Up-and-coming Florida alternative rock band Sick Room release aggressively melodic first single, "Let Me Go," part of a larger debut EP release.
Life has a funny way of taking us through very different paths in our lives before we get to our dreams fully realized. While the urge to attain them could always be there to a certain extent, we may not always be ready to access those dreams in the ways we want.
“Let Me Go” is exactly about that. I don’t think I’ve met anyone who hasn’t had some kind of turmoil with a relationship. It could be a bad breakup, divorce, or a falling out with someone close to you. What’s awesome about this song and the rest of the tracks on this upcoming EP is that it's all about personal experiences.
Lyrically, I wanted to touch on how I felt about my life and make it vague enough that someone could hear it and say to themselves “I know how that feels” or “Im dealing with this right now”. - Chris Collier (Vocalist/Guitarist)
Times change, we grow up, and life throws us curveballs in ways we may not anticipate down the road. For Florida native alternative-rock band Sick Room, the drive and passion were always there to create a band and make music, but James and Chris were on very different tracks in their lives to make that dream happen at the time. While their lives were going in opposite directions, the passion for music still burned within them. One Facetime chat changed it all, pulling them together to finally start making music together.
Living in separate states and having joined the Navy and Airforce, they continued to make music together, proving if you love what you do, the sky is the limit to what you can achieve, if you work hard enough to pursue it. Their new single "Let Me Go" is just a taste of their dream coming to fruition and their new journey as a band. Aggressively melodic and emotionally self-aware, "Let Me Go" is part of a larger debut EP release. While Sick Room is just getting started with fulfilling their dreams, the future is shaping up to a fine start for the up-and-coming alt-rockers.
What started Sick Room?
Chris Collier: James and I have known each other for a really long time. We have always talked about starting a band together. But for some reason, we were always on separate paths in life. He was in a band while at the same time I was in a different band. In 2014, James joined the navy and then a couple of years later after I stopped playing in bands I joined the Air Force. Our lives went in opposite directions. We always kept in touch and as life continued on we found ourselves missing music. It was really organic, we just started talking one day over FaceTime and we worked on a track together over the phone and then every weekend after that we just kept sending demos to each other for about six months.
What made you guys want to make this official?
Chris Collier: At the time this began, it was just therapeutic for us. We had been through so much individually between our jobs and families that we poured it into this project to find some peace. We were about four months into demoing and around December of 2021, I just said, “Hey I live in Florida and you live in California can we really make a band work?” We didn’t know what this thing was or what its future of it should be. But we really believed in this project so much that James booked a flight to Tampa and we scheduled some recording time with Austin Coupe who is an amazing engineer and producer. Since then we haven’t looked back.
What is the story behind the band name?
Chris Collier: One night we were going over all the names we had written down and we struggled trying to decide on what to call this project. That same night my wife was telling me about a Sylvia Plath poem called “Tulips” and it’s about her emotions and mental state while stuck in a hospital. The poem was originally called “sickroom tulips” but for some reason, it was shortened when it was published. James and I looked at each other and kind of agreed that the name Sick Room fit with the vibe of the music and lyrics we had so far. So we kept that name.
What are your musical influences? How did those play a part in your new single, "Let Me Go?"
James Addis: Chris and I both came up in the hardcore scene in Pensacola so we have a lot of roots in heavier styles of music. Our previous bands kind of mirrored the sounds of Counter Parts, Evergreen Terrace, and For the Fallen Dreams, but we have always been major fans of bands like Title Fight, Boxcar Racer, The Story So Far, and Super-Heaven. In a way, those bands helped shape the style of Sick Room. We wanted grungy-sounding guitars but also wanted effects and catchy choruses to complement the sound. I think this vision will hold when people hear “Let Me Go” for the first time.
What was the creative process like making this new single and this EP? With this being your debut single, we’re there more important things to get out at this moment than others?
James Addis: The creative process, in the beginning, was very simple because it was Chris and I just sharing ideas over Facetime. We would record our versions of the songs and then work them out together until we were satisfied with the tracks. At the end of the demoing process, we had about thirteen tracks completed and narrowed it down to five for the EP. When we finally got into the studio with Austin Coupe, he helped us elevate those songs to a whole new level. Austin played a vital role in this process and helped us get the best versions of the songs possible. He was awesome to work with and has a great catalogue of bands he's produced. “Let Me Go” was the first track Chris and I demoed together and when we finished that track with Austin we immediately knew this was going to be the first song we wanted to release. That song captures the vibe and attitude of this band.
Lyrically "Let Me Go" talks about deep themes involving relationships, trying to make something work when the outcome is pretty dismal. How is that fitting into the overall concept of the EP?
Chris Collier: “Let Me Go” is exactly about that. I don’t think I’ve met anyone who hasn’t had some kind of turmoil with a relationship. It could be a bad breakup, divorce, or a falling out with someone close to you. What’s awesome about this song and the rest of the tracks on this upcoming EP is that it's all about personal experiences. Lyrically, I wanted to touch on how I felt about my life and make it vague enough that someone could hear it and say to themselves “I know how that feels” or “Im dealing with this right now”.
This Ep is a reflection of growing up. Who I was at 20 years old is not who I am today at 30. These songs touch on regrets, anxieties, finding peace, and moving on. I think “Let Me Go” is a good start for this concept. When the whole EP is eventually released, and it is heard from start to finish, it will reflect that concept.
What have you gotten from this experience with this single and finishing this upcoming EP as an artist?
James Addis: This experience helped with making us better writers. This was completely new and different. We have never attempted to do anything like this before. I'm really happy with the overall process from beginning to end. It was spontaneous and just kind of saying “lets go for it and just see what happens” That mentality is what made this a reality.
What do you want potential fans to take from this debut experience?
Chris Collier: I hope they enjoy the track. “Let Me Go” has a lot of meaning behind it. We’re not writing about world events or trends. These are all personal experiences that I think everyone has faced at some point in time. Relationships are not easy and not everyone gets a happy ending. There is a lesson to be learned through every challenge. I hope this song helps someone get through tough times and onto a better path.
What is next for you guys this year?
James Addis: Right now we are focused on promoting this single and getting the band established. We definitely have some more singles we want to drop throughout the year and we are in the process of getting some shows lined up in Florida at the end of 2022. We are really excited about getting out there and playing these songs live. We want that experience to be special.