Metal Inside(r) Home Quarantine is Metal Insider’s pandemic column during the ongoing uncertainty behind COVID-19. We ask artists five questions on what’s been keeping them busy during these unprecedented times. We caught up with Theigns &Thralls’ Kevin Ridley (vocals, guitar, and mandola) and Dave Briggs (guitar, tin whistle, and vocals) as they’ve been spending this time working on new music.

What have you been doing to pass time during Quarantine?

Kevin: During the first lockdowns, I decided to get out all my recording gear (and buy some new equipment) and started recording some new songs. This grew into a big collaborative project and the Theigns &Thralls album is the result.

Dave: I spent the whole time building a new recording studio here in Northern Ireland.

Have you been listening to any music or have any playlists worth checking out?

Kevin: Actually, during this pandemic, I found that I was listening to more rock and metal music than I have for years. The metal playlists, about albums of the year etc., were listened to, as well as finding some new music that wasn’t metal recommended to me by friends on the internet.

Dave: I mostly listen to audiobooks while I’m doing things, mainly science fiction and fantasy.

A lot of people have been spending this time cooking, including making their own bread. What food have you been prepping during this time?

Kevin: We sometimes make our own pizzas, but that’s about it, apart from birthday parties and so on.

Dave: My wife enjoys cooking so I leave that to her, ha-ha.

In terms of entertainment, what movies, TV shows, books, or games have been keeping you busy?

Kevin: We watched a few series on TV – like The Witcher – but we also played a lot of board games. We’ve quite a collection now.

Dave: Like I said, I mostly listen to audiobooks, and I went through a lot of them while building my studio during quarantine. I remember I went through the complete Sherlock Holmes collection and the Song of Ice and Fire series, amongst many others. 

What advice do you have for your fans in isolation during this time?

Kevin: Just hang in there, it looks like this situation is coming to an end soon and we will be back out on the road with lots of new songs. Keep on listening and watching videos in the meantime.

Dave: Just keep listening and know that we are working hard to have something good for our fans in the future.