Chris Harris, also known by his up-and-coming stage name Zilverbacks, released his debut album on Apr. 8, 2020. Titled “The Dark Hores: At a Time When Time Was Irrelevant,” this eight-track album is a hybrid between grunge and indie rock. With tracks like “Real Lies,” “Kamikaze of Lullabies” and my personal favourites, “Breakthrough” and “Ultimatum,” I couldn’t help but give this album a second, third and fourth listen. Zilverbacks was also kind enough to sit down with Imprint (while respecting self-isolation, of course) to talk a little bit about himself and his debut album.
What makes this album unique and different from what’s out there already?
I suppose what makes it unique is the fact that I had no prior experience, so I wasn’t “moulded” by these musical institutions, the status quo, the recipe to success, etc. I had a lot of emotions, and this was my vent, my catharsis. I also didn’t listen to any other music, to not be wrongly influenced and equally disheartened.
When did you start working on this project?
I started working on the album seriously at the start of 2019. This was when I said to myself, “this is it, I need to do this” and waking up early to do a job I didn’t care about added fuel to the fire. So I went for it, and haven’t looked back since! I quit my job and wrote the album in a dilapidated old barrack building on an ex-army base- in a dead-end town- converted to residential use.
What does ‘The Dark Hores: At a Time When Time Was Irrelevant’ mean?
I’m a fan of ambiguity and leaving multiple direct messages at once amongst the lyricism. So “The Dark Hores: At a Time When Time Was Irrelevant” actually means many things that in themselves create a single conceptual message. Firstly, “Hores” refers to “whores,” secondly, it’s a play on the word “horse,” thirdly, it means “hours” in Catalan (referring to dark times) and lastly, “Höre” means “to hear” in German.
One of my favourite songs on the album is “Ultimatum.” Can you do a breakdown of the story and inspiration behind that track?
I’d become completely infatuated after a perfectly wild night out with this beautiful Lithuanian woman. She had to disappear that morning, and looking back, I was longing for her constantly for the next two months. “Ultimatum” was written during that phase of irrational, unjustifiable desire, the romantic fantasy, so detached from reality – pure lust. I met her again, and we continued the great times, with coastal getaways and city breaks, which only amplified the emotions. I mean, looking back, she had to move back to Lithuania for f***s sake, but still, there was a subsequent month of distancing and distractions despite how great it all was. The true, core expression behind “Ultimatum” stems from the situation I found myself in, not knowing how she felt, wanting to know but not wanting to end the flirting and everything else by raising [an] ultimatum she would resent.
Obviously, touring and live performances are not the best idea at this time, can fans expect online performances from you via the internet?
The current state of the world isn’t ideal for a musician, but it isn’t for most people. Even so, it has been a good opportunity to write and release more online content to fans. Listeners can visit the Zilverbacks YouTube page to listen to the album, and there are bonus tracks on there too. I actually just released a new song called “Anaemic Iron Heart,” which you can listen to on there. [My] Instagram page is also pretty active, my handle is @zilverbacks.
You can stream Zilverbacks debut album “Dark Hores: At A Time When Time Was Irrelevant” right now on YouTube and Soundcloud.
