On
September 4th, Sumokem released Prajnaparadha.
Following their 2015 debut The Madness of Lu
Shen Ti, Vol. 1, and 2017's The
Guardian of Yosemite, the new release finds
the Little Rock-based band shifting their musical approach once
again, but also turns out to be something of a larger turning point
for the group. We spoke with Sumokem about their history, the
making of the new album, and what they see in their future.

The
Burning Beard: Hi there, congratulations on the new album, and thanks
very much for sharing some of your time with us. To start with, could
you give new listeners a run-down on the band's current line-up?
Sumokem:
Yeah,
so it's always been myself, Jacob Sawrie, on vocals and rhythm
guitar, and Drew Skarda on drums. Since 2015 we've had Tyler Weaver
on lead guitar and Dustin Weddle on bass. Now myself and Dustin play
synths, as well, on every song on the new album, actually.
TBB:
Who was in the band's original line-up, and how did it come together?
Sumokem:
Originally
it was myself, Drew, and Josh Ingram on lead guitar. We played for a
few months with no bassist, and I'm surprised people liked it, haha.
We were fortunate enough to add local legend Alan Wells on bass, and
that was SMKM for the first couple of years. We recorded our first EP
in Alan's basement. Josh died in May of 2015, and Alan left at the
same time to take care of his family and his health. Tyler and Dustin
came in and we found some new life.
TBB:
How did the writing and recording of Prajnaparadha
differ from
your previous albums?
Sumokem:
Really
the only thing that was different about the process was that everyone
incorporated riffs. It really opened things up and made this album
what it is. We also took things a little more seriously in the
studio, and that definitely made a difference.
TBB: What were some
notable inspirations for its themes, and what led the band to settle
on the final overall concept for the album?
Sumokem:
This
album is definitely a reflection of the four of us and our separate
tastes shining through and meeting in the middle somewhere. We were
all able to contribute to the writing process on this one since we’ve
settled into the lineup, so I think that’s a reason it sounds much
different. Our drummer, Drew, even wrote quite a few guitar riffs for
this one.
TBB: Were the songs
mostly put together before the concept was decided, or did the
concept come first and direct the song-writing?
Sumokem:
Honestly,
my stories kind of write themselves. I start with a time and place,
do a lot of research, write an outline of the story, and go from
there - but as soon as I learned the word "Prajnaparadha,"
I knew that "sins against wisdom" had to be the theme.
TBB: Were there any
other memorable ideas on which direction to go with this album?
Sumokem:
The concept for the albums, and the lyrics, have always existed
before the music, per record. We've just always kind of written the
songs based on what we feel from the lyrics - but this is the last
album we'll write that way, at least for a while.
We
wanted this album to be our most progressive, most dynamic album yet,
but let things play out naturally, and it worked out.
TBB:
If there is one, what's the usual process for Sumokem to build a
song?
Sumokem:
The
writing process was pretty organic, we brought riffs in and arranged
them together and somehow it all worked out without sounding too
juxtaposed or odd.
TBB:
Given Sumokem's tendency to change atmospheres or presentation with
each album (Chinese vibes for Lu Shen
Ti, First
Peoples for Yosemite,
and Indian for this one), are there any influences on the band which
you feel have stuck around from the start?
Sumokem:
The
only real influence that has stuck around is the use of cannabis or
other psychoactive drugs in ancient cultures; be it for a character's
benefit, or to their detriment, as in the new album.
TBB: If it wouldn't
be giving away too much, does the band have any thoughts on which
culture the next album might visit?
Sumokem:
Actually,
this is the last we'll be doing the "concept album" thing,
at least for a while. We have started writing for another EP that is
going to go in a more philosophical direction, lyrically.
TBB: What are some
of the challenges you've faced as a metal band in/from Arkansas?
Sumokem:
It's
hard to say we have struggles any different than bands from anywhere
else. You could say that the Little Rock/Arkansas scene is more
underground than other major cities, but with bands like Rwake,
Deadbird, Pallbearer, and Terminal Nation bringing attention to it,
we can't really complain. It's a slow burn at worst.
It
has its ups and downs being from a small city, we luckily have a
history of killer bands here. It’s also harder it seems to get
attention outside of Arkansas sometimes, but locally the reception
here has always been great and we are grateful for it.
TBB: Are there any
bands with whom you've shared a stage that you feel have helped
sharpen your sense of who you are as a band?
Sumokem:
Ha!
Most of them. We've gotten to play with so many bands we admire, or
even worship. We couldn't list all the bands we've played with that
showed us how much better we could be. I think the biggest blessing
was spending a week on the road with our friends in Pallbearer and
Spotlights. Seeing them just kill it every single night was truly
inspiring.
TBB: Are there any
current bands with whom you'd be especially interested in putting out
a split, or otherwise collaborating?
Sumokem:
There's
also a ton of bands we'd love to collaborate with. Personally, I'd
love to do something with Pinkish Black or Kayo Dot, but we've also
thought (if in passing) that an ultra-Arkansas collab could be cool.
TBB: Is there
anything else you'd like to share with our readers?
Sumokem:
Hey,
we just hope people like the record - and a lot of people deserve a
lot of thanks. We hope to see people on the road sooner than later.
~
Interview by Gabriel