Sergeant Thunderhoof: An Interview With Vocalist Dan Filtcroft

It may be two years since the release of Sergeant Thunderhoof‘s last album, the critically acclaimed This Sceptred Viel, which saw the band’s best reception and helped further their growing popularity, but the band have not rested on their laurels.

This year has been a busy one for the Bath-based rockers and following the announcement of the release of their fifth album, The Ghost Of Badon Hill, this Friday, I had the opportunity to talk to vocalist Dan Filtcroft about a year of unlikely events, exciting opportunities and of course the latest chapter in the Sergeant Thunderhoof‘ Saga.

Hi Dan, Thanks for agreeing to do this interview. From an outside perspective, 2024 has been quite a year for the band…

Haha, it’s been an interesting year for sure, plenty of ups and downs.

Let’s start with the addition of a second guitarist, Josh Gallop, who is a friend, producer and member of alternative rock/hardcore band Phoxjaw. How did that come about and why did you feel it was necessary?

Josh knows us very well as he has been recording and producing our stuff since 2017. Funnily enough, the idea of a second guitarist never really crossed my mind. But I believe the rest of them actually started talking about it, almost jokingly, on my stag weekend in January of this year. As soon as we started recording the new album, the idea just kind of blossomed. Also, it made sense as the new songs were more textured and so we didn’t want to be restricted when it came to recording and performing the songs.

As a follow-up, what does Josh bring to the ‘Hoof?

Josh has a fantastic musical mind. He and I did much of the arranging for the new album. I’d say that’s the strongest thing we achieve as a partnership when we’re working together at the studio. He’s great at getting an idea from your head and making it happen incredibly quickly before the abstract thoughts have a chance to morph into something much worse. Haha.

You got the offer of playing in Las Vegas at the Planet Desert Rock Weekender, which will be your American debut, how did that come about?

John Gist, the man who puts it on, actually asked us to play this year but I was getting married so it couldn’t happen. Turns out he’s a big fan of the band. So, when the opportunity came, we just thought we should go for it and have a laugh. It’s gonna be a bit of a lad’s weekend I think.

we’re all constantly amazed by the kindness and trust from our friends and supporters….

Off the back of that, you launched a hugely successful Kickstarter which must be gratifying. What does it mean to have such an opportunity?

Well, we’re all constantly amazed by the kindness and trust from our friends and supporters. I guess it comes from always being straight with our listeners. Since the beginning, we’ve tried to treat every fan and supporter with respect. It’s the blessing of running your own label, we have full control and with that comes the responsibility of doing things properly and never taking your customers for granted.

Following on from the Kickstarter campaign, a new live album was recorded in August. How will people find that the band have changed since your previous Live On Earth recording?

I’m not sure we’ve changed that much. I certainly have less hair and more wrinkles. The addition of the second guitarist definitely adds some weight from a live perspective though.

Speaking of live, I was lucky enough to get the chance to see you play Desertfest London earlier this year, which was your first gig with Josh. You finally got the chance to play the festival after ten long years to a rapturous Underworld crowd, how did that finally happen and what was the experience like?

It became a bit of an ‘in-joke’ with us that we would never play Desertfest. There was never any ill feeling or animosity, but it did start to get a bit nauseating being asked constantly ‘When are you going to play Desertfest?’, as if we had any say in the matter! Haha.

I think sometimes, music fans have the wrong idea about touring and what power bands actually hold. We had to wait to be invited to play, and when the call came, we were happy to oblige. It’s a great festival and the people who run it are some of the most professional I’ve come across.

And the show itself was magical. Felt like a homecoming of sorts. There was always a little part of me though that thought it would be dead funny to be ‘The band that never played Desertfest’. We could have milked that teat from a merch perspective for years to come. Hahaha.

You also played Riffolution festival recently – my Sleeping Shaman colleague Matthew was really impressed by your set – how was that for the band, and do you feel like there is a bit of momentum behind you at the moment?

Yeah, that was a great day. Dan Godwin who puts that on is just the best guy. He also plays in Ritual King who are easily one of the most exciting bands in the UK scene right now. We’ve played a bunch of his festivals over the years and it’s terribly sad that this was the last.

As for momentum, I don’t know. I try not to dwell on stuff like that. We’re just happy to still be together making music and having fun. First and foremost, we’re good mates, we’ve never wanted to take the band so seriously that it starts to become a chore. But I’d be dishonest to say that we’re not really pleased with the gigs and opportunities coming our way of late. After doing this for 11 years now, it feels like some of the hard work we put in at the beginning is starting to pay dividends.

I, of course, saw you the other weekend in Bath at Rogfest, which started as a fundraiser for Roger Densham of Doomicial and sadly ended up as a touching tribute. Can you tell us a little about how all that came together, including the reunions for Valfader and Caravan Of Whores?

Roger was a great friend and supporter of the local music scene. He told me in confidence earlier in the year that he had terminal cancer. I and some others decided to try and help him out by raising money to get his garden sorted and to give to charity. Sadly, he didn’t quite make it to the show so it ended up being a very touching memorial for him with his family in attendance. The fact that the likes of Valfader and Caravan Of Whores reunited for the first time in years tells you all you need to know about the impact that his life, and indeed death, had on everyone.

The gig felt like a real family affair, which is a vibe I increasingly get from you guys in general. How important is that for a band in your position, with real lives outside of music, to preserve or cultivate that kind of atmosphere around you?

It’s everything to us. We’re all old enough and wise enough not to get caught up in our own egos and sense of importance. We love what we do and to see other people showing appreciation is a fantastic feeling. And of course, we’re not dumb, we know there are a lot of people out there who don’t really care for our music, and some who actively despise it – haha. I think it’s pretty cool to be in a band that’s so divisive like that.

If a riff went on too long or didn’t serve a purpose, it was gone, same process with the vocals…

Going back to the Kickstarter. The sending out of the new live album has been delayed because of a new studio album The Ghost Of Badon Hill (out 15th November via Pale Wizard Records), which I personally think is excellent by the way which you probably notice in my review. I digress, did you prioritise the studio album? Is it just a case of priorities and logistics for manufacturing or did you feel the time was right to launch the new recording?

Yeah exactly. The new album was finished way ahead of schedule. We weren’t expecting to get it out until late spring next year. But it all came together super smooth, and we just thought that people would rather hear some new material before the live material. We’ve put back the live album until late January, possibly early February, that way we can give each record the attention they deserve.

Turning to the new album, it is undeniably Sergeant Thunderhoof, but with a slight directional shift. It is noticeably a shorter album, and in your own words, more focused songs. Can you tell us why this came about? Was it purely financial when making a vinyl record, or do you feel that you have previously pushed the boundaries of long songs?

As much as I loved our last record This Sceptred Veil, there was a nagging feeling that maybe it was just a little too long. I think removing a song or two from that record would have benefitted it. I’m sure there’ll be plenty who disagree with that, but it is what it is.

We really wanted to do a more traditional record for once, with the limitations of a 12” record, meaning we couldn’t surpass much more than 22 minutes per side. It was a way of forcing us, from a songwriting perspective, to be super brutal and critical about the songs. If a riff went on too long or didn’t serve a purpose, it was gone, same process with the vocals.

There was a tonne of stuff I recorded that I ended up deleting. There was nothing wrong with it, but if it didn’t add to the overall experience then it had to go. And I think it works. Some of the songs are still fairly long in a traditional sense but having heard the record a bunch of times now, I can genuinely say that I don’t think anything feels laboured or gets boring.

How different did that make the writing and recording process?

The big difference from a writing perspective on this record is that we started from a collection of riffs and small ideas. I record all our practices and jams, so when it came to thinking about a new album, the first thing we did was arrange 4 or 5 evenings worth of demoing with Josh in the studio. We would literally just record the riff ideas, along with any other ideas we had at the time and quickly move on to the next thing.

Josh and I would then spend some time taking the riffs apart, moving stuff around and generally forming them into basic songs. Eventually, I would put some rough vocals down and the songs would slowly start to take shape. When it came to actually recording the album, it was actually pretty straightforward as the songs were pretty well mapped out.

You have also expressed pride at the end result and rightly so, but what are your standout moments from this album and process?

I think landing upon the concept of the album right at the start helped me massively. Because I knew what I needed to say and the angles that I wanted to come from. When it came to forming some lyrical and vocal ideas, it almost felt like it had been pre-written for me. I would go into the studio with a bunch of poetry and absolutely no fixed idea of what I thought the song should sound like. We just went with our gut and trusted whatever came out.

I feel, from a personal point of view, this was probably one of the best examples of my songwriting so far, speaking purely from a vocal perspective of course. The standout moment on the album for me is on the last song where I sing ‘Do not say, this is the end’. It was the first thing that came out of my mouth when we were demoing, and it was perfect.

Lyrically you write a lot about England/Avalon, ancient myths and legends. What draws you to this chosen subject matter and how does it work with the music?

For those paying attention, all of the Hoof albums have followed a chronology. Going all the way back to Zigurat, that was set 10,000 years BC, set on a planet coming towards its inevitable end. Ride Of The Hoof is literally an album about the Hoof’s journey to another dimension, sent by his parents to spare his life. I guess it’s a little like the Superman origin story. Terra Solus is basically Genesis, so the Garden of Eden and all that jazz.

This Sceptred Veil then skips forward to the birth, life and death of Christ. And then the new album comes at around 500 AD. Following the fall of the Roman Empire, and the invasion of Britain by those pesky Saxon bastards. The more I find out about the period following Christ in England, the more I’m fascinated by it. It’s like we slipped back into primitive beings and we’d forgotten all the advances that the Romans had introduced.

It shows you how easily society can be destroyed within a matter of moments. And of course, with the Battle of Badon purported to have happened in Bath where we live, it made complete sense that we should incorporate that into our music and to our own mythology that we’ve created with the Sergeant.

Josh and I would then spend some time taking the riffs apart, moving stuff around and generally forming them into basic songs…

This is all done through the Sergeant character, can you explain the motivation for that device or is that pulling back the curtain too much?

I think there’s a spoiler here that I shouldn’t go into. What I will say is that the Battle of Badon was allegedly the first to feature King Arthur leading the native Britons. That’s all I’ll say about that. But if you buy the album on CD or Vinyl, be sure to read the liner notes inside as all is revealed!

The lyrics also feel a lot more personal and vulnerable on this album. Did they evolve naturally, or do they come from the state of mind that you are in? Do you need to adopt the character to write, or do you take real things and filter them through this device?

It’s definitely a bit of both. I’m a huge fan of the late author David Gemmell. I love the way he creates heroism and courage from even the most dislikable people. I try and put myself in the shoes of the characters involved and I try to be honest with myself. Would I really sacrifice myself for the good of my community and land? I don’t know if I would, and that upsets me.

Once again, I am very impressed, and I cannot wait for the vinyl to arrive in the post because it is absolutely beautiful. It must be gratifying to see the preorders selling so fast, do you feel any pressure of the faith that fans are putting in your band to deliver quality releases? And how conscious are you in your mind the importance of producing a physical format that can be loved and cherished?

Yes, there is pressure because we all want to be liked, don’t we? I’m confident that as a band, we’ve done all we can to make a great album. Whether people like it or not is out of our hands now. It’s important to realise when it’s time to let something go. You can agonise over the production and mixes of a record to the point where you lose all perspective and it’s impossible to have an unbiased critical view of your own work. So yes, the response so far has been incredible, and naturally, it is very gratifying to think that there are hundreds of people all around the world who believe in what you do.

You recorded the album at Stage2 Studios in Bath, which you own, the album has been released via Pale Wizard which is also is your record label. You are incredibly lucky to have these resources available, can you explain why you went down the route of setting up a record label and doing the sheer volume of work that comes with it?

I do feel very fortunate to be able to record at my own studio and likewise, have full control over our destiny due to the label. But it’s all by design. I guess you could say that I intentionally chose this career path in order to do this. But if I’m honest, I enjoy all the admin that goes along with releasing an album. It is a lot of work, but if it’s work you enjoy doing, it never feels like a drag.

All of the Pale Wizard releases are well-presented and have an almost personal touch like you appreciate the overall experience of owning music, which makes me want to spend money with you. How important is this to you and how hard is it to strike that balance as a business?

I’m glad you picked up on that, and thank you! The band, studio and label has never been about making money. In fact, my colleague, Tim Hilleard, and I who run the label, have never taken a single penny since we started it. Everything goes back into the next project. We want to create items that we ourselves would like to own.

There are labels out there who just want to dominate a particular scene or flood the market with cheap products. That’s not what we want to do. We never skimp on the quality because I think people would see right through that pretty quickly.

AI in music is to me satanic…

Through Stage2 you do work with schools and communities. How important is that for you, to almost jump on a cliche, with the youth being the future of our music?

It’s vital. And purely from a selfish perspective, if I don’t do everything I can to encourage youngsters to be in bands and create music, there is no future for what I do. I genuinely think things have never been worse in this country from a live music perspective. Many kids are more interested in doing TikTok videos than starting a band and putting in the hard graft. I’m desperate to help the younger generation snap out of this disgusting narcissistic paradigm that we all seem to be in right now.

Just as an aside, have you heard about the Hail Darkness AI uproar that has recently unfolded? As a musician, is there any way that you could distil your thoughts on a very complicated topic? What do you make of the situation?

Yep, I knew this was coming. In fact, Tim and I did a video for our label’s YouTube channel where I predicted that bands, in our genre, would be using AI for not just their lyrics and artwork, but for the music itself. I believe this is evil. And I mean that in the true sense of the word. AI in music is to me satanic, it’s the end times. It has to be resisted now or culture and art as we know it is gone forever.

As we approach the end of the year and the start of 2025, you have a new album in the can ready for release, a fabulously successful Kickstarter, as well as a trip to Vegas, what else is next for Sergeant Thunderhoof?

God knows mate. I’d like to start writing again pretty soon to be honest. It’s the thing I enjoy doing most. There was talk of possibly a little tour of Germany in the Spring, so we’ll have to wait and see how things turn out.

Best of luck with everything, we really appreciate you taking the time to answer these questions.

Thanks buddy, this was fun.

Label: Pale Wizard Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram

Interviewed by: Mark Hunt-Bryden