Coming off of the release of their latest single "Phantom Pain," Vermont metalcore band Saving Vice release one of their heaviest singles to date, "Dying To Watch."
Being a self-made band is never an easy task. When the everyday task of a label falls upon you on top of producing your product, it becomes stressful, but there is something beautiful and rewarding about doing all your work in-house.
“The constant pressure to level up as an independent band is the biggest issue we've had. We are always getting too big for our means. It often leaves us having to space things out to make sure we can put the time and money into whatever project we are working on. It can be frustrating because you always want a label to come along and jumpstart you, but we are proud of being self-made. ”
This is what Saving Vice has always taken pride in, and it's taken them to impressive heights within their music careers. Since they released their LP Hello There, the Vermont metalcore powerhouse has reached a level of attention in the scene that most bands often strive for, but it all comes with great work, sacrifice, and dedication to your craft.
Now following up on the successful release of their last single "Phantom Pain," They have taken their creative energies to produce their new single "Dying To Watch." Fictional character stories have been inspiring Saving Vice's songwriting since their start back in 2017. From video games, anime, to films, Saving Vice has made this a part of their narrative. While this is approaching a new era of the band, Saving Vice have artfully snuck in earlier elements of their past endeavors that fans will appreciate. With the heaviest sound they are showing to date, Saving Vice is proving that their musical soundscape is constantly evolving, and we are excited to come along for the ride.
What inspired you guys to create Saving Vice?
Tyler Small: Our guitarist Robbie founded the band in college. Unfortunately, there's no short answer to that question. But to attempt answering it, in a nutshell, you could say the band, as you know it, was created because we had a vision in our heads. So far, that vision is unfolding as we hoped.
What are your musical influences? How did they make their way into your new single, "Dying To Watch?"
Tyler Small: Our influences range from pop and hip hop to post-hardcore, metalcore, and deathcore. Chase always had a cadence that really felt like hip-hop rhythm, so that's always present. This song, in a sense, is a culmination of some of the best songs from our last 3 releases. "If Never Knows Best," "Black Ice," Broken Window, and "The Spire" came together into a 2021 song so you would have "Dying to Watch".
I want to lyrically deep dive into your new single for a little bit. You guys are greatly influenced by video games, anime, and films. How did that transgress into your current single? How is this different from the others lyrically speaking?
Tyler Small: I think if you look at our track "Endgame" for example, that's probably the most obvious song that's about a fictional work. Most of our other references are more subtle or mixed into our songs. “Dying to Watch” for example was a lot like “Hollow Bastion” where I was writing a song about a certain feeling, fear, or mental condition that was very similar to the context of the game Final Fantasy VII where “Hollow Bastion” had references to Kingdom Hearts. You could listen to either song thinking it was about the game or a real person, and it's still relatable. We don't like things to feel too forced, we always leave it to interpretation.
What was the creative process like in the studio going into this new track compared to "Phantom Pain?"
Tyler Small: I wrote this song at the same time "Phantom Pain" was written. We just didn't know when it would come out. It got reworked a lot right before studio though. The biggest distinction was that where PP was very experimental and outside the box, DTW was what we do best that made fans fall in love with us in the first place. It felt more like a flex where PP was a risk.
What have you taken from this track personally that you want listeners to take from this as well?
Tyler Small: That you can't live vicariously through anyone else or try to rewrite your history. The truth can never die, it always comes back to haunt you.
With more than 1.3 million streams on your LP Hello There, congratulations on that by the way, Is there ever pressure mentally to beat that in your mind, or do you just sort of walk into this, minds open, ready to take on another beast as they say? I know it's different for every artist.
Tyler Small: Always. The constant pressure to level up as an independent band is the biggest issue we've had. We are always getting too big for our means. It often leaves us having to space things out to make sure we can put the time and money into whatever project we are working on. It can be frustrating because you always want a label to come along and jumpstart you, but we are proud of being self-made.
Where are you guys headed now at this point being that this year is coming to a close?
Tyler Small: In short, SV LPII, plus a bunch of stuff I can't announce yet haha, But honestly, we are just going with the flow. The world is too unpredictable to try and control things, all we can do is our best, and that's a promise. To everyone coming along for the ride, "eyes up."