Articles by "Awake At Last"
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Awake At Last is an act like many others, whose troubles have overcome them, But those times have past and they have surpassed it all, moving forward with being the band that they are now. Six years in and counting, Awake At Last has released a couple of EP's including most recent "Life/Death/Rebirth". So much more is in-store for these guys,including touring, shows, with lots of promotion! The band got together to talk all about the EP, it's concept, and its appeal to their fans!


1. First of all, please introduce your band and band members to our readers.

The band is called Awake At Last! Vincent Torres (Vocals), Eric Blackway (Guitar), Imran Xhelili (Guitar), Jon Finney (Drums), and Tyler (Bass).

2. Is there any special reason for choosing your music conception?

When we formed the band we wanted to make music and try to inspire other musicians and artists to also pursue their dreams.  After six years our goal is still to elevate and encourage other artists to follow the path.

3. How do you guys manage to create music at all? What challenges do you face when writing and recording an EP or album?

There are all sorts of challenges we face as musicians we always try to find the time to play together as much as possible in between jobs, or tours, etc. It usually starts in a circle around a fire with some acoustics and we take it from there to flesh out the songs. Scheduling can be hard and that makes it difficult to hold down normal jobs, and we do have a member who lives pretty far away, but these are all just minor obstacles in the path.

4. So your previous singles "Never Be A Memory" and "Questions" were not included on this EP "Life/Death/Rebirth", why not?

The concept of Life.Death.Rebirth didn't necessarily mesh with those two songs. This new EP is sort-of became an actual rebirth for the band, and those two songs represented the past.  We wanted the concept to be complete and those songs didn't necessarily fit.

5. Why did you go the concept route on the new EP?

I think the idea behind all of our releases were pretty conceptual I've always liked telling stories, but life death rebirth was the first completed concept.  I wrote it during some dark times and I wanted to tell a story to the fans about the human consciousness through the eyes of a dying soul as he tries to find meaning in it all while he's continuing along his path.  I feel like people are becoming detached from our human side in some ways with all the technology and stuff so I wanted to bring everyone back.

6. How did you challenge yourself sound wise to fit this concept?

The new sound came together pretty well actually we wanted to get a little heavier in order to embody the darker emotions associated with death in the concept and even though the process was long it was surprisingly painless as we were on the same page during the creative process.  It also helped that we got a chance to do pre-production before we ever took it into the studio.

7. Is the concept of the EP going to develop into any other mediums like film or graphic novels?

Those are huge long term goals that I would love to explore eventually, but as of right now we haven't entered the development phases of those outlets.

8. Did you get the EP you wanted? Is everything on there or were there some things that were just impossible to pull off?

We were all really excited with the outcome and it was a great time for it because we were able to showcase new songs to our fans and friends and family.  If we had a bit more time I might've gone a little more dramatic with the theatrics and built up the story a bit more but I kind of like that you have to really listen to pick up on the little details. Overall I would say we were all happy with the result.

9. Why did you want to take your theatrical rock approach and add a heavier edge to it, what difference does it make, would you say makes Awake At Last stand out more so now than before?

We mainly went with the heavier edge to create the emotions we were trying to portray.  Purgatorium is supposed to be the introduction to the afterlife for the character, and Analysis paralysis is about the fear that surrounds humans when it comes to facing their mortality.  It was no surprised that those came out heavier, and then we take a lighter approach when we move into the lighter elements associated with love and then a more rock vibe for dealing with betrayal.  By the time you make it to Constellations it's still a bit heavy but it's more of a rallying call.  Reflections has a more direct rock approach.

10. You got to work with producer Andrew Baylis, why him in particular? Do you see working with him again in the future as a stable producer of choice or will you go off with other producers or whatever happens?

Andrew Baylis is a friend of ours and I think he does great work so I could definitely see us working with him again.  But until we move into the next phase of recording our primary focus is on Life.Death.Rebirth and promoting it to our fans.  Andrew is a remarkable musician and he has a great ear for producing records and I'd suggest him to anyone.

11. What is the difference between your latest EP and the very first EP? How would you say they both compare to one another?

The quality is much better on the new EP, and the concept is much better put together.  The band has changed a lot of members from the first EP as well so there are a lot of different musical elements that have changed over the years. I think that both of them still spread positivity as that's always been the goal and sometimes they kind of tag on each other.  It's almost like the first EP predicted a lot of what we've been doing now even though I wrote the songs on the premise of dreams. They are night and day in comparison but I think we've maintained the sound.

12. Are you working on any music videos, might it be videoclip or lyric video?

Yes we have all kinds of surprises and ideas for videos in the future and we can't wait to show you guys!

13. How often does the band practice and work on new material?

We try to get together as much as possible, but we've been on the road so much lately that when we come home we all immediately have to work so it's been a bit difficult but we always take at least 2 to 4 days a week to work on the band in all the aspects we can.

14. Are you all supported by your relatives towards your devotion to music?

All of our families have played supportive roles in different ways, some more than others.  But we are happy to say that no ones family stands against it.

15. Do you have any other hobby beside music?

We all like to do different things, fitness, drawing, different musical projects, etc.  I think it's important to have outlets that are personal on top of being musicians.

16. What does the rest of this year hold for you guys?

We have set a lot of goals for this year and we will be primarily focusing on pushing this new record and continuing to push the brand and prospect for new fans using all of the amazing social media platforms available to us.

17. How about plans in terms of shows and touring?

We have tours booked for the next few months definitely and I'm sure more and more opportunities will arise as we continue to push the record.  Everything that we do will be highly promoted and I hope that we get a chance to see and interact with all of our fans and friends! :)

18. Thanks a lot for your time! It's really nice to know more about you. Would you like to say anything to your fans and our readers?

I just want to let them know that after doing this for 6 years we've all faced many obstacles and we've had to learn to overcome them, but without them continuing to support us and come to shows we wouldn't be able to do this. So I'd really just like to thank them and let them know that we are available to them and we know how difficult it can be to deal with the darker emotions associated with human consciousness and I hope they find strength in the words and message of Life.Death.Rebirth and that we love them!!!!
9:18 AM
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Theatrical music is a wide range of music, that has been composed or adapted for performances in theatres. It became a thing for some artists and bands within the music scene, including such acts as Farewell, My Love, One Last Shot, and Awake At Last. Who have since forming back in 2011, have played over 200 showcases since their debut EP "King Of The World" released back in 2014. This Dover, Delaware act is one not to miss out on, hence why they are so consist in touring, writing, and recording material to get word of their theatrical rock based tunes out in the open ever so further.

After the trek that was for their debut EP release, they went on to write and record material that would include a new single turned video for "Never Be A Memory", that would then lead to them heading back into the studio in 2016 on and off, working with producer Andrew Baylis to record the follow-up release in the form of another EP titled "Life/Death/Rebirth". It is a concept EP that navigates through the different aspects of the human personality and consciousness. Thus with that concept a upon this EP, that theatrical rock elements has added a heavier edge to it, blending in other elements like atmospheric for instance, so you get a mixture of everything both past, present, and future.

When it comes down to it, the band was able to blend together not just those genre aspects, but take the likes of post-hardcore, metalcore, and alternative rock influences as well, tossing it altogether atop their former emo meets theatrical rock sound to create who they are now as Awake At Last with this EP "Life/Death/Rebirth".

As for the EP's material in comparison to their last single and previous EP release, this newer material is much more rounded, it's modern yet fresher to the ears and listeners alike. It still manages to maintain that theatrical aspect to a point, but breaks away from it at times, making it be more interesting to hear. Like on "Purgatorium" for instance, the whole theatrical theme is preserved quite well. Whereas on "Reflections" it takes the approach of the more metalcore/post-hardcore feel and vibes except more toned down. "White Rabbit", as well as the rest of the EP is more so in the middle of the genre mixing and blending. You can a picture of how all of the sounds come together on this track the others as well. Which in turn just becomes quite an enjoyable ride of melodies.

The vocalization and instrumentals used throughout this EP are done well, it has that high quality that can be heard rather well. Vocal chords being crisp and clear, even with the minor screaming portions, you still get that fierce tone of affect. Whilst the guitar, bass, and drum work, is done flawlessly, they all pretty much stay in tone and check with one another, bringing the music together than breaking it apart. Everything just works out for one another, making their music unique yet refreshing.

All in all Awake At Last's "Life/Death/Rebirth" EP, is a solid piece of work, that takes a whole another direction of approach, to their style of music. It may differ at times, but it shows an increase of maturity in sound and craftsmanship.
9:02 AM
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The Funeral Portrait are thrilled to announce an August tour with friends Marina City and Awake at Last, which kicks off August 11th in Spartanburg, SC (without Marina City) and will conclude August 25th in Toledo, OH.

TOUR DATES:

8/11 - Spartanburg, SC at Ground Zero (No Marina City)
8/12 - Raleigh, NC at Legends
8/13 - Richmond, VA at Canal Club
8/14 - Philadelphia, PA at Voltage Lounge
8/15 - Amityville, NY at Revolution Music Hall
8/16 - Stanhope, NJ at Stanhope House
8/17 - Manchester, NH at Bungalow
8/18 - Stroudsburg, PA at Sherman Showcase
8/19 - Rochester, NY at Montage Music Hall
8/20 - Buffalo, NY at Mohawk Place
8/23 - Lansing, MI at Mac's Bar
8/24 - Newport, KY at Thompson House
8/25 - Toledo, OH at Frankie's
12:36 PM
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Awake At Last is a hard-hitting, melody driven rock band from Dover, Delaware. Formed in 2011, the band continues to tour, play shows, write and record music, and has so much more in-store. Thus, they have gone on to release their latest "Questions". Find out about their plans ahead and some insight as well.


1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

Awake At Last was formed in 2011 by lead singer Vincent Torres, and Guitarist Eric Blackway. The two musicians had played in multiple projects prior to Awake At Last but it wasn’t till after some time apart that they formed the band.  The initial EP “Awake At Last” Saw a little early success and got some radio play, so the band decided to tour on it.  We went to California and back but because of some differences we had to replace the original Drummer and Bassist.  We got drummer Bryan Mills and recorded the “Mansion Of Memories” EP right before current bassist Tyler Greene joined.  Once the line-up was complete the band took to the roads and began touring all around their regional area. Eventually the idea to switch Vincent Torres to Lead Vocals and hire on a new guitarist came up and Imran Xhelili  joined the group.  The group continued to tour until Bryan Mills was unable to and then we got Drummer Jon Finney which completes the Quintet.

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

After juggling a lot of different ideas it was originally going to be Alive At Last. But considering the fact that we (Eric and I) knew that at that moment we were going to make every sacrifice necessary to truly chase this dream we saw it as a sort of spiritual Awakening, like we knew our Purpose and henceforth we were Awake At Last.

 3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

Being from Dover, Delaware is tough for us as a band… There was a great music scene in the earlier 2000's, but slowly but surely more and more all ages venues kept shutting down for whatever reasons and we’ve been practically reduced to a few decent bars which is good for 21 and up shows but a lot of what the band wants to do is to inspire younger adults to rise up and chase their passions as well. There are a few good bands from our area, some seeing some decent success, but as a group we’ve all been sort of performing CPR on Delawares music Scene. But don’t get me wrong… there are still a lot of amazing fans we have at our home town and they are all amazing.  We’re trying to expand our
family and grow even more.  I think with the introduction of the Firefly Music Festival Delaware is starting to show some promise for future opportunities for musicians.

4. How would you describe your style?

This is always the hardest question to answer.  All of the members take inspiration from all sorts of different aspects of music but I do think we’re reminiscent of bands like My Chemical Romance and The Used, but even that is using the comparison loosely. We want to bring all of the energy of pop,
punk, and metal, but blend in elements of classical composition and composed orchestrations that back up the high energy rock and roll. Add on top of that the high energy theatrical Vocals and you have our sound.

5. What's the story behind "Questions"?

Questions was written during a time of Crisis.  I was struggling a lot with my own limitations and
the real world was kicking my teeth in.  There was also a lot of different ideas coming from each band member which I think gave questions the sort of aggressive edge it ended up with.  But it was
also me taking a shot at fate and questioning everything it was I’ve experienced thus far not just as an artist, but as a human being during these crazy changing times. I think overall the song maintains
the positivity we always thrive off of, but also expresses the discord and frustrations of being a twenty-something in this era of art and expression.

6. Will there be an official music video to accompany this single or just a lyrical video? Why go the route of releasing a lyrical video as opposed to an official video?

It hasn’t been discussed as a band yet, but that’s not saying that we wouldn’t eventually do that.  The band is going through a re-branding of sorts and in that process we’ve all discussed the possibility of all these things and I’d like to release an official video to go with “Questions”, but we chose to go with a lyric video instead because rather than having a visual aid for the song it was the message in the lyrics that I really want people to think about so I wanted to put that out first so they could learn the words, and in learning the words relate to them.

7. Where can this single "Questions" be found upon, a future EP or album or it's just going to be that just a single?

I think we may keep it as just a single… then again we don’t know for sure, we’re discussing all possibilities.  If it remains a single I like that it sort of gets to stand alone in that aspect.  We were trying a lot of different ideas out and trying to find a direction for the band to go in and I think questions shows a lot of that confusion and yet it all comes together in a song that still remains one of my favorites we’ve written.

8. Where are you in the process of the new material? Do you have an idea as to what it will be, a new EP, album, etc.

We’ve been writing out skeletons for songs for months now and are moving into the “Take them into the garage” phase where we take the songs and perform them alongside each other and feel them out. In other words give the nervous system to the songs and then once we’ve felt them out we’ll begin a demoing process to put some muscle fibers on them then finally into the studio where we flesh them out and make them living entities. We are all excited for what is to come and we’re not holding anything back.

9. How does the new material compare to your previous EP release "King of the World"?

We continue to drive the concept of positivity through our music and that won’t change.   One of the things I do think will be different is that our messages are becoming more precise, and we’ve experienced new struggles so finding ways to overcome those struggles has driven us to a point.  The music will still keep the darker minor elements, but we are conceptualizing the human experience through our hardships and there may be an air of aggression but I want to maintain the theatrics in my words and how I sing them.

10. Are you guys signed or unsigned? If you aren't signed why take the DIY approach to releasing your material and promoting yourselves?

We are currently unsigned.  Though that’s not to say we’re opposed to the idea of being signed.  We want to do this no matter what.  If we can get label support that’d be great, but until that happens we aren’t going to let anything stop us from using the tools available through social media and the internet to be heard and to build our fan base. Not to mention the DIY movement is starting to become a thing.  I love meeting bands who are in the same boat… there’s a sense of comradely and it’s amazing how much we bond together and help each other through the journey

11.  If you aren't signed, what should labels/zines/promoters know about your band? Why should they be interested in it?

I think that what I would like the labels to know about us is that even though we’re not necessarily world class yet we’ve been grinding on the road for years. A lot of labels will sign bands and then once the band is required to produce results under time frames sometimes they burn out or weren’t ready for the pressure that comes with being in the music industry in this day and age.  I know that we’ve worked from the very bottom and have fought and bled for this band. We’ve become
accustomed to a lifestyle of earning a low income and having less because In all honesty we don’t care. If a label would just take a chance and see what we were capable of I know that my team with all our abilities could take on any challenge that would face us. We’ve run our band ourselves and have built a fan base.  With the support of a label that just expands our market and provides us an opportunity to change that many more perspectives.

12. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

The future is uncertain. Ideally we’d love to get some sort of label support and tour with bands as support so that we could prove ourselves and build the fan base. We have so many ideas that we think will help the music industry find itself again and pull itself out of the mainstream nonsense that gets aired everywhere. We are real people with real struggles and real messages and if in a future we can elevate the consciousness of our fans, friends, families, and loved ones than that is exactly the future for us.

13. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

Awake At Last is available through all social media outlets:

Our website is www.awakeatlastrock.com

We are also available through these outlets.

Facebook: facebook.com/awake.at.last

Twitter: @Awakeatlastrock

Instagram: @Awakeatlastrock

Bandcamp, itunes, google play, Pandora, soundcloud, Iheartradio,

Thank you so much for the interview, and I’m sorry it took so long to get it back to you.  Been crazy busy on these tours. I appreciate the opportunity and hope we can continue to work together Natalie.
7:18 PM

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