Black Veil Brides
Funny, talented AND handsome...this guy's the whole package! This week's guest on Discover New Music is Andy Biersack of Black Veil Brides who stopped by to chat about the band's new record "Vindicate". Biersack talks about everything from co-producing with Jake Pitts, to having his wife recording on a track, what 15 year old Andy would think about the record and everything in between. Biersack also breaks down why having things like spoken word and instrumental tracks are an important part of experiencing this record. As always a quick round of Rapid Fire...with your Billy Idol minute and a decomposing Chuck Norris!
From their 7th studio album VINDICATE, Black Veil Brides are back with “Cut”, a new radio single from the astonishing release.
“Cut” featuring Lillith Czar is the latest song from their Spinefarm debut. The track showcases the epic side of the band with their use of symphonic orchestration, which has become something the fans have come to love about them. The song shows the creative diversity of vocalist Andy Biersack, guitarists Jake Pitts and Jinxx, bassist Lonny Eagleton, and drummer Christian Coma with a special guest appearance by Biersack’s wife, Lillith Czar (Juliet Simms, Automatic Loveletter), on vocals.
The “Cut” music video directed by Max Moore (Spiritbox, Motionless In White) already has more than 5 million YouTube views. The video is a live-action re-telling of the Tim Burton classic ‘The Corpse Bride.’ The video shows the band performing as Biersack sews his beloved wife back together. They get to have one last dance together before he loses her forever. The couple wore their actual wedding attire from 10 years ago and even renewed their vows on set.
“’Cut’ is a song that for me, is one of those songs in your catalog that feels like you were able to achieve exactly what you wanted to achieve when making it,” explains Andy Biersack. “I feel like Lillith’s voice and presence on this song is absolutely perfect. On the lyrical side, just knowing how much the concepts resonate with both me and Lilith makes it all the more special and then to get to shoot this incredible video together it just feels like a career highlight all around. It’s one of my favorite songs we’ve ever done.”
Previous singles from the album, “Bleeders”, “Hallelujah”, and “Vindicate” – through their new label home, Spinefarm – propelled them to the top of the Active Rock radio charts. In the hearts and minds of their fans, the band represents an unwillingness to compromise and a resistance to critics (personal and professional), fueled by the same fire as the group’s own heroes—iconoclasts whose creative output, once dismissed, is now canonized. Now after more than 15 years of leading the BVB Army, the next phase of Black Veil Brides begins.
Saliva
Most recently, Saliva released Revelation: Retold (2025) via Judge & Jury Records, a deluxe reimagining of their 2023 album featuring guest vocals, unreleased tracks, and new takes on fan favorites, reinforcing the band’s resilience and continued evolution. They're currently gearing up to release their newest album Breaking Through on August 14th after leading up to it with heavy-hitting singles throughout 2026.
Ryan Perdz
something special. Under the watch of posters and vinyl of Led Zeppelin, Michael Jackson, Red Hot Chili
Peppers, The Doors, and Alice In Chains stuck to a sloped wall, 24-year-old singer, songwriter, and
multi-instrumentalist Ryan Perdz has quietly attracted an audience of 1 million-plus followers on social
media by playing unshakable and undeniable hard rock teeming with grunge grit and unapologetic Gen-Z
honesty. Residing on an old dairy farm, he grew up as the youngest of four brothers. On his tenth
birthday, one of Ryan’s brothers gifted him an Ovation Applause acoustic-electric guitar. He spent
countless hours alone, studying the YouTube Channel Marty Music and learning the instrument. Ryan
initially built an audience by posting covers on social media. After his take on Bush’s “Glycerine” surged
online, he reached critical mass with a cover of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” reeling in 60 million
views and counting. He dropped the original First Sight EP in 2020 followed by “Next Life” and “Broken
World.” However, “Paradise” popped off with 1.9 million Spotify streams. At the top of 2025, he caught
the attention of Big Machine Rock, visiting their Nashville headquarters and performing on that same
Ovation guitar he’d received as a kid. Singing and screaming with the same passion, he’s direct in his
delivery and unflinchingly intense with his guitar playing. His lyrics are as straight-to-the-point as a
breakup text, but his melodies are timeless enough to resonate across generations. Striking a chord with
an audience starved for the next era of rock, Ryan introduces himself on his forthcoming full-length
debut record for Big Machine Rock.
Motionless In White
He's only ever heard his sister use the word "zhuzh"! This week's guest on Discover New Music is Chris Motionless of Motionless In White! The band's seventh studio album "Decades" was decades in the making because Chris says this is a culmination of everything the band is and has been over the last 20 years. Plus, Chris talks about why this album was the perfect fit for their cover of "Sunglasses At Night." Chris also breaks down working with producer and best friend Drew Fulk and why time being on their side was a crucial element for this latest project. As always a quick round of Rapid Fire is played...sorry Vanilla Ice, you lost again.
Platinum-selling, Scranton, PA powerhouse MOTIONLESS IN WHITE have just announced their
new album DECADES. It arrives July 17 via Roadrunner Records. Pre-order it HERE.
Motionless In White are at home in the dark. For over 20 years, the quintet — Chris Motionless
[vocals], Ricky Olson [guitar], Ryan Sitkowski [guitar], Vinny Mauro [drums], and Justin
Morrow [bass] — have resided in their own shadowy corner of alternative music and culture.
The group's uncanny alchemy of metal, hardcore, goth, industrial, and electronic has
magnetically attracted an ardent audience, fueling a quiet rise out of the Rust Belt and into
arenas as a headlining force of nature. Their D.I.Y. work ethic drives the evolution of an
immersive world where stunning visuals match the scope of the sound.
The collective come full circle on their seventh full-length offering, Decades. For as much as it
conjures their signature style, the LP sees them continue to confidently cut a path through
uncharted territory, spreading a little darkness in their wake.
"I can't believe how aggressive Corey sounds," Chris Motionless declares. "It's an observational
commentary on toxic internet culture and the people who perpetuate it. The internet has gotten
worse and worse to the point where only negativity, hatred, and lies are at the forefront of
everything you see. It's very frustrating because I thought social media was supposed to be a
mechanism to connect, but all it does is divide."
Decades features several high-profile and eclectic guest appearances. In addition to Taylor,
Skylar Grey, and Dark Divine's Anthony Martinez are also featured on the album. The band
recorded Decades in Upstate New York and Los Angeles with co-producers Drew Fulk and
Justin "JD" deBlieck and ultimately incorporated their past, present, and future sounds into one
cohesive sound. This is Motionless at their very best.
"We were never afraid to take risks," observes Chris. "This band has not only lasted two
decades, but we've also outlasted all of the obstacles we've faced. We're still grinding. No
matter how far we expand the universe that is Motionless In White, we're going to preserve the
heart, soul, and roots of where we came from. We are never going to abandon heartfelt,
emotional, and heavy songs. We are never going to abandon what mattered to us the most
when we started. We're finding new ways to emphasize those stories with exciting sounds and
looks, but the vision is the same. It's always been this grand, dramatic, and theatrical entity. I'm
proud we haven't gotten comfortable."
He finishes, "Decades is definitely heavier than some of our past albums. Our current world
bred more aggressive energy, anger, and resistance."
Dogstar
Thank goodness it was laundry day and Rob needed a snack! This week's guests on Discover New Music are Robert Mailhouse, Keanu Reeves and Bret Domrose of Dogstar. Their new album "All In Now" is the band's second release since getting back together after an almost 20 year hiatus. The three talk about getting back into the studio, touring, working with Nick Launay and just having a blast creating music together once again. We also find out what song they'd play for an alien...no probing involved! As always a quick round of Rapid Fire...and what the hell is a Choco Taco?
Let the record show that here in 2026, Dogstar is clearly All In Now.
After a long 20 years of silence as a band, this California-based power trio – guitarist and lead singer Bret Domrose, drummer Robert Mailhouse, and bassist Keanu Reeves – surprised many and perhaps even themselves when they returned in fine form in 2023 with a new album that found the three joyfully making music again and doing it all Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees. Only two years later – after extensive touring in America and around the world playing everywhere from sweaty rock clubs to giant outdoor festivals – Dogstar is returning with strong new songs that leave no doubt that this little band that could is back for good with a powerful sound that is bigger and better than ever before. “It felt like our last album was our ticket into a party,” says Bret Domrose. “And now we’ve shown up to the party – the three of us.”
Dogstar is a group of three friends who have slowly yet surely become a band of brothers – a group with multiple talents committed to picking up the pace and locking into life as a working and increasingly beloved rock band who are excited to get back on the road this summer. “We couldn’t fucking wait,” Keanu Reeves says about Dogstar’s collective desire to get right back to the studio after the biggest and best tour of their lives. “Personally, I loved it all. For me, the attitude was like, ‘Let’s work hard and let’s GO.’ And we really enjoy the variety of songs here – although one way or another, they all do kind of rock.”
As Robert Mailhouse sees it, All In Now is the most vivid reflection of the passion and chemistry that has been driving Dogstar’s heartfelt rock & roll dreams from the start. “The whole album may not hit quite as hard as the title track, but somehow it really sets up the energy at the heart of this album and the fun that we’ve always had playing together.” Indeed, All In Now reflects Dogstar hitting festival stages and experiencing the energy that can happen between a band and a big live audience. “We absorbed that last time out on tour,” says Domrose. “We came off those huge stages playing before big bands for up to like 50,000 people and said, `This is where we are now.’ Not consciously, but all of that soaked in.”
Mailhouse remembers, “Just seeing the smiles on people’s faces and feeling their joy on a musical level. Playing some outdoor festivals, and when it starts to rain, seeing nobody leaving.”
“Those festivals in Europe really made a big, positive impact on us,” adds Reeves.
“We loved playing to people in the afternoon who didn’t necessarily come to see Dogstar, but connected with what we were doing. And that connected with us.” Bret continued, “You never know if people are going to show up, are they going to stay, are they going to listen? It meant a lot that people not only stayed but got into songs that they mostly had never heard before.”
All In Now is an album that loudly and clearly reflects Dogstar’s collective musical passions and growing strengths as a road-tested band. “In your beauty there is a danger,” Domrose sings in the first line of All In Now’s intense opening track, “Math,” and this snaky, darkly sexy track sets the impressive and slightly mysterious tone for a decidedly cohesive album that seems both lyrically and musically full of both beauty and danger.
Throughout the album, the rhythm section of Mailhouse and Reeves sounds more locked in than ever before, while Domrose’s vocals and guitar work fly to increasingly impressive new heights here. Overall, All In Now finds Dogstar confidently rocking harder than ever before on tracks like the title track and “Joy,” and even when tone changes on gems like the wonderfully anthemic “Shallow Easy” and the gorgeously melodic closing song, “Wing,” this remains the altogether bracing sound of a rock band firing on all cylinders and all ready now to get back on the road and play. And somehow in “All In Now” – the propulsive title track and the compelling first single from the new album – Dogstar has created its own theme song about the state of their musical union here in 2026 a band that “has gone from lost to found.”
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Dogstar credits legendary producer Nick Launay – whose long and impressive track record includes great studio work with everyone from Midnight Oil to Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds to Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Amyl and the Sniffers, and interestingly, notable rock trios from XTC to Silverchair – with bringing a new sense of energy and excitement to All In Now. As Domrose recalls, “Our management put Nick’s name on a list of possible producers.” “And we all thought it was a typo. Like this guy will never work with us,” Mailhouse adds with a laugh.
In truth, Launay found himself inspired by the experience of producing Dogstar’s new album –which they ultimately recorded in the summer of 2025 in Studio 2 of EastWest Studios, a place where a great deal of music history has been made, from The Monkees to Red Hot Chili Peppers to Kendrick Lamar. For Launay, “Working with Bret, Robert, and Keanu was extremely fun because it brought things back to why people form bands and make music. These three friends wrote some killer songs and wanted to push some boundaries in the studio. It’s all passion and no BS. For me, it’s always a treat working with such capable musicians because the sky’s the limit when experimenting, and that’s exactly what we did, while smiling all the way.”
In fact, to hear the band tell it, perhaps the most challenging part of making All In Now was choosing an album title. “We had a tough time naming this album,” Domrose admits. “We went through dozens, maybe hundreds of ideas.” “It’s true,” adds Mailhouse. “And after naming the last album Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees, we almost went with a name about our location again. Bret was looking up the coordinates for EastWest Studios.” According to Reeves, “The first working title for All In Now was, in fact, Good Cookie. Yeah, that was up on the board for a while,” he adds with a laugh. “And then we had Intersections.” Thankfully and wisely, Dogstar ultimately decided not to choose a title that sounds more like a Green Day or Rush record, but rather one that sounds exactly like what it is – a really cool new Dogstar album. As Nick Launay puts it, “I love how Bret’s voice and melodies soar above the solid grooves on this album. There’s something very honest about it, which I guess is why it’s called All in Now. I think this friendly trio is sounding HUGE and will turn some heads this time around.”
The Hu
“We are trying to create paths for Mongolian artists,” Galbadrakh Tsendbaatar –otherwise known as Gala, band leader of The HU, says. “We’re singing about our culture, and we use Mongolian instruments. We’re very proud of those ancient instruments while mixing them into Western culture, and proud of the fact that we’re making universal music. We hope to have even more people around the world become interested in Mongolian language and culture, and that’s why we do what we do.”If you hadn’t already gathered from those words alone, The HU is a fantastically unique force of nature. A musical sensation formed in 2016 in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar, the quintet is the pioneers of the Hunnu Rock genre, with almost 900 million global streams to their name –and counting. The band’s debut album, The Gereg,put them on the map: not just in Mongolia, where they were the first group ever to be awarded the prestigious Chinggis Khaan Order, but even a galaxy far, far away where theycontributed a song to the Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Ordersoundtrack. A few years later, The HU joined the likes of Elton John, St. Vincent, and Ghost on the epic tracklist for The Metallica Blacklist, performing a distinct, formidable cover of “Through The Never” at the request of the metal legends. The band’s 2022 sophomore album Rumble Of Thundertook The HU to iconic stages worldwide, including England’s Glastonbury Festival and North American arenas supporting Iron Maiden. Not bad going for a band whose songs are entirely –and very deliberately –in their native tongue.“The lyrics are all Mongolian, and that is a really important aspect of our band,” Gala, who is also the group’s throat singer and morin khuur (horsehead fiddle) player, says. “If you learn the language and translate our lyrics, you’ll understand the context even more –the background of why we chose these words. Hopefully, we will encourage people to speak more Mongolian and become interested in Mongolian culture. It’s a very rich culture, and it needs to be represented.”A decade into their remarkable career, the laser-like focus of The HU –founded by producer Dashka, and completed by members Jaya (tumur hhuur, tsuur, throat singing), Enkush (morin khuur, throat singing), and Temka (tovshuur, backing vocals) –is clear for all to see. Their first two captivating records made good on their promise to share their rich heritage with the world. Now, the quintet is using these eye-opening experiences as positive fuel to take things even further, as reflected in their new album,set for release on July 24 through Better Noise. Titled HUN, which translates to "human" in their native language, the album holds special meaning for the band. Originally called Between the Heaven and Earth,the album was intended to be understood as something natural and true, akin to human life on Earth, which is why they chose HUN to best represent it.Recorded at Nature Sound Studio in Ulaanbaatar and co-produced by Dashka and Nothing More frontman Jonny Hawkins, the 11-song collection sees The HU take the next step with their world-conquering sound, steeped in the lore and legend of their homeland. Here, the band explores creating music that represents the grimmer side of humanity, rocking more intently than before. Specifically, the band set out to understand human evocable emotions and to travel through history, connecting the present through songwriting and melodic patterns. HUN’s creative process challenged The HU emotionally. The band points to “Father” as a prime example of this. With its heartwrenching lyrics, the song’s recording process was extremely challenging, as they had to go through many sessions and couldn’t stop sobbing or feeling emotional as they traced their own fathers' experiences, which segued into their personal ones. Another standout song is "Horsemen.” Focusing on the deep connection between Mongolian nomadic culture and the horse, The HU captured the essence of the animal and the band's relationship with its native land. Sticking with this philosophical theme, “Warrior Chant” features a hard-charging chorus and a tight, taut, metallic soundscape. Between the horse-head fiddle, signature rhythm, and instantly recognizable delivery, the song immediately amplifies everything that The HU fans love about the band. “We can’t stop but wonder about the philosophy of our fathers and how much it applies to our lives even today,” they say of “Warrior Chant.” “Simple yet true messages like the importance of being a good human, to be strong-willed to protect the weak, and being united as humans are sung in.” Even with its heavier, edgier sound, HUNis, at its core, similar to previous albums, specifically in its signature rhythms and original riffs, which use traditional instruments people love. That attitude and sound are epitomized on the urgent “Lost Soul.” Featuring guest vocals from Hawkins, the percussive, groove-laden soundscape evokes the extremes of Mongolia's unforgiving climate. A head-nodding riff tosses and turns beneath propulsive verses, giving way to a melodic refrain from Hawkins who sings its infectious chorus, "Born to be a lost soul." These English-sung affirmations lock into a seamless volley with traditional Mongolian chanting, uniting styles and cultures in one burst of boundary-breaking energy.Resonating beyond all borders, “Lost Soul” trumpets a message of resiliency, fortitude, and strength that translates positively into any language and anywhere in the world.The HU’s ever-loyal followers won’t be disappointed with the power-packed and resonant HUN. Their devotedness is something the band is well aware of. Gala praises their fans for being “the best” and stresses that the band felt “no pressure” from them going into this album. Their understanding and patience have allowed them to focus on what’s important: the music.“We took our time to do this right, and I’m so glad that we’re almost ready to release what we have worked on these past few years,” Gala says of the process. “Now, we are also focusing on the performances and working out a brand-new setlist. We want to play bigger venues so we can do extensive production, bring in some amazing elements of our culture, and play these ideas to our fans. And, as well as our third album, we have some amazing ideas for another album already!”
Billy Morrison
Ya know...sometimes Billy Idol is just a better choice for a lead singer. This week's guest on Discover New Music is Billy Morrison. His new record "Hollow" features some of the biggest names in music, but make no mistake, it's still 100% Billy Morrison! Morrison talks about how he decides if he'll sing on a song or he'll let another artist handle vocals...the most important part is doing justice to the actual song itself and for the listener. And even though it was on his previous record, Morrison takes some time to reminisce about working with the late, great Ozzy Osbourne. As always a quick round of Rapid Fire is played...sorry Vanilla, you lost another one!
The British guitarist, singer, and songwriter—primarily known as Billy Idol’s rhythm guitar
player for the past 19 years alongside lead guitarist Steve Stevens, and for his previous role as
bassist in The Cult- released the album The Morrison Project in 2024 which included the #1
Active Rock single "Crack Cocaine" with Ozzy Osbourne featuring Stevens. The epic single
"Gods of Rock N Roll" with Osbourne also soared into the Top Ten in 2025 and unfortunately
was Osbourne's final song. Morrison is following up his success with the new album titled
Hollow which releases August 7, 2026 and features more solo songs and collaborations with
Artists including Sully Erna, Nuno Bettencourt, Stevens, Duff McKagan, Marylin Manson,
Dexter Holland, Chuck D, B-Real, DMC, Chad Gray and more. The track “Becoming” from the
album has already hit #19, and Morrison is looking to top that with the release of his solo track,
“Take Me As I Am.”
Tim Montana
Billy Gibbons sends him a lot of beard oil! This week's guest on Discover New Music is Tim Montana. His new record, which got its title from Charlie Sheen, "Entire State of Tim Montana" is 16 tracks of awesome storytelling. With an opening skit featuring Charlie Sheen, Martin Sheen and Robert Patrick you are immediately off on a journey. Also featured on the record is Jerry Cantrell, Bill Gibbons, Slash, Royale Lynn and a must-listen powerful collaboration with Crow Nation artists First Crazy Dog & Wolfbear. Montana made a record that will make you tear off your skip button. As always a quick round of Rapid Fire is played...and we think Bigfoot is interdimensional!
Welcome to the entire state of Tim Montana. The new album, Entire State Of Tim Montana, named by none other than actor Charlie Sheen, is available across all digital streaming platforms today, July 31 via BMG. Tim Montana has built a reputation for delivering unapologetically loud, high-energy songs driven by blistering guitar riffs, raw vocals, and a rebellious, blue-collar attitude. Blending Southern rock swagger with modern hard-rock production, Montana’s sound truly bridges the worlds of various genres, earning him a growing audience across multiple formats. His music reflects the rugged independence of the American West, with lyrics rooted in hard work, freedom, and living life on your own terms. The sixteen tracks on the record feature some assists from music’s heaviest hitters including Jerry Cantrell, Slash, Billy F Gibbons and include cameos from Martin Sheen, Charlie Sheen, and Robert Patrick as well
“This record is a collision of my heroes and my scars, the loudest moments I’ve ever lived and the quiet truths I couldn’t outrun," Montana shares, and continues, "Don’t worry there’s some fun moments too. It’s not over-polished, it’s not safe, but it’s exactly who I am.”
Eva Under Fire
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Growth depends on honesty. When you confront your fears, anxieties, traumas, and past head-on, you gain the strength to step into the future. Eva Under Fire amplify this kind of open-hearted honesty through tightly crafted and transformational hard rock anthems. The Detroit, MI quintet—Amanda “Eva Marie” Lyberg [vocals], Rob Lyberg [lead guitar], Chris Slapnik [rhythm guitar], Ed Gawlik [bass], and Dave Miller II [drums]—have tirelessly grinded out of the Midwest and built a faithful following by delivering raw and relatable truth without filter.
After amassing tens of millions of streams, shaking the charts, and earning critical acclaim from Loudwire and New Noise Magazine, the band hold nothing back on their 2025 second full-length offering, Villainous [Better Noise Music].
“We just wanted to be honest,” Amanda affirms. “We’ve been through so much, and the music naturally got more biting and aggressive as a result. We’ve done a lot of traveling and growing up together. We’re acknowledging how much toughness it takes to make it out here, and we’re putting all of that on the album. We’ve learned there isn’t a right or wrong way to do this. As long as you’re authentic, people will find you and vibe with what you have to say.”
Audiences continue to connect to Eva Under Fire. The group initially paved their way out of Southeast Detroit with 2015’s independent Anchors, spawning the staple “Until Forever.” Following the War EP [2016] and Heavy On The Heart EP [2018], they served up their proper debut LP, Love, Drugs & Misery, in 2022. The standout “Blow” [feat. Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills] gathered north of 22.6 million Spotify streams and catapulted into the Top 15 of the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart. They landed notable syncs in acclaimed films like Sno Babies and The Retaliators—which also saw Amanda make her big screen debut. Not to mention, they emerged as the rare force equally suited to collaborations with Cory Marks, Thousand Foot Krutch, KAYLA KING, State Of Mine, Hyro The Hero, and The Funeral Portrait. Not to mention, the five-piece packed houses on tour and graced the bills of top-tier festivals, including Welcome To Rockville, Inkcarceration, and Sonic Temple, among others.
This diehard and dogged Midwest work ethic fueled their steady rise.
“We’ve slept in Walmart parking lots, and we still tour in a van,” she notes. “The first album cycle was a reflection of what we like to call our ‘Detroit Grit’. It allows us to find a way against a lot of odds. You have to really work to make it out of here.”
Eva Under Fire applied this same work ethic to the creative process. The group cooked up tunes out of multiple studios with various collaborators across the country. In addition to reteaming with Bernard Perry and John Pregler in Detroit, they wrote and recorded with Grant McFarland and Carson Slovak of Atrium Audio in Pennsylvania as well as Jon Lundin in Los Angeles. Simultaneously, they nodded to influences such as Make Them Suffer, Bring Me The Horizon, Spiritbox, and Nine Inch Nails. They fortified their sound by incorporating drop tunings. Expanding the emotional palette in similar fashion, Amanda drew on her career as a licensed therapist to foster an open dialogue among the band members, empowering everyone to be heard.
“We did things differently,” she reveals. “Personally, my experience is all about my family. I’m a woman in this industry, which has also shaped me in a specific way. On this record, I was asking the guys, ‘What are your experiences? How do you see this process? What’s it like for you guys?’ Everyone’s identity is definitely present.”
“The music is heavy, but all of the songs have strong messages,” Ed elaborates. “There’s a balance.” “Amanda is an amazing singer, so we’re always like, ‘Sing it, don’t scream it’,” laughs Ed.
Eva Under Fire ignite this chapter with the title track “Villainous.” opens with ominous guitar and an industrial-style beat. Trudging verses give way to a chantable chorus as her confession barely breaks a whisper, “I’ve become villainous.”
“It felt like the right bridge from the last record to now,” she notes. “This world is wild. You have to become someone who can survive out here. The world wants you to be nice and compliant, but you can’t afford to be all of the time. We’ve got to do what’s right for ourselves to stay alive. It’s about being in your ‘Villain Era’.”
Elsewhere, “My Own Name,” a distorted groove seesaws back and forth between squealing harmonics as Amanda’s dynamic range transfixes. Eventually, skyscraping vocals soar as the frontwoman reminds, “I know my own name,” over a cataclysmic collision of riffs and keys.
“‘My Own Name’ and ‘Villainous’ are lyrically similar,” she goes on. “‘My Own Name’ basically warns, ‘Be careful with fake friends and always remember who you are’.”
Pulsating glitchy electronics set the tempo for “Don’t Say I’m Ok.” It culminates on another climactic chorus punctuated by a double-barrel blast of a riff and a gnashing scream on the bridge.
“I’ve gone through a ton of grief and loss, and ‘Don’t Say I’m Ok’ is a representation of it,” she continues. “I wanted to scream it in an upbeat way though.”
As a whole, the record inspires looking deeper. “We wanted this to be an album of self-discovery,” Amanda adds. “Music is my therapy. I can tell people about my experiences through my lyrics. “
In the end, Eva Under Fire uplift by sharing truth.
“I want people to know they deserve to make their own way,” Amanda leaves off. “Go out into this unkind world and be unbothered. Just do your thing and your tribe will find you.”
Sleeping With Sirens
Before the gold and platinum certifications, sold-out theaters, and a cultural resurgence that brought a new generation of true believers to their music through TikTok and arena tours, Sleeping With Sirens was a leap of faith grounded in intuition and a unique voice that’s impossible to mistake. Kellin Quinn didn't enter the post-hardcore scene sounding like the typical frontman. His powerful, passionate, urgent, and unique voice cut through the noise around them, both literal and figurative.
The band connected with those who felt similarly out of step; listeners seeking solace in songs that echoed their deepest insecurities, resentments, anxieties, tensions, and fears. SWS felt like medicine. The thrillingly energized new album, An Ending in Itself, proves that the bond between the band and its passionate audience remains its defining strength. Produced by Will Yip (Turnstile, Panic! At The Disco, Circa Survive), the band’s eighth LP represents both a homecoming and a reckoning.
The world around them may have shifted. But the impulse that built Sleeping With Sirens remains the same. The band endures for the same reason it began. Because this music matters. An Ending in Itself unfolds as a meditation on hardship, resilience, and the search for meaning in uncertain times.