9+1 Q&A with The Awakening

What inspired you to first start making music? And how did you come to be in your current incarnation? Or if you prefer, a brief bio about you.

Seeing a rerun of the Elvis Presley ’68 Comeback Special on TV at the age of 5 got the wheels turning. Then I heard David Bowie around the age of 8, and I caught a glimpse of what music as an art form could look like. Kate Bush solidified that, and I started writing little songs and randomly singing to my unsuspecting primary school class. In my teens, I saw the Bauhaus “Shadow Of Light” video in addition to classics like “The Wall”, and my love for all things dark was mostly formed. While I’ve explored many genres, art forms, and hairstyles over the years, my roots are in the theatrical realm, and I’ve always found a home in the Gothic / Darkwave world, among others.

Provide us with some info about your latest release…

Essentially, I fell in love again with many of the artists and albums that inspired me to create art as The Awakening in the first place. In the process, I fell in love with The Awakening again and wanted to create an album to celebrate that. Not as an end but a start to a new chapter, if you will. The first single, and video, “Mirror Midnight” speaks about the obsession of the self, as fed and manipulated by media and social media in all of its divisive glory. It’s about how we obsess over and gaze at our own image as the world goes up in flames, how we are manipulated and abused and constantly marketed to. It’s a story as old as the fairytale it alludes to.

Which ones would you consider your main influences both music-wise & non-music-wise?

Musically, David Bowie, Kate Bush, Lou Reed, Nick Cave, Jim Morrison, old U2, Bauhaus, Sisters Of Mercy, Ultravox, Pink Floyd, Leonard Cohen, the list goes on and on. For film, Ingmar Bergman, David Lynch and Jim Jarmusch speak to me most frequently. Authors ranging from George Orwell and Aldous Huxley, to Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Neil Gaiman. Poets from William Blake to Patti Smith. And, of course, life, love and the universe. My wife, family, nature, conflict, comfort, and last but not least, my baby cat, Willow.

In what way does your sound differ from the rest genre-related artists/bands and why should we listen to your music? In other words, how would you describe your sound?

Ultimately, my work is driven by my voice and words and my love for beautiful voices and evocative, poetic words. While I may traverse genres, I generally write about the human condition and our fundamental desire to connect and communicate with others. Our desire to make sense of life and the world we live in. I hope my work is engaging and uplifting.

Please name your 3 desert islands albums, movies & books…

(These change from time to time but most remain constant)

– David Bowie – The Rise And Fall of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
– Kate Bush – The Hounds Of Love
– U2 – The Joshua Tree

– The Rocky Horror Picture Show
– The Big Lebowski
– Persona

– George Orwell – 1984
– Patti Smith – Woolgathering
– Neil Gaiman – The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Do you prefer studio or performing live and why?

They are the yin and yang of creative expression, and I feel at my healthiest when the balance is maintained.

Is there any funny-unique story you would like to share with us, always in relation to your music ‘career’?

It happened at a show in Pretoria, South Africa, in the early 2000s. I was doing a great Iggy Pop impression, crawling across the stage toward a fan who wanted to shake my hand. Unaware of the faulty wiring in the venue, I pulled myself up on the metal railing with one hand and reached out to shake his free hand, and the circuit was complete. A jolt of electricity sent us both backwards. I was stunned for a moment and then carried on singing. I think, to this day, he is convinced that the guy from The Awakening is indeed a supernatural being.

Which track of your own would you point out as the most unique and why?

I think “Zero Down” by The Awakening is lyrically one of my most unique outings. The song deals with the posthumous exploitation of artists and has a fabulous music video to drive the point home. I also once recited it as a beat poem in a low-lit bar, hosting a bohemian poetry evening of sorts. I wrote the song 24 years ago and released it three years ago, and the lyrics are sadly still poignant and relevant today.

Would you like to share with our readers your future plans?

I am working on a few deluxe re-issues for both Ashton Nyte and The Awakening albums. I have also started working on a new Ashton solo album and collaborative project. I am also writing a standalone book of short stories, following on from my two existing books, Waiting For A Voice (2020) and Autumn’s Children (2023). And, of course, live tours for both projects…and some film and television work. No rest for the restless. By the way, I do have these tour dates coming up soon

Nov 01 HAMBURG, GERMANY – Maria’s Ballroom
Nov 02 APELDOORN, THE NETHERLANDS – Brainstorm Festival

Free question!!! (Ask yourself a question) you wish to answer and haven’t been given the opportunity…

Who would you most like to work with:

Kate Bush.

Photo Credits: Ashton Nyte

Curated by: Christos Doukakis

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