Interview: Castlesiege

Photo provided by Castlesiege

Upon first listen, some albums can leave an impression while others take time to grow on you. If you’re a music lover, you likely know what I’m talking about. You hear the record for the first time and it’s like, “Well, this is OK, but it’s not really great.” After 5 more listens, you’re like, “THIS IS THE BEST ALBUM EVER!”

Yeah, so that’s not what happened when I heard The Council of Trees by Castlesiege. Rather, it was an immediate “Wow!” There was no ramp-up time on finding it incredibly enjoyable. As a fan of dungeon synth and fantasy music, I found this to have a happy and magical vibe, which totally resonated with me from the start. Castlesiege has a method to incorporating Medieval atmosphere all while keeping it from being cheesy or timestamped. Instead, it has a modern yet ancient feel that is just right.

I’m so excited for you guys to read this interview with Castlesiege, as he is not only an incredible musician but also a Seinfeld fan (as you will see later). That immediately earned him major credit with me as a fan, myself.

Thanks so much for joining Blacforje for an interview! So, you’re based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Is that right?

My pleasure. Thank you for this opportunity! And yes, that is correct.

You released your first album titled The Council of Trees in early 2023. How do you feel the album has been received by listeners so far?

I think the album has been received exceptionally well. I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from the dungeon synth community and from listeners completely unassociated with the genre, which has been a pleasant surprise. When I released The Council of Trees, I had no idea what to expect; I just knew that I enjoyed the music that I created and hoped others would too. So, the response has definitely exceeded my expectations.

‘The Council of Trees’ by Castlesiege

What led you to start Castlesiege? And have you been into dungeon synth and fantasy music for a long time, or is this somewhat new to you?

I’ve been into fantasy music, in general, for a little over a decade. Fantasy-inspired metal bands were my “gateway”. From there, I started listening to a lot of different soundtracks, and those influenced me to learn how to compose orchestral-based music. It wasn’t until I discovered “The Dungeon Synth Archives” YouTube channel that I began to explore dungeon synth. Through the channel, I came across Turning Point by Secret Stairways, Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Casket of Dreams, The Sleeping Green by Lunar Womb... These releases are what piqued my interest. And ultimately, I just thought it’d be a cool genre to be a part of, as well as a decent outlet to showcase myself as a composer. Thus, Castlesiege was born!

What was the inspiration for The Council of Trees? Fantasy fiction? I know a lot of people in the dungeon synth world are inspired by Tolkienism.

I feel anytime fantasy is discussed, Tolkien has to be mentioned. He is synonymous with the genre. I wouldn’t say he was a direct inspiration for this album though. He was more of an indirect inspiration. The Council of Trees was primarily inspired by nature, esoteric literature, nostalgia, and video games from my childhood. Aside from that, the album is based on a fictional story that I wrote. The story and the music actually developed in a symbiotic manner. Both were written somewhat simultaneously, and each would influence the direction of the other. So, the creation process was very fluid. It was almost as if the project wrote itself, I was just the medium.

Do you write other styles of music? Any other projects outside of Castlesiege?

I do! I write and enjoy many different styles of music - various forms of metal, hard rock, classical, electronic, experimental... I have to compose in different genres, otherwise I get bored...[laughs]. The Council of Trees is my first “official” release, so I don’t have any of my other projects available to the public at this time. I’ve been writing and performing music for years but have only recently had the confidence in my music production/engineering capabilities to start releasing my own material.

So, who are you outside of music? What are you comfortable sharing with us about the person behind the artist?

I’m an importer-exporter at Vandelay Industries (Seinfeld reference). All jokes aside, this is a tough question for me to answer, because music is such an integral part of my life. A large portion of my time and energy goes into my musical endeavors. If I’m not writing or recording, I’m probably hanging out with my dog Cooper, reading a book, or cooking a vegetarian meal of some sort. I’m also somewhat of a gamer, but I don’t play a lot these days. I’m more interested in older games than anything modern. Most recently, I’ve been enjoying Golden Axe and Light Crusader on the Sega Genesis... Oh yeah, and I’m a connoisseur of hot sauce!

I love faith and philosophy. Does spirituality or philosophy play into your life and art at all? If so, how?

Absolutely! Philosophical analysis is the foundation by which I perceive this reality, and from that foundation, stems my spiritual beliefs. I’m more interested in objective universal truth than personal beliefs. If our beliefs aren’t rooted in truth, they’re just delusions; and more often than not, they’re delusions built upon delusions of delusions... I’m not the type of person who is overly-attached to beliefs. I’m very aware that if my beliefs become linked to emotion, all clarity is lost, and I am susceptible to cognitive dissonance. So, I try to maintain a healthy amount of skepticism, no matter what... Philosophy and spirituality are key components to my comprehension of this existence; something with that big of an impact on oneself, will only naturally seep into your art. It supersedes art itself and ultimately gives me a reason to create. Plus, as an artist, I want my work to have depth. I want my music to appeal to people on different levels, so I try to compose with this in mind. For example, The Council of Trees is fantasy fiction at the surface, but once you dig a bit deeper, it’s an allegory about the journey of life and the longing for a less-destructive world.

Last question: In Arkansas, do you actually have a bunch of razorbacks running around wild, or is that a myth made up by the University?

[laughs] This is true. There are large populations of feral pigs in certain regions of the state. Here in Little Rock, you’re more likely to come across wild razorback fans!

You can follow Castelsiege on Bandcamp, Instagram, and Facebook.