MUMBAI: Don’t Sleep are preparing to release their sophomore album, ‘See Change.’ The 9-track LP was co-produced by the GRAMMY-nominated team of Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland (August Burns Red, Silverstein) and will be out on June 2 via End Hits Records.
The band, made up of Dave Smalley (DAG NASTY, ALL, DOWN BY LAW, DYS) on vocals, bassist Garrett Rothman (Junction), drummer Jim Bedorf, and guitarists Tom McGrath (Very Americans) and Tony Bavaria (The Commercials, Very Americans), has released the first single “Promise Made,” along with a Josh Nesmith-directed music video, which is now streaming HERE.
Stream the single on DSPs HERE.
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Pre-order ‘See Change’ HERE.
Of the track, Smalley says, “”We believe in the promise made — keep in mind the promise made!” This is a song about hardcore and growing up in this music, one that is much more than just notes — hardcore means taking care of each other, and trying to make things better, one day at a time, against all odds, starting with ourselves. As a line in the song says: “It shaped me, and it shaped you!” Chances are if you are reading these words, you are a hardcore lifer. That is awesome! It doesn’t mean you have to listen to hc 24/7 — although that is certainly cool too — and there is huge value in other genres of music — metal, reggae and ska, jazz, you name it, But for sure, punk rock and hardcore refined us, from putty into steel. This song is sort of the grown-up continuation to that idea, which is: we’re still going. We believe in the promise made. In that way I guess it’s kind of a love song to hardcore.”
He adds, “The video for “Promise Made” depicts a day in the life of a fictional young band called Fear of Failure getting ready to play a big show in their hometown.
We follow the DIY band as they put up flyers around town (including handing out flyers in a cameo appearance to Don’t Sleep members Tony Bavaria and Garrett Rothman), rehearse their set, load equipment into the venue and finally rock out on stage. The twist at the end of the video is one that anyone who’s ever started a band can relate to.
The fictional band includes Evan McGrath on guitar, whose father Tom McGrath plays guitar in Don’t Sleep, Garrett Rothman’s son Theo on bass, and Izzy Howard on guitar, whose father Josh Howard plays bass in legendary punk band The Virus. The video was directed and edited by Josh Nesmith.”
