Interview with Ray Alder (New Noise Magazine)

New Noise Magazine’s interview with Ray Alder from July 20, 2026.
Originally published here: newnoisemagazine.com/interviews/interview-north-sea-echoes-vocalist-ray-alder-talks-how-to-cast-a-shadow

Atmospheric, melancholic, ambient… this is the way North Sea Echoes navigates through while composing their music. Their sound takes one to a gloomy voyage that deals with the feeling of yearning and nostalgia. Yet, the music is so captivating that you keep playing it on and on. In North Sea Echoes, we see Jim Matheos and Ray Alder working together again to bring a completely different flavor. In an interesting conversation Alder provided us some insights regarding the new album and the themselves.

Could you tell us about how this project got started? What does the name North Sea Echoes represent?

Jim had written a few songs with the idea that he would do a project/album with different singers. He contacted me and asked if I’d be interested in writing/singing on some of the songs. We worked on the song “Open Book” and finished it in around 4 days or so. We were both very happy with the way the song turned out and decided then that we would collaborate on the entire album. North Sea Echoes came about as Jim and I were trying to think of a name that could somewhat represent what the music was about. Atmospheric, melancholic, ambient…

How excited are you for the release of How to Cast a Shadow? How long did it take you to write and record it?

I guess we’re as excited as could be. This album actually took a while to write and record. We took a break in the middle of writing so that Jim could finish another project he was working on. So about a year or so.

Is the songwriting process for North Sea Echoes different than that of your other projects, especially of Fates Warning?

I guess they’re all different but this project/collaboration is much closer to the heart since it involves the two of us working together again.

From your perspective, is How to Cast a Shadow different from your debut album? What changes do you think listeners will observe in the new record?

The first album was predominantly ambient and atmospheric. While the new album still has songs that are somewhat similar to the first, “How To Cast A Shadow” is a bit more upbeat. There are songs that are heavier and have more of a rock sort of feel. Also there are around 6 tracks that have real drums as opposed to electronic loops.

Having worked together for decades, what has kept your alliance continue for so long? Could you share any fond memory from the past?

Hmm, I guess that since we have worked together for so long we are able to say what we really think. If something isn’t good enough or just isn’t working then we will work it out or move on. There are no egos involved.

What are your near-term and long term plans? Would you like to collaborate with anyone in the future?

For now we’re just waiting for the album to be released. We haven’t really talked about shows or touring. I guess we’ll see about that in the future. As far as collaborating with anyone else I’m always open to work with someone if the music is interesting enough to me. I have done a lot of side projects/songs with different artists. I like to keep busy and enjoy, for the most part, writing new material.

Do you have plans to perform live as North Sea Echoes in the future?

At the moment, no.