DAYSEEKER Talk New Directions, the Hardcore Scene and ’80s Influences

Having released their new album Sleeptalk last month, Aussie band Dayseeker shifted further away from their hardcore roots into a sound inspired by ’80s music and alt-pop. Following the release we spoke to the band about the shift in sound and where they see their sound developing in the future.

Check out Dayseeker’s new direction with their recent video “Sleeptalk”:

Thanks for your time, you’ve been around as a band since 2012 but, with your new single, you’re quoted as saying “we’re much more than a “hardcore” band in this scene.”, how different a band do you think you are now in 2019?
Dayseeker – It feels like we’re an entirely different band than we were from our first album. We’re writing music we want to write with complete freedom and feel like we’re finally reaching a greater audience.

What inspired you to explore different avenues with your sound ?
Dayseeker – Truthfully, I think we just lost our passion for playing heavier music as we got older. We’d find ourselves only listening to pop and rock primarily. We were afraid for a long time to embrace a softer sound but considering how well the new music is being received, it feels like we should have done this a long time ago.

Where would like the sound to go in the future? For example, a band like BMTH shifted completely away from their deathcore roots, could you see Dayseeker doing something that radical with your sound ?
Dayseeker – I think we really could in the future. We followed our hearts and explored this new sound and it’s paying off huge for us. I imagine we’ll continue to do the same as time passes.

To see how they’ve some of Dayseeker’s older material courtesy of “Sleep In The Sea Pt 2”:

What are your thoughts on the hardcore scene in 2019? Any local bands worth checking out ?
Dayseeker – I love bands like Kublai Khan and Knocked Loose. We don’t live too big in the hardcore scene to be honest but I love the sense of community that genre has.

In terms of lyrics, what has inspired this record. Given the shift in sound, how has that challenged you lyrically ?
Dayseeker – My parents, alcoholism, eating disorders, domestic abuse. I’d like to think there’s something in here for everyone to listen and relate to. Our last album was a concept record in full so I was really excited to approach this album where each song gets to have it’s own story and meaning.

You’ve also talked a lot about ’80s influences. What was it about music in that era that inspired you?
Dayseeker – They just use these big reverbs, really interesting sounding synths and I wanted to really highlight that on this record. Seeing bands like The 1975 and The Midnight tackle 80’s in a modern day setting was really inspiring.

The album just dropped this week, what has the reaction been like from fans ?
Dayseeker – Oh it’s been so amazing. Our first single “Sleeptalk” in just 2 months has already surpassed anything we’ve ever put out in terms of views and streaming. It just feels great to know we’ve found our sound that we want to put out and people are so receptive to it.

Given there has been 7 years since you formed, how does the new material fit in with the older material, could you see a point in your live show where you drop the older material completely?
Dayseeker – Yeah to some degree, I could see us doing that. I think we’ll always try and play older stuff to appease fans but I’d also love to a set that only focuses on newer songs.

We’re heading into the final part of 2019, firstly how would you sum up the year for the band and secondly, what has been the highlight?
Dayseeker – The year has been really interesting to say the least. Just been so excited to drop this album and I have to say the release of Sleeptalk is of course the highlight. I don’t think we’ve seen a warmer reception to new music ever as a band.

Thanks for your time and good luck with the album, just a quick chance to finish by plugging the album and your plans for the next couple of months…
Dayseeker – Sleeptalk is now available worldwide and we are supporting the release on a tour with Wage War, Like Moths To Flames and Polaris. And we have big plans for touring and reimagining the album at some point.

Dayseeker released their Sleeptalk album last month and you can pick up your copy from here.

Here’s some more new material from Dayseeker in the form of “Burial Plot”: