Who is answering the questions?
What’s up guys? My name is Tim Graham and I am the vocalist of Owleye.
Can you tell us about the formation of Owleye?
So the band formed in like 2013 I believe. The original members were DJ Sundine (guitar/vocals) Frank Woronoff (drums) and Brad Stewart (bass). They were playing some shows around the Denver area starting up being doing their thing. They put out a 3 song EP then I think it was like late 2014 they brought in a full time guitarist being Dave Gardner. I was filling in for another Denver band on a couple of their tours and had played a show with the dudes at Summit Music Hall which was actually my first show ever haha. So I’m sitting in the van on a long drive and knew that it was going to be my last tour with the other band and saw Owleye and their vocalist parted ways so I was like “shit maybe I should hit these dudes up” so I did and was talking with them for like a month via facebook. I got home from touring and went to a tryout chatted for a little bit played like half a song and we were all pretty much sold on eachother. It pretty much was a couple of shitty situations that happened to starting fresh and clean with good vibes all around which was pretty awesome. I think DJ cried a little bit haha.
How did you get to the band name Owleye, and what does it mean to you?
I believe Owleye was like on the top of the list of a couple different names but the band went by I Will Lie for like 2 weeks then made it Owleye. It’s a really cool name and we all love the symbology behind Owl’s with their knowledge and wisdom then their is the old saying “in the eye of the beholder” so Wisdom is in the eye of the beholder. The name means more and more to me everyday because we are all growing within ourselves and in our music. We are growing stronger and with more knowledge of what it takes to be a musician everyday.
To an unfamiliar reader, how would you describe your sound?
We are in a really cool spot with meshing all of our influences while staying true to out 2007 Post Hardcore roots. We have a lot of modern day metalcore blended with parts that you think damn that song reminds me of highschool which is cool and I truly feel is bringing something new to the table from the past haha. The best way to describe our sound was actually said to me by a fan saying “you guys are like Chiodos’ younger brother” cause we can go from light to dark in an instant that all makes sense. By far the biggest compliment I’ve gotten about our sound to say the least.
What bands have influenced you over the years, and why?
Oh man so many bands influence us, all art influences us really. We try to pull inspiration from all things we endure on a daily basis. I would have to say though if we really pinpointed it down the bands we all really agree upon being great are the likes of Underoath, The Used, Chiodos, and Norma Jean. We all grew up during Underoath in their prime and Define the Great Line is honestly such an important part of my life and seeing that band perform on a Taste of Chaos tour or something like that made me want to be in a band. Spencer and Craig Owens made me want to become a vocalist. It’s funny like I love pop music and dabble from time to time in EDM, DJ loves Saosin and brings out his inner fan girl, Dave loves Avenged Sevenfold, Brad likes anything super heavy and chuggy and pig squeals and Frank loves everything, but like those four bands we all agree with each other and on the same page with it haha.
How did you get to the EP title ‘No Wounds’, and what does it mean to you?
‘No Wounds’ started with the 3 song EP the band came out with before I joined that was called ‘Time Heals’ so they always had in their mind that ‘No Wounds’ would be a cool follow up that being Time Heals No Wounds. A nice little play on words and at first I really did not like it at all. During the time of recording and listening to our final products though the name really grew on me and I was just like “Fuck it No Wounds it is. It has to be No Wounds”. And it means a lot to me cause I don’t like to regret any mistakes that would take time to heal and I wear all my insecurities on my sleeve. I don’t need for my wounds to heal because they make me the man I am today. For being my first actual EP with this band it is cool to have such a strong meaning.
Can you elaborate on some of the other main themes and influences that run throughout ‘No Wounds’?
The whole theme and influence at least lyrically was all focused around certain struggles of my life past and present. This not only was my first EP with this band but in general so I had some shit that I wrote 5 years ago when I was in a really shit place in my life, so this one was all about me getting a lot of shit off my chest that I’ve been bottling up for years. When I say struggle it is really all about finding the higher meaning and and making light on a shitty situation. It’s kind of like life sucks or this situation sucks but fuck it look at me now. There is a song about me having a serious problem with partying and drinking myself to death, like really having some problems and wrote the lyrics 5 years ago sitting in my room all by myself. Alone in a Room was just a perfect title for that track and was the first single we dropped as this current lineup. A couple other songs are about bad friendships and cutting out some people that have been around for a long time just making your life shit. Then a song about losing loved ones and relationships.
What can you tell us about the recording process for ‘No Wounds’?
It was a long and exciting process that’s for sure. The guys had a couple instrumentals done when I joined and we kind of grew off those two ideas and then wrote the other three together. It was a learning experience for all of us really to see how well we would mesh while writing and actually working with a producer or anyone in my case and not some guy just pressing record and letting you do your thing with little to no input. We worked with a dear friend of mine Mike Anderson, who was the guitar player for the band I was filling in for at the time and is really up and coming and growing everyday. It was recorded in our hometown of Littleton Colorado in Mike’s home studio and was just all around good vibes. Like I said it was a huge learning experience and really grew this band more in just 5 months than what was done the 3 years prior. We learned how to really record an album and for me it was a terrifying and exciting time cause I knew I could do screaming vocals but never thought about singing. Mike and I were going over some melodies in the pre production phase and was like “dude can you do this or hit this note” and I’m like I have no clue but might as well try, when on the inside I’m on the verge of shitting my pants cause I don’t want to suck or have this band start second guessing bringing me in but it all worked out in the end and with a lot of hard work we put our something we were all super proud of.
What song means the most to you from ‘No Wounds’ at the moment, and why?
I would have to say the last song on the EP ‘Cycles’. That song hits me and I feel any listener right in the feel strings. It was actually the first idea DJ and I had for this EP and he wasn’t sure about it cause it is a super soft song with barely any heavy elements to it. He had this beautiful little riff and I heard it and was just like hell yes if we don’t do this soft song with this riff I am quitting this band haha. I was unsure about it cause again i had no confidence with my singing but in the end I still feel that’s a song that could take us to the next level and get our foot in the door with the industry. It has a huge meaning to DJ and I and is focused around losing a loved one that means a lot to you and holding on to that one thing that will keep them in your memories forever. It is reflecting on the past and understanding that nothing can be done but keep pushing forward and making them proud. It’s a great sing a long too with the big hook being “I can promise you that this is not goodbye, I will see you in the next life” and I was literally in aw with how many kids new that part when we first played it (less than 5 days after releasing our EP).
What songs are you really enjoying playing live from ‘No Wounds’ at the moment, and why?
I want to say ‘Confessions of a Sociopath’ is hands down my favorite to play right now. I love the chorus and it is really in your face and has a long of energy. It is the first song of our EP and mostly the first song of our set so it gets us and the crowd going right off the bat so especially with bigger shows it is a great song to get all the jitters out and go fucking ham. The only thing that will make that song more enjoyable is when we actually have my good friend Aaron Bloomer from Scream Blue Murder do his guest spot that is on the recording with us. Aaron if you read this get your shit together and get your band to America so that song can be whole!!
What was the hardest part about putting ‘No Wounds’ together for you guys, and why?
I think it was just all the new experiences and difficulties that we’ve never experienced before. I mean I never sang in my life outside the shower and there is so much more singing than I could’ve anticipated. We were all still pretty new with each other too so I joined in like late May and we started in the studio doing pre pro in like late August so the water hadn’t really quite settled yet and a lot of clashing happened but in the end we all ended with songs we all truly love.
What can you tell us about your latest single?
‘Alone in a Room’ was the first single we released as this group and was a cool and stressful song. As I said earlier it was all about my past struggles with substance abuse and especially doing a music video for it brought back a lot of memories that made me smile. It was kind of like shit look at where I am now as opposed to where I was 5 years ago. It is a very surreal song, and it totally shows in the music video. Our boy Kennon Fleisher did a great job working with me to bringing back some shit memories haha.
How did the artwork for ‘No Wounds’ come together, and what does it mean to you?
Well I know the clock is very cliche but it is a part of our band so even though we get some shit for it it really represents the hidden meaning of Time Heals No Wounds. I basically played with some ideas then our boy Jordan from Clockwork Designs helped me really finalize it. It’s just an overall perfect cover for the book our EP is with light and dark textures clashing and a broken clock, it was just a no brainer.
Touring wise, can you give us a couple of personal highlights from your time on the road?
I mean we are still a young pup band wise so we’ve only done a couple little weekend trips but we are working on making some memories. Just being able to play a show is a highlight, every single show I’ve ever played is a highlight and that’s what touring really means to all of us.
How would you say the sound of Owleye has grown/progressed over the years?
We’ve grown ten fold from where this band was 2 to 3 years ago. I personally feel our sound has matured tremendously and we are all on the same page with what we want now so progression is just going to keep going up. It is very exciting with the response from our fans and having them just be like, holy shit this is so much better than anything you’ve ever done. DJ has said a couple people at a show asked where we were from because we didn’t have a local sound which is a good sign that all the changes and maturity in our music wasn’t a bad decision.
What sets you apart from any other band out there right now?
I think it’s just our drive. We don’t just want to be a local band that plays 3 to 4 times a month, we really pick and chose which shows to take to help keep us from fading out. Our energy we bring to every show is on a different level too, we really play like every show will be our last which gets the crowd into it regardless if they like our music or not. We want it we know what it takes and we are doing everything we can and sacrificing everything we can to get us to that next level.
What is the music scene like in Denver, CO?
It is an awesome scene, we’ve had so much talent for so long here and we’ve had some huge acts come from this scene that teaches the young bands and keeps us all really connected. I’ve seen a lot of the scenes in this country and I think we are for sure in the top 10 cities for the amount of talent we have here! It is a gift and a pleasure to call Denver home.
What else can we expect to see from Owleye in 2016?
Look out for us coming to your city very soon as we are working with some people on some tours and we are currently working on our first full length album that we hopefully will be beginning to record late 2016. Growth is all we want and we expect ourselves to do everything we can to grow as a band everyday. Keep an eye out for our name, give us a like on facebook, talk to us at a show, and share us with your friends. Spread the love cause that’s all we need in this crazy life! We love you all! Thank you guys so much for having us on and keep doing your thing!
