It has been a few years since Devour The Day dropped some new music on us but the wait is over and we finally have S.O.A.R., possibly one of the best rock albums you are going to hear this year. Even though they never dropped out sight due to being road junkies but that did not mean they weren’t working hard on some new stuff to provide to your ears. Now with S.O.A.R. they have one more reason to stay on the road and you have one more record you Need to buy.
An interview with Joey “Chicago” Walser of Devour The Day
By Jeffrey Easton
Metal Exiles: The last album came out over 3 years ago so how does it feel to be out on that next tour and finally dropping album # 2?
Joey Chicago: We are very excited to have S.O.A.R out. Blake and I started the writing process in april of 2015 and we are finally here. We are happy that Razor & Tie supported us as much as they did and allowed us to work on it as long as we liked. We were not going to put it out until we were ready and we are very much ready now. This is a culmination of so many dreams coming true for us.
Metal Exiles: Tell me about the last three years on the road. What have you guys learned with this band that maybe you did not do for Egypt Central?
Joey: I think everything, the entire terrain of a band coming up. With that and now Devour The Day it is adapting to the current culture of rock and roll which is different but equally as beautiful because we still have our diehards with us.
Metal Exiles: You have the support of your label, good album and single sales and really popular at radio so how excited was R&T to get you and put you out?
Joey: The truth is is that they were very supportive of us from the beginning up to the time to drop it. They have followed up on everything they said they would do and for them to give Blake and I the time to make the record happen and let the songs evolve fit into what we were feeling was great. They did not put us into the short recording window that some bands get slammed into and we needed that. If we were rushed it would not have been the same record.
Metal Exiles: Back in the day bands were given the time they needed to write and record an album but now its rush and get it out. Why do you feel that has happened?
Joey: The budgets have changed, the money isn’t the same anymore. This goes into every genre of music, you have had to relearn the way you do things with your albums and at the end of the day even if we did not make any money from it we would still be out here.
Metal Exiles: Lets get into S.O.A.R. The album is great, the songs have an ethereal vibe to them and they all seem to fall into one another. Considering the radio success you had with the last album was there any intimidation when you were laying the groundwork for this one?
Joey: Yes, Blake and I are very analytical on the highest level especially with the final product from Devour The Day as it is our baby. When it comes to radio, it is a wonderful platform for us to reach as many people as possible with our messages, like the triumphs over the tragedies that you have in your life. We also do not have a choice in it but to carry on with our music so if we are intimidated or not we create our music and move forward. If it is good art there is going to be some kind of fear, some kind of risk, anger, all of it combined.
Metal Exiles: The title, Suffer Overcome And Recover. How did you guys come to apply that to your title?
Joey: There is a reality to life, especially to Blake and I because we have had some hard times personally and with the band over the last few years adapting to whatever new life we are going to be living. We also realize that everyone has a story and the beauty of the human condition is that we all can relate to each other. We can all go through it together and there is hope in that. For us it is admitting that everyone has these things that they suffer through but we are going to continue to promote the idea that you do not give up on anything and you have the one day at a time mentality.
Metal Exiles: One of the standout tracks is the first single, Lightning in The Sky. To me, it has a heavy U2 vibe to it but still with the DTD hard driving sound. Where did that sound and track come from?
Joey: I think it comes from the fact that Blake and I continue to experiment with the Devour The Day sound and we do not like the idea of being defined as a rock, metal or alternative band, we are just Devour The Day which is the title of our art. I think Lightning In The Sky is the first single because the team felt was the strongest first single and also to show that there is a dimension to this record that maybe you haven’t heard before. I encourage everybody to check out the album because every song has its own risk, its own dynamic, the album just finds us branching out our sound.
Metal Exiles: There are indeed a lot of dimensions to this album and Fake It to Make It is one of them. Where did that crawl from because there seems to be a little hostility in that track.
Joey: Fake It to Make It comes from the idea of from as a young musician the moment you realize the truth of the business, you start to hear things, you see that there is a lot of illusion out there in the business. You see what people want out of you as a musician and your band and it’s a special thing because there is that bigger than life thing that people have invested in but at the same time not get to the point that it is fake. I think for Blake and I it is about being a young musician in this business and realizing that there is an Oz type person behind the curtain that occurs in the music business. Our reaction to all of this is “ I thought we were making art, I did not realize that it was a three ring circus.”.
Metal Exiles: What were some of the other things that you were trying to get across with this album?
Joey: I feel that with the first album, Time And Pressure, we focused on the struggles with the last band we were in and rebuilding our lives from the bottom up, personally and in the business. This time we do talk about that some, like with The Bottom, where we admit how low we feel sometimes. But that being said even when you do hit the bottom you can still turn it around. We do explore dimensions of spirituality and the things that we do not agree with all the way to a song like Golden City that refer to money hungry Christians. We also touch on our inability to have real relationships, we strangle out those we have been with.
Metal Exiles: What about Step Aside?
Joey: That was very specifically about the music business and we did have a particular band in mind when we wrote that.
Metal Exiles: But no names?
Joey: No names but if the band were to feel like we were talking about them then they would already be in a shitty position because is pretty clear about how we feel. The song states “ Step Aside you are the reason no one cares” so for a band that doesn’t put their passion into it, just goes through the motions and the active rock band scenario, step aside already. We want them to get out of our way, the hard working bands want to succeed and they can’t because the pretenders are clogging up the scene.
Metal Exiles: Yeah, they are taking up spots on tours that you could have.
Joey: Yes and other great rock bands that work just as hard.
Metal Exiles: As stated the album is great and I feel as though this is going to pay off for you guys. So where do you see yourselves with this release as far as your position in the industry?
Joey: I feel as though we are a valuable commodity to the industry because we are a bunch of honest guys that work hard. It is all about the music for us and we are going to continue to follow our dreams and take the tours that are offered to us and play for the fans that want to hear us. We have learned very quickly that for every few fans there is someone that has something to say about us, spreading hate, and that is fine with me because we do not do it for those people. The people that believe in us and get what we do I feel that we are a part of their life, music that can help them through things.
Metal Exiles: You were so strong with radio on the last album so what do you anticipate with S.O.A.R.?
Joey: I think radio is going to be into this album because they understood what we went through with our last band, they consider us an underdog and support us in that context. We also have an incredible team with Razor & Tie that can help extend our reach into radio.
Metal Exiles: You guys are out with Pop Evil again so with the new album dropping what else do you have planned to push the record?
Joey: We have Northern Invasion as well as Carnival Of Madness with Halestorm then we have quite a few other tours in the works of which I should be able to release to the public soon enough. We have every intention of touring for the next couple of years on this album cycle and possibly the next decade to get this band to where we want it to be.
Metal Exiles: That being said, give your fans a quick glance to your fans of what it takes for you guys to be on the road.
Joey: I think more than anything it takes patience because the life of touring has changed so much. I hear it called the wild wild west but I think more importantly if you love music and its what moves you then you are going to tour. If it makes money or makes you famous, no matter what happens if this is what moves you then you will do it.
Metal Exiles: On a personal note, you have some amazing bass tones on the album, what were you playing through?
Joey: I had a pawn shop Peavey bass that I played on the album that had a great tone and I had 8 channels of bass that we blended as the song needed it.
Metal Exiles: Do you have an endorsement or do you play what you want?
Joey: We are all endorsed by PRS on tour and the only reason that I did not play the PRS on the album was that the endorsement wasn’t done yet and this was a very special pawn shop Peavey that I used. If the instrument has a special tone, a special cut of wood and is that special you do not ignore it you record it.
Metal Exiles: To close this out what do you have to say to your fans?
Joey: We have become friends with so many of our fans and there is zero division between us and the fans. I know that some bands want to create this air of illusion between them and their followers and we will never do that. I want us to be timeless, I want to be 50 years old and still talking to you about how we did not change and that we were unwavering in our goals. We are real people making good music but to our fans more than anything thank you, you are allowing us to live our dream.
S.O.A.R is going to be a big record for Devour The Day and you need to make this the next album you buy.
Official Devour The Day Site
Official Devour The Day Facebook
Buy S.O.A.R!
An interview with Joey “Chicago” Walser of Devour The Day
By Jeffrey Easton
Metal Exiles: The last album came out over 3 years ago so how does it feel to be out on that next tour and finally dropping album # 2?
Joey Chicago: We are very excited to have S.O.A.R out. Blake and I started the writing process in april of 2015 and we are finally here. We are happy that Razor & Tie supported us as much as they did and allowed us to work on it as long as we liked. We were not going to put it out until we were ready and we are very much ready now. This is a culmination of so many dreams coming true for us.
Metal Exiles: Tell me about the last three years on the road. What have you guys learned with this band that maybe you did not do for Egypt Central?
Joey: I think everything, the entire terrain of a band coming up. With that and now Devour The Day it is adapting to the current culture of rock and roll which is different but equally as beautiful because we still have our diehards with us.
Metal Exiles: You have the support of your label, good album and single sales and really popular at radio so how excited was R&T to get you and put you out?
Joey: The truth is is that they were very supportive of us from the beginning up to the time to drop it. They have followed up on everything they said they would do and for them to give Blake and I the time to make the record happen and let the songs evolve fit into what we were feeling was great. They did not put us into the short recording window that some bands get slammed into and we needed that. If we were rushed it would not have been the same record.
Metal Exiles: Back in the day bands were given the time they needed to write and record an album but now its rush and get it out. Why do you feel that has happened?
Joey: The budgets have changed, the money isn’t the same anymore. This goes into every genre of music, you have had to relearn the way you do things with your albums and at the end of the day even if we did not make any money from it we would still be out here.
Metal Exiles: Lets get into S.O.A.R. The album is great, the songs have an ethereal vibe to them and they all seem to fall into one another. Considering the radio success you had with the last album was there any intimidation when you were laying the groundwork for this one?
Joey: Yes, Blake and I are very analytical on the highest level especially with the final product from Devour The Day as it is our baby. When it comes to radio, it is a wonderful platform for us to reach as many people as possible with our messages, like the triumphs over the tragedies that you have in your life. We also do not have a choice in it but to carry on with our music so if we are intimidated or not we create our music and move forward. If it is good art there is going to be some kind of fear, some kind of risk, anger, all of it combined.
Metal Exiles: The title, Suffer Overcome And Recover. How did you guys come to apply that to your title?
Joey: There is a reality to life, especially to Blake and I because we have had some hard times personally and with the band over the last few years adapting to whatever new life we are going to be living. We also realize that everyone has a story and the beauty of the human condition is that we all can relate to each other. We can all go through it together and there is hope in that. For us it is admitting that everyone has these things that they suffer through but we are going to continue to promote the idea that you do not give up on anything and you have the one day at a time mentality.
Metal Exiles: One of the standout tracks is the first single, Lightning in The Sky. To me, it has a heavy U2 vibe to it but still with the DTD hard driving sound. Where did that sound and track come from?
Joey: I think it comes from the fact that Blake and I continue to experiment with the Devour The Day sound and we do not like the idea of being defined as a rock, metal or alternative band, we are just Devour The Day which is the title of our art. I think Lightning In The Sky is the first single because the team felt was the strongest first single and also to show that there is a dimension to this record that maybe you haven’t heard before. I encourage everybody to check out the album because every song has its own risk, its own dynamic, the album just finds us branching out our sound.
Metal Exiles: There are indeed a lot of dimensions to this album and Fake It to Make It is one of them. Where did that crawl from because there seems to be a little hostility in that track.
Joey: Fake It to Make It comes from the idea of from as a young musician the moment you realize the truth of the business, you start to hear things, you see that there is a lot of illusion out there in the business. You see what people want out of you as a musician and your band and it’s a special thing because there is that bigger than life thing that people have invested in but at the same time not get to the point that it is fake. I think for Blake and I it is about being a young musician in this business and realizing that there is an Oz type person behind the curtain that occurs in the music business. Our reaction to all of this is “ I thought we were making art, I did not realize that it was a three ring circus.”.
Metal Exiles: What were some of the other things that you were trying to get across with this album?
Joey: I feel that with the first album, Time And Pressure, we focused on the struggles with the last band we were in and rebuilding our lives from the bottom up, personally and in the business. This time we do talk about that some, like with The Bottom, where we admit how low we feel sometimes. But that being said even when you do hit the bottom you can still turn it around. We do explore dimensions of spirituality and the things that we do not agree with all the way to a song like Golden City that refer to money hungry Christians. We also touch on our inability to have real relationships, we strangle out those we have been with.
Metal Exiles: What about Step Aside?
Joey: That was very specifically about the music business and we did have a particular band in mind when we wrote that.
Metal Exiles: But no names?
Joey: No names but if the band were to feel like we were talking about them then they would already be in a shitty position because is pretty clear about how we feel. The song states “ Step Aside you are the reason no one cares” so for a band that doesn’t put their passion into it, just goes through the motions and the active rock band scenario, step aside already. We want them to get out of our way, the hard working bands want to succeed and they can’t because the pretenders are clogging up the scene.
Metal Exiles: Yeah, they are taking up spots on tours that you could have.
Joey: Yes and other great rock bands that work just as hard.
Metal Exiles: As stated the album is great and I feel as though this is going to pay off for you guys. So where do you see yourselves with this release as far as your position in the industry?
Joey: I feel as though we are a valuable commodity to the industry because we are a bunch of honest guys that work hard. It is all about the music for us and we are going to continue to follow our dreams and take the tours that are offered to us and play for the fans that want to hear us. We have learned very quickly that for every few fans there is someone that has something to say about us, spreading hate, and that is fine with me because we do not do it for those people. The people that believe in us and get what we do I feel that we are a part of their life, music that can help them through things.
Metal Exiles: You were so strong with radio on the last album so what do you anticipate with S.O.A.R.?
Joey: I think radio is going to be into this album because they understood what we went through with our last band, they consider us an underdog and support us in that context. We also have an incredible team with Razor & Tie that can help extend our reach into radio.
Metal Exiles: You guys are out with Pop Evil again so with the new album dropping what else do you have planned to push the record?
Joey: We have Northern Invasion as well as Carnival Of Madness with Halestorm then we have quite a few other tours in the works of which I should be able to release to the public soon enough. We have every intention of touring for the next couple of years on this album cycle and possibly the next decade to get this band to where we want it to be.
Metal Exiles: That being said, give your fans a quick glance to your fans of what it takes for you guys to be on the road.
Joey: I think more than anything it takes patience because the life of touring has changed so much. I hear it called the wild wild west but I think more importantly if you love music and its what moves you then you are going to tour. If it makes money or makes you famous, no matter what happens if this is what moves you then you will do it.
Metal Exiles: On a personal note, you have some amazing bass tones on the album, what were you playing through?
Joey: I had a pawn shop Peavey bass that I played on the album that had a great tone and I had 8 channels of bass that we blended as the song needed it.
Metal Exiles: Do you have an endorsement or do you play what you want?
Joey: We are all endorsed by PRS on tour and the only reason that I did not play the PRS on the album was that the endorsement wasn’t done yet and this was a very special pawn shop Peavey that I used. If the instrument has a special tone, a special cut of wood and is that special you do not ignore it you record it.
Metal Exiles: To close this out what do you have to say to your fans?
Joey: We have become friends with so many of our fans and there is zero division between us and the fans. I know that some bands want to create this air of illusion between them and their followers and we will never do that. I want us to be timeless, I want to be 50 years old and still talking to you about how we did not change and that we were unwavering in our goals. We are real people making good music but to our fans more than anything thank you, you are allowing us to live our dream.
S.O.A.R is going to be a big record for Devour The Day and you need to make this the next album you buy.
Official Devour The Day Site
Official Devour The Day Facebook
Buy S.O.A.R!