Dead Lakes have announced their debut full-length album daydreamer, due for release on March 31 via SharpTone Records. The upcoming album, produced by Sam Guaiana (The Devil Wears Prada, Silverstein, Between You & Me), was designed to be consumed front-to-back on a solo nighttime drive and challenges listeners to take a chance on themselves in the name of personal discovery.
Over the course of twelve dreamy tracks – including single “wrong way,” which has garnered over a million streams on Spotify – listeners see Dead Lakes follow their own advice and leave their former selves silhouetted by the glow of the sinking sun, emerging reborn in the neon twilight.
“From the jump, daydreamer puts you in the driver’s seat of the story.,’” explains vocalist Sumy. “This record constantly blurs the line between reality and daydream both sonically and lyrically. We wanted to extend that energy to this record by giving you a mix of what you’d expect from us with a surreal fresh energy and perspective. The result ended up being a sonic journey of sound and emotion. This record runs parallel with the ride of life. The gut-wrenching moments, self-doubt, relationships, vices, and the feeling of euphoria.”
Alongside the announcement, Dead Lakes has shared a new single and music video “strange juice.” On the track, Sumy explains, “I hope this song gives people the courage to take whatever leap it is in life they feel they need to take. ‘strange juice’ is all about loving the process of life in all its stages and finding yourself more, and more along the way.”
Laden with fissures and debris, oil and ice, uneven asphalt and the ever-present influence of other reckless travelers, Dead Lakes admit that negotiating the open road is not always a task completely compatible with the faint of heart. Yet, when the only alternative to such a venture is revealed as an inevitable stasis, it becomes clear that in the journey of life, there’s no place more dangerous than the passenger’s seat.
Lulling one into a false sense of fulfillment, we often face a strong temptation to use the past as a crutch, clinging to the people and habits which once brought us joy. However, as the Seattle quartet have come to demonstrate, one must sometimes be willing to switch lanes in order to secure a better future.
Taking the wheel and refusing to live their life in the rear-view mirror, it’s this expansive, complicated, and sometimes painful process which vocalist Sumy, drummer Chon, guitarist Rossi, and bassist Cody channel into their debut album.
Pushing even further into the self-described “heavy boy band” universe created in their 2020 EP New Language, the quartet have made a point to continually learn and evolve. And as a result, daydreamer sees brand-new sparks of inspiration fly. Whether it be drummer Chon’s brief vocal debut on “onyx dr” or the creative field recording of sea kelp swung to make a whip-like sound, the band are bound to pack a punch. Finding their sweet spot between pop and rock, dreams and reality, and the technically sound and unconventionally brilliant, Dead Lakes stand out from the crowd, wearing both their heart on their sleeve and a wry smile on their lips as they contemplate what’s next.
daydreamer is due out March 31 via SharpTone Records.
