Lone Assembly: Shadows, synths, and the longing to connect

On September 3rd, the cinematic Swiss darkwave outfit Lone Assembly will make their Hungarian debut at A38 Hajó — a fitting venue for a band whose music flows like a dream across borders. With raw elegance and analog warmth, their sound conjures a world of solitude, transformation, and poetic unrest. In this exclusive interview, the band reflects on their creative origins, touring life, emotional storytelling, and what they hope to leave behind on the Danube’s iconic stage.

This will be your first performance at A38 Ship in Budapest. What were your first impressions when you heard about this unique venue set on the Danube? What are your expectations of the Budapest audience and atmosphere?

Very good! This will be our first time in Hungary and it’s not every day you get the chance to perform in such a unique place like this. Eastern Europe seems to have a real appreciation for our genre, so we’re expecting the Hungarian audience to be receptive, knowledgeable, and hopefully convinced by what they’ll see and hear.

You’ll be sharing the stage with Rosegarden Funeral Party, a band known for blending emotional intensity with theatrical post-punk energy. How do you see the dynamic between your projects? What are you looking forward to about playing alongside them?

First of all, we’re really glad to be opening for these guys. What’s interesting is that we explore very similar themes and share some of the same influences, which makes us think that our two performances might flow really well together.

Lone Assembly is still a young project, yet it already carries a strong and cohesive identity — emotionally raw, minimalistic, and cinematic. What were the initial impulses behind the project? Was it born from a personal need, a sound you couldn’t find elsewhere, or something else entirely?

Thank you for that. I’d say it’s a mix of all those things, really. Our band started like many others, I guess — just a group of friends who wanted to make music together. At some point, we began to realize that our music might actually resonate with people.

Now that we’ve been a band for a little over a year, I think the main driving force is definitely our shared ambition to take Lone Assembly as far as we possibly can.

Your latest single „In the Open” is accompanied by a dreamlike video, filmed during your recent tour in Spain. It feels intimate yet distant, echoing the song’s themes of emotional release and transition. What inspired the visual concept, and how did the tour setting influence the way this piece came together?

The music video was shot and edited by our dear friend Manon — who, by the way, was crazy enough to join us on tour. For this one, we gave her complete freedom to interpret the song however she felt was right. And honestly, she nailed it. The video captures the energy and atmosphere of our live shows really well, which is exactly what we were hoping for.

Speaking of the tour, Manon is also planning to make a documentary from all the footage she captured along the way. In a sense, this video could serve as a little preview of what’s to come.

Your songs often evoke solitude, transformation, and subtle emotional unrest. Are these themes personal reflections, or are they filtered through fictional or symbolic lenses?

Definitely both. Some of the songs talk about things I’ve really been through, some others are completely fictional and the rest would be part fictional, part real.

In general, the music always comes first in the writing process — the words follow afterward. I don’t really know how to write without a musical framework; I haven’t found the formula for that yet. In any case, it always starts with playing around on the piano — usually a ballad built on a chord progression.

From there, sometimes words or fragments of phrases come to me. Sometimes it’s more like memories taking shape. I like the idea that the inspiration is bigger than us — that we’re just vessels lucky enough to catch these ideas as they pass by.

Sometimes everything comes together very naturally; other times, it’s more chaotic and needs to be carefully organized into something coherent.

But it’s clear that the themes we’ve explored so far are quite dark, or at least don’t really touch on anything particularly uplifting. Maybe one day we’ll tell lighter stories. But since it’s often emotional shocks, traumas, and moments of deep sadness that leave the strongest marks on us, I doubt that’ll happen anytime soon.

Many post-punk and darkwave artists today are returning to vintage synths and raw textures to resist the hyper-polished sound of modern production. Do you feel part of that movement? How do you approach the tension between analog imperfection and electronic precision in your own work?

If we’re talking about synths here, since the release of Keep this Flame, we mainly use analog gears. we’re not completely averse to the idea of incorporating soft elements here and there though, as long as it serves the song. But yeah, to be honest, the warmth and imprecision that could give an analog synth will always sound better in our ears. Composing on analog synth also means you kind of create an intimate connection with your instrument as well. It also allows us to take our eyes off the computer screen for a bit. The same goes between choosing an acoustic or a digital kit. But whether you go fully analog with no software instruments, or use a bit of both, it doesn’t really matter—as long as you end up with the song you pictured in your mind.

If you could collaborate with any artist — whether from the current scene or from the past — who would it be, and why?

We’re still in the process of shaping our sound, so at the moment it’s not the easiest question to answer. So far, having close proximity to the people we work with has been beneficial and really helps the mixing process in particular. To be honest, no matter how good the résumé of the sound engineers we’re working with is, as long as they understand the direction we want to take and help make our recordings sound as beautiful as possible, that’s what matters most. 

That said, if we had the chance to work with the next Martin Hannett, we certainly wouldn’t say no! On the other hand, learning from major acts like Depeche Mode, Editors, or others as part of a tour would be absolutely incredible. In fact, one of our medium-term goals is to tour across Europe with a big name.

Outside of music, what kinds of influences shape Lone Assembly’s world — be it film, literature, architecture, photography?

When it comes to the visual side of our music, the band is heavily influenced by the aesthetic vision of our guitarist, Glenn. He may not be the one taking the photos or shooting the videos, but he knows exactly what he wants — and more importantly, he understands what best fits the lyrics and the music.

He draws a lot of inspiration from the atmosphere of 1920s–30s film photography and cinema from that same era. The idea is that the artwork should tell a story too — that it should echo the themes we explore in our songs.

But in the end, each of us brings in different influences, and I think that’s one of the band’s real strengths.

If I had to name a book that resonates with what we do, it would be The Book of Disquiet by Bernardo Soares — or rather, Fernando Pessoa. That book left a deep mark on me during my teenage years. It’s a collection of thoughts and poems from a character wandering through the limbo of his own existence.

In today’s music industry, there’s often an expectation for constant online presence and content production. How do you relate to this? Do you find it important to create space for focused work or quieter periods in your creative process?

You’re right and I’m not a particular fan of that. Of course, we play the game of social media but we try to do so in our own way, with content that looks like us and fits with what we do. We try not to invade too much by posting a lot as we think it’s not very effective and also we globally don’t really like that from others as well. In other terms, we try to make the content we’d like to see from our favorite artists. But I have to say that Glenn is leading the dance with great finesse.

Nowadays, and in a world where everyone feels the need to broadcast their every move, 24/7, I think using silence and, therefore, manufacturing desire, are the greatest weapons to draw in the social media game.

With Switzerland recently joining Liveurope through Pro Helvetia, a new pathway has opened up for Swiss bands to reach European audiences. As an emerging act, how do you perceive the potential of this initiative for your own trajectory?

It’s really great news — especially since taking our music beyond borders and reaching a wider audience is one of our main goals. We’ve already had the chance to travel across Europe, playing shows in the Netherlands, Spain, and Germany, among others. And we can’t wait to explore new countries — and, with them, new audiences.

Liveurope promotes the circulation of up-and-coming artists across borders. In your view, how do platforms like this shape the future of the European music scene — and what kind of contribution or presence would you like to bring to it?

It’s definitely a program that young artists shouldn’t take for granted or treat lightly. It’s a great opportunity to benefit from stages like yours for example, as part of this program. It’s a chance to connect with new audiences, discover other cultures, bring your music to life beyond your home country, and maybe even a chance to break through.

I hope we can bring our authenticity and our Swiss personality—if such a thing exists! One thing’s for sure: just like every opportunity we’ve been given so far, we’re going to give it our all and approach it with full commitment.

With your recent singles and EP building a consistent narrative, are you envisioning a debut album soon, or does a more fluid, release-as-you-go approach feel right for Lone Assembly right now?

Absolutely. We already knew that after the EP, our next step would be a full-length album. Especially since we didn’t have the chance to work with Romain, our drummer, during the production of That Never Happened. This time around, the process is very different — it’s a truly collaborative effort, with everyone actively involved in the songwriting.

In contrast, the EP carried a lot of emotional weight for me personally, and I kind of led it with what you could call an artistic dictatorship. Now, we’re seeing glimpses of democracy — if I may put it that way!

But yes, we’re currently working on our debut album, which we hope to release in early 2026.

Finally, what kind of imprint would you like to leave on the Budapest audience — whether visually, emotionally, or sonically?

First of all, we want the Hungarian audience to think: “Damn, they sound good.” Because, let’s be honest — that’s the main reason people go to shows. It’s all about the sound. And luckily for us, we’ve got an amazing sound engineer, Leo, who follows us everywhere and has become a real friend over time.

Once we’ve passed the sound test, the next most important thing for us is the emotional weight of the performance. If we fail to transmit anything, then clearly we didn’t do our job right.

The visual aspect, of course, matters too — but it’s really just the icing on the cake. If the first two things are off, nobody cares how nice the stage looks or how well-dressed the band is.