Interview with The Royal Ritual… by Tzina Dovve (DJ Lady Davinia)…
The Royal Ritual… A new dark industrial act emerges on the underground scene just before the days of the pandemic back in 2019… Based between the US and the UK this act has taken the industrial scene by storm so far with its dynamic yet atmospheric tunes, videos and live shows… A very promising act that is destined to go far… Main man and sound designer David Lawie tells his tale of his act/project and early days, new album, live shows and future plans… An in-depth interview on what this dark industrial act/project is all about… The Royal Ritual… By Tzina Dovve (DJ Lady Davinia)…
Tzina: Welcome to Absolution… The Royal Ritual is a new dark/industrial act to emerge on the U.K. goth/alternative scene… When and how exactly did this project come to life and what prompted you to begin The Royal Ritual to begin with? Who are the members of this act?
The Royal Ritual: Hi there – good to be here! The project actually first started in California just before the pandemic. I lived there for many years, and in 2019 I was noodling around with some ideas with a friend/colleague of mine in the San Francisco Bay Area. When the pandemic hit, it became a solo project in the studio. Of course, none of us had any idea how long the pandemic would last, and the first album MARTYRS was completed just before it became necessary to move back to the UK. It was released towards the tail-end of lockdowns in the UK, and I had no idea how to perform it live. It took until 2023 for me to think about performing, and that’s when Dan Kentley – my dearest friend, whom I have known longer than anyone outside of my family – became integral to the live show. It was 2024 before we started performing regularly, and his takes on the studio versions have really inspired me to bring him into the creation of the third album.
Tzina: The name ‘The Royal Ritual’ may bring thoughts of some sort of ceremony to one’s mind and the like… What is the story behind this title and why this name in particular? Does it have some sort of symbolic meaning to you? Can you elaborate…
The Royal Ritual: Honestly, the project had no title for a long time. MARTYRS was completed, and it came to me in one of the darkest periods of my life. I was driving the nearly 5,000km journey from the Bay Area on the West Coast to the North East of the USA alone with two cats – just before flying back to the UK mid-pandemic – and I had plenty of time to think. “The Royal Ritual” kept coming back to me. I don’t really know what it means, but I have a feeling it is to do with the dissonance in my stance on The Royal Family. On paper I am absolutely against inherited power, along with church, state, and military being under one official umbrella. The idea of the separation of powers in the USA should be a utopia. It should be the place with the most social justice. The big problem is that it just isn’t, and that makes me feel very conflicted with regards to how I actually feel about the subject.
Tzina: : Your music is very atmospheric and could be described as dark industrial with a dash of dark electronic waves… How is a Royal Ritual creation brought to life and where do you get your inspiration to write such dark melodies? What are your main musical influences?
The Royal Ritual: I think perhaps my work in sound design and music for film has a lot to do with it. Most of the percussive elements in the music are layered from found sounds, and I prefer to write bodies of work, rather than single songs. I think I’m quite old fashioned in that way. My favourite music is in the form of concept albums. I don’t have a subscription to any streaming services, and when I listen to music on the go it is albums I have ripped and transferred to my phone. I still love my turntable and CD player, and I think those formats yield a more active listening experience. I think in my own way I am just attempting to create my own long-form experiences.
Tzina: As I understand you released your second full length album last year (2024) with the title ‘Pleasure Hides Your Needs’… What is this album about and how does it differ from your debut album ‘Martys’ back in 2023? What feedback has this album received from music press and your new fans so far?
The Royal Ritual: Pleasure Hides Your Needs is about the closing of three distinct chapters of my life, or at least it is for me. I wouldn’t want to steer anyone towards a singular interpretation. I think there is more modulation with mood and melody in Pleasure, and probably a bit less anger towards institutions. For me it explores the volatility of attitudes towards things closer to home – things that are less pervasive, but more invasive. The title song, along with the outro piece “Coma” have certainly had the strongest reaction from people experiencing The Royal Ritual for the first time, both as audience members and reviewers.
Tzina: You have also released a few videos on YouTube… One of your most recent ‘Modes Of Violence’ taken from your latest album including a live performance version of this track… Do you have any more videos in the pipeline from ‘Pleasure Hides Your Needs’? How important are videos to you? Do you think the visual side of a band/artist is as fundamental as the music side? Can you elaborate…
The Royal Ritual: You know, I was seeing visions of how a video for “Coma” might look, as well as how I might make it during a recent drive to London. HARUKO is the name I use for visual art, and I have had a big hand in all of the TRR music videos, if not creating them completely solo. This isn’t a guarantee that a video for “Coma” will emerge, but perhaps it will…. With independent music projects it is always hard to find the time and energy to create music videos, but I do think they are important – especially since YouTube is one of the biggest tools for music discovery. It’s a worthwhile investment of time, for sure.
Tzina: The Royal Ritual has already played a number of shows so far including participation at ‘InFest Festival’ August this year in Bradford, ‘Glom Fest’ in the US and supporting The Awakening on their Haunting Tour 2025 on their U.K. dates in Leeds and London just last month… How were those experiences for you and how did these shows come about?
The Royal Ritual: This year’s appearance at Infest was actually the second for The Royal Ritual, with the first being in 2024. I adore this festival, and the festival team has always been so supportive of me. In 2021, during the lockdown version of the festival – “Stay-In-Fest” they aired the first TRR Video, “Pews In A Pandemic” for the first time. I had been involved with Glōm Fest from the initial conceptual phase after the owner came to me with an idea. My partner, Vara, and I came up with the name, and Vara crafted the brand and overall design, as well as running the social media and marketing side of things. We have a company called Ritual Reverb, where we bring my audio background and her visual skills together to work with artists and clients. I had met Ashton Nyte at one of his solo shows in York during the early planning stages of the Glōm. He and I connected very quickly, and when I suggested The Awakening to headline the festival everyone was in agreement. At that point The Awakening was going through the beginnings of a revival with the first album in years, and the subsequent tour was to hit the UK on the way to mainland Europe. The Royal Ritual was invited to open the UK shows. It was a great experience to be involved with Ashton and co!
Tzina: Are there any other shows planned for the rest of 2025 or 2026? Are there any cities in particular that The Royal Ritual would like to visit and play in the near future? What do you enjoy the most about performing live?
The Royal Ritual: As it stands, we are discussing options for performing in 2026. There are no concrete plans yet, but I’m sure we’ll get back out on the road. I would love to head into mainland Europe this time, but logistically I know that can get challenging. Let’s see where the cards fall!
Tzina: What are your ambitions for The Royal Ritual? Do you think it’s very difficult for a new band to survive in today’s digital music world of streaming etc… Do you think social media is as helpful as we are made to believe in supporting artists/acts etc?…
The Royal Ritual: I’m very fortunate in that i make my living from music production and sound design. The Royal Ritual is my way of creating art to exist on its own merit, rather than as a calling card for me to work on other projects. I will obviously pursue success with The Royal Ritual, but I do know from my work as a producer with other artists, it requires a high level of determination as well as investment – both in terms of time and money – to break through from the initial stages where nothing seems to stick. It’s a tough road, but it can be done. I think that social media is becoming less and less impactful for independent musicians, especially now that there is a paywall to even get posts seen. The impact and connection I have felt with people after shows far outweighs the likes on Instagram and Facebook, and to be able to talk to someone and shake their hand after they’ve picked up a record or a T-Shirt says more to me than a thousand online comments. In the age of AI and endless advertisements, I think a genuine connection is what people are looking for. I know I’m looking for that.
Tzina: What are your views on the U.K. goth/alternative/underground scene of today? Do you think it differs from the rest of the world? Do you believe there is some sort of goth revival happening over the last few years? Do you think the scene supports its contemporary bands in your home country? Can you elaborate…
The Royal Ritual: Honestly, I don’t really know what it is to be goth. I’ve seen so many different types of people at shows, and the only thing I’ve walked away with is a sense of warmth and welcoming. Even though I’m aware that music is at the heart of most subcultures, I never feel like I am writing music for any specific type of person. I can say, however, that the audiences at festivals and shows where I have performed lately have been very eager to hear what’s new, rather than what they already know, and that is very refreshing – this has been true in both the UK and USA/Canada.
Tzina: Thankyou for your time… Anything else you would like to share with your fans? What can they expect from The Royal Ritual in the near future?
The Royal Ritual: Just to say thank you so much for supporting The Royal Ritual. People have been so generous in joining the Patreon, where I share lots of behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as what goes into a freelance career in order to keep The Royal Ritual ticking along. Thank you to everyone who picks up records and talks to Dan and me after shows. We love performing, and we love it even more that you are there, bringing your energy, and singing the words back to us. There is new material in the works right now, albeit in embryonic stages, but there is more to come from The Royal Ritual – a lot more.
The Royal Ritual is on Facebook…
The Royal Ritual is on Instagram…
The Royal Ritual is on Bandcamp…
