Sleeping With Sirens is often categorized as anthemic rock n’ roll, post-hardcore, or even screamo band, but they cannot be forced into one stupid sub-genre. This emerging band that has been together since 2009, has their own unique style and way of doing things. They are comprised of Kellin Quinn as the frontman, Jack Fowler and Nick Martin on guitar, Gabe Barham playing the the drums, and Justin Hills as the bass player. It is frequently said that Orlando, Florida is their hometown because that is where they recorded their first album. However, a few of the members are from Michigan and Oregon. Since they are from all over, technically everywhere is their hometown. Kellin said in an interview with Scuzz TV that before he became a member of Sleeping With Sirens he was apart of an acoustic project and had put a video on YouTube. The video was viewed by the current guitarist of Sleeping with Sirens. He was contacted through MySpace and was asked to audition. After they recorded their first full-length album, they stole Jack Fowler from Broadway to join the journey. This resulted in the birth of Sleeping With Sirens.
The band currently has four full-length albums and one ep out. Sleeping With Sirens released their first album With Ears To See and Eyes To Hear in 2010, and it is often characterized as having a hardcore, emo-inflicted sound. In 2011 the group’s second full length album, Let’s Cheers To This was released with a more anthemic feel. A year later the acoustic ep If you were a movie, this would be your soundtrack was made by Kellin and guitarist Jack for the fans that wanted to listen to their acoustic performances without having to look up YouTube videos at night. Soon after that, Sleeping With Sirens released their third album Feel in 2013, featuring hard-hitting melodies and intimate lyrics. Their latest album Madness was released on March 17, 2015. The band is notorious for the tenor vocals of Kellin Quinn, but also for their dedicated fanbase.
There has been recent controversy over their past few albums regarding the sound they have been putting out. They were accused of their music changing too drastically. Kellin Quinn said in an interview with Scuzz TV “I have never wanted to win over the kids that just want to go be in the pit and I’m not trying to be the band that just has a bunch of girls come out to our shows. That’s not our band.” Contrary to popular opinion Sleeping with Sirens has not changed, but rather evolved. They are growing as a band and are not afraid to experiment, explore, or be different. For those so called fans that say that Sleeping with Sirens is too “soft” or not ”heavy” enough, we say fuck you because Kellin Quinn likes middle fingers. Despite a loss of a portion of their fan base, many fans have stuck around to enjoy their beautiful music and are looking forward to more material and rocking tours to come.
After stepping down from Rise Records, Sleeping with Sirens got signed to a new record label named Epitaph. The band then continued creating their newest album, Madness along with the artistic insight of John “Feldy” Feldmann. Madness has appeared as the #1 Top Rock Album on the iTunes charts, Billboard’s Top 200, and single “Kick Me” went to #1 on Billboard’s Top Trending Charts. This record greatly contrasts their previous work. It contains loud, energetic songs that make you want to just get up and dance, such as, as “Kick Me” and “Better off Dead”, but also incorporates ballads like “The Strays”. Although, the songs featured are notably diverse, they all strangely compliment one another. You can listen to the album in any order and it still creates an enjoyable experience. Working with John Feldmann as the producer of the album has helped to create a more refined tone for the record. Sleeping with Sirens’ fan base is rapidly growing and so is their popularity.
In 2013 Feel sold 60,000 albums within the first week of its release, while Madness has only sold around 35,000 albums. Many listeners suspect that their decrease in sales is due to a drop in their popularity. Nonetheless, we feel that the amount of records sold does not equate to their success. In the twenty-first century, so many new forms of technology have emerged. Websites and applications such as, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Pandora, allow Sleeping With Sirens supporters to enjoy their music free.
Avid fans of Sleeping With Sirens will get their fix with the band’s upcoming acoustic tour We Like it Quiet, which also features The Summer Set and Nick Santino. It is a clever play on words on one of their singles from Madness called “We Like it Loud”. To no one’s surprise, all of the shows quickly sold out. The concert will have a similar vibe to MTV’s unplugged series. Sleeping With Sirens has always had an enthusiasm for acoustic sets and they are very excited for the upcoming tour. The band told Scuzz TV “We used to play acoustic shows after our shows when we were first starting out.” They continued to explain that when they were touring with other bands they would come out after shows to play an acoustic set with only a few kids. As time passed, their crowds eventually grew to over two hundred kids. This got to the point where they were stealing fans from the bands, because kids would leave before the show was over to watch Sleeping With Sirens perform. They were then asked to stop. Kellin said in the same interview with Scuzz TV “I want people that want to come out to sing and connect with the songs and melodies.”
Sleeping With Sirens is an authentic band because they are genuine and understand what it is like to be different. They channel this feeling through their amazing lyrics. Throughout their rise to fame, Sleeping With Sirens has stayed true to themselves. They are not just another teeny-sceney-tweeny band! They are, Sleeping With Sirens.
TOUR DATES
6/04 San Diego, CA – SOMA Sidestage
6/05 Los Angeles, CA – The Troubadour
6/07 San Francisco, CA – Slim’s
6/10 Denver, CO – Marquis Theater
6/12 Chicago, IL – The Bottom Lounge
6/13 Pittsburgh, PA – The Altar Bar
6/14 New York City, NY – The Studio at Webster Hall
6/16 Cambridge, MA – The Middle East
6/17 Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts
6/18 Baltimore, MD – Ottobar
6/19 Greensboro, NC – Cone Denim Center
6/21 Orlando, FL – The Social
6/22 Orlando, FL – The Social
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Written by FestPop Staff Writers
Emily Moore & Abigail Carrasco
Email Comments to: [email protected]
