Cløudy Skies interview

Cløudy Skies is Lionel FOREST (Vocal, Bass) and Nicolas SIMON (guitars).

Interview with Nico — October 22th, 2026

1. Hail Cløudy Skies! Three years since Changes, and here we are again. Last time, Nico, you told me that you were listening to more Kurt Vile, Weyes Blood, Lana Del Rey and that kind of stuff than metal. I liked that answer because it explained more about Cløudy Skies than another list of post-metal bands would have done. Are you still heading in that direction, or has Bury Me Beneath the Stars pulled you back towards heavier music?
[Nico]: To answer your question, my heart is still deeply anchored in those non-metal spaces. There’s a profound sense of emotional vulnerability and space on this new record—influences drawn from artists like Lana Del Rey, Marissa Nadler, or Weyes Blood, who bring a rare, haunting sense of melancholy. At the same time, I’ve been completely immersed in modern shoegaze, dream-pop, and ambient soundscapes like the last two Slowdive albums, Whirr, or Deserta—music that is pure sonic escapism. One of the artists I’ve listened to the most is probably Holy Sons; Emil Amos is easily one of the best songwriters I know. Ultimately for me, it’s rarely about borrowing a specific genre template—it’s about capturing a certain color, a warmth, or an underlying nostalgia.

On the flip side, the raw, intense world of black metal and extreme music is still very much alive in us—that visceral, overwhelming darkness laced with soaring, transcendent light from bands like Deafheaven, Krallice, Wolves in the Throne Room, Agriculture, or Genital Shame, whom I recently discovered (a bit late to the party, I know but this is insane!).

So, Bury Me Beneath the Stars didn't pull us back toward heavy music at the expense of our softer side. Instead, it pushed both cursors to the extreme simultaneously. The heavy passages became vastly more aggressive, raw, and crushing, while the ambient sections grew far deeper, quieter, and more cinematic. We didn't want to choose between heaviness and vulnerability—we wanted to stretch the distance between them as far as possible to create maximum emotional contrast and goosebumps.

2. Speaking of Changes, you described it as a concept album, with the seven track titles spelling out the album's name. You clearly put a lot of thought into how the whole thing worked together. Did you start the new album with a similar plan, or did the songs come together first and the concept follow afterwards?
[Nico]: Releasing Changes was a huge weight off our shoulders—a true creative rebirth where we finally broke free from our past musical frustrations. Because of that, it was built around a very tight, deliberate concept.  = This time around, the process was completely organic. We didn't sit down with a master plan. Bury Me Beneath the Stars actually began as an EP built around a 20-minute, three-part piece. But the creative momentum took over: new ideas kept flowing, carrying that same deep, cinematic vibe, and it organically grew into a full-length album. Instead of forcing a pre-conceived concept onto the songs, we shaped the record like a movie—connecting moods, imagery, and emotional chapters. The concept and the title naturally surfaced once the full picture was painted.

3. And why Bury Me Beneath the Stars? That's quite a title. There's something almost peaceful about it, but also something deeply unpleasant. I can imagine it meaning a few different things. What did you have in mind when you chose it?
[Nico]: You nailed it—that exact duality is precisely why we chose it. It’s both deeply comforting and strangely suffocating.

On one hand, there is something very peaceful, almost romantic about the idea of resting under a blanket of stars, completely away from the noise, the chaos, and the endless rush of modern life. It's the ultimate form of sonic escapism—letting go and dissolving into something infinitely vast and beautiful.

On the other hand, as you pointed out, it carries a sense of heaviness, closure, and finality. It can feel like being buried alive under the weight of your own thoughts, or under the crushing pressure of the world.

And lyrically, especially on the title track and through journeys like Fluffy Darkness, there's even another layer to it. It’s about someone drifting away into an intense, deep voyage through their dreams—lingering on that fragile border where you might not come back. It reminds me so much of the poignant, quiet atmosphere of a film like My Life Without Me (2003). It’s about a character experiencing a profound inner departure, sending a soft, lingering farewell to the person they love, making sure not to leave behind grief, but the comforting feeling that even when someone is gone, a deep connection persists through their spirit and their eternal vision under the night sky.

For us, the album lives right on that exact razor's edge. Life is a constant push-and-pull between wanting to disappear into a dream and confronting the darker, suffocating realities of our daily existence. That phrase just captured the overall mood of the record and its cinematic journey perfectly: beautiful, dark, and overwhelming all at once.

4. Nico, you once joked about Lionel sounding like an old whisky-drinking country singer who has spent his life on the road. I still want to hear that version of Cløudy Skies! Joking aside, how much freedom does Lionel have with his voice? Do you ever find yourself writing a part around the way he sings, rather than around the guitar or the rhythm?
[Nico]: (Laughs) Ah, that joke about the old whisky-drinking country singer—honestly, I actually love country music, so we might really have to make that happen one day! Either a pure country track or something in a dark, slowcore/stoner vein like True Widow—that would be incredible!

Joking aside, to answer your question: no, I don't really write parts around his voice at the very beginning, simply because he always sings after the music has already been composed and laid down.

That being said, I have absolute trust in him. Lio and I have known each other since we were 12 or 13, and we’ve basically always made music together, so everything between us feels completely natural. The guy is insanely talented—I could never sing like he does! He's completely self-taught, and that's precisely where his strength lies: he has forged a truly unique vocal identity, and that unique voice is really at the core of what Cløudy Skies is all about.

Of course, we always discuss keys and tones together, and I often find myself stepping in to tell him: "A bit less cheerful, please—my lyrics are dark!" (Laughs). But generally speaking, once we make the initial tweaks, it sets the direction for the rest.

To give you an idea of his freedom and talent, take the track Birdsong on the album: he made that entire song by himself at home, just using his synths and his vocals. When he sent it over to me for the first time, I listened to it and just said: "Awesome!" It really is that simple and obvious between us.

5. “Depth Spell” is over ten minutes long, yet you've chosen it as the lead single. I'm glad you didn't automatically assume that the first single has to be a short, catchy song, but was there any discussion about releasing something more immediate first? What makes this track the right introduction to the new album?
[Nico]: (Laughs) To be honest, we didn't even discuss releasing a short, catchy track! For us, making a single has never been about checking industry boxes or chasing radio formats. If we had tried to trim a song down just to make it fit a standard mold, it wouldn't have been Cløudy Skies anymore.

“Depth Spell” naturally came together right away. At first, we even thought about splitting it into two parts... but ultimately, we decided against it. And once I started working on the music video for it, things just went completely insane!

Look, some of the absolute best musical experiences—whether it's Guns N' Roses with November Rain or Estranged, or Deafheaven with Sunbather—are long, epic journeys that need time to build their atmosphere and emotional weight. Taking the risk to drop a ten-minute track as our lead single was definitely a bold move, but I think we made the right call: people really remembered it because it left a lasting mark.

It holds every single ingredient of what Bury Me Beneath the Stars is all about: moving seamlessly from crushing heaviness to deep, hypnotic melodies and massive cinematic atmospheres. We wanted to plunge the listener right into the heart of our world without any compromises, and anyone willing to dive into those ten minutes will immediately understand where this album is taking them.

6. I also wonder how much of a song survives from the first idea to the finished recording. On Changes, you described spending ages getting particular clean guitar sounds and keyboard textures right, sometimes longer than on the distorted guitars. Do you still work that way, chasing a sound until it finally matches what's in your head? Or have you learned when to stop fiddling with it?
[Nico]: (Laughs) Oh, we definitely still spend ages chasing those sounds! If anything, I went full sound-nerd on this record.

Honestly, I’ve never considered myself a "great" technical guitarist. My real passion is hunting for tones—finding that one chord or single note with an incredible, inspiring sound. On this album, I spent endless hours trying to capture a very specific, floating clean texture: I wanted a mix between rhythmic delays inspired by The Edge, that lush, wall-of-sound clean vibe from Slowdive, and that warbly, floating modulation you hear in Tame Impala's music.

For Bury Me Beneath the Stars, I switched to a full stereo recording setup, which completely opened up the soundscapes. I truly found my holy grail by combining the Dark Light pedal from Old Blood Noise Endeavors with my Strymon TimeLine and BigSky. That combo bridged all those influences together seamlessly, adding this deeply unsettling yet comforting color to the ambient pads—almost like floating in a liquid dream.

Don't get me wrong, I still spent plenty of time dialing in the distorted guitars too! (Laughs). But recording the heavy parts was definitely less mind-boggling than perfecting the cleans. To us, atmosphere is the song. A spacious, atmospheric tone carries just as much emotional weight as a crushing wall of sound.

That being said, working on this album also taught me when to step back. You can easily get lost in micro-details forever, but once a sound gives you goosebumps and instantly sets that cinematic mood, you have to trust your gut and stop fiddling. It's a balance between chasing tone and letting the emotion breathe.

7. One thing I find difficult with some atmospheric post-metal is that the music can spend so long building towards something that the destination stops feeling important. How do you deal with that in your own songs? Are there parts on the new album that you shortened or removed because they weren't earning their place?
[Nico]: I completely agree with you. That's actually one of my biggest pet peeves with some post-metal—when a song builds up forever just for the sake of repeating a pattern, and you end up losing the emotional core along the way

Because I do a lot of video editing as an amateur, I tend to approach songwriting exactly like cutting a film—and thankfully, Lio and I share the exact same mindset. Every section has to serve a cinematic purpose. It needs to move the story forward, build tension, or create a specific atmosphere that feels necessary.

Take Depth Spell as an example: originally, that song was supposed to be 20 minutes long! I had this long, ambient synth section lined up, heavily inspired by Ulver... but at some point, looking at the whole picture together, we just said: "Cut!" We discarded it because it wasn't serving the narrative of the track. No matter how cool a riff, a vocal line, or a synth pad sounds on its own, if it drags the pacing down or stops moving the story forward, it gets left on the cutting room floor.

That being said... we said "Cut!" for the studio record, but who knows? Live shows are a completely different animal. Maybe we’ll resurrect those lost ten minutes on stage one day and turn it into a massive, immersive live jam!

For us, on an album, even a ten-minute track shouldn't feel like an endless loop; it has to feel like a full feature film with scene changes, plot twists, and emotional climaxes. Every single minute has to earn its place

8. You have Chris Richard from Nature Morte and Keijo Niiminaa from Rotten Sound appearing on the album. That's an unusual pair, especially Keijo. How did that come about? Was his part something you'd already imagined while writing the song, or did the idea of bringing him in arrive later?
[Nico]: Both of these features came about through genuine, long-standing connections, and honestly, we thought of both of them very early on in the writing process!

Chris Richard from Nature Morte is a close friend. We’ve known him for quite a while, and we absolutely love what he does—those guys are just incredible. Chris always makes us laugh because he keeps saying he has a "witch voice" and jokes that Nature Morte is just the TEMU version of Deafheaven... which is total nonsense, obviously! (Laughs). He is an incredible singer, and his voice brought an unbelievable new dimension to the track. He was a huge driving force in bringing ideas to the table during the session.

Keijo, on the other hand, was all about delivering that raw "punch in the middle of softness." Lio and I have been massive fans of his work for over 15 years, especially with his band Medeia, as well as Rotten Sound. We actually met him at shows back in the day, so when we were shaping the song, his vocal timbre was in our heads almost immediately. We knew how insane it would be to collide his brutal violence with our dreamy atmospheres.

Getting him on board was a real challenge, though! Keijo is basically touring 365 days a year with Rotten Sound. But we persisted, and when he finally laid down his vocals, it was pure magic. It created that exact extreme contrast we were chasing for the album.

9. And what happens when you invite somebody with such a recognisable voice into your music? Do you give the guest a fairly clear idea of what you want, or do you prefer to let them do their own thing and then work around the result? I'm curious whether either collaboration took the music somewhere you hadn't expected.
[Nico]: We gave absolute total freedom to both of them. When you invite singers with such strong identities, the worst thing you can do is micro-manage them. You bring them in because of who they are, so you have to trust their instinct.

For Keijo, we asked him to handle all the choruses (and the intro). Since he was working remotely from Finland, he tracked his parts on his own—and when he sent his files back, it was an immediate boom! He nailed the raw energy on the very first try. Zero back-and-forth needed; it just worked instantly.

With Chris, it was a totally different, magical studio moment because he was right there with us in the room. Originally, he was just supposed to do the choruses. But while we were tracking, he decided on the spot to test something over the bridge. He felt this sudden spark, went for it, and bam! Pure madness. He came up with vocal placements and rhythms we would have never, ever imagined ourselves.

That’s the beauty of giving guest artists complete freedom: Keijo brought raw, pinpoint perfection from afar, and Chris completely reshaped the track’s narrative right in front of our eyes in the studio.

10. The press information describes this album as more progressive, but that word gets thrown around so much that it has almost lost its meaning. Did you consciously try to make the songwriting more adventurous, or is that simply what happens when you stop worrying about whether a song fits a particular genre? I'm asking because those are two rather different approaches.
[Nico]: Honestly, it’s really a mix of both! We never sat down with a blueprint saying, "Okay, let's write a progressive record." We definitely don't care about technical flexes or complex time signatures just for the sake of showing off.

To us, "progressive" simply means building songs in several distinct movements—much like a classical piece or scenes in a film. It comes down to pure creative freedom and instinct: we naturally refuse to box ourselves into rigid verse/chorus structures. A single track can move through different chapters, blending blast beats, clean pop-like melodies, ambient synth pads, and crushing post-rock crescendos because each movement carries a different emotional weight.

It all ties back to that cinematic storytelling philosophy we mentioned earlier. We approach every song like a movie score. If the narrative requires a sharp scene change, a quiet movement, or a sudden dramatic shift before a massive explosion, we take that turn naturally without asking ourselves, "Is this post-metal enough?" or "Is this too shoegaze?"

So if "progressive" means letting a song evolve through multiple distinct movements to tell a complete story, then we gladly accept the label!

11. Lionel takes care of vocals, bass and synths, while Nicolas handles guitar and synths. With so much of the sound built between the two of you, I imagine that knowing what NOT to play is just as important as coming up with new parts. Who is more likely to insist that something should be removed? And have you ever had a disagreement over a part that seemed essential to one of you but completely unnecessary to the other?
[Nico]: Honestly, we are wired exactly the same way! (Laughs). We’ve known each other for so long that we don’t really have those ego clashes where one person desperately tries to save their favorite riff. Our golden rule is simple: the music always comes first. Both of us have to validate that a track works on its own, flows naturally, and gives us genuine pleasure as listeners before we call it finished. If a part doesn't serve the song, whichever one of us notices it first will call it out, and the other will agree without a second thought.

In fact, we were so happy with how the instrumental arrangements sounded on their own that we actually considered releasing an instrumental version of the album! So if anyone reading this is interested in hearing Bury Me Beneath the Stars fully instrumental, let us know! (Laughs).

12. Conny Pettersson has returned to oversee the drum recordings. What does he understand about your music that makes him the right person for the job? I ask because the drums have a difficult task in this kind of music: they need to give the heavy passages real force without making the quieter ones feel like they're just waiting for the next big hit.
[Nico]: Conny is an incredible human being and unbelievably humble, considering his talent. We’ve known him since 2009, so there is 100% total trust between us.

What makes him so right for Cløudy Skies is his absurd versatility: he is just as skilled at technical death metal as he is at bringing a smooth, infectious groove—almost like a Red Hot Chili Peppers vibe! He can truly play anything. When Lio and I write, we pre-program our drum parts using EZdrummer. Then we hand those tracks over to Conny, and he completely brings them to life. He takes those digital patterns and gives them that raw, breathing, organic feel that a computer could never replicate.

He is constantly pitching ideas, tweaking details, and polishing every single dynamic until it’s perfect. I honestly don't know exactly how he perceives our demos when we first send them over, but I know that by the time the session ends, he genuinely loves the result.

My only regret? I really wish he had filmed his recording sessions... and of course, that we could have him as our real, permanent drummer! (Laughs). We just absolutely adore his playing.

13. The artwork is a photograph by Samantha Muljat called “The Levity of Summer”. I haven't forgotten your fascination with David Lynch and the way his films blur dreams and reality. Is that still an important part of how you think about Cløudy Skies? And did you choose the photograph because it already felt connected to the music, or did it give the album a different meaning after you'd seen it?
[Nico]: Working with Samantha was just pure logic for us. I mean, have you seen her work?! I am a huge, massive fan of her art—she is insanely talented. What she creates visually is literally our music converted into images.

When Lio and I first saw her piece "The Levity of Summer", we completely fell for it instantly. It felt like love at first sight. It carries that exact ethereal, surreal energy that naturally connects back to David Lynch—the master of dreams (and man, do I miss his work!). Lynch's ability to blur the boundaries between subconscious dreams and harsh reality is still a huge part of how we conceptualize Cløudy Skies.

So the artwork didn't change the meaning of the album; rather, it captured its soul instantly. I am beyond happy and honored to have her photograph representing Bury Me Beneath the Stars as our cover art. It’s the perfect visual mirror to the sounds we created. Sam, you’re the best!

14. Last time, Nico, you were pretty unhappy with the speed at which people consume music. You talked about owning a few albums, playing them repeatedly, reading the booklets and remembering every track. I understand that feeling, but the music business isn't going back to 1995. So how do you deal with the fact that a record you've spent years making might be heard by somebody through a phone speaker while they're doing something else? Does it bother you, or is reaching that person still better than not reaching them at all?
[Nico]: Listening to music on a phone speaker while doing something else? To be totally honest with you, I will never understand or fully accept that! (Laughs). I mean, at the very least, put on a pair of decent headphones and find a quiet place to actually experience the sound! For a sound nerd, thinking about someone listening to years of hard studio work through a tiny, tinny phone speaker is deeply painful.

My own habits haven't really changed—with Lio, we still make it a point of honor to meet up once a month just to hit the local record stores, dig through the bins, and hunt for physical gems. The only real compromise I’ve made in my daily life is streaming in my car simply because new cars don't come with CD players anymore... What a shame! I truly miss that ritual of driving while listening to a full album on CD.

I was actually discussing this during an interview with Héctor from The Chill Dude On A Couch. He asked us, "Aren't you guys doing a release party? The ultimate way would be to do it under the stars!"... And man, he is 100% right! That’s the exact headspace and atmosphere Bury Me Beneath the Stars was crafted for.

That being said, I secretly hope that even if someone starts playing a track on a phone speaker, they won't be able to resist for long! (Laughs). Our songs demand attention—they are built around immersion and atmosphere.

Both the CD and vinyl editions include the full lyrics and artwork, so my ultimate recommendation is simple: grab the physical record, put the real stuff in your hands, dim the lights, and give yourself a fully focused, uninterrupted listening experience. That’s where the true magic happens.

Maybe I sound a bit old-school, but in our genre, listeners actually share that craving for real, immersive experiences. They aren't just consuming fast content—they want a genuine connection and still take the time to truly listen.

15. There's a six-track vinyl edition and a seven-track CD edition. I know bonus tracks are nothing new, but I'm always curious about these decisions. Is the CD bonus something that genuinely works better outside the main album, or is it a track you would have liked to include everywhere if the format had allowed it? And are you still the kind of person who reads every detail in a record booklet?
[Nico]: We actually would have loved to include that track on both formats! Unfortunately, vinyl has strict time limitations on each side if you want to preserve maximum audio dynamics and quality, so fitting it onto the LP was physically impossible. That’s the only reason it’s exclusive to the CD—and available on streaming services as well.

What makes this track so special is that it's actually a "lost session" from our previous album! It’s a piece of our history that we are really proud of, so giving it a proper home here made total sense.

As for booklets and packaging—absolutely! I am 100% still that guy who examines every single detail, photo, and lyric sheet. For this release, I specifically asked Gero from Argonauta Records to go with a 3-panel digipak CD so we could ensure all the lyrics, artwork, and visual design had proper room to breathe.

If we had unlimited flexibility, I would have loved to include an even bigger booklet with extra photographs, and maybe an entire art book with drawings and lyrics inside the vinyl edition! But even within physical constraints, we made sure the final product feels special and rewarding for anyone holding it in their hands.

16. How are you approaching the live side of Cløudy Skies now? You once described a great concert as a moment of communication between the band and the audience, something that can't simply be repeated. Does playing this music give you that same feeling, or is it harder to get across when so much depends on layers of sound and carefully controlled dynamics?
[Nico]: Absolutely. For us, post-rock and post-metal are uniquely suited for building that kind of collective trance—a shared bubble where the band and the audience step in together and go on a real journey. We actually played a show a little while ago with a temporary drummer, and even though the room wasn't packed, something truly special happened in the air—an intangible, unique moment of connection. That’s the exact feeling we live for.

Translating complex studio layers to a live setup without losing that raw emotional connection is a challenge, but we refuse to take shortcuts: there are no guitar samples or synth loops on stage. It actually makes us laugh when people think we used synth samples on certain tracks—ladies and gentlemen, those are 100% guitars processed through heavy modulations! Lio and I are crafting specific two-guitar arrangements to recreate those intertwining textures and atmospheric walls of sound live, so that every show stays organic, human, and unrepeatable.

As for putting it all together for good, step one is finding that ideal permanent drummer! I mean, if Daniel Tracy from Deafheaven is reading this... whenever you're ready, man, just give us a call! (Laughs). Honestly, when Lio and I were programming drums on EZdrummer, we thought about his playing style so often—his touch is just mind-blowing.

Joke aside, we are actively shaping the live lineup right now: Lio will be handling bass and vocals, I'll be on guitar, and we're bringing in a second live guest guitarist—we'll be making an official announcement about that very soon.

17. One last thing. Back in 2023, you said you wanted to play gigs with good bands and friends and have some good memories. That's a refreshingly simple ambition compared with all the talk about growth and success. Has anything changed in what you want from Cløudy Skies since then? Is there still something you would like to try musically that you haven't dared to do yet?
[Nico]: Not a single thing has changed. If anything, that mindset is stronger than ever. Lio and I both have our day jobs, so Cløudy Skies is purely a project of passion. For us, human connection, integrity, and genuine sharing come before anything else—we just want to play good shows, make lasting memories, and share great moments with people and bands we admire.

Right now, we are actually living that exact philosophy. I managed to reignite the spark for the leader of The Black Noodle Project to play live again, and I told him we'd be right there by his side to make it happen! It’s all becoming very real now: we'll be heading to Poland in February for three dates opening for Anekdoten! So... see you in February in Poland! (Laughs). That’s precisely the kind of human camaraderie and adventure we look for.

Musically, we never restrict ourselves either. If you ask me about a dream I’d love to explore with Cløudy Skies that we haven't done yet... I would love to integrate a pedal steel guitar into our sound! It is such an incredibly ethereal, floating, and evocative instrument. And... why not a saxophone as well? If you’ve heard how it’s used on the latest Trelldom or Messa albums, you know how intriguing, dark, and powerful that texture can be alongside heavy atmospheric soundscapes!!

18. Thanks again, and good luck with Bury Me Beneath the Stars. I'm curious to see where you take this thing next - and I still think we need that americana-core experiment one day!

[Nico]: Thank you so much for the great questions and the support! It was an absolute pleasure doing this interview with you again—we truly appreciate your continued interest in Cløudy Skies. Honestly, it really means a lot to us, and I truly hope your readers will enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed answering your questions!

And regarding that americana-core experiment... never say never! (Laughs). With a pedal steel guitar floating over heavy post-metal soundscapes, we might actually be closer to it than you think!

Thanks again to you and everyone at Iron Backstage Germany, take care, and see you on the road or beneath the stars!

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