At 2000 Trees Festival I met Bethany Curtis – frontwoman of As December Falls and all-round great person – who's vibrancy and positivity is infectious from the get-go. We talk the new album, not giving a fuck and being a Loud Woman in the music industry.
Natasha: August 8th, 2025 sees the release of ADFs new album, Everything’s On Fire, But I’m Fine. Love the name, tell us about the album?
Bethany: I realise everyone’s gonna say this about every single album that they release, but it’s probably the most proud I’ve ever been for a body of work. I feel like I’m finally being my unapologetic self and sticking to what I believe, and not what everyone else believes to be the box that is as December Falls. I’m, like, nah, I’m doing what I want to do. I’m not gonna stick to the same Wheelhouse of things that I always sing about.
Nice one! Absolutely evolve, the band have been going for about ten years?
Forever, my entire life and the music becomes an autobiography
And you have such a catalogue of growing up, throughout your music.
Exactly, and I feel like that helps our connection with our fans because we have so many fun fans that have literally been with us for the whole 10 years. They have grown with us, it’s incredible.
Your music over time has definitely matured and become more ‘you’.
100% absolutely, and that’s something that we try and embody within our music. I remember when we started, I can’t remember who it was, but they said, oh, you should have less guitars, and then it just turned into this whole thing of people telling us how we should sound, and I was, like, no, we’re making the music that we love and we want to listen too, and you know what? Yes, we are Elder emos, we love the vibe of Paramore, Panic, Fallout Boy, all of those incredible bands. We wanted to make new music but still have hints of those artists we grew up listening to.
Yes we love to see it! Okay what is your most memorable live show moment?
So for me, it is probably the first time I went to see Enter Shikari live. It was my first ever gig at Roxy, so I would have been about maybe 14 and I just remember, I was really scared. It was my first time going to a rock club. I’d only ever been to shows at the arena with my parents and stuff, and I came in and I remember, this is a really silly memory, but it’s just stuck with me; I tripped over in the crowd and this guy literally picked me up, and he was, like, ‘oh my God, are you okay?’ And I had never seen that before. I don’t know, it was just the fan base, they were so welcoming. From that day, that’s when I was like, if I ever did anything like this, that’s what I want my fan base to be like. That’s exactly what I want, I want a welcoming, safe space and if someone falls down, they’re gonna get picked up.
Absolutely, as it should be!
That is like a core thing that stuck with me, and we’ve done so well at creating the same safe space within this incredible Community.
On that note, any words of wisdom or advice for inspiring musicians?
Do not let people tell you how to dress, how to look, how to sound, how to do anything, if you want to go on stage and scream your heart out in a baggy t-shirt, you do that. If you want to go on in a bikini and sing Opera, do whatever you want. Do whatever you are feeling. Don’t let anyone tell you what to do, because otherwise it does make you feel very contained, this is a feeling that I sometimes still have. Two years ago, you would not have caught me wearing a backless t-shirt today, absolutely zero chance.
Just be yourself because it means that you don’t feel like you’re hiding. Now I am doing these incredible, massive things and at the beginning, I was so nervous all the time. I thought, I’ve got to answer this the right way, do this the correct way. What if I say this thing and they’re, like, oh no, that’s wrong. Don’t do that. You have got to not give a fuck about it.
That’s very inspiring and I suppose for a lot of people, learning who they are happens in their 20s and you very much did that portion of your life whilst also on stage.
Yes, and I think there is more pressure being a woman. Because I remember, when we first started, I would go out in my mini shorts and things, and the amount of people who would feel the entitlement to comment and be, like, oh, she’s really fat and stuff like that. How dare they talk about someone like that? That is not okay. The fact is that I’ve gone out there, put my heart on the line, sang all of these tunes for you and all you’re commenting on is the fact that I had a bit of a belly roll one day!
Some people are awful. Over the years have things become more positive in that respect?
Yes and it definitely changes depending on where you’re supposed status is within the industry. I remember when I started, I had this absolute sound engineer from hell. He was being really awful all day, but being really lovely to the boys, saying things like ‘Oh, I guess you can’t plug in your own microphone’ I was like… it’s a cable, of course I can plug it in. I remember having support bands that wouldn’t talk to me and then as soon as they watched me in the show, they’d suddenly be, like, ‘oh, if you’re ever looking for a band!’.
I feel like when I come to these things, we have sort of clawed our way into our spot. We’re a highly independent band and it’s been everything. I feel like we have worked goddamn hard to get to where we are. Now, I actually feel a sense of people will be like, oh, it’s Bethany from ADF, look what they’re doing, they’ve got a number one rock album. They’ve got a HMA. They’ve done it. It does get easier, but you’ve gotta have the grit and the thick skin to get through that. First, you gotta get through the shit.
Hell yes, and well done to you. Thank you for sharing. Okay, last question, what’s your favourite kind of dinosaur?
Haha that’s fun, stegosaurus! Great eyes, those are the best ones to draw!