VIRTUE IN VAIN

“At the very beginning we knew it was going to be a story of three EPs – we just didn’t know yet how that story would unfold.”

“We wanted to be very honest and authentic, even if that meant constantly rewriting until it felt true.”

“When you feel like you’ve lost everything and hit rock bottom, you have to figure out where to go from there.”

“Nothing Is All I Am is the starting point of rebuilding yourself – it’s not easy, and it’s not perfect.”

“It’s important for us to be honest, but not to glorify these feelings as a way to write music.”

“Most of the songs are confrontational – about dealing with emotions, not escaping them.”

“Beyond numbers and streams, we judge everything by our live shows and how people react.”

With ‘Nothing Is All I Am‘, Welsh metalcore act Virtue In Vain close a carefully planned trilogy – not with resolution, but with confrontation.
In an open and unfiltered conversation with Fok ‘bs‘, the band reflect on emotional exposure, mental health without romanticism, and why rebuilding often begins at absolute rock bottom.
‘Nothing Is All I Am‘ completes a trilogy of releases.
At what point did you realize these records were forming a larger narrative rather than separate statements?
“At the very beginning of when we started to work our first EP, we know that it was going to be a story of 3 EP’s, however we didn’t quite know how the story was going to unfold. Figuring out what the story was and how to make that as three separate releases has been enjoyable and a challenge.”
This EP feels brutally honest and emotionally exposed.
Was there any moment during writing or recording where the material felt almost too personal to release?
“Absolutely! Between ‘Reflection and Silence’ and ‘Blood Eyes’ both are a bit too personal than what we have done before. One being about overthinking and catastrophizing and one about unfiltered anger that takes over. Both really were difficult to write from a lyrics point of view. They both really went through a phase of ‘is this too real to release’ phase.”
Each track represents a distinct emotional state, from panic to anger rebuilding.
How did you translate such internal experiences into something that works musically without losing authenticity?
“For us it was about constantly going over the material and listening back over and over again. With this release, we wanted to be very honest and authentic. Over time we changed the songs and lyrics to what we are today, and we feel that we have conveyed the emotions we wanted across in each song.”
Compared to your earlier material, this EP sounds more focused and stripped back.
What did you consciously decide to remove or leave out this time?
“This is an interesting view as I think we feel we added more layers to this release. The one change we made this time was to focus on what we wanted to feel in each song. So for example if you listen to ‘Blood Eyes’ and then ‘The Wilt & I’, you can feel that emotion.”
The title ‘Nothing Is All I Am‘ suggests collapse, but also a strange form of clarity.
How do you personally interpret that phrase today?
“I (Hywel) personally feel that it’s when you feel that you have lost it all and hit rock bottom, you need to figure out where to go from here. ‘Nothing Is All I Am’ is the starting point of rebuilding yourself, it’s not an easy process and it’s not perfect, but we need to start somewhere.”
Your music confronts mental health struggles without romanticizing them.
How important is it for you to draw a line between honesty and self-indulgence?
“Very important. It is important for us to be honest about how we think and how we feel, but not glorify these as a way to write music. For us it’s about being honest and raw in our music.”
Heavy music is often described as cathartic.
For you, is writing and performing these songs more about release, confrontation, or survival?
“I suppose it depends on the song and it’s meaning. I would say for most songs is confrontational, to deal with these emotions. However, we have songs which we don’t play anymore as the story behind them we don’t relate to anymore and feel it wouldn’t be genuine to continue playing those songs.”
Your live shows are known for their intensity.
How do the songs from this EP change the emotional and physical energy of your performances?
“This EP is the most difficult to get to grips for a live show. The pace of these new songs are faster than our previous material and adding that layer of being emotionally invested into the songs, it’s a setlist that is challenging but we love rising to teh challenge.”
The EP feels pessimistic on the surface, yet necessary rather than hopeless.
Was it important for you to leave space for rebuilding and resilience within the darkness?
“Absolutely! That’s really the underlying theme to the EP. The different topics we cover throughout are uncomfortable in nature, but there is always room to grow and recover.”
As a Welsh band in the UK metalcore scene, how do your surroundings and local scene influence your identity and sound?
“There is a sense of community within the scene, supporting one another and enjoying each others music. We are big believers in supporting the metal scene both in Wales and all over the UK. When it comes to our sound, we are quite focused on being authentic to our sound of Metalcore music as we feel this sets us apart as a band.”
Working within the EP format can be limiting or liberating.
Why did this material feel better suited to an EP rather than a full-length album?
“The material we had went through so many changes so when it came down to deciding what to put on, we wanted to write an EP that told the story the way we wanted than fill out an album and feel that the story got lost.”
You’ve steadily grown your audience through consistency rather than hype.
How do you measure progress as a band beyond numbers and streams?
“We judge it form our live shows. Seeing if the crowd is into the music and what songs they are really getting behind. Aside from the metrics of it all, we just want to write good authentic music and entertain at every show we put on.”
When listeners reach the end of ‘Nothing Is All I Am‘, what do you hope they feel – or understand – about themselves, not just about Virtue In Vain?
“Through the challenges that we face in our lives, through every knock and every bad moment, it may hurt, and it may affect us, but we persevere through it all.”
Rather than offering comfort or closure, ‘Nothing Is All I Am‘ stands as a document of emotional survival – uncomfortable, necessary, and deliberately unresolved.
For Virtue In Vain, this final chapter isn’t about triumph, but about honesty, persistence, and the decision to keep moving forward when nothing feels intact.
by Fok ‘bs‘