Metalcore vets While She Sleeps has unveiled the third sample from their forthcoming fifth LP, Sleeps Society, in the personally poignant track, “Nervous”.
Enlisting the talent of Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil, the cut showcase the dynamic songwriting that has kept WSS at the forefront of the genre and makes this most recent effort, one of the most anticipated releases in the category for the 2021 year.
While many bands have tapped into personal trauma for source material, “Nervous” for While She Sleeps takes on added significance as a testimonial for sorts for the band’s guitarist, Sean Long. Sorting through weighty themes of mental health and the resulting vulnerability from those struggles, the track revisits Long’s own battle with anxiety in a way that is intended to empower the audience.
“The song ‘NERVOUS’ is one the band has been talking about ever since its first demo. It’s completely infected us since the start and we all knew instantly that something really special had happened. I would go so far as to say it’s the single most important song I’ve ever written in my life. It’s born from experiencing the pain and suffering generated by acute anxiety but also finding a way out from that, which whilst in such a dark and terrifying place, felt like the biggest pipe dream imaginable,” explains Long.
“I felt like if I didn’t write this song then someone else would have. It feels like it needed to be manifested into this world ASAP. I truly believe it’s going to resonate with people on an extremely personal, deep and meaningful level because I feel like it came from a place beyond what we may call ourselves and I feel the song is much bigger than our band,” says the guitarist.
The track’s collaborative partner in Simon Neil, offered his take on being involved. “I’ve been a big fan of what WSS do, and how they do it, for a long time. When Mat and the boys approached me to be a part of their new record it was a no-brainer and ‘Nervous’ is a towering statement of intent for their new era. The way WSS have chosen to promote and release this album, and the new model they are creating, excites me for the future and I am delighted to be a part of it.”
Sleeps Society begins a new chapter in the band’s storied career that aims to rethink the model of interaction and sustainability between artists and their fans. Equal parts new album and mission statement, Sleeps Society galvanizes the WSS community under an interactive platform that allows fans to provide direct support to the band and gain unprecedented access and exclusive content in return.
Among the incentives offered for members of the band’s newly formed subscription model launched in tandem with the record, the track “Call of the Void” gave some 200 members the opportunity to be involved in the recording of the track – loaning their voices to the song and cementing their contribution to the LP.
Sleeps Society from While She Sleeps arrives via Spinefarm Records April 16th. Pre-order the album – HERE
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