell and Francesco Del Vecchio. It gets incredibly expensive and complicated, but we make it work and we can only really accept shows that are paying us enough to cover the expenses, so we have to be picky unfortunately. We’d love to play way more, but it’s just not a practical reality, and we try to weave shows together with one of me and Heike’s other bands, Remina, to help spread costs and make the trips worthwhile and financially feasible.

Plans to support Gateways.

Mike: The current plans are an exclusive French show at Ar’Vran Fest in Janzé on the 4th-5th of July, and then an official album release show in Italy at Legend Club in Milan on the 17th of July. There was a show in Germany for the weekend between those two dates, but unfortunately due to visa complications Heike is unable to join us, so we had to cancel the Remina shows in both Italy and Germany, so logistically and financially the Germany show was impossible to make work sadly. Then beyond that, once Heike’s visa situation is finally settled once and for all (she’s applied for permanent New Zealand residency), we’ll look at a few really nice offers that have come in for 2027 which are all places and events we’ve wanted to play for a long time.

Top 6 albums of all time 

Mike: Ohhhhh that’s a rough one ha-ha there are so many that could occupy those same spots. I can’t just do six, it’s impossible. There are a million albums that have been incredibly important to me but a kind of rough off the cuff list that is in no way definitive: Agalloch - Pale Folklore & The Mantle, My Dying Bride - Songs of Darkness, Words of Light, Mourning Beloveth - The Sullen Sulcus, Health - Vol.3: Slaves of Fear & Rat Wars, Anathema - Judgement, The Morningside - The Wind, The Trees, The Shadows of the Past & Moving Crosscurrents of Time, Katatonia - Viva Emptiness (or basically all Katatonia up to Dead End Kings), Draconian - Sovran (but honestly all of their albums with both Lisa and Heike), Brutus - Unison Life, Drab Majesty - Modern Mirror, Unto Others - Mana & Strength, In Flames - Clayman, Tool - Lateralus, The Cure - Disintegration, Caladan Brood - Echoes of Battle, Rotting Christ - Triarchy of the Lost Lovers, Bad Omens - The Death of Peace of Mind, Gallowbraid - Ashen Eidolon, Depeche Mode - Violator, Mar de Grises - The Tatterdemalion Express, Midas Fall - Wilderness, Opeth - Blackwater Park & Morningrise, Novembre - Novembrine Waltz & Materia, and many more. There are just far too many haha. Thanks for the interview!

Emilio: Fucking hell haha! Honestly, I don’t have lists anymore. There are bands I love and other that not as much. But I always need to shout out Draconian’s Arcane Rain Fell and Turning Season Within along with Linkin Parks Hybrid Theory and Meteora for guiding me down this path all those years ago. I also listen to other types of music and one singer that I absolutely love is Aimer from Japan. Check out her songs Brave Shine or Ref:rain, she is absolutely amazing. She isn’t crazy technical with her voice, but her voice hits me.

Bandcamp: https://sojournermetal.bandcamp.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sojournermetal 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/metalsojourner

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