Albury/Wodonga-based alternative rock band SOULSLEEP have just shared their debut single, Glass Heart – produced by Chris Lalic (Windwaker, The Last Martyr).
Glass Heart is a genre-bending cut of alternative rock that creates a unique sonic blend utilising aspects of alternative metal, dance and pop music. Opening with splashes of distorted guitars and slicing synth leads, the track drops into its stomping verses led by groove-laden bass octaves. Compelling vocal melodies drop into EDM-tinged choruses thudding with four-to-floor drums.
SOULSLEEP‘s guitarist Jayden Zago talks about the meaning behind Glass Heart: “When the COVID pandemic began, my mental health deteriorated. I was depressed and angry and felt like I had no quality of life. I was encouraged to see a psychologist and was lucky to get an appointment. I ended up on medication, and for someone who always thought things like that were ‘all in your head’, it was a huge reality check, and I am now aware of how naive I was. Music is how I express myself. With all of the lockdowns and restrictions, my outlet was taken away. Like glass, we are breakable, not indestructible, and speaking up and getting help is not weak.”
The eye-catching music video directed by Colin Jeffs of Ten of Swords Media (RedHook, Future Static, Make Them Suffer) accompanies the track. Filmed across keys player Jimi Fischer‘s home studio and a warehouse, the clip jumps between the band’s energetic performances and scenes following the track’s themes on therapy. Jayden explains about the clip, “We built a stage out of an MDF board, which we found quite challenging, as we had to design it in a way that it could be put together and dismantled in a time efficient way and still be able to hold the weight of all of us and our equipment.”
SOULSLEEP meld genres with impressive precision, taking inspiration from luminaires Bring Me The Horizon, Northlane and Enter Shikari while creating a sound wholly their own. They recently played their debut show supporting To Octavia at Naarm/Melbourne’s Yah Yah’s. The band talks about expressing their artistry: “We want to express our stories and personal experiences. We feel like many people will relate to what we have felt and what we have to say, and sometimes, it’s good to hear others express their feelings to help us understand each other. For example, I resonate strongly with Marcus Bridge from Northlane and the way he tells his stories.”
With thanks to Good Intent
