Absent Sounds: All right. So, hello. I'm here with Sunforger. We're gonna go around and say our names and what we play.

Sunforger: I’m Kier, I play drums. Hey, I'm Piper. I play bass. I'm Chris. I play guitar and do vocals. I'm Spencer. I play guitar and also do vocals.

Absent Sounds: Awesome. So the first question we usually like to start off with on Absent Sounds is kind of getting to know the start of the band, why it started. Who was the first one who said, we'll just start a band together.

Sunforger (Spencer): Like in 2013 I started playing guitar and made a bunch of EPS by myself And that was a band for a long time. And then these guys became the lineup in 2020. We changed the name and we've been rolling like that since then.

Absent Sounds: Nice. What was the name before?

Sunforger (Spencer): It was mono no aware.

Absent Sounds: That's what I thought because I remember when my sister and I first found you guys, we were like we're playing through mono no aware. Is it a-wa-rey or aware?

Sunforger (Spencer): It's like it's a-wa-rey, but I say aware.

Absent Sounds: That's how we said it to the entire show and I was like, damn, we said the wrong thing. I guess that kind of is a nice segue into the most recent LP that you guys put out, I'm kind of curious why you guys decided to title this one your self titled one instead of maybe your first one or maybe your third one?

Sunforger (Spencer): Well it was kind of a cheat because the first one was a self title for Mono No Aware and then we switched the band name and it was like, great we get to do a self title again and put off coming up with titles because it's so hard. It also felt right to like, name it after the new project name, you know what I mean? Because it's the first one that all of these guys play on. So- here you go. Here's the representation of like, us as a band.

Absent Sounds: I'm gonna go a little bit track starting off with Waiting. I feel like for a lot of bands, there's like this long period of waiting between albums, on the road you're always waiting or you're just waiting for something. How do you guys navigate that period of waiting? Or actually before I do that, tell me about the track first and then tell me about the period of waiting.

Sunforger (Chris): I think this one was like one of the first ones that we did together, I think. And waiting in terms of this album- we started recording this album right before the pandemic hit and then the pandemic hit and we had to wait throughout like two years of social distancing and everything, not recording. So I think it plays into that. That's kind of what the lyrics are into.

Sunforger (Spencer): Yeah. Yeah. Definitely about like taking it taking a super long time to make that album, like having to wait through like a bunch of different lockdowns. and also the songwriting process in general and how it takes a long ass time. I think my riff for that song I wrote in 2017 and it was three years later that we put it together.

Sunforger (Piper): So yeah, it's like you said, in music there's so much hurry up and wait, you know, even today- you get to the venue, you wait for your soundcheck, and then you wait for the show, and you wait for your set. But mostly like Spencer said, it was like, just start, stop, like, waiting to be able to keep recording with that album. That was a lot to get through.

Absent Sounds: How do you guys spend the time waiting? Whether it's physically waiting, emotionally waiting

Sunforger (Chris): Going on your phone, that's nice. In the summer we can go to parks, at least if we're on tour, but in the winter you try to find a cafe that you can buy one coffee at and sit for three hours.

Absent Sounds: A lot of fun.

Sunforger (Spencer): Yeah. on summer tours we like to go swimming if we can.

Absent Sounds: You guys are all good swimmers then?

Sunforger (Spencer): Swimming is okay. It's nice to do for a few minutes. Yeah, I like swimming.

Absent Sounds: No, I feel like this is the second interview I've done where I've like referenced sinking or swimming, but I don't know. Anyways, to get into the next track, we have Fallen. Everybody falls down, but you gotta pick yourself up, but I'm not sure, how much you guys put into the lyrics when, you're specifically thinking, “okay, I want people to understand this is what I'm talking about or referencing.” Is it usually something literal that you want us to, take away from it? Does it even matter what we take away? Do you even care if we hear the lyrics?

Sunforger (Spencer): I definitely don't care if you can hear the lyrics and the intention is definitely not literal most of the time. I'm trying to write more literal lyrics recently, but, mostly what's important to me is the vibes, what you personally as the listener take away from it, you know, and like there is definitely some like intentional things that I like I'm trying to communicate through lyrics and vocals and stuff, but if people don't understand that and take away their own thing, I don't care. Art is subjective.

Sunforger (Piper): Sunforger is supremely vibes based I would say first and foremost. Spencer and I have been hunkered down recording his vocals for our next album. And, we're working on lyrics, and he's like- “no, no, that's too literal, somebody's gonna know what I'm talking about! Can't have that.”

Absent Sounds: The fear of literalism, or whatever the word would be, is that because you don't want people to, put one and two together? Is it about somebody? Is that why?

Sunforger (Spencer): Once or twice it's been like that, but mostly like, I just don't want to say something like really cringe.

Absent Sounds: Yeah, I'm not sure if you guys like Algernon Cadwallader, but it's kind of the same thing they were mentioning too- take it as you want. I'm not going to tell you the answers. You guys figure it out yourself.

Sunforger (Spencer): Yeah.

Absent Sounds: Is there any lyric though that you think is your favorite one? And you don't have to explain the meaning, but just whatever it is.

Sunforger (Spencer): Well, actually, when we were on tour in May of 2024, we went to Atlanta and we made a new friend, Ryan, who's got a sick tape label, Rope Bridge (everyone should check out). And right away, he was like, “OK, here's how this lyric and that lyrics about me and my life, and I'm going to explain that to you.” And that was really sick. That was awesome. Yeah. I love that.

Absent Sounds: Do you guys usually give much creative freedom in your work? I assume so based off of what you guys have been saying so far, but do you feel like you're tied down to your work? Are you very strict with, I want it to be this way and it has to come out this way too? I don't know, what's the general vibe of your work process?

Sunforger (Spencer): There's definitely an end product that we want to achieve, and if things aren't lining up with that, they get left by the wayside. And I think if we start working on a song or something and it feels like it's not going in the right direction, I will say that we should scrap it.

Absent Sounds: Yeah. So then why didn't you scrap, Waiting?

Sunforger (Spencer): Why didn't we scrap writing? Because I like that song. I thought it matched what we were trying to achieve. And like, we achieved what we set out to do

Absent Sounds: Okay, so you'd rather like wait it out, the process of like two years

Sunforger (Spencer): If it's worth the wait, yeah.

Absent Sounds:That makes a lot of sense. Going down to Jump In. you guys start off with the line “Once I was blind, but now I see,” right? And I was kind of like, wow, you know, there's a lot of bands that like kind of put in some religious context in them. I wasn't sure if that was intentional, but you know, it's there. I'm kind of curious what your takeaway from the song in general was.

Sunforger (Spencer): It's like a, it's a reference to another song. Well, obviously it's a reference to like that hynm or whatever it is, but like, it's like referring to a song that also references that hynm.

Absent Sounds: You don't remember the song, though?

Sunforger (Spencer): It's by Dead Dog. I can't remember what it's called, they’re a local band.

Absent Sounds: Okay, yeah. I'll look for them. I'll find them. maybe we'll put them here together.

Sunforger (Spencer): Yeah, people can put two and two together from that now.

Absent Sounds: Exactly. We're giving them the answers. I'm gonna go down to Stuck as well, because I think this is my favorite song that you guys put out on this record. What's been a period of time where you felt stuck? And how do you escape that? Asking for a friend.

Sunforger (Chris): Yeah, that's a tough question. I feel like stuck in like resistance to change has been like a big thing, especially as you get older. Like trying to figure out how to make money and still do art projects like this where you don't make any money. Trying to find stability. I don't really have a good answer for coming out of being stuck.

Absent Sounds: Keep swimming.

Sunforger (Piper): Yeah. keeping open and like, doing it together, you know? It's nice in music we always have some community to reach for and each other and that definitely helps get unstuck sometimes. We push and pull each other out of it.

Absent Sounds: Yeah. You guys also talked about changing your name and that's transformation, which I think it's a little hard. Did you find that the band was transforming in a way too? What evolutions has the band gone through as well since it started?

Sunforger (Spencer): It's like a completely different band now than it used to be. Like it started as just me, then it was a two piece, a three piece, back to a two piece. And then after like a year of kind of not being a band, we got together, Piper, Chris, and I, and then

Sunforger (Kier): joined in like a year ago. Put when the three of us and another drummer got together in 2020, it was like after a year long break, and it was the first time it was a four piece, first time it had bass, completely new, you know, so name change, good. New direction, good, you know.

Absent Sounds: Yeah. this is out of curiosity, but do you guys still sell any merch of, your old name?

Sunforger (Chris): We sold it all.

Absent Sounds: You sold it all?

Sunforger (Piper): We used to have tapes. They're gone. Yeah, they're gone. Yeah, we had the Mono No Aware tape for a while, till we ran out of copies

Absent Sounds: So in 50 years it'll be repressed and it'll be worth 500. Yeah. That would be sick.

Sunforger (Spencer): If like one of the original 50 of one of the old tapes or something ends up being like 500 bucks on Discogs. That's so sick.

Absent Sounds: It definitely will with the way that things are going. I'm going to go down to the next track, which is That's What I'll Do. Tell me a little bit about this one.

Sunforger (Spencer): This one is about taking a long time to get over your ex.

Absent Sounds: Any tips from your journey?

Sunforger (Spencer): Try really hard. You know?

Absent Sounds: Yeah

Sunforger (Spencer): Exactly.

Absent Sounds: It's funny because yesterday I was at Billy Woods and literally there was a guy standing beside me and he looked exactly like him and I was like, this is not…I got to leave. But I feel like being in a band is a big commitment other than relationships. It's also like you put a lot of trust in these people and they become your family almost. How do you get over that fear of like, “oh, they're gonna leave me” or you know, this band isn't gonna stay forever. Do you ever fear that the band will break up at any point?

Sunforger (Piper): He [

Sunforger (Kier):] was our fourth drummer in four years. Well, five years now, I guess, so welcome

Sunforger (Kier):. Thanks for sticking around

Absent Sounds: Any thoughts

Sunforger (Kier):?

Sunforger (Kier):: Happy to be here. Happy to be involve. Bands are hard. It's a tricky relationship, and you gotta, you know, I think the nice thing about this band is everyone's super- hello [Boar God- the other band on the lineup, pulls up]

Absent Sounds: we got a little cameo. Okay. While we're on the little sidetrack, have you seen Severance?

Sunforger (Kier):: Yeah, I don't know. That's the first time I've seen that name in a show. Yeah it's not a reference.

Absent Sounds: Your parents were prophetic. They had dreams. So I'm going to go down to Saturday morning, which today is a Saturday afternoon, what's your favorite way to spend your Saturdays?

Sunforger (Piper): I like to make pancakes. I think we all like to cook. Yeah. I like to make a big dinner. Big dinner. I'm a dinner guy. Yeah. I love dinner. Supper, man. SUPPER, for sure. sometimes, I like watching, cartoons on Saturday morning and, eating pancakes and, pretending that that was the childhood I had. Because Spencer and I weren't allowed to watch cartoons as kids. I have my little Saturday morning cartoon ritual sometimes. Just chilling, generally, though, because we're all pretty busy. I've been trying to, work on my work life balance and make the weekend be a weekend.

Absent Sounds: Oh, that sucks. Mornings too? All day?

Sunforger (Spencer): No

Absent Sounds: Other than just the weekends too, I feel like when you're having to do shows, book shows and stuff there's a lot of chaos in between all of it. What do you guys find grounds you during that time?

Sunforger (Spencer): Being alone at home. Making meals.

Absent Sounds: So the food is really, yeah.

Sunforger (Spencer): Yeah. Being home and like chilling out and leaving all the stressful in your life to be in your not stressful space, that really helps a lot.

Absent Sounds: What makes home home for you?

Sunforger (Spencer): Nobody else lives there. Nobody. It's just me.

Absent Sounds: It's just you. I mean, you could be on the streets. Would that be home? That would be enough for you?

Sunforger (Spencer): I wouldn't want to be home on the streets

Absent Sounds: I'm just kidding, anyone else has any things that make home for them?

Sunforger (Piper): My cat.

Absent Sounds: Your cat? Aw, what's your cat's name?

Sunforger (Piper): Juno.

Absent Sounds: Juno! I'm also going home to see my cat this afternoon. So, I'm looking forward to it. So we got Change up next. And I already kind of touched on this. You guys talked about your change a little, your transformation. But, we'll get a little deeper to your personal change. What's a big personal change you've had in the past five years? Other than moving, because I know that's most people's change.

Sunforger (Piper): Well, for us, a lot of our friends moved away in, 2018. Chris and Spencer and I and a lot of the friends who left used to run a DIY space here called Port Noir. And we got evicted. And a lot of DIY spaces closed in the last couple of years. So there's just been, a big change to the face of, the scene here and the music community that we're part of and, our friend groups. For me personally also I'm trans, so, you know, that's an ongoing, change, personal change, always in transition.

Absent Sounds: Mm hmm.

Sunforger (Spencer): Yeah. What Piper was saying about, everyone moving away from Montreal and all of our DIY spaces closing and stuff, that was Seven years ago and not five, but it is the biggest change that was resonating at that time Like of the time of making that album for sure. Yeah, the last song is all about that

Absent Sounds: Yeah that's really sad because I was talking a bit to some people trying to figure out the Montreal scene because I know a lot of people from Toronto will be like “I’m gonna move to Montreal” and think it gets better. But I mean, would you still say it has the same pull?

Sunforger (Chris): It's changed a lot post pandemic, like everywhere, just rent prices have gone up. When we moved here, a few of us have lived here for like over ten years, and it used to be really cheap, you could work like a part time job in a kitchen and make your rent pretty easily, but now it's kind of shifted and it's harder and harder to do. But it's still not like Toronto. Toronto's worse in terms of rent payment and stuff. I like Toronto.

Sunforger (Spencer): That's what really made Montreal great for having a music scene for a long time. The super cheap rent. You didn't have to work very much. You could work your part time job. For a while, I was working two days a week as a dishwasher and paying my rent. It was insane. and cheap, cheap rent meant that you could rent out like whole apartments and lofts and whatever and have them be practice spaces and show spaces and that doesn't exist anymore. Now rents are double what they used to be.

Absent Sounds: I also heard a bit that there's a lot of crackdowns going on noise complaints? Is that a big thing here too?

Sunforger (Kier):: If you call in noise complaints on a venue, if you move into a neighborhood that has music venues and you call in noise complaints, you're such a piece of shit.

Absent Sounds: Yeah, I don't really get that. Sunforger (

Sunforger (Kier):): Yeah, that's like one of the, one of the worst types of people. I might nanny but, that's really, really bad.

Absent Sounds: Yeah, there's like Nazis. KKK, and right under

Sunforger (Kier):: Those people. Don't move there then, if you hate noise. You move to a neighborhood that you, because it was cool, because there's stuff going on, and you're killing it. So,

Sunforger (Spencer): Move to a suburb.

Absent Sounds: Yeah.

Sunforger (Spencer): Out of the city.

Absent Sounds: No, literally. So I'm gonna go to Defeat You really quickly

Sunforger (Spencer): That song is about fighting your demons, and how it's an ongoing struggle that you'll probably always be doing for your entire life, but you gotta do it, you gotta stand up to them. A lot of the times when I start writing lyrics, they, end up being weirdly confrontational and then they evolve out of that. But that one didn't. I just stayed with the “fuck you,” like, I'm gonna, sing some shit in practice and they ended up sticking with that one.

Sunforger (Chris): He just says Fred Van Fleet and it makes me laugh.

Absent Sounds: First of all, it's giving, Drake, but I think his beef is with DeRozan. Oh yeah? Yeah. Um, I know Twenty One Pilots names their demons, - was it Clancy? Is that what they name it? I don't know. But, do you have a name for your demons? If you had to give it one?

Sunforger (Spencer): If I had to name it, I'd probably just call it like Mirror Me. Your world? Me or something? I don't know.

Absent Sounds: It's gonna be Alice in Wonderland. Down to You Have to Try: this one I think is kind of interesting 'cause I was talking about this with a friend recently where he moved from Vancouver to Toronto and he was like, I could be here and like suffer, but do I really wanna do this? Do I have to keep trying for this thing that maybe I actually don't even wanna do this thing? How do you get past that?

Sunforger (Spencer): I personally believe if you're not like invested in what you're doing, you should bail because it's not worth your time and effort. Life is, short and doing things with no point is pointless and you shouldn't do it.

Absent Sounds: What would you say is a specific thing that you felt like you had to try to change

Sunforger (Spencer): My mindset.

Absent Sounds: Yeah.

Sunforger (Spencer): Which is what that song and change are about. You can continue being mad Or you can change the way that you look at it. And maybe that will Improve things, you know what I mean? you could be stuck being Really mad at a person or whatever, but then you could also be like, oh, well, I'm in the wrong too and Maybe if I forgive them I won't be so mad anymore and I can move on

Absent Sounds: Very much. I feel that except it wasn't more of a forgiving them It was more of a I have to find a reason for my suffering So I gave the reason that I had to figure out how to be a better Yeah and we are headed to the very final track, which is Closer, the closing track. tell me about this before I ask any questions.

Sunforger (Spencer): yeah, that one is about, the big exodus of our friends in 2018. And our DIY space and other DIY spaces closing. And, life changing a lot, in a short span of time.

Sunforger (Piper): I think it's also about, like, we've been really lucky in maintaining ties with those friends. Spencer sings the line “closer to you now than we were before.” Even though we're further away, we've continued to hold each other close in a non physical sense. So staying in each other's lives, keeping updated. We have a little friendship discord where we send our updates. And, just make sure we know what's up with each other. We manage to see everyone in that discord like, once or twice a year. We try and have reunions especially as people are entering new phases of their lives Like some of our friends have started having babies- Shout out Moira. Getting married. Getting houses

Absent Sounds: Really really big changes like that.

Sunforger (Spencer): Yeah,

Absent Sounds: I guess the best way to end off is just to tell us about your upcoming album, tell us what it's going to look like.

Sunforger (Spencer): It's going to be ten songs, twenty six ish minutes.

Absent Sounds: Wow, okay, I didn't expect this much detail.

Sunforger (Spencer): We have been recording it for like, ten months now or something like that and it's almost done.

Sunforger (Chris): We recorded all the instrumentals within like, four days. Four day period with this guy Monty. And then, in the last month, they've been recording vocals. And now it's basically done. It just needs to be mixed and we have no money for mixing. Yeah. It'll happen.

Absent Sounds: It'll happen. That's like the final part.

Sunforger (Piper): Yeah. We're getting close. We're hoping to wrap it up pretty soon and get it up by the end of the year, ideally. It all depends on, you know, it takes a lot of money and time and a lot of moving parts to get an album out there. If any labels hear the interview and want to put out the album or help us, that would hit us up.Give us your money. Sunforgerband at gmail. com or DM on Instagram.

Absent Sounds: You heard it here first, we're looking for a sponsor,

Sunforger (Spencer): Looking for a sugar daddy.

Absent Sounds: Thank you guys so much for doing this, I really appreciate you guys.