Daylight Dies pour l'album "Dismantling Devotion"

1. Hi! At first, could you present the band and sum up your carrier so far for those who don't know you yet?

My name is Jesse and I’m the drummer for DAYLIGHT DIES. We’ve released two full length albums, our debut “No Reply” on Relapse Records in 2002 and “Dismantling Devotion” on Candlelight Records this past March.


2. How would you define your music and what are your influences?

We play textured layers of dark, melodic and always melancholic music. Introspection expressed in an extreme and passionate manner. Barre (guitars) and I grew up in the early 90s listening to European and specifically Scandinavian metal – the whole No Fashion Records, Avantgarde Music and original Wrong Again Records scene. So naturally bands from that time have been an influence on us. So bands from Sentenced, Anathema, Katatonia, Opeth, early In Flames, Eucharist, This Empty Flow, early Dissection, Unanimated and so on. Also American bands such as Death and early Metallica.


3. You're about to release your second album "Dismantling Devotion". Can you tell us more about your first album first and what do you think about it today?

We’re proud of the music on our first album, “No Reply”. Strictly in terms of the music presented, we feel it’s a strong debut. The critical problem we all see with it is production. Unfortunately we made the mistake of trying to mix the album ourselves. We had recorded the album ourselves (as we did with “Dismantling..” as well) – but by the time you’ve spent several months recording, your ears have lost all perspective. So all of us have been frustrated the production doesn’t do justice to the music.


4. How has evolve the band between this two albums?

There has been a strong evolution between “No Reply” and “Dismantling Devotion”. We learned what worked and what didn’t work and set out to not only refine what we wanted to do, but to try new things. Our previous vocalist left after touring for “No Reply”, and we had some label issues, so the delays in resolving both of these issues allowed more time to continue maturing as song-writers.


5. What can we expect from "Dismantling Devotion"? Can it be compared to your previous release?

Sure, the album still sounds like DAYLIGHT DIES. We aren’t interested in conquering radically new music style – we feel we can express ourselves emotionally very clearly with what we’re doing. However, you can expect more dynamics – as well as some clean vocals, better song-writing and songs that are generally more mature, as one would expect. We used some new musical elements this time, like ebow, upright bass and so on. We’re satisfied with a much stronger production thanks to Jens at Fascination Street and The Cutting Room.


6. What do you like in it? Do you have a favorite song?

I think all of the songs are really strong – there are no fillers. So my favourite changes from week to week, which is a good sign. Right now it’s probably All we Had.


7. How spent the writing process and how long did it last?

We recorded the drums and acoustic guitars in a proper studio which was literally a few feet from our rehearsal room. We spent about 4 days doing that. All the electric guitars, bass, vocals, keys, upright bass, etc. was recorded in various places – our rehearsal room, bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms. That took about 2 months.


8. Where do you find your inspiration to write such sad songs? How are you in the everyday life?

We aren’t always miserable, it’s our goal to have an enjoyable and fun life like it is for anyone. But writing these songs is a catharsis for us. By being able to express these thoughts and emotions in song, we’re able to cleanse them from ourselves and be better people because of it. I don’t think anyone living on Earth really needs “inspiration” for sadness, unfortunately it’s a natural and unavoidable fact of being human.


9. Was it hard to lead this album to an end? How spent the collaboration with Candlelight Records?

So far we’re satisfied with Candlelight. We haven’t been signed to them very long, but so far so good.


10. Is there a tour planed to promote your new album?

We’re working on tour details as we speak. Hopefully it won’t fall through and we can announce in the next couple of weeks or a month or so.


11. What do you do for a living apart from the band?

I am a web producer for a Los Angeles based film company focused on social and political change.


12. What are you listening to these days? Any good metal (or not metal) albums to recommend?

Mynjun “Receding Strengths”, Bay Laurel “Where Pain Comes to Die”, Katatonia “The Great Cold Distance”, Tenhi “Maaäet”, Fields of the Nephilim “Mourning Sun”, Jesu “Jesu”, Scar Symmetry “Pitch Black Progress”, Roky Erickson “I Think of Demons” among others.


13. What is your opinion concerning the metal webzines? Are you a reader of them?

When done professionally they can be a valuable resource – unfortunately the internet is flooded by totally un-pro webzines run by naive 15 year olds who contribute nothing to the scene. I do read the more pro ones when time permits – Thrashocore seems of the quality variety. Thanks.


14. Thanx for the interview. The last words are yours!

If one notices how some individuals know how to treat their experiences (their insignificant everyday experiences) so that these become a plot of ground that bears fruit three times a year; while others (and how many of them) are driven through the waves of the most exciting turns of fate, of the most varied currents of their time or nation, and yet always stay lightly on the surface, like cork: then one is finally tempted to divide mankind into a minority of those people who know how to make much out of little and a majority of those who know how to make a little of much; indeed, one meets those perverse wizards who, instead of creating the world out of nothing, create nothing out of the world.