Palaye Royale - The Band Who Make Formality Feel Like a Catching Up Over a Cuppa With Old Friends - Artist Interview - By The Fans Magazine

Transcribed & Interview: Grace Wearn

Photography Credit: Moira Reilly

Followed on from our previous article coverage from the band’s press conference at Universal Music HQ, London.

Grace - Every album era captures a different chapter in a band's life. What do you think the Amsterdamage era says about where you're at in your lives right now? 

Sebastian - I think when we first went into the writing process, Chris Criotti, who produced the Fever Dream album, he’s like a fourth brother to us. We did that during the pandemic and there was just this beautiful relationship we started with Chris. And so when we went into Death or Glory and then we went back to Chris for this album, it didn't start with an album in mind to make, we’re like, let's write songs. 

Our biggest thing is let's rent an Airbnb with a hot tub and a pool, and have an excuse to go do that. And then we, a little more everything happened in the first like hour of that, we did Confidant that same trip, we did Amsterdamage that same trip, Heaven Can Wait and it was like we should do an album and then I think the records just embodied kind of where we are in our life at this point. 

We’re grateful for what we have - really positive, or trying to say, even though we went through a lot of turmoil with our mom passing and stuff and normal things in life that happen. But we're grateful for what we've created, and it's because of the fans for why we are here and there's a lot of key people now in our lives that really look forward to bringing us to the next level.

We just want to encapsulate that.

Remington - It wasn’t always rainbows and butterflies on this album. Me and the guys, we went a few months without speaking to each other because we were on the road for about two years straight and it was I think so strenuous. 

I think this album to us, is almost like a fresh start. It almost feels like our debut album in a weird way. And it just kind of feels like, we’re starting again and we're kind of like healed, a little bit. 

And so it was fucking tough to get through, but it was kind of like our therapy in a way. 

Sebastian -  We’ve definitely gained a lot of tools in our toolbox over the past decade of being on the road. We are definitely one of the most, hardest touring bands because we didn't live anywhere.

We slept in our mom's car for 2015 - 2018 straight. 

Remington - We can either play a venue, or we can pay rent. We’re like, fuck that. So let's go. 

Sebastian - We'll play for $25, $50 a gig and play everywhere in America. And that's what we did. 

Emerson - Death of Glory was definitely, I think, the hardest years of this band's life. It almost broke us. And then now Amsterdamage. 

We're coming out a little damaged, but still beautiful.