guilt free:
Anger mismanaging sludge squad Indian dub themselves unforgiving
written by: Kevin Stewart-Panko
If the name Will Lindsay sounds familiar, that’s because it probably is. The guitarist/co-vocalist for Chicago-based doom/sludge misanthropes Indian has spent the lion’s share of the 21st century shuttling around these United States writing, recording and road-dogging with the likes of Nachtmystium, Anatomy of Habit, A Storm of Light, Mutilation Rites and more. The most hilarious thing about all this is that his journey as one of underground metal’s most versatile go-to dudes started with a band whose name he can’t even legally mention.
“I was in a band with Mike Scheidt of YOB,” he begins, “and we were sued by another band using the same name. I even signed a form at the end of all it saying I couldn’t say the name anywhere. Man, that was the worst thing ever! I wasn’t willing to settle, but unfortunately, in our band democracy, I Anger mismanaging sludge squad Indian dub themselves unforgiving Guilt Free was outvoted. I was like, ‘Fuck you. Come and get us. What do you think you’re going to get?’”
Legal documents be damned—four seconds of internet research will reveal who he originally cut his chops with. After numerous instances crossing paths on the tour circuit, Indian (rounded out by drummer Bill Bumgardner and original members bassist Ron DeFries and guitarist/co-vocalist Dylan O’Toole) decided they wanted Lindsay as much as Lindsay decided Indian was the best personal and professional fit.
“When I joined, I didn’t want to take anything over, but wanted equality from the get-go; not to pay any ‘new guy’ dues,” Lindsay says. “They were all about that. I might have been new to Indian, but I’m not new to this.”
After writing and recording 2011’s Guiltless—their first for Relapse and fourth overall—in piecemeal fashion due to Lindsay’s heavy touring schedule, he uprooted from Olympia, WA to Chicago to focus on new album, From All Purity. Here, the band sounds invigorated and cohesive, yet still on the verge of implosion as their noisy razorbladecuts-meet-turpentine catharsis is accented by increasingly punishing walls of power-electronics.
“This band is a personal expression and a reflection of some aspect of our lives in general,” Lindsay says. “It’s not contrived. I don’t want to give the impression we’re roaming the streets pissed off and scowling all the time; that’s certainly not the case. Don’t get me wrong: Chicago’s been wonderful to me and I absolutely love it here, but ultimately, Indian is an expression, and every facet of our lives is going to play into that expression, including where we live and spend our time. This record is a fairly logical progression. We’ve been playing together more, and with all of us living in the same place, we were definitely able to work together. I mean, I love Guiltless and am terribly proud of it, but I wanted to move toward something harsher and more unforgiving, and I think we did.”
“I was in a band with Mike Scheidt of YOB,” he begins, “and we were sued by another band using the same name. I even signed a form at the end of all it saying I couldn’t say the name anywhere. Man, that was the worst thing ever! I wasn’t willing to settle, but unfortunately, in our band democracy, I Anger mismanaging sludge squad Indian dub themselves unforgiving Guilt Free was outvoted. I was like, ‘Fuck you. Come and get us. What do you think you’re going to get?’”
Legal documents be damned—four seconds of internet research will reveal who he originally cut his chops with. After numerous instances crossing paths on the tour circuit, Indian (rounded out by drummer Bill Bumgardner and original members bassist Ron DeFries and guitarist/co-vocalist Dylan O’Toole) decided they wanted Lindsay as much as Lindsay decided Indian was the best personal and professional fit.
“When I joined, I didn’t want to take anything over, but wanted equality from the get-go; not to pay any ‘new guy’ dues,” Lindsay says. “They were all about that. I might have been new to Indian, but I’m not new to this.”
After writing and recording 2011’s Guiltless—their first for Relapse and fourth overall—in piecemeal fashion due to Lindsay’s heavy touring schedule, he uprooted from Olympia, WA to Chicago to focus on new album, From All Purity. Here, the band sounds invigorated and cohesive, yet still on the verge of implosion as their noisy razorbladecuts-meet-turpentine catharsis is accented by increasingly punishing walls of power-electronics.
“This band is a personal expression and a reflection of some aspect of our lives in general,” Lindsay says. “It’s not contrived. I don’t want to give the impression we’re roaming the streets pissed off and scowling all the time; that’s certainly not the case. Don’t get me wrong: Chicago’s been wonderful to me and I absolutely love it here, but ultimately, Indian is an expression, and every facet of our lives is going to play into that expression, including where we live and spend our time. This record is a fairly logical progression. We’ve been playing together more, and with all of us living in the same place, we were definitely able to work together. I mean, I love Guiltless and am terribly proud of it, but I wanted to move toward something harsher and more unforgiving, and I think we did.”