What started as a collection of raw demos and a passion for pushing limits has evolved into a masterpiece of resilience. Find out how Fallen Star explores the vulnerability and strength behind Employed to Serve’s journey

Words by Tanita Hingerty | March 28, 2025

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Employed to Serve’s Justine Jones speaks with an openness that mirrors the raw energy of her music. With the band’s fifth studio album Fallen Star released on April 25, she sat down with Amped Magazine’s Tanita to talk about the creative process, lyrical themes, and what’s next for one of the UK’s most vital modern metal acts.

I got to listen to the new album, Fall and Star, before its official release date on the 25th of April. What was the process behind creating the album, and what does that album mean to you?

“So we actually, I think like for the most part, we don’t really write much in the practice room,” Justine begins. “We spend a lot of time demoing at home, which just wastes a lot less time because we end up just messing around a lot in the practice room—we’re good friends, so we talk more than we play.”

This time, though, the process evolved. “It’s the first time that I’ve demoed all of the vocals before going into the studio, which I think was a big game-changer for me. It’s just nice sort of working out what I was going to do each time.” As for what the album means? “It’s about facing adversity and overcoming issues in life. Acknowledging that life can’t always be good, but always overcoming anything, really.”

What is your favourite song from the album, and which one are you most looking forward to performing live?

“I don’t know, it’s really hard,” she admits. “I really like a lot of songs on this record. I really struggled picking singles.” One track stands out, though: “‘We’re probably most excited about playing ‘At Home…’ live, mainly because that song has been out the longest, and there’s a lot of opportunity for crowd participation. So I think that could be quite fun.”

You’re a massive inspiration to especially young women trying to break into the metal industry. Did you always know that you wanted to make music, and how did you create and find your own unique vocal style?

“Oh, thank you,” Justine says. “I’ve always wanted to be involved with music. I wanted to play music, but when I was a kid and learning guitar, I really struggled with applying myself.” Vocals came more naturally. “I’ve always struggled with things like rhythm… something I had to learn as I went along. Bless Lewis Jones, our producer—he spent a lot of time trying to get me in time to record.”

Being social, she never took to the stereotypical ‘hours in a bedroom’ musician route. “I really struggled sitting still. So yeah, vocals just really suited me.” Music was always part of her world, even if indirectly. “Before I was in a band, I was taking photos, making MySpace layouts for bands—that was a thing back then.” She even dabbled in film. “I studied animation and started down the special effects career path, but I can’t sit still. It’s quite an anti-social job. I remember going to a work experience day and sitting in this dark, silent room—it was literally my idea of hell.”

Who inspired you musically?

“Quite a few people, really. I’m a big Björk fan. And when I was coming up, there weren’t too many female vocalists in metal that I really gelled with,” she says. “The old Arch Enemy vocalist was a big one. I mean, I really liked Amy Lee from Evanescence. Other than that I loved Suicide Silence, Deftones, and Slipknot, but there weren’t many women creating that kind of music at the time. Now there’s loads, and it’s incredible.”

Pop and R&B also played a part. “I’ve always been a huge fan of artists like Beyoncé. Destiny’s Child, TLC, that was me growing up. They were really strong women in music.” That genre-hopping inspiration helped shape her unique voice. “I kind of found inspiration from other genres because there weren’t enough women in metal. It’s super different now.”

What inspired the themes for the album?

“Just life experience really,” she says simply. “Either through myself or people close to me. I find it hard writing about things that don’t directly affect me. The exception is sometimes when I’m really into a book—I can really empathise with the characters. But yeah, everything on this record is stuff I’ve either encountered or someone close to me has had to deal with.”

You released a new music video as well for Fallen Star. It’s super heavy, but also really beautiful. What was the process of making the music video like? And what’s the story behind it?

“It was really fun,” she says. “We got to fly to America to film them, because there’s a particular director we wanted to work with. And we really wanted our guests—Jesse Leach and Laura Jane Grace—in the videos as well.” They shot in Scranton, of all places—“where they filmed The Office, which is pretty funny.”

Jet lag and caffeine featured heavily. “We were very jet lagged. I was off my head on Dunkin’ iced coffees—the caffeine is stronger than in the UK!” The location was a warehouse, used to visually represent the themes. “That song is about watching someone close to you struggle with addiction and not being able to live their life for them. You kind of have to stand by and watch them drift. So we represented that with space—literal and emotional.”

Tell us about your upcoming tour in the UK and what we can expect from seeing you live.

“I’m really excited,” she grins. “We haven’t played a headline tour since 2023, so it’s been a while. We’re bringing Sanguisugabogg with us, which I’m a huge fan of. I’ve been a fan of those guys since the first EPs.”

The setlist will include “all the singles that are out, plus one new track,” she reveals. “People who come to the earlier shows will get a preview before it’s released. I just hope it’s going to be a good time—because that’s kind of why we tour. Just to have fun.”

You’re also playing some festivals this summer. What’s your favourite thing about playing festivals and festival season in general?

“I love it. It tends to be sunny—sometimes,” she laughs. “It’s a whole new crowd. There’s no pressure because people are just passing through. For the most part, festivals are a discovery event.”

It’s about converting the curious. “I love watching people walk past our stage, then come walking back like, ‘Wait, what’s this?’ That’s always quite fun. Especially when you’re playing in daylight and you can actually see their faces. You get to see in real time that you’ve won someone over.”

And sometimes that person’s got a snack. “I like the guy with the hot dog and a beer just stopping mid-bite to check us out,” she laughs. “Watching people eat while they watch me scream is kind of funny. Probably give someone indigestion.”

What else does the future hold for Employed to Serve?

“I hope just to serve,” Justine says with a smile. “We’ve sort of steadily grown over the years. It hasn’t been explosive—but I kind of like that. It’s been even, consistent. I personally like our albums more and more as they go along. And yeah, just writing more records, touring more—same old, really.”

Fallen Star is out now via Spinefarm. Listen below:

Watch the full interview with Justine below: