![]() ![]() As sources of inspiration, in addition to the totemic genre works of Philip K. It’s fitting then, that its songs keep coming back to the questions of who we are, what we are, what is real and if we can even trust our own judgement to answer those conundrums. To stretch the metaphor, think instead, of the five-piece as lightly restful before, while this record sees them drop deep into the REM-phase of sleep. ![]() Alias represents but one chapter, albeit a significant one. Part of the problem in trying to tie the Sleep Waker story up in neat bows is that the band’s constituent parts are still in the middle of it, working on where it goes. ![]() “We are the visual representation of Sleep Waker, but it is an entity. “It’s not a creature, per se,” Hunter qualifies. We’ve talked about making Sleep Waker this living thing, like a ‘being’ almost, that lives in this parallel world.” Alias is mostly about identity, but we’re trying to build something that’s more than just a literal representation of the story. “So we were like, ‘What if we created something that could go in front of us?’ Essentially, some voice or thing that we can kind of put a mask on and perform through, rather than just trying to be ourselves. That doesn't feel genuine to us,” says Frankie. “We personally, as individuals, aren't the most comfortable with the extreme social media side of life, or personal, selfie-cam updates. At the heart of these songs is a unifying through-line grasping at themes of identity, a search for the self and something tangible – something real. Now backed by what they consider “the perfect team” to help build on their burgeoning success, Alias arrives in the right place at the right time, showcasing their growth, both as a band and as people. Everything I wrote was either situational to my life, or about how a person can be changed by a life event or circumstance, thus creating an alias.”Īfter over a decade of friendship and making music together, the pair are grateful for the chastening experiences of those learning curve early ventures. On this record, my lyrics are quite literal and personal. But things really took a shift this time. That stuff’s definitely still interwoven throughout the album. “I’ve had the feeling of someone sitting on my chest, and monolithic figures staring at me from the corner of my bedroom. “I’ve had hallucinations,” Hunter reveals. Overall, our overarching theme has always been the band name itself.” ![]() I write from a lot of my personal experiences of nightmares and dreams. “ Lost In Dreams established that, and Don’t Look At The Moon was all about sleep paralysis. “Each release has had a theme built around experiences we’ve had in dreams, or concepts based around sleep,” he continues. And then Hunter mentioned he had insomnia as a kid. I had the name Sleep Waker, I was playing around with logos and stuff like that. “When I had the idea to start the band, I had insomnia and sleep paralysis,” explains Frankie. This time, it’s not just conceptual exploration. Although rooted in many of the same conceptual themes and ideas that gave the band their successful start in 2017, this time they’re diving even deeper. The record’s 10 tracks represent an almighty leap forward for Sleep Waker – guitarists Jake Impellizzeri and Jason Caudill, vocalist Hunter Courtright, drummer Frankie Mish, and bassist Aaron Lutas – who have signed to UNFD for the release of their second full-length, due out on July 23. The brand new album from Grand Rapids metal five-piece Sleep Waker ponders many such uncomfortable truths, asking listeners to examine who we are, how we quantify our reality, and what it means to be alive. And it’s at the heart of those same concerns Alias strikes, finding its spiritual DNA. A scan of any news outlet, or a swift doom-scroll through popular social networks will confirm any doubts about that. So we wind up with fake humans inventing fake realities and then peddling them to other fake humans.”įorty-plus years later, it’s fair to say he was spot on in his grim assessment of humanity’s trajectory. “Or, fake humans will generate fake realities and then sell them to other humans, turning them, eventually, into forgeries of themselves. “Fake realities will create fake humans,” he imagined. In it, he looked back on his life’s work and its quest for essential truths, while casting his mind towards a future where he believed the very fabric of reality would be called into question. Dick gave a speech at Disneyland, entitled, “How To Build A Universe That Doesn’t Fall Apart Two Days Later”. In 1978, the legendary late science fiction writer Philip K. ![]()
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