This is part three of our “Heavy” series, where we try and figure out / learn from the music genres we wouldn’t usually listen to by asking questions to the people who make them.
Last week saw some pretty heavy shit, Bojo and the Crobynator started their battle for Britain, Liverpool ripped Man City a new one and Brexit is still, well, the same as three years ago. At least volume 6 of the magazine launched, every cloud…
Anyway, meanwhile in the US of A, we spoke to a hard rock band from Georgia – the state, not the nation – called Days To come. They consist of three chaps – Justin, Brandon and Jaden, and they write music that’s a bit different to the bands we’ve spoken to previously for the series. The vocals for one have more of a melodic pop-leaning, rather than consisting of pure guttural screaming. And two, it has a bit of punk about it – you can kind of imagine it on a Burnout or Tony Hawk Pro Skater reboot. We started the chat with their name.
A band’s name is important, it sums everything up in one digestible mouthful. ‘Days To Come’ has a kind of gravitas to me, like some impending event is about to take place. This creates a mixture of excitement and anticipation like something might not be here now, but it will be someday – it’s reassuring, I like that. The band see in a similar way: “It had to have been in late 2013 or early 2014, Brandon and I [Justin] had all of the elements to form a band except for a drummer and the name came from the frustration of having to wait.” Waiting about on your arse for something you want to happen, happen, is perhaps one of the most frustrating things as a human. You’ve got all that energy and passion just waiting to be tapped, but nowhere to vent it through.
Writing is a bit like that, frustrating but cathartic. Sometimes you’re sat playing random notes until something just clicks, then you’re away. “I love the creative element of music,” Justin said: “I’m really big on melody. It seems like a solid melody can fix the world’s problems, you know?” I couldn’t agree more. Melody is the base of any great song, its the hook line and sinker. Get it right and you can instantly win over a fan. Get it wrong and you’ve lost them. Most of the times new music has crossed my path it’s started as one song, one brilliant song, then – just like writing – as a fan you’re away, every album, outtake and b-side just click all of a sudden.
When I asked the band what made heavy rock click for them they replied simply: “schlaps more.” To be honest, fair enough. If someone asked me why Bob Dylan clicked for me I’d reply the same: “it schlaps more,” too.
You can’t really describe a click can you? Some music you hear growing up just sounds horrific, but, as a 21-year-old man, suddenly it just works for you. What I find the weirdest thing is that it isn’t the music that changes, the music never changes, but it’s you. The songs and the melodies, like the boys said, fix your problems.
As I pressed the band to move past “schalps more”, onto the topic of where their love for hard rock came from, it seems we saw the return of a recurring feature on our journey in this series: “My dad introduced me to it…” Brandon says: “he showed me some bands he liked and I got hooked.” Just shows how important that early exposure to music is peeps. Not gonna lie, it has crossed my mind before that I can condition my future kids into having good music taste…
I mean, having good music taste is a good litmus test for people, isn’t it? You can tell a lot about an individual by what they listen to – it’s like the clothes they wear, it’s symbolic. Music can help you discover yourself: “Since Albany is mainly an R&B town,” Jalen told me: “I feel that me being different in my taste of music has helped me stand out among the crowd.” ‘The crowd’ – in social terms – isn’t a good thing in my eyes, it’s hollow and plastic, music is the way out. Good on you lad.
Ultimately, music lets you be an individual, yourself. Writing for no one but you is key: “I’ve allowed myself to be more honest and write lyrics that I want to say, rather than just writing something ambiguous or foreign.” And, at the end of the day, what’s the point in doing something so personal – like write music – if it’s just for other people? It’s quite obvious when you think about it.
Days to come are currently promoting their new single ‘Vultures’ and are writing up some ideas for new music coming in 2020.
Get a copy of our latest print edition featuring interviews with Black Honey, Mattiel, Matt Maltese, Molly Burch and more HERE.
