INTERVIEW: BLESSTHEFALL IN CONVERSATION WITH BEAU BOKAN
Interview by Cecilia Pattison-Levi
The band Blessthefall have returned to music, songwriting, recording, touring and being a band on the road on their own terms. They are ready to embrace the future, whatever that entails.
Blessthefall are well-armed in the understanding that they’re in control of their sound, performance and lives now.
“If it starts to feel like it’s a job and it starts to not be fulfilling, then we’ll stop, that’s where our heads are at,” Beau Bokan explained. “As long as everyone’s enjoying it, and everyone’s happy, and we’re making sure we have time with our families, it’s balanced, that is the most important thing”.
Front man Beau Bokan reflected on rediscovering his purpose and writing the band's most fan-focused album in ‘Gallows’. He mused on why disappearing might’ve been the best thing the band ever did.
“We have found our joy for music again – the joy of writing music came back to us,” stated Beau Bokan. “It is awesome to see people enjoying our new album and loving the music we are playing live. It’s great to tour. We know we worried fans when we just went quiet in 2018. We did that ‘Let’s just shut up and keep to ourselves – and keep quiet’ thing. But it’s over now and we have that fire back. It’s nice to have a surprise with the band’s return”.
“I can’t help feeling that the 7 years away from our fans and music was a fault of ours after 2018’s album ‘Hard Feelings’,” mused Beau Bokan. “I keep coming back to the look of the album. I thought, let’s go left of centre with the album art with its big pink neon sign – it screamed ‘pop’. We should have done dead trees or dead forests and then people would have gone: ‘Man, this is so heavy’. It’s great that people love ‘Gallows’ but we hope that new fans look back into our older music”.
While, ‘Gallows’ is a brilliant return to form for Blessthefall with some amazing songs like ‘Venom’, ‘Drag Me Under’ and ‘Light The Flame’. The 2018 album ‘Hard Feelings’ is a hard and heavy album with fantastic lyricism and fans should really go back and re-engage with this album: it’s a deep, dark and introspective album with a lot to say about the changes life brings.
The Arizona metalcore band Blessthefall consists of Beau Bokan (vocals), Jared Warth (bass/vocals), Eric Lambert (guitar), Jared Fron (drums) and Elliott Gruenberg (guitar) reunited to record their new album and brought back their classic sound with their signature harsh and clean vocals.
“We had to dig deep and find something special for Gallows,” explained Beau Bokan. “Writing the new album brought us, as a band, together. The main thing for us was to overcome: the break, life changes, and being at the right headspace. We are now in control and loving writing and playing music and touring again”.
Beau Bokan spoke eloquently about how life, and its complexities, get us all.
“The world is crazy. Leaving your family and home – at first, it’s fun. Then, it bites. You’re always with people, but always alone. In strange places, sometimes feeling uncomfortable. Being a touring musician is hard. We spent years on the road nonstop. We were missing those important moments: birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas. I mean, don’t get me wrong, being a musician is great and we do appreciate it and understand the privilege we have. But now we are being touring musicians, just doing it intelligently and taking care of our health and families”.
“We are so looking forward to coming to Australia and meeting up with our fans,” enthused Beau Bokan. “Playing with Memphis May Fire is going to be great. Then, we are on main stages for a few festivals. And, we are heading to Jakarta to play with My Chemical Romance. It’s exciting but we are going to do the touring the smart way”.
It turns out, sometimes you need time and a little perspective to find inspiration, and Blessthefall’s new album ‘Gallows’ and their current touring performances have found that sweet spot as they navigate their new outlook. It will be great to see them back in Australia in 2026.
Blessthefall will tour Australia with Memphis May Fire return to Australia in April 2026:
April 24: Melbourne at the Northcote Theatre
April 25: Sydney at the Manning Bar
April 26: Brisbane at the Princess Theatre
April 28: Adelaide at the Lion Arts Factory
April 29: Perth at the Magnet House
Tickets are on sale now through My Phoenix.
