PREYRS – recently released the album ‘The Wounded Healer’ I also recently got to have chat with Amy Montgomery from the band

Ian: Let’s start with your debut single “Wave of Wisdom” is such a powerful title. What’s the story or message behind the track?

Amy: Thanks! ‘Wave Of Wisdom’ is about the process of transforming trauma to wisdom. In recognising your reactions and choosing to respond differently by surrendering to the feeling and the possibility that our deepest wounds can be the source of our deepest learning and wisdom. By compassionately exploring our trauma and the trauma of our ancestors, it suggests that healing is possible, all whilst through stinky riffs of course!

Ian: Musically, “Wave of Wisdom” sets a distinct tone. How does it represent your sound and what listeners can expect from the upcoming album ”The Wounded Healer”?

Amy: I wouldn’t say that Wave Of Wisdom represents our sound but it does represent the general message of PREYRS which is partially the reason we chose it as the first single. Listeners can expect to be guided through a journey of multiple rock sub-genres that will hopefully encourage them to look at the shadow within, the shadow of another, the shadow of the collective and still somehow return to a place of trust in themselves and desire for truth and justice.

Ian: Speaking of the album, ”The Wounded Healer” just recently came out. What themes or experiences shaped the writing and recording of the record?

Amy: We wrote most of this record on a remote island overlooking frozen Lake Ontario in January 2024 where we stayed in a hotel for one month and recorded the demos and what would be some original takes!

You could say so many things/experiences shaped the writing. My (Amy) personal life experiences, especially experiencing the sudden loss of my mum at a young age definitely plays into my yearning to explore my depths. Also our observation of humanity as a whole and in particular the news at the time of writing highly impacted this album, especially for the more justice-seeking songs like ‘Zeros, Ones & Lies’ and ‘Into The Blue’. The completely new setting and environment definitely pushed us into a space of musical experimentation that might’ve not otherwise happened too. We were working with a bunch of borrowed vintage equipment, on the
other side of the world in whopping minus temperatures that we’d never experienced before!

I’ve been interested in Carl Jung’s work for a long time and the idea of weaving psychological concepts into heavy rock music is just something that excites me immensely! A painful but beautiful portal opened for that month on Wolfe Island and it only seemed right to align this body of work with the archetype of the wounded healer, one of which feels personally close to myself after working with the trauma of grief in my own life.

Ian: How did the writing process for The Wounded Healer differ from how you approached “Wave of Wisdom”? Were there any unexpected creative turns?

Amy: Do you mean from the track ‘The Wounded Healer’? It was much the same process as these songs were written in the same time period!

Ian: You played Bloodstock Festival earlier this year, how was that experience? Any standout moments from the set or the crowd?

Amy: We loved Bloodstock! An absolutely killer first UK festival for PREYRS! We had a brilliant crowd at the New Blood Stage for our set and managed to catch a few shows from the crowd too. Ministry was a highlight, especially getting to say hello to them and snap a pic after their show! We were also in awe of Gojira’s impeccable performance! Definitely a festival that I will remember!

Ian: Dogfest has a very different vibe from Bloodstock. How did your music connect with that audience, and what was the energy like?

Amy: That’s right! We played that one with a stripped back setup and our music connected really nicely actually. We’re grateful that our music can resonate with people across different genres. The shapeshifter in me is proud and knows that if expressed from an authentic and raw place, the right people will see it and get what they need from it, always, all ways.

Ian: You’ve got a big winter ahead, you’re heading out on tour with New Model Army across Europe. How did that opportunity come about?

Amy: Before PREYRS became its own entity, we supported NMA last year in the UK under my name (Amy Montgomery). We got along well and they were kind enough to invite us along again for some EU dates, only this time as PREYRS! We admire NMA and their dedication to authentic songwriting and sustaining their career for this long so it really is an honour to be on the road with them again, the perfect celebration of our debut album release!

Ian: Touring with a band like New Model Army is huge. Are there any particular cities or venues you’re especially excited to hit?

Amy: We’re excited to play some places we’ve never played before like Prague, Amsterdam and Venlo! The big show in Palladium, Cologne in December has definitely spent a lot of time ruminating in my mind! I’m super excited for it. I love big stages with enough space to truly let the music move me around and that one looks like it’s going to be special.

Ian: For fans who’ll be seeing you live for the first time this winter, what can they expect from your live show?

Amy: They can expect intensity, vulnerability and ritual-like energy from us. Our show is energetic, fierce and drenched in gratitude. We will be giving it our all every night and the audience will know it.

Ian: Your lyrics seem introspective and socially aware. Do you see your music as a form of healing or commentary, or maybe both?

Amy: Yes definitely. As I mentioned before, songwriting is a tool for us to shine light on ourselves and on the world. Being able to articulate healing topics, and deliver them with heavy power is what PREYRS is all about. Even our name suggests that this is both something spiritual and simultaneously fierce in the pursuit of truth, healing and understanding.

Ian: As a debuting band, what’s been the biggest challenge and the biggest reward so far in getting your music out there?

Amy: It’s like trying to get the job with no written work experience! Having to try and explain yourself and your art is sometimes exhausting and besides the point of artistic expression…but in the beginning of a ‘new’ project like PREYRS, it is necessary. The biggest reward so far has definitely been the Bloodstock slot, NMA tour and more recently some really amazing album reviews.

Ian: Finally, with your first single out, a debut album out, and a major tour ahead, what does success look like for you at this stage?

Amy: Success for us is audiences connecting with the music first and foremost. Building a community, a space where they can congregate together in their love of the same frequency is the goal! We’ve already had an amazing start to our debut album release with being on tour and getting to play to a total of something like 20,000 people across this NMA tour! That’s not something every ‘new’ project gets to experience so we’re super grateful for this. March-May 2026 we have a lot of headline shows, so I guess success then would be full rooms with people who want to get to know PREYRS better live! It is all about connection.

Words – Ian Mc Donnell @mcgigmusic