Aussie progressive metal powerhouse Dream On, Dreamer have been laying waste to venues across their homeland and now, with the release of the new record ‘Heartbound’, this band is set to arrive over here, bringing an electronically charged heavy-as-hell hardcore onslaught with them. We speak with vocalist Marcel Gadacz about the record, his band’s inspirations and touring the globe.
“Our music defines us as humans”
S] Now that ‘Heartbound’ is complete, how do you feel looking back at it?
M] “I’m happy with everything. We’ve worked so hard for this record and spent months and months doing pre-production back home in Melbourne. I feel we have done everything right and we are really proud of this record. It was all worth it.”
S] Is there a song off of the record that you feel readily defines where you are at as a band now?
M] “I would say ‘Yourself As Someone Else’ and ‘Come Home True Love’ are the ones that represent us the best I think. I feel that this will be the direction, music-wise where we will head next.”
S] What did you learn about yourselves as individuals, and as a band through the recording process?
M] “Recording always takes up a long time which means you spend every day with the same people and you really get to know everything about each other. I mean we are all good friends and have been for years so I think It’s never a negative experience.
Every time you get out of the studio you learn so much about your own music. Our band is like a family, and we all fight and love. Last time we were in the studio we talked really openly about issues or problems within the band, so we didn’t end up hating each other. We learned how to treat each other and progress as a band.”
S] How do you feel the record expands thematically from your previous work?
M] “Circumstances always change and lyrically, with every song I can think back to – it’s like writing a diary. I’m talking about very personal stuff on the record and things obviously change over time.”
S] What inspired you to amalgamate hardcore and electronic sounds at first?
M] “We wanted to create a full sound with a lot of atmospheric influences so we don’t box ourselves in one specific genre. We just write music that we like at the time and we feel that with using electronic elements we can create something more interesting. Music should always progress. We are taking influences from so many different genres and we don’t ever want to sound like another band. We like heavy music with passionate elements. Our music defines us as humans. We know there are so many “keyboard” mosh bands out there but we personally don’t get influenced by any of them. Keyboard and programmed sound effects aren’t a mayor instrument in our band they are just used in the background to make our sound more interesting.”
S] How do you prefer working live in contrast to being in the studio?
M] “Well, playing a live show is more energetic whereas being in the studio is more productive and creative. We love playing shows and connecting with our fans. Studio time is more about getting our work done!”
S] You guys have completed various tours with a range of internationally acclaimed bands – how have you found these experiences and what have you learned?
M] “That’s right, we’ve been really lucky to tour with international bands here in Australia. Every tour is a new experience and you always learn something from it. Our recent tour with Avenged Sevenfold was ridiculously big and we played places we didn’t think we would ever be able to play. While you are on a tour like that you learn how much work and effort is put into running those shows. From the outside you can’t see the hundreds of people setting up the stages etcetera. It’s amazing how much a crew does for your band on a tour like that. Other than seeing what happens behind the scenes, it’s always interesting to watch bands play and learn stuff from them. Touring can be pretty tiring and it’s not an easy thing to so that’s why you need to respect everyone involved.
I think what we’ve learned, is that when we tour with international bands it’s always interesting to get to know each other. It’s as interesting for us as it is for them to find out stuff about each other’s lives as a band. It helps us to get an idea of what it’s like for bands to tour all over the world.”
S] What is your message for any fans in the UK?
M] “I’d like to say ‘thank you’ to everyone that has been listening to our music and we hope to see you all on our upcoming Rise Records Tour with Memphis May Fire and The Color Morale!”
For more information visit the official Dream On, Dreamer website.
