Ahead of the January 19th release of Turning Point by Becoming the Lion, we sat down with the mastermind behind it all, Ross Blomgren. In our conversation, Ross reveals a deliberate shift in musical direction with Turning Point and how he aims to avoid categorization and embrace flexibility. He also discusses why Becoming the Lion returned to its solo beginning, his personal introspection and confronting toxic relationship dynamics.
ATN: What led Becoming the Lion to push forward in its new direction with Turning Point?
RB: I suppose it started after spending almost a year writing a different EP that will likely never see the light of day. I was attempting to take a more progressive/post direction using heavier themes then I had done previously. However, I realised the more time I spent down this path…the more I spent asking myself “why” I was writing. I realised I needed to ground the project and define what Becoming the Lion was going to be moving forward. I didn’t want to be defined as a “Metal” band, a “Post” band or a “Prog” band. I wanted to have the flexibility to be able to write the kind of music that can grow and resonate with me as a musician in different stages of my life. I believe Turning Point does this by taking the parts of this band that have been developed over its tenure but allows a path forward in any direction I need in the future.
ATN: At what point did you realise Becoming the Lion would be returning to its solo roots?
RB: After releasing our last EP in 2020, playing out was not in the cards. Slowly priorities shifted, and our momentum came to a halt. Once I realised the EP I had been working on since then was going to be canned, to be ultimately rebooted as Turning Point, I took the opportunity to recalibrate the whole project. It seemed that all signs pointed to returning to that kid in the basement for a while. In the future however I would like to feature a multitude of different artists, instruments and even vocalists.
ATN: You have said that Turning Point is a journey at coming to terms with the ones in your life who are not who you think they are – what was the hardest realisation for you to face?
RB: I feel like everyone has someone who has turned out to be a fraud in one way or another. For me there wasn’t a revelation moment, rather a slow realisation over the past few years noticing narcissistic tendencies that certain people had no shame putting on full display. We all have an ego, but it seems some people seem to only look to fulfil their ego at anyone’s expense. Sometimes we can get addicted to the drama and fallout that happens with these relationships, even if it ultimately puts us into negative spaces. Turning Point is meant to call out these tendencies and move to a more positive direction for yourself.
ATN: What was the creative process like for Turning Point?
RB: The creative process in a solo project can always be a bit tricky unless you have some people around you that can give you honest feedback. Turning Point had (like its predecessors) began as previously released instrumental demos. Only this time around I was not attached to the original concepts. I wanted to dig out from them what they were trying to say. With the on-going feedback of Greg Henkin (who produced, recorded and mixed the EP), what began as nine concepts slowly whittled down to six songs. Of these songs, four were rewritten from the ground up, one really didn’t change all that much besides vocals, and the last was taken out of the running to get the final count to five. I had the honour to work with an incredible studio drummer Craig Borcher who took the simple programmed drums and brought them to life in an explosive way. From here, there was just a bit of fine tuning the tracks to allow them to take their final form.
ATN: What was the easiest part about making Turning Point?
RB: I think the easiest part of Turning Point was actually the recording process. With the amount of work, re-writes and preparation that went into this thing…when we finally stepped in to record everything, it all seemed to just fall into place. There were very little “game time” decisions that needed to be made.
ATN: What was the hardest part about making Turning Point?
RB: Definitely saying goodbye to tracks that were personal favourites because they didn’t fit the release. The sixth song, which was the last one to get cut, had a lot of cool stuff going for it and I really tried to keep it but ultimately it just didn’t have the same vibe and would have seemed disconnected from the rest of the EP. Maybe I’ll find a place for it in the future!
ATN: Which song, if any, was most difficult to write or record?
RB: I think the title track “Turning Point” would qualify as the most difficult to write. I always keep track of the amount of major revisions to songs with new project numbers and this one broke the “50” barrier. Between the several re-writes, restructuring, and attempts on vocals, there was definitely nothing easy about this one. I would like to think the extra work on this one paid off, but I’ll let the people decide!
ATN: Do you have a favourite on the EP?
RB: I think my personal favourite is “Foolish Chameleon”. It combined softer vocals in a powerful chorus, some odd timing transitions, and guitar effects I don’t usually reach for. Also, the idea of the song changed when the bass line was added in which gave it a new meaning and movement which influenced the whole delivery of the song. This was a really cool thing to hear in real time.
ATN: Can you tell fans anything about the upcoming EP?
RB: “Turning Point” shares themes with the likes of Thrice, A Perfect Circle, Deftones and the like. It’s soft when it needs to be soft, but it can hit when it needs to hit. Each song has its own identity but altogether they create a cohesive twenty-two minute experience.
ATN: What are Becoming the Lion’s plans for 2024
RB: In 2024, you can expect some supporting content to come out after the EP drops and maybe an inside scoop into an ambitious concept I am hoping to drive forward with…but I don’t want to give any details at this point. I’m not ruling out any shows in the future, but they’re not on the immediate horizon.
SAME 3 QUESTIONS WE ALWAYS ASK
ATN: Artist / band that you feel is the most underrated and why?
RB: I think I would have to say the band Handsome from the late 90’s which had members from Quicksand and Helmet. They only put out one self-titled release and it is fantastic, but I think they disbanded pretty soon after this record. I wish I had been introduced to them when they were active, but I regularly spin this thing still.
ATN: Artist / band that you would like to collaborate with and why?
RB: When I think of collabs, I think of bands around my area. There is a local group called Lybria that is of an adject genre that I think would be a cool mashup. They are a space rock outfit that I think would be an interesting take on both band’s genres if a collab would ensue.
ATN: Artist / band that you would like to tour with and why?
RB: I think a tour with Hopesfall or Thrice would be killer! These bands were huge influences when I was in high school writing and experimenting with recording. Both bands are unafraid of putting out music that defies the genre and is something I greatly respect and aspire to.
