The identity of the mystery new singer of goth act Ground Nero has finally been officially revealed! Arguably the worst-kept secret on the goth scene in the past few years, it can now be confirmed that Mark Sayle, who is also the voice of Isle of Man darkwave act Mark E Moon (whose second album Old Blood was released to great acclaim on Cold Transmission earlier this year), has taken over from the legendary Gwijde Wampers as the frontman of the Belgian band which is famed for its full-on dark gothic “wall of sound” and has provided the vocals on the three tracks the band has drip-fed to an impressed global gothic scene over the first seven months of this year.
Sayle’s vocals, a smooth baritone croon which can become more of a raspier growl should the situation require it, is a perfect match for the Ground Nero aesthetic going forward, and the project’s place in the upper echelons of the current goth/post-punk movement seems assured.
Follow-up single Promise was even better, again showcasing Smeets’ songwriting skills and typically grabbing the listener’s attention from the opening chords, his wonderfully deep and ringing guitar sound propelling the exquisitely produced track forward, the song embellished with another superbly angular trademark Ground Nero middle eight, on a release which gave Sayle the chance to show more of his emotional and vocal range.
This week has seen the release of the third (and best yet) song, the claustrophobic maelstrom of The Furnace, with its punkier intro twisted by a Psychedelic Furs style off-kilter guitar riff over a heavy chugging Killing Joke bass and fairground organ chords, with Sayle in imperious deep-voiced Eldritchian form (in the style of the verse of Detonation Boulevard or the more recent live cover of Police Car for example) spitting out a lyric of nightmarish misery, whetting the appetite for a sophomore Ground Nero album which is due later this year.
Keen to find out more about Mark’s recruitment, how he will balance his commitments to two of the scene’s most prominent bands, and Ground Nero’s own plans for the future, I reached out to the genial Manxman and he responded immediately to my interview request. Many thanks to Mark for clearing up the remaining mysteries about his new role and. like many Ground Nero fans, I’m genuinely looking forward to hearing more from a project which never disappoints.
Ground Nero's music is available at Bandcamp.
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1. You’ve just been revealed as the “mystery new singer” of Ground Nero. Why was it such a secret, and was it hard to keep schtum for the past six months?
Mark Sayle: I think the initial idea was, if I recall correctly, that we'd run a competition and a fan who guessed my identity correctly would get a prize but that the 'grand unveiling' would be at our debut gig as Ground Nero 2.0 at Sinner's Day. That proved to be a little ambitious though as quite a few people recognised me.
It wasn't easy keeping quiet as I was so excited to be singing and writing lyrics for such a fantastic band. I told my immediate family, my partner in Mark E Moon (Phil Reynolds) and of course Andy and Suzy at Cold Transmission. Everyone in the know has been very supportive and lovely.
2. Yes, quite a few people on the scene managed to guess your identity, had you realised that you have a very distinctive voice?
Mark Sayle: Rather typically, I had no idea my voice was distinctive (which Phil found hilarious, he wondered out loud how anyone would mistake it!) but apparently it has been noticed by quite a few people so I guess that's me told!
3. How did the role in Ground Nero come about? Did you know the two Peters personally already? Did you have to audition, or was it a straight invitation?
Mark Sayle: I was Facebook friends with Nomad (Peter Smeets) but didn't really know the guys at all. Nomad had heard the Mark E Moon album Refer and was very impressed with my vocals. He contacted me with the intention of the three of us doing a sort of side project. Once he had sent me some music and I had put some vocals down for our first collaboration (the single In The Blood) it became apparent we had something special. I was asked if I would be interested in singing for Ground Nero and I was absolutely floored. This amazing, legendary group whose songs resonated with so many people, wanted me to sing for them! Of course, I said yes.
4. You were presumably already a fan of Ground Nero before you joined the band, can you remember when you first heard them, and what you liked about their sound?
Mark Sayle: I heard Ground Nero in or about early 2019. I was immediately drawn to that huge “wall of sound”. They had an awesome, very dark, presence and I was immediately drawn to it. When W Festival asked for suggestions for another act on the bill for their (unfortunately cancelled) 2020 Festival, I was one of many, many fans that asked specifically for Ground Nero.
5. Your vocal style is very different to your predecessor in the band, Gwijde. Which songs from the Ground Nero back catalogue (the Divergence album and two EPs) do you think will particularly suit your voice for live performances?
Mark Sayle: I'm really looking forward to playing with GN. I think, however, that the main focus will be on looking forward. There are some songs from the back catalogue which I'd love to tackle (Run From Your Relatives is a favourite for me) and there are some I think that would be better left alone. Gwijde is such a distinctive vocalist and I don't know that I want to try to reinterpret what he has done so fantastically already.
As a 'Ground Nero 2.0' we are more interested in looking forward and bringing the fans a fresh, new experience.
6. With the twin complications of Brexit and Coronavirus, have you been able to meet up with the guys in the studio, or has it all been done digitally and remotely? Will you be spending any time in Belgium?
Mark Sayle: So far it has all been digitally via Skype and working in our own separate studios. The Isle Of Man was effectively locked down for a year or more and travel has only just restarted. I'll definitely be spending some time in Belgium later in the year though, we have a good few shows and I'm really looking forward to rehearsing the new material (and maybe a couple of oldies) with the guys.
7. How does the songwriting process work? Does Nomad produce a full backing track and you add the lyrics and vocal to suit, or is it a more back-and-forth process?
Mark Sayle: Typically, Nomad and Peter send me an instrumental demo, to which I'll write lyrics, add vocals and occasionally edit a little to help the song 'flow' a bit more. I'll send it back to Nomad and he'll then take the vocal take into the studio, undo any unnecessary edits (haha) and rerecord the track properly. Recently, Peter has supplied a bassline and Nomad has written guitars and keys around it before sending to me. It's worked wonderfully so far, it's a very natural way to work for me.
8. You were already combining being in two bands, Mark E Moon and Slow Decay. Are you planning on keeping your commitment to all three?
Mark Sayle: Slow Decay has been on hiatus for nearly two years at this point and, while I would never want to drop it completely, it is definitely on a back burner. Mark E Moon and Ground Nero are my main focus for the foreseeable future.
9. There’s been a hugely positive critical reaction to the three digital singles which have been released so far this year. Is there a new album in the pipeline, and if so, when can we expect it?
Mark Sayle: The reaction to the singles has been amazing. Old fans and new have been very kind and said lots of nice things.
We're working hard on a new album and already have a wealth of material. We would expect the release to coincide with Sinner’s Day [1st November] but don't quote me on that haha!
10. As you said, Ground Nero are booked to play at Sinner’s Day later this year, on the Belgian stage. Will that be your debut gig with the band? Which other bands on the bill are you looking forward to watching or hanging out with?
Mark Sayle: Sinner’s Day will be my first gig with the band, although we hope to get a good bit of rehearsal in ahead of that, and we hope to put on an amazing show for the fans.
As for other acts on the bill, I'm really looking forward to seeing The Chameleons, Gary Numan, Minuit Machine and She Past Away among others. Back when I was fronting the punk band Poison Hearts we supported both the UK Subs and The Stranglers so it would be great to see them again and catch up. Charlie Harper of the Subs also happens to be one of my favourite humans so it'd be great chatting to him again. I'd really like to meet Hélène from Minuit Machine/Hante, as I think she's one of the best songwriters out there at the moment and of course, Your Life On Hold would be great to meet too, they make such great songs. To be fair I'd be happy to meet anyone on the bill as it's a fantastic line up this year.
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