The Black Heart Procession Interviewed by Filter Mag.

[filter-mag.com] The Black Heart Procession, made up of Pall Jenkins and Tobias Nathaniel, have emerged from the ashes (or sands) of their hometown San Diego to release their new album, Six (appropriately released on Oct. 6). Here, singer/guitarist Jenkins talks with FILTER—semi-seriously—about his fascination with the number of the beast, his hopeful celebration with demons in Europe on the band’s world tour, and of course, the New York gay scene.

Why did you decide to simply call your new album Six, other than for obvious reasons? Were there other names floating around?

Pall Jenkins: It was too evil of a number to pass up so we went with it; the other choice was My Pink Little Monster. It didn’t really fit with Black Heart.

You seem to have channeled your inner Leonard Cohen throughout the record, especially in your first single, “Rats.” Was LC a major influence and were there other influences?

We love LC – [but] our main influence is the New York gay scene.

The new record is very sinister and maybe a bit slower than your previous works. How else do you think it stands out from previous albums?

It’s a dark record so if the lights are out you may not see it but you will feel your soul whither away…

This is your first world tour in three years and most of your gigs across the pond are in Western Europe. Do you plan on adding shows in bat country (Eastern Europe)?

We will go to Eastern Europe next year—we will bring bread and wine, and feast with demons in the caves of your countries.

Where in Europe are you looking forward to visiting and performing in the most?

I really enjoy playing in Italy and Spain.

The first show of the tour will be at The Casbah in your hometown of San Diego. Is it symbolic that you start where the band began 12 years ago?

We always play The Casbah, our friends work there and it just feels like home—but sometimes the further from home, the better the shows.

The video for “Drugs” is a wonderful montage of death and self-destruction that seems to fit perfectly with the song. Is this how you envisioned “Drugs” when it was being written and composed?

Drugs is about remembering a time when you were out of your mind and some how free and it feeling sad when you think how things are not the same—it’s also about the world and the pressure to conform from youth to adult.