On their latest record, How I Fell In Love With The Void, Connecticut’s noise rock/metallic hardcore band INTERCOURSE leans further into existential dread, dark humor, and sonic violence. We caught up with frontman Tarek Ahmed to talk about rewriting lyrics post-divorce, the power of weird community, and why The Void might just want a break in Memphis.
Tarek, you mentioned rewriting your lyrics multiple times and incorporating deeply personal experiences like your recent divorce. How do you balance vulnerability with the self-deprecating humor INTERCOURSE is known for?
At this point it’s sorta instinctual, but if I look back at some lyrics and they’re just too much, that’s when I’ll decide that I’m an asshole and make fun of myself a little in them.
The themes of emptiness and the void appear central to this album. How has your personal relationship with these concepts evolved since your earlier EP Pissing Into The Abyss?
Absolutely. I’ve become way more aware and accepting of it. The acceptance has let me not fixate on it so much when I feel the pull of the isolating, depressive vacuum. I know the feelings are fleeting and in the greater scheme of things I’ll never be satisfied, which has helped me appreciate what I have and learn to be present the best I can be.
Musically, How I Fell In Love With The Void merges metallic hardcore with corrosive noise rock. How did you approach songwriting differently on this record compared to previous releases?
I think we just naturally evolved. The biggest difference is that these guys tuned down to A and there was a conscious decision to work on songwriting. Usually, we’re impulsive and try not to think too much — we thought a little this time around, but not enough to hurt ourselves.
This is the first time INTERCOURSE invested in a full week of professional studio time. How did working with Chris Teti and the Silver Bullet Studios environment influence the final sound of the album?
Chris really gets us on a personal level, so he just knows how to get a good performance out of everyone. We’re super comfortable in the studio — it’s got cool horror memorabilia everywhere which is why we specifically booked our time in October. We drank our pumpkin spices, watched horror movies (also Some Kind of Monster), and just grinded for that week. Also, Greg Thomas helped a lot with the mix. The environmental influence came through in that we felt comfortable and at liberty to fuck around and see where we can stretch things.
Your music and lyrics speak strongly to the outsider experience, and you describe your fanbase as ‘weirdos and freaks.’ How important is this sense of community for the band’s identity and live performances?
The sense of community is a huge part of it!! I’ve felt like a Martian my entire life pretty much everywhere, including the shows I first started going to when I was a teenager. These past few years of doing this band has really helped me find my place in the world and connect with likeminded people. Every time we play, the weirdest person in the room is always there for us — and that’s personally what I’m most proud of.
The tour this September hits a lot of Central US cities for the first time. What are you most looking forward to about connecting with new audiences on this run?
I’m most looking forward to meeting the weirdest person I will meet on this run and talking about the most obscure / niche interest that we share.
Ozzy Osbourne’s music has been influential in many heavy genres. Did his work or persona impact INTERCOURSE’s approach to noise rock or your stage presence in any way?
Black Sabbath was the first band to really make my imagination run wild when I heard them at the tender age of 5. I blame him for all of this. I got the witchy vampire woman from his left shoulder tattooed on my neck a few weeks back. I had the artist change it up a little, but I love Ozzy — patient zero for being a ridiculous person fronting a metal band.
The album cover features exotic dancer Clementine, shot by Sherilyn Furneaux. What was the inspiration behind choosing this particular image and how does it relate to the themes of the album?
We told Sheri we wanted something cheerful with a New England fall time color palette. She sent us a folder full of amazing images but this one just screamed album cover. In relationship to the theme? It’s the joy we all seek to find to try and keep the existential dread at bay.
You usually record in home studios but took a different approach this time. What gear or recording techniques at Silver Bullet Studios helped you capture the crushing noise and aggressive tone of the record?
I dunno wtf these guys played through exactly but their guitars have cool aluminum necks they got from this company called Robot Graves and they love their Electronic Audio Experiment pedals. As for techniques we just did classic instrument-by-instrument tracking. Teti is a wizard and had Sean do a bunch of guitar tracks for 3 days while we hung around and ate Chipotle. The aggressive tone is probably coming through us all living through our 3rd ‘once in a lifetime’ economic crisis.
If the void were a tangible thing you could bring on tour, what would it look like and would it have a favorite city on your upcoming run?
Probably Memphis I wanna say, cuz that seems to be the polar opposite of Connecticut and I think it needs a break from riding all of our asses over here.
INTERCOURSE will bulldoze a path through the Central US alongside Nerver on their first run of tour dates surrounding their upcoming album. The tour will begin in Detroit on September 18th and will roll through Cincinnati, Louisville, Memphis, Denton, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, St. Louis, and Chicago before ending the trek in Indianapolis on September 27th. See all confirmed dates below and expect further updates to post in the weeks ahead.
INTERCOURSE w/ Nerver:
9/18/2025 Outerlimits Lounge – Detroit, MI
9/19/2025 The Comet – Cincinnati, OH
9/20/2025 Mag Bar – Louisville, KY
9/21/2025 Havenhaus – Memphis, TN
9/22/2025 Rubber Gloves – Denton, TX
9/23/2025 Sanctuary – Oklahoma City, OK
9/24/2025 Howdy – Kansas City, MO
9/25/2025 Heavy Anchor – St. Louis, MO
9/26/2025 Burlington Bar – Chicago, IL
9/27/2025 Black Circle – Indianapolis, IN
INTERCOURSE:
Tarek Ahmed – vocals
Caleb Porter – drums
Sean Prior – guitar
Pete Stroczkowski – bass
How I Fell In Love With The Void will be released on LP with multiple limited variants as well as CD, MC, and digitally on September 12th. Preorders are live at the Brutal Panda store HERE. And if you missed it, watch the horrifying “The Ballad Of Max Wright” video HERE.
Photo credit to Sheri Furneaux
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Categories: Intercourse, Interviews, Music, Music Videos, Tour Dates
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