This week we’re featuring the Delaware hard rock band Awake At Last in Meet The Band. Their full-length debut album is The Change. Vocalist Vincent Torres introduces us to his band.
Chad Bowar: Give us a brief history of Awake At Last.
Vincent Torres: Awake At Last was formed in 2011 by Eric Blackway and I. We had played in different bands within the scene and we eventually began taking it really seriously once we got a solid lineup. We’ve always stood for positivity and overcoming obstacles like mental health, and chasing dreams no matter the cost. We’ve been a touring act for about four and a half years, and it’s been an absolute blast so far.
Describe the songwriting process for The Change.
The Change was really interesting because it was our first time going into a studio with song writers and producers that really got involved with the music. We recorded the record in Greensboro, N.C. with Kile Odell and Josh Landry. There was some push and pull during the song writing process, but I think all the compromises we made ended up creating an amazing album and we are very proud of it and can’t wait for people to hear it.
What will be your strongest memory of the recording of the album?
I’d have to say my favorite part was hearing everything all the way through for the first time. It’s a concept record, so it was awesome to see the story fully unfold. Although there were moments where it was a bummer because we were in a business park part of town and living out of our bus at the time. We didn’t have all the basic necessities of life.
How would you characterize its style/sound?
We’ve always strived to create an original theatrical sound with our music. We use heavy instrumentation and huge drums to kind of represent the struggles we sing about and we try to have the vocals soar over everything to provide the healing hand on the souls of our listeners to continue to endure and move forward.
What lyrical subjects do you cover?
Awake At Last has always written about life cycles, and the human consciousness and how that has changed throughout the years as we’ve been progressing. All of the EPs are connected to each other and each represents a different era in my life and the lessons I learned as they happened. We cover everything from mental health awareness to heartbreak and enduring the storm when life decides to change up on you. We have always stood for positivity, and even slide in little hints towards the law of attraction and making the change in your life to change your circumstances and find something more fulfilling for the soul.
How did you come to sign with Outerloop Records?
Signing with Outerloop was a bit of a surprise. We had crossed paths a few times during our career and eventually we were able to really sell them on the vision of what we wanted to accomplish and they were great in helping us execute it and setting us up with great producers to work with.
What are your goals and expectations for the album?
I think like many bands the main thing we want for this album is to really touch the hearts of our listeners and our fans, and be able to tour full time and become financially independent as a result. Most of all though I hope that the album becomes that voice in the back of our fans minds that urges them to pick up that paint brush, or finish that song they’ve been working on, or quit that job that’s been making them miserable. I really hope it resonates.
What has been your most memorable Awake At Last live show?
There have been some amazing shows we’ve played and it’s really hard to just pinpoint it down to one, but I think that when we played a sold out show opening up for Asking Alexandria that was a huge moment. There was a big festival we were on that got cancelled and the opportunity popped up to play for those fans anyway and it was one of the greatest shows we ever played.
What are your upcoming show/tour plans?
We are very busy with our tour schedule lately. As of right now I think we’re out on tour until well into late August early September, with even more opportunities opening up. The next tour we are on following the Lost Along The Way tour is with our friends Eyes Set To Kill and we’re very excited to continue progressing forward.
How did you get started in music?
Music was the first thing I did that was truly me. I was bullied heavily in high school, and I always tried to do what I thought people would accept. I struggled making friends and it wasn’t until I shrugged all of that off and finally decided to pursue music that I had made that change in my life. Once you make that choice and you move forward you start to find the people who really matter and I just haven’t stopped ever since.
Who were your early influences and inspirations?
I was always really into bands like AFI or My Chemical Romance, but I was also raised with bands like Journey, Santana, and I love the band Muse. Once I went to my first concert I knew it was what I wanted to do and I haven’t looked back since.
What was the first rock/metal concert you attended?
The first major concert I attended was called the Taste Of Chaos tour. It was in a huge stadium and all my favorite bands at the time seemed to be playing. I was way in the back in the seats but that didn’t diminish the experience for me at all. I was so inspired that it was at that moment I hit up my best friend Eric and told him I wanted to take it really seriously and pursue it as a career.
What’s the best concert you’ve been to?
I’m a huge fan of the band Nothing More and I loved seeing them and playing a few shows with them. Their performance was epic and I would say they were one of the tightest bands I’ve seen.
How’s the heavy music scene in Delaware?
Unfortunately there isn’t much of a hard rock scene in Delaware. A lot of venues are shutting down and it doesn’t seem to be improving much. I always joke that we are performing CPR on the music scene in Delaware for original music because it seems like it’s mostly just beach bands and cover acts that dominate the scene and see any income from it. That being said, our fans in Delaware are amazing and they carry the torch for us just like we do for them.
What was the last thing you binge-watched?
The last series I watched to its conclusion was Sabrina the Teenage Witch on Netflix. I dug the kinda darker Harry Potter vibe to it, but I haven’t had much time to watch much of anything lately because we’re on the road pretty frequently.
What’s currently in your heavy musical rotation?
I listen to a lot of Nothing More. I enjoy bands like Ice Nine Kills and DED as well. Although I must admit because i’m so active in the music scene I don’t listen to too many bands usually because I try not to be subconsciously influenced by them. I do love a good rock band when the mood strikes and It’s fun when I discover new ones that kick some ass.
Anything else you’d like to mention or promote?
I’d just like to mention that our debut full length record The Change came out on June 21st and is currently available on all major music platforms. This is the first full length record of our career and we are pushing it as hard as we can because in order to keep doing this we need it to do well. I hope the listeners find strength in the words and get something fulfilling when they listen to it. I’m also so thankful for our fans who have continued to help us chase our dreams. There’s no better time to join The Awakened and get involved with us because we plan on taking this as far as we possibly can and we want to take our core fans with us. Thank you so much for the opportunity to do this interview.
(interview published June 22, 2019)
Watch Awake At Last – “More Than Animals” Video