Interview Dark Side of Me

Dark Side of Me return with Silence Of The Swallows, a cinematic, melancholic, and deeply crafted journey. In this interview, the trio reflects on evolution, storytelling, and the meticulous creation of their new album.

1. dark side of me has been crafting its distinctive sound since 2009. How would you describe the musical evolution from your debut Ignition Spark to the new album Silence Of The Swallows?
Marco: I think we’ve matured both as songwriters and as musicians. Since recording Ignition Spark, we’ve delved deeper into recording techniques and sound design to get as close as possible to our idea of how the songs—and the album as a whole—should sound. However, the development was natural and by no means forced. That’s probably because we don’t set boundaries/limits for ourselves; we simply do what we feel like doing. That’s how it happened that the songs on Silence Of The Swallows turned out considerably longer and, in parts, more complex than those on our debut.

2. Your sound blends heavy, melancholic, and groove-driven rock with progressive and melodic touches. How do you balance emotional depth with technical complexity when writing your songs?

Marco: There’s probably no clear answer to that. Urs and I have been making music together for over 30 years, and outside the band we’re best friends who understand each other intuitively, even without words. Maybe it’s just our personalities—who we are and how we think. The music simply reflects that.

Urs: Emotional depth and technical (or rather musical) complexity aren’t opposites for us. Many of our lyrics tell stories, and these naturally carry strong and varied emotions. The musical complexity fits with that. The main challenge is ensuring that a song doesn’t fall apart despite its different sections and moods. We like it when it feels cohesive and flows as one.

3. The new record took nearly three years to complete. What was the most challenging or rewarding aspect of the album’s creation process?

Marco: The biggest challenge was probably that we’re not easily satisfied and constantly find things to work on or improve. That’s what consumes most of the time during production. Just as a side note: most of the songs on the new album were already fully written and demoed by the time Ignition Spark was released in 2019.

Urs: A very rewarding aspect was that we recorded a large part of the album in our home studios. Guitars, bass, keyboards, and partly the vocals were all recorded at home. That made us very flexible with scheduling and allowed us to record when we were in the right mindset—and keep going until we were happy with the result.

4. Silence Of The Swallows feels both cinematic and intimate. Can you share the inspiration behind the album title and its overall concept or message?

Urs: There’s no overarching concept for Silence Of The Swallows. We see ourselves as storytellers. We try to wrap stories in fitting musical form. The album title combines two songs: “Swallows” refers to the birds in the lyrics of Marmorera, which disappear forever—they are now “silent”. “Silence” also appears in Eye Of The Silence, which deals with abandonment. The cover image is meant to capture this melancholic calm and a sense of lostness. It also fits well with Lake Of Tears.

5. Songs like “Lost Profile” and “Marmorera” stand out for their atmosphere and dynamics. Do you approach songwriting with a particular theme in mind, or do the songs develop organically from jamming and experimentation?

Urs: We rarely jam—our rehearsal time is better spent playing finished songs. When we have an idea, we prefer to develop it quietly at home—so in that sense, “silence” is also a theme. Many songs come to the rehearsal room almost finished; others evolved through a kind of writing ping-pong, sending ideas back and forth between Marco and me. The starting point can be a small melody or a lyrical theme. Songwriting is always a long process—an adventure. We start with an idea, but the song never ends up exactly as we first imagined it. It develops a life of its own, and we try to respond to that. It’s exciting, but it also requires perseverance. One of the best moments in a musician’s life is when you realise that a new song is finally coming together.

6. You worked with Stefan Leibing (ex-Primal Fear) for mixing and mastering. How did his involvement influence the final sound of the album?

Marco: Stefan Leibing was recommended to us by a good friend of mine, Klaus Sperling (Nitrogods). They played together in Primal Fear, and Klaus thought Stefan could give us the best possible sound—and he was absolutely right. We believe Stefan’s experience as a musician, his good ear for songs, sound, and detail contributed a great deal to the success of Silence Of The Swallows. The collaboration was relaxed and friendly, and we really appreciated his creative input.

Urs: Mixing our songs certainly wasn’t an easy task. We already had demo versions of every song, with fairly detailed mixes even before mastering. By the time we went to Stefan, we’d listened to them countless times and had grown used to their sound. Stefan couldn’t just create something completely different. It needed to be balanced, powerful, and rich in detail—and, of course, the guitars, bass, vocals, keyboards, and drums all had to be loud! Hahaha. With over 50 tracks per song, that was a real challenge—but Stefan pulled it off brilliantly.

7. The album artwork and booklet design seem to reflect the music’s emotional layers. How important is the visual aspect when presenting your music to the audience?

Urs: When performing live, visuals aren’t that important—at least not yet. We’re not showmen; for us, it’s all about the music. We just make sure our zips are done up and our drummer doesn’t wear a white shirt. For our CDs, however, the visuals are very important. We grew up with Vinyl, tapes, and CDs. Physical releases in the rock and metal world are often complete works of art—a collection of songs that belong together, in a deliberate order, complemented by the artwork and booklet. Streaming can’t recreate that feeling. We design everything ourselves—from the photos to the layout. The music and the artwork belong together. Consistency is also important to us, so the layout of the second album is the same as the debut’s. We want people to instantly recognise what they’re holding in their hands.

8. Having performed across Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and Germany, how do live shows shape your connection with fans and your understanding of your own music?

Marco: For us, live shows aren’t the main focus—it’s more about rehearsing, creating, and recording new songs. We enjoy playing live, but opportunities are limited since we’re not mainstream and exist more within a musical niche. Of course, we’d love to play more often, but time constraints and, to be honest, a lack of promotional drive hold us back. We handle everything ourselves—no label, no management, no booking agent. But to be clear: even though we’re just a trio, we can perform all our songs live. The cinematic sounds and keyboards come from backing tracks, but vocals, bass, guitars, and drums are 100% live.

9. Your band often cites influences like Amorphis, Paradise Lost, and Threshold. What have you learned from these artists that you’ve integrated into dark side of me’s identity?

Urs: You could also mention Dream Theater—or even Element Of Crime, a German band that comes from a completely different musical direction. We love them nonetheless, perhaps because of that. All these bands have their own distinctive character; they’ve created their own worlds. They seem to do exactly what they want, focusing on the music rather than sales figures. The fact that they’re successful is a nice bonus. We do the same—we make the music we love. It’s a similar mindset. And, of course, we admire their distorted guitars, big melodies, complex arrangements, and—in Element Of Crime’s case—the strong lyrics. Those are all ingredients we want in our own music.

10. With Silence Of The Swallows now released, what are your next steps? Are there upcoming shows or projects you’re particularly excited about?

Marco: No shows planned, no. But we’re already looking forward to recording the next album. We have plenty of material, but Urs keeps coming up with new songs, so in the end we’ll be spoilt for choice.

Urs: Marco also has quite a few arrows left in his quiver. He doesn’t shoot around corners, though—he hits straight at the target. I’m curious about his new material. By the way, one of our new songs says: “… into your heart, … , as straight as a dart.” Maybe another bullseye?

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