DREAM ON DREAMER // Finding Altered States

“I actually did some of those floating tank sessions, to find some time for myself with relaxation, inner peace, and a little bit of soul searching.”

This revelation comes straight from the mouth of Dream On Dreamer vocalist Marcel Gadacz. He used his time alone in body immersion tanks to inspire their upcoming third full-length album, Songs of Soulitude. “When I’m talking about ‘Soulitude’ in the title, and on the record, it was in one of those floating sessions when I came up with the name. I knew that the new record was going to be about or have something to do with my soul, because it’s one of the most personal links I have with myself.”

Music has always been a form of therapy and escapism. It can pull you in, and soothe you with melody or let you scream out in catharsis, but it was the potential for emotional development and exploring the darker shades of personality Gadacz wanted to put into focus. “What I’m trying to get out on the record is that we all just want to grow as humans, find ourselves and overcome fears, anxieties and anything that we find to be a negative in our lives. I really just wanted to express my opinion that those dark moments, these interesting phases of our lives, are actually the most educational ways of coping with different situations and growing as a person and as an individual.”

After releasing some stand-alone tracks as teasers over the last 12 months, Dream On Dreamer made the jaunt overseas earlier this year to Glow In The Dark studios in Atlanta, Georgia. There, they worked with famed producer Matt Goldman and his team. “He’s just the best person when it comes to production, he’s a real perfectionist,” says Gadacz of the experience. “He would literally stay in the studio all night with us, sleep on a mattress, and be up again the next morning to work on the record.”

Saying just how much of an influence Goldman, checking names like Underoath, As Cities Burn and The Chariot on his CV, had in bringing about this change in sound, Gadacz minces no words.. “We tried hard to move away from whatever is ‘cool’ right now, because we’re not fans of it. We’re not fans of not having real amps, we’re not fans of sampling our sounds, and we wanted to stick with what we really love about this style of music.”

The result on Songs of Soulitude, serves as a powerful and brooding statement for the Melbourne group. They keep their trademark heaviness and catchy vocals while  infusing their sound with dissonant tones, moody atmospherics and formidable melodies. “We definitely could have gone to work with someone more ‘trendy’, but it was a very conscious decision for us to go with someone who would work hard to make this record sound like Dream On Dreamer, and not like ‘that band’ or ‘another band’.”

Parting ways with long-time band members between releases and writing could derail the trajectory of most heavy bands. Gadacz is quick to comment on their state of affairs as a four-piece. “The four of us right now are all writing, and everyone has their own role now, whereas before two people would do all the work and everyone else would just ride along.” He reflects with cheerful optimism that the band is, “working together pretty well now, and everyone has their own importance and brings something to the band.”

When asked about Songs of Soulitude being the group’s first independent release, without heavyweight labels like UNFD and Rise Records at their back, Gadacz tells it like it is. “I honestly think that bands need to become much more independent, because there’s a lot of people being exploited and not everyone knows what they’re doing.” Talking about the preference for image over substance in today’s heavy music scene, Gadacz laments even further. “It’s sad to see it all go downhill, into some corrupt, money-driven industry, and we just didn’t want to be a part of that anymore. If I wanted to be a part of a scene like that, I would have been the next Justin Bieber, or gone on The Voice.”

Assured by the new direction of Dream On Dreamer and having the band’s destiny back in their own hands, Gadacz wants other musicians to take notice and rise to the challenge. “I want those people in bands to wake up, and realise that you are the reason those labels have this massive platform. You are good, and you have value. You can do it all yourself, and it’s just a matter of if you want to go the extra mile or not.”

FOR THE LOVE OF FANS

Marcel muses on doing what Dream On Dreamer does for fans, and why.

Recording a personal song for one lucky fan.

“We were just thinking, that if we had bands we loved when we were kids growing up, like Poison The Well, or Hopesfall or From Autumn To Ashes, and we had a band like that write a song for us, we’d be like, “Holy Shit!” So once the song is finished and recorded, it’s really up to that person as to what they want to do with it. They can keep it for themselves, or put it up on Youtube, or give to their best friend, or maybe ask us to put it out as a proper release song, but it will be completely up to them.”

Playing acoustic house shows for fans.

“It just came out of us as a band wanting to give something back, and show our appreciation to the people who support us. We really want to connect with and talk to people, and hear their stories and have them tell us really personal experiences. Especially in this scene where people have a lot of troubled thoughts running through their heads, which is completely normal, but a lot of people don’t know how to live and react to that darkness or struggle. So hearing these stories from people, it just shows you that we’re all equal and all the same.”

Thoughts on bands charging for meet & greets.

“Some bands take it that step further and charge for things like a meet & greet, because they think they deserve to get paid to have a conversation with someone, which is ridiculous. The sad thing is, you know, myself and DOD aren’t completely innocent in that respect, we were part of it and on this whole wagon. But for us doing these personal things means that we can still enjoy what we do, but not because we’re better than anyone else. We have just as many struggles as someone else, and that’s really the mentality of the band right now, and why we want to give back and do private shows and write personal songs for fans. Dream On Dreamer doesn’t just want to be a band that makes music, we want to be a band that delivers art, and delivers real messages.”

—

Songs of Soulitude is out now. Read our review of Songs of Soulitude here!