Doomed Confessionary: Andy Clarke (The Crawling)
The Crawling is a three-piece death/doom metal band from Lisburn, Northern Ireland.
Formed in 2014, The Crawling have built a reputation for bleak, deliberate heaviness, appearing at prominent festivals such as Bloodstock, Inferno, Siege of Limerick, MetalDays and Incineration Festival, and sharing stages with Carcass, Winterfylleth, High Parasite, Gaerea, Abbath and Shores Of Null.
Following »Anatomy Of Loss« (2017) and »Wolves and the Hideous White« (2018), The Crawling released their third and latest full-length album »All Of This For Nothing« in August 2023 via Grindscene Records. The new album explores the human desire to be accepted, fit in, to be part of perceived normality; despite the reality that nothing matters due to the finite nature of existence.
The Crawling consists of Andy Clarke (guitar, vocals), Adrien Crozet (bass, backing vocals) and Ant Deane (drums).
Can you please say a few words about your band?
We are a doom/death metal band from Northern Ireland.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Money. We are a niche band, not for everyone, but we have an incredibly loyal fanbase. We do really well on merch, but we also finance the band a lot from our own pocket. Touring is expensive and needing to get a flight or ferry (as we live on an island) is always an immediate expense before any tour – and prices keep going up. Sadly means we can’t do as many shows as we’d like, and have to be as strategic as possible with what we do.
What can you be most proud of so far?
We’ve released a good amount of music, videos, cool merch and come fun vlogs of all our travels. We have a lot of fun and meet a lot of cool people – hard to defince one thing. Probably proud of the fact people actually give a fuck about our music.
What was your biggest regret?
I don’t tend to dwell on things, and don’t like to think of “regrets”. I reflect to see what I have learned, and what I could do better moving forwards.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
We’ve done so many cool tours. I think one of the most enjoyable was playing outside a garage in Slovakia, was a crazy underround show – probably the most “kvlt” thing we’ve ever done!
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
The support we receive from fans, particularly the amount of merch people buy. Everyone knows shirts and CD’s support the band and allow us to do what we do. It’s unreal to see it happen in real time at shows.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Currently checking out the new Gaerea album.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Write music you love. Ignore what people expect or you think they want.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Love me a bit of emo-core.
Can you say something more about the current music scene in Belfast?
We have a super strong scene in Belfast. The Distortion Project are one of the best promoters in the city, supporting local bands for last 20 years, and bringing some of the best underground acts to the town. People continually support the scene, we have a great turnout every week to local shows and a number of extreme touring acts always sell out. It’s fucking great over here.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
Only 2 announced at the moment; 2026 29 Nov – Eradicationfest 05 Dec – Bloodstock Winter.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
Record new material, music video, new merch and hit the road!
How can people best support your band?
Come see us live is the best thing, spread the word to your mates, and pick up a shirt from our Bandcamp => thecrawlingband.bandcamp.com.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
If you love what you hear – tell everyone and come see us live. Live is where it’s at!
Links:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well