The Story Behind Ritual Disasters: Fight Cloud’s View on Love, Loss, and Life RitualsT

Battle cloud is an indie math rock alternative band from Richmond that has been going strong for about 14 years. Their sound combines genre elements with wonderful melodies, harmonies, great tones, structured rhythms and bass, and angry drum beats. They are releasing their new album Ritual disasters this November. After hearing some of the songs live in March 2024 and receiving a privileged preview of the album, I was blown away by the recording from the first track. I’m looking forward to the release and seeing more Fight Cloud shows.

The band’s name, as singer Justin explained during their performance at Cobra Cabana in October 2024, comes from cartoons in which characters fight in a “battle cloud.”

I had the opportunity to ask founding members Justin and Mitch a few questions about the album and their recording process.

T Rav: How would it feel if you were excited for this album, knowing that you are about to release an incredible album? Do you think people are ready for this?

Justin:Haha, much appreciated! It feels great to finally bring something we’re proud of into the world, especially after such a long release hiatus. We’re thrilled to be sharing new music after four years of slow development – some member changes, life changes, world changes. It feels good, really good. I can’t wait for people to hear it.

T Rav: Does this album differ from the first two albums in the recording process or composition?

Justin: Not really – our process remains pretty consistent. The most important considerations are usually how heavy or relaxed the music should be and how involved the production is. Our last release was softer and focused on additional production elements. That’s why we wanted to make this album heavy and raw. There are fewer layers, but overall we think the material is full enough to achieve the sonic range we’re aiming for.

The writing process was pretty normal too, but the addition of Grayson on drums and Ethan on bass brought some exciting new energy and flow that we had been missing for some time. We all seemed to gel well together, which made writing much easier than it has been in years.

T Rav: What time period were these songs written?

Justin: We wrote a few songs between 2020 and 2023, but the process was too slow and it didn’t come together as we had hoped. After Grayson joined, we were able to reach this flow state more often and finish the remaining songs on the album in about six months, from late 2023 to early 2024.

What was the inspiration for this album or some of the songs?

stew: I (Stew/Justin) had a pretty unpredictable 2022 and 2023, full of ups and downs. Love and marriage, loss, life changes – there were many great moments. Many of the lyrics on this album reflect these experiences from my perspective and the inner dialogue I had during this time. A major theme is overcoming the “ritual disasters” or necessary evils of daily life to find the brighter side, the greener grass.

T Rav: Do you view albums as a conceptual story or songs as individual compositions of meaning and expression?

Justin: I think we tend to think of albums as a collection of individual songs, especially because we focus on being in the moment when composing together. Nevertheless, we always strive for a certain level of cohesion. We could write in a specific key or use similar sounds, vibes or pedals for each song to create a flow through the album. Sometimes we even take parts from one song and rework them as a callback to another. Lyrically, albums can be a different story. I like to keep a general theme and explore different perspectives or moments associated with it – something that is a little conceptual from a personal perspective.

T Rav: Where was the album recorded and how long did the recording process take?

Justin: The album was recorded at Go West recording here in RVA, owned and operated by our guitarist Mitch Clem. It’s also our rehearsal space, so the atmosphere felt very natural. We took four days to record drums, bass and my guitar, and then Mitch recorded his guitar the following week. The vocals were completed shortly afterwards in a few sessions.

Due to scheduling and other factors, Mitch then had about a week to mix and master the record. So the whole thing was pretty streamlined.

T Rav: The incredible musicianship on the album and how long did it take to get used to recording? What contributions do the different band members make to the songs and tracking?

Justin: I would say we got lucky haha. We’re pretty quick at locking tracks for recording. Just before we started recording, we took about a week to practice the entire album and make any last minute changes we wanted. This led to me writing new intros for two tracks – a bold step, but a valuable part of the process. Additionally, the presence of our sound engineer as a band member helps us know in advance what to expect and how to prepare for it.

Mitch: We also made sure we had good live demos of everything so I could use those to plan the tempo changes for all the songs. This allowed us to record with a metronome but retain much of the lively, natural energy of the music. I think the effect is noticeable on the record.

T Rav: Are there any moments that stand out to you while playing the album that were particularly exciting to listen to?

Justin: They all have little moments that are interesting to listen to once recorded, but one that particularly stands out is “Treat Machine.” It’s a heavier track on the album, so it’s exciting to hear the fun sand and dirt we used. It also seems to leave a mark when we play it live.

Mitch: Yes, “Treat Machine” and “Thornbird” are fun – they’re atmospheric and have that “journey” structure where we don’t go back to previous sections. After that comes “How Will It Hold,” the stripped down track. It’s a down-tuned guitar piece that I wrote and recorded myself, with Stew and I doing vocals together. It’s a little different than anything we’ve done before and it’s cool to hear something more personal to me being incorporated into a Fight Cloud record. I hope that these three are not overlooked and that some listeners identify with them.

T Rav: Three albums into the band’s journey may be too late to ask, but I’m always interested in what other bands, albums or songs directly or indirectly inspired this work?

Justin: We always take inspiration from some of Circa Survive’s early works. They are ethereal guitars and melodies that have always been so perfectly fused with a balance of melancholy and beauty. We tend to pick up a touch of flavor from Minus the Bear and Enemies too. As a guitar-heavy band, they also had a big influence on implementing the pretty but intricate guitar work that we try to embody in our music.

Mitch: Stew is more melodic than me and I’m particularly interested in rhythmic things. So I tend to bring additional influence from bands like Palm, Horse Lords and Town Portal. The place where our respective guitar playing styles meet plays a huge role in defining our sound.

T Rav: Their music has often been described as math rock, and as I listened to this album I realized that it shares the At The Drive-In pedigree of The Mars Volta and Sparta (which I would say is high praise) and Alternative Progressives of the early 21st century could be associated with rock. What tradition or genre of music do you all identify with and do you want to carry the torch?

Justin: Oh man, At The Drive-In is a huge compliment – ​​haha, thanks for that! We’re all about math rock (or, as our friend Cole calls it, “suburban jazz”). While we may not have the typical Chon-style tappy or shreddy style, we incorporate our own strange time signatures and mathematical elements in a way that feels right to us. At this point I think alternative progressive rock is a great description. We’re not really into traditional prog rock, but we enjoy challenging ourselves and the listener a little with our musicality.

T Rav: As a new listener, where does the band’s name come from?

Justin: Haha, this is a short story, just a line we heard in high school and liked. I wish there was more to it, but it means a lot to us right now. 16 years and many songs later, we are still Fight Cloud.

T Rav: How does the city of Richmond fit into Fight Cloud’s story?

Justin: Mitch and I founded Fight Cloud in 2008, but it was after moving to Richmond in 2010 that we really started to find our sound. From 2011 to 2015 we were very active here and our friends’ bands like Night Idea, Houdan The Mystic, Way Shape or Form, Midair, Shy Low, Parenthesis, Basmati etc. were big inspirations for us. We met Ethan and Grayson here. It was our home base and the place where everything evolved to where we are now. We have a lot to thank this city and community for!

Fight Cloud at The Camel 3/13/24 Photo Todd Raviotta

T Rav: What’s next? Where is the band playing as we end the year and begin the next?

Justin: The album release show takes place on November 9th at The Camel with Sunflower’d and Ing. After that we’ll get going from November 13th. until November 17th on a short tour to Chicago and back and are planning a show with Midlife Pilot at Bandito’s in December. We also have an upcoming music video shoot that we are excited about. We are also looking forward to writing new music again.