Greetings from Metalheads Forever Magazine, I’m Keith Clement, how are you today?
Thanx Keith, we are doing great as we just got back from our European Tour! The album is out in Europe and will shortly be released on vinyl in USA/Canada so we have a lot to look forward to.
October 21’st you released your album “Zero Hour In Doomtown” . Would you like to tell me about the songwriting and production behind the album?
We wrote the majority of the album during the pandemic. At first we were aiming for 10 songs but as the pandemic went on we wrote a couple more, enough for a double vinyl album. The label was very pleased with level of songwriting and asked us to turn into a double album. We wanted the album to have our live rawness as opposed to our predecessor that sounded a bit more produced. Like with the previous album, all has been recorded in our very own studio. We are very happy that we have that place, we worked long and hard to get it the way we want it and get the sounds we like.
Was there any particular concept behind the album?
I write most of the lyrics and had a lot to write about, given the fact that the last 5 years of my life have been pretty eventful, losing friends and relatives. That said, it is not a negative or sad album. It is all about mindset, dealing with the cards we’re dealt. A lot of the lyrical content is about that, the road we walk, how we take stuff, as a burden or a purification, if you like. A Doomtown was the name of the artificial villages that were built to test the atomic bomb, to test the effects of the blast. There is actually a British Army film called: “Zero Hour In Doomtown”, so the moment the bomb goes off. I took it as a metaphor for the finiteness in life. When will it be zero hour, no one knows, so carpe diem, live the day.
14 amazing musical awesomeness, Vocally and musically a brillant record, how do you feel about the outcome?
We are very pleased, there is a lot of work and power in it. Things even got more inspiring by the time bass player Natasja came into the picture. She joined the band in ’21 and she added her way of playing to the songs, the little extra’s and a strong foundation. She and drummer Casper are really the foundation on which I can layer the heavy guitars. We just finished the European Tour and can tell we improved as a band. I am looking forward to record for the next album already.
Did you do something special on the day of the release?
On the day of the release we did an instore at our record company No Dust Records, they have their own physical shop in The Netherlands as well. We met a lot of fans, talked to them, signed the albums they purchased, took pictures, that kind of stuff which was really cool to do.
How’s the touring coming up for Diggeth?
We just finished the European Tour, we did a number of shows together with The Skull (USA) and played some festivals like the Helldorado Festival, which is quit a big thing over here. This month and January we don’t play live but start working on the demo’s for the next album which is a necessity as 2023 will see us tour more. We hope to do the postponed US tour (because of the pandemic), but on the other hand there is a lot of demand in Europe as well. We will play the summer festivals and the fall of ’23 is already completely booked for another euro tour, which is amazing.
Formed in 2004 with 4 albums, how has the road been so far?
Oh we played for years and years in smaller clubs and such basically every place with some kind of stage or another. That shaped us a lot as being a live band, entertain people, driving long distances and such. We really built it up from the underground all the way up to where we are now. Playing live is what this band is all about. We are pretty worn and weathered road warriors haha.
Would you like to share some of the highlights of your career?
Wow, where to begin. A lot has to do with the success of the previous album “Gringos Galacticos”. Things start to roll with that album. Good reviews, better shows. A big highlight was having the album released in the US. That’s stuff you dream of as a kid. The Pandemic threw us off a bit, especially with the tour being cancelled in the US but what can you do? Just pick up the pieces and come back stronger. That’s what we did. Our motto is: “Keep on diggin’ “ and that’s what we do.
What would be some of the upcoming plans?
For 2023 it will be a lot of touring, playing festivals and in between, working on the next album. The reviews are great so far so that really helps getting things in motion.
What would be your dream venue/country to perform?
Definitely doing the US/Canada/Mexico, that kind of stuff. We also hope to do more tours with bigger acts in Germany, that is a big market for our kind of music.
Finally what would be the message for the fans?
Well, if you’re into heavy guitars, raw and real music and some words over it that make some sense…we are the band to check out. We are a three piece that sounds quite big and we are very proud of that. So check us out, buy the album if you like it because that is the way to keep this music alive! And of course…Keep on diggin’ !!!
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