An Interview with Illkilter, September 2026
How would you describe your sound? Is there anything specific that has heavily influenced/shaped it?
I’d describe our sound as droning, melancholic, and patient. We jokingly call it ‘drone rock’, with a lot of held pauses of drones or feedback, but still very song focused. While there’s heavy stuff we play, we wouldn’t exactly call it metal, although we are certainly heavily influenced by slower metal bands as well. When we started, bands like Boris, Low, and Lungfish were prime influences, with lots of focus on repetition and non-repeating lyrics and large dynamic shifts from quiet to very loud. Sunn O))) was also a huge influence early on.
How was the band formed? How/when did the members decide to start a band?
The band was formed when I (Ivan) approached Chris asking if he wanted to play bass and work on some of my personal songs with me for a personal project I had for a short amount of time at that point. We had found another drummer, he bailed, then we met Trevor and we all got along well very quickly!
How did you develop your sound as a group? Was it more of an instant click or has it evolved over time?
I would say the basis of our sound was there pretty much from the beginning but the songwriting has certainly twisted and evolved overtime. We knew from the beginning that the band was going to be very slow and soft spoken, but the lyrical approach has changed significantly over the past four years, and now the band is leaning into heavier styles.
Tell me about Grace In Tow!! What was the creative process behind it? How did you create this work as a collaborative effort? Anything specific you wish to highlight about it?
Grace In Tow is essentially a tribute to our oldest material we have, with most of the tracks hailing back to the very beginning/ some of the first songs that stuck for us when we played them together. I remember having Taken for a Widow demoed very early on even before Trevor had joined. We felt it was necessary to prioritize getting the old songs out so they didn’t fade away. I (Ivan) wrote all of the songs and brought them to the band to work on and let the guys adjust or write their own parts, which is our typical format for songwriting. It seems to always have worked for us the best that way. Something very important that I want to note is how quickly Trevor and Chris nailed the parts during recording under tight time constraints, and two major contributions of theirs beyond the music, that being Chris engineering/mixing the album and Trevor designing all of the art for it. I could never have done it without them, and that goes for the whole band as well. I’d be hopeless to do this project entirely alone.
You described Grace In Tow as a reflection of the bands development over its lifetime, what did that reflection look like? How was it then translated into music? Are there any major/specific themes or points that shine through in the songs?
Illkilter is certainly a band that revolves around personal reflection and loss, it may always be, I guess we’ll see if that ever changes. A lot of songs tend to be personal reflections or memories of things I’ve lived through in recent years. Something my father told me that wound up being instilled in me as a writer that I still live by is “songwriting is a means to document and digest life”. It’s very hard for me to write about things I don’t know about, and feels disingenuous to do so. Because of that, the content is largely personal. As for how we translated those reflections into music, truthfully I couldn’t tell you. Sometimes I feel like these songs aren’t even mine, they all just come to me. The best stuff I’ve ever written just floats out of my mind, it’s hard to describe. It’s like watching a ship cruise out of the mist into a harbor. I hear songs in my mind, at first blurry, then I sit down with a guitar, and the sounds become more distinct, ideas become much more clear, and then there the song is. It’s strange and beautiful. Some major themes across the album: personal loss, mourning, wishes of self healing/self preservation, frustration in relationships.
How do you deal with creative block as a band? how do you continue to come up with new sounds/ideas as a group?
I feel like the creative blocks of the band have primarily been myself when I’m going through something, and the solution has usually been me resolving an inner conflict or simply getting myself out of the house and focusing on something else than what I’m going through. My bandmates are pretty awesome and incredibly easy to work with and always willing to work on new songs, so it’s never their fault really, hahah. Life gets in the way sometimes. I have to remind myself to not let things get in the way of new songs, and to always keep working. That always makes me feel better too, but it’s easy to get lost and forget that. As far as coming up with new sounds as a group, typically we still follow the old dynamic of me bringing a song, then we all tweak it, I listen to the guys thoughts and ideas for their own parts, and we all feel out what’s best for the song. I can’t emphasize that enough, it is ALL about what is best for the song in our band. I’ll bring the structure and all the lyrics, yes, but if there’s something they think could be better, we’re pretty democratic as far as editing songs goes, and I want their edits. It becomes more unique that way and leaves their touches on the song, and I always like it more that way.
Describe the average band practice! What does your creative process look like? How do these songs go from ideas to music?
Rehearsal is usually a lot of laughing and talking about our weeks. It’s a great hang every time, we’re all best friends. Hard to write songs if you’re not having a good time! In periods of less or no shows it’s more focused on songwriting or reworking old ideas, if we have shows lined up we’re usually working on a setlist or sometimes bringing back an old song into the set. It’s rare but not impossible that we could come up with a new idea in the moment, but usually I bring something to work on and we flesh it out together.
What is the hardest part about being in a band? What gets you through those times?
I would say the hardest part of being in a band is all the stupidity that surrounds everything that isn’t the band, largely booking conflicts. Goodness do I loathe booking. Losing a band on a bill, losing a venue, getting stiffed on payment, scene drama, it all drives me crazy! But we don’t let anything bother us for too long, and all we really need is each other and the songs. We get along incredibly well and never have any conflict in the band, which I am so thankful for. We definitely have been in or around other bands where that was not the case, which is very draining. So thankful to never have had any issues at all in our lifespan as a band. Like I said, my guys are great, sweet, and hardworking! I couldn’t do it without them!
Which song of yours was the most fun to write & make? why/what was the process?
Side note, those are my two personal picks for favorites for the album, but I will say I think I’m having the most fun right now making a song with the guys that we have begun to play live in recent months which is called Let Me Weep, it’s awesome!! Very long and drawn out, deeply personal, tranquil at times, brutally heavy at others, perfectly embodies where we currently are as a band right now, pretty sure it’s already my favorite for the next album. The guys love it too. It came together so fast. I gave them little input on what I wanted them to play and it came out perfect. Perhaps a product of years of chemistry.
What helps bond you as a group?
Honestly, simply being together helps us bond even more as a group. This band is another way of staying involved in each other’s lives. We always have a good time together.
Aiming for the sky - what is your biggest goal as a band? (dream venue, collaborations, achievements, etc.)
I would say our biggest goal as a band is to maintain longevity. We really want to keep this band running for a very long time, no matter distance from each other or changes in our lives. Just want to keep making cool songs with my best friends. Touring would be very exciting too, maybe open for some old favorites like Boris, although as exciting as that would be it’d be a lot of pressure! Playing out of the country has always been a dream of ours too. Would absolutely love to play somewhere in Europe like Amsterdam or Germany, I feel like we would have so much fun. But really, anywhere outside of the states would be a treat.
What does the future hold/what are you working towards right now?
The near future holds a new album that will be self titled. More drone, walls of distortion, expansive songs, and hopefully a little more time in the studio to add more tracks and depth to each song. We have come across a dry spell in terms of gigs, so we are focusing on completing songs and deciding what will make it on the album. We’re excited for the next coming months of recording and mixing! The first album feels like the setup to ultimately what I think will be a better, more focused record. We love our first, but this one feels different and special to me already.
Check them out HERE!!
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