Amblare, hailing from the quiet corners of Evansville, Indiana, has recently offered us their self-titled debut album, now out on Melodic Virtue.

It’s an evocative piece of post-hardcore that reverberates with the legacy of Bryan St. Pere, the esteemed drummer from Hum, whose work graces this record as his swan song. The album, a collaboration with Matt Talbott of Hum and Mario Quintero of Spotlights, channels a sound that recalls the grandiosity of Cave In and the introspective depth of Failure.

With Matt McGuyer handling vocals and guitar, and Alex Wallwork on bass, the trio delivers a potent and affecting collection of songs. Despite St. Pere’s passing in 2021, Amblare’s dedication to honoring his memory shines through every track, making this debut not just a release but a tribute.

“We definitely bring a truckload of melody and our own characteristic”

Can you elaborate on how the collaboration between Matt McGuyer, Bryan St. Pere, and Alex Wallwork evolved from individual pursuits to a cohesive band?

Matt McGuyer: I was posting snippets on Facebook of some of the songs I had been writing, and Bryan reached out to offer any help with what I was doing and to let me know he really loved the songs and sounds. He knew of me from prior bands playing shows together in Evansville. He and I got together a few times and just spent hours hanging out and talking about music and life. We eventually decided we should start a band, and we reached out to Alex to handle bass guitar duties. Thankfully, he had room for another band, and off we went. Eventually, we pulled in a song of Alex’s called ‘Flyin’’ and wrote the song ‘Mine’d’ together from nothing.

Tell us more about your background and how all that connected to what you do today.

I started drums at 5, guitar at 10, and bass at 15/16. I’ve always understood songwriting and arranging, and I’ve never stopped honing my craft. At 9, I saw a guy write and record songs all by himself, and I’ve been on that quest since then in various ways. Now I have a studio in my house, and I constantly write and record. I plan to release a solo record in the winter of 2024/2025 under my last name, McGuyer.

Could you discuss what influenced Amblare’s sound and what unique elements Amblare brings to the post-hardcore genre?

So much has influenced my writing, and that’s what started the sound that is Amblare, only to be taken to the next level with Bryan on the drums and Alex on the bass. Bands like Hum, Failure, Molly McGuire, Lusk, Tool, Smashing Pumpkins, Shiner, and my Dad. The musical influence is a very long list, as it usually is with musicians. I honestly was shocked at the genre we’ve been put in, merely because I don’t listen to hardcore music and I’ve always considered what we/I create Alt. Rock, or just Rock. We definitely bring a truckload of melody and our own characteristic take on Rock music in general.

You recently released your debut album. What was the experience like recording at Earth Analog Recording Studio with Matt Talbott?

It was very laid back and intimidating at the same time for me. Matt is a large reason I even write music. We took our time over 8 days in total, tracking each song live to 2” tape. Sometimes we would do a song once and then hang out for an hour before getting back to it. Matt gave us the room and support to do what we needed to do for this recording and to capture a moment for each song.

<a href="https://amblare.bandcamp.com/album/amblare">Amblare by Amblare</a>

With the unfortunate passing of Bryan St. Pere, how does the band intend to honor his legacy through the release of the self-titled album? What aspects of St. Pere’s drumming style and personality do you believe are most reflected in the music of Amblare?

The release itself is how. It took us 3 years to get to the point of completion. We’ve done this all with just Alex and I and our own resources, with navigational/operational help from Aaron Tanner and Melodic Virtue. Bryan’s playing, as a whole, is reflected on this record. From gentle ghost-note work to the thickest and heaviest 4-on-the-floor pocket imaginable, to dancing the drums through odd time signatures. It’s all there, and it’s all honest and thoughtful, just like his personality. I’ve never known anyone with that level of integrity. Such a beautiful person.

Could you shed some light on the collaborative songwriting process within Amblare?

Six of the songs I had finished. One is Alex’s, and one other, ‘Mine’d,’ was a collaborative process from scratch at band practice. It was a typical, “Hey, here’s a riff, then let’s go to this riff. How many times? That feels good. Hey, I have a bridge!” All about the feels, always. And though I wrote most of the songs and had recorded demos before we formed, I didn’t make requests about how they wanted to approach them. They went at them with their own voices and truly made them come alive.

Despite the loss of Bryan St. Pere, you are planning to do some live shows in 2024 with a new drummer. How does the band plan to navigate this transition?

We have a mutual and good friend doing a good job trying to fill those drumming shoes. He and Bryan were also friends. Outside of the release show, we are doing shows based on if we get asked. We aren’t actively trying to book a tour on our own. And once the interest drops off, that will be the final bit of Amblare.

Tell us about your side projects and how these side projects inform your creative approach within Amblare.

I’m in several other bands, some active and some inactive. At the end of the day, I think anything an artist is doing in other projects informs all the projects they’re involved with equally. It’s all growth, and that seeps into everything.

I hope you enjoyed the recent reissue of your dad’s B.F. Trike? I would love it if you could share some of your own perspective on listening to his music.

I absolutely have enjoyed seeing my dad work through that process and be as excited as a teenager while being in his 70s. To have our records pressed and come out as close together as they have been has been such a fun thing for both of us. I think B.F. Trike was incredible. Great songs, great harmonies. Insanely classy bass playing and seat-of-the-pants guitar playing. I think they did some things on the record that were one of a kind and WAY ahead of their time. For example, the bridge breakdown groove on ‘Wait and See,’ using guitar feedback within a riff (eat your heart out, Sonic Youth). At the same time, there are guitar moves that you would hear on a Black Sabbath record. When I was a kid, it only existed on reel-to-reel, and Dad played it through his big stereo a LOT!

Let’s end this interview with some of your favorite albums. Have you found something new lately you would like to recommend to our readers?

Aside from the greats and pioneers: all the Hum records, Failure records, Lime from Molly McGuire, Starless from Shiner, Gish and Siamese Dream from Smashing Pumpkins, Chavez, Shellac, Melvins, and all of Meshuggah. There are just so many, but these are at the top of the list.

There’s a band called Sisters, featuring Jason from Molly McGuire and Mario from Spotlights. They just put out a record several months back that is just amazing. Two powerhouse musicians.

Thank you. The last word is yours.

Only last words worth anything would be a massive “Thank You!” to anyone that is rocking the Amblare record and showing it to their friends. Love to everyone. Thank you for this!

Klemen Breznikar

Headline photo: Heath Metzger

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