WAKE ME Interview
WAKE ME is a band emerging from the heart of Denver, Colorado, who just returned with a new single titled “Finger On The Trigger”.
But who exactly are the minds behind WAKE ME, and what fuels their passion for music? To answer these questions and more, we caught up with the band for an exclusive interview. But before we dive in, let's take a moment to appreciate the journey that has brought WAKE ME to this pivotal moment.
Since joining forces with platinum super producer Erik Ron in 2018, WAKE ME has been on a meteoric rise, sharing stages with rock icons like Avenged Sevenfold and Shinedown. Their independent spirit and unwavering dedication have garnered them over 15 million streams on Spotify alone, solidifying their status as a force to be reckoned with in the music industry.
Yet, numbers only tell part of the story. WAKE ME's music transcends statistics, known for their blend of influences ranging from hard rock to pop and skate punk. With each release, they push the boundaries of genre conventions, delivering a sound that is as eclectic as it is electrifying.
- Hey guys! Congratulations on the release of your latest single, "Finger On The Trigger"! Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind the track?
Hey thank you! Lyrically, the song was really built around the chorus line (“Everything is OK, finger on the trigger but I never pull it off”) which really got us thinking about how we try to maintain a degree of stoicism as we deal with life’s challenges and often times fail to fully keep things together. The video we created aimed to illustrate a very specific scenario of this concept playing out in the imagination of a girl who is experiencing anxiety in the face of a high-pressure social situation.
- "Finger On The Trigger" marks the beginning of a new era for WAKE ME. How would you describe the evolution of your sound with this track, especially working with producer Joey Bradford?
Working with Joey has been an absolute dream because not only has the band made a great friend and mentor, Joey is able to put a completely new spin on our ideas and overall sound. We’ve spent the past few years really trying to hone in on songwriting fundamentals and featuring things like vocal and guitar hooks, making sure that whatever parts we write are serving the song first and foremost. When we went into our writing session with Joey we really wanted to focus on a heavier sound but, as often happens in a creative endeavor like this, sometimes you get completely surprised by what comes out. “Finger On The Trigger” was one of those surprises. Joey encourages experimentation and that allows us to feel like we can take a lot of chances and try new things to arrive at something feels fresh.
- The single's artwork is visually appealing. What's the story behind it?
There was a couple shots in the music video that stood out to us as obvious single artwork shots. One of the band wives is a graphic designer, and just had some fun with that photo and came up with something that popped. Adding the crosshairs to the eye was her idea and added that extra layer of meaning to what the character in the music video is going through.
- Can you share any insights into your songwriting process? How do you collaborate as a band to bring your ideas to life?
Our songwriting process has changed drastically over the years. We used to keep our songwriting pretty close to our chest and have a very specific approach. Working with Erik Ron really got us out of our old habits and we’ve had further pushed into collaboration when working with Joey Bradford. Once we got out of our comfort zone and working with producers and other songwriters, it really opened up a world of possibilities for us. Back in the day we used to all have to jam out every single instrumental part and then we would try to put vocals to it. These days we are typically coming up with our own ideas on the side, and then will come together on a preproduction session to try to make complete songs out of it. One thing that we have definitely learned is to not get too attached to an idea until it’s had its chance to be touched by the other songwriters. That being said, we also just completed a song that we really changed nothing from the original idea I guess it all boils down to what the song needs, not what each of us individually need.
- Your cover of Seal's "Kiss From A Rose" has been a significant success, garnering over 7 million streams and recognition from Guitar World Magazine. What drew you to cover that particular song and how do you feel about its reception?
This is one of those Justin ideas that was met with pretty heavy skepticism at first from the band ha ha. At the time rock and metal covers of pop songs weren’t that prevalent so it took a little bit of imagination for everyone to get excited about it. The level of musicianship in the original song really forced us to do some new things that we had never done before, and honestly looking back we feel like we just got very lucky that no one else had done one that way before.
We always feel strongly that we need to honor the original song to a high degree and find very strategic moments to show who we are. Collin and Justin spent a ton of time meticulously re-creating all of the layered harmonies and nuances of the original song, so that our version of it still tugged on those original strings with people. A lot of covers really try to completely be different, but I think one of the things that people were surprised about, and enjoyed was that the production was really very similar with some of the foundational elements just being different. The reception to this song was and still is amazing but there are always a few people out there that cringe at the couple of small screaming parts we added ha ha.
Also, re-creating some of the vocal melodies with lead guitar and adding a ripping solo in the bridge was all it needed to sound like a real metal song.
- The lineup of WAKE ME has evolved over the years, with Collin Sanford taking on lead vocals and guitars. How has this change impacted the band's dynamics and musical direction?
We made the decision for Justin and Collin to switch spots in 2020. We really had two lead singers in the band and had focused most of our efforts up to that point on Justin. I think it was a just a matter of us not wanting to leave any stones unturned with what our band could achieve. Collin and Justin have been playing together for a really long time and honestly we owed it to Collin to give him some more runway on what he could achieve. The working dynamic is almost identical, which is really cool. The way we’ve been describing it, is we have the same rad ingredients but we’re cooking up new recipes.
- What can fans expect from WAKE ME in the near future? Are there any upcoming projects or tours you can tell us about?
We feel like we lost some momentum in the Covid years, so we are trying to make up for lost time now. We already have one new batch of songs complete and in the final production stages that we plan to release midyear and queuing up some additional sessions for this fall. Our latest feeling is that we’re likely going to work toward a full length release Sometime early 2025.
Details are still coming together, but we also plan to do some regional US touring later this year.
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