SPILL FEATURE: NEW LIFE AND ESCAPE – A CONVERSATION WITH OBEYER

NEW LIFE AND ESCAPE

A CONVERSATION WITH OBEYER

There is an old saying: yesterday is the past, tomorrow is the future, and today is a gift. That’s why it is called the present. When a group of friends shares an unbreakable bond, a shared personal history, and proven creative chemistry that spans over two decades, the past becomes an integral part of what will shape their future as Obeyer. While much of their music-making career has been under the name Lay Siege, this transition represents more than just the next step in their evolution into a heavier band; it reflects the growth of a group that released their first album under the former name back in 2015. Now, with children and families of their own, Obeyer has matured into a band that knows what they want, as evident in their next chapter, Chemical Well.

“That’s a big question,” guitarist Jamie Steadman responds. “I feel like when we made this album, we did it for ourselves. Like you said, we have been going at this for a long time under a previous name. We had released an album, and very quickly we realized six to 10 months into that release…we were not happy with it. There was on review that came through in particular from Metal Hammer, it got a five out of 10. We were really bummed about it. One of the comments said that “It sounds like they took the first idea in their heads and ran with it.” That stung. The reason why it stung was because it was true. This new album has really been something for us. To tell ourselves that we can do this, we can do better. It’s like vindication really. We have got it in us and we can put in the work to produce something that is much better than what we put out before. It mattered to us on a personal level that we could do this.”

Vocalist Carl Brown continues, “For me its been about challenging and proving something to ourselves. To be honest, this was sort of a vanity project more than anything else for us. We wanted to prove to ourselves that we could write better songs. There was no real expectation of going where it’s gone so far. We really just wanted to do better than the last time. I think the album that we put out in 2015…when you look back on it and listen to it, there is definitely some things we would have changed. I think everyone goes through that when you write and put something out. With Chemical Well, we really wanted to make sure that it was something we would be proud of for years and years to come. So for me, it’s come to represent an achievement for what we went out to do to be honest.”

In 2020, the band had ambitious plans to unveil their second full-length LP, a follow-up that fans had eagerly anticipated. However, the unforeseen challenges led to significant delays, hampering their ability to collaborate and progress in the recording process. As the global landscape shifted dramatically, the band’s creative approach began to adapt in response to the new realities they faced. This period of uncertainty turned into an unexpected catalyst for innovation, prompting the members to explore uncharted territories in their songwriting and artistic expression. As they navigated these struggles and embraced the changes around them, it became increasingly clear that a much larger and more profound artistic vision was beginning to take shape, setting the stage for an exciting new chapter in their musical journey.

“We haven’t been the most prolific songwriters. It can be a bit of a struggle for us to get songs together. But in 2019, we seemed to just be banging them out. We were coming up with stuff constantly. 2020 put a damper on things, when we came back that head of steam just dissipated,” Steadman admits. “But at the same time, we also had time to take stock in how we were doing things. If we had done things the old way, we would not have had the album we have today. If we had gone and recorded in 2020 or 2021, I don’t think we would have gotten to where we are now, it wouldn’t have been the same product. I would say that the producer we chose to go to, also played a huge part in that success. If we had recorded earlier, we would have gone to someone else maybe. I think we just got lucky really. It bought us some time and a bit more maturity. We made different decisions. It was the right place and the right time with the decisions that were made.”

Brown continues, “When we came back and we were able to focus a bit more on the sound that we were trying to achieve. As Jaime said, we were a bit more prolific prior to this release, but when we came back to write and focus on this, we had a bit of a more clearer idea of the sound that we wanted to go with for the record. As much as we didn’t want to make an album that was all the same, we definitely wanted a cohesive piece when people were listening to it. So I think being able to spend some time with these songs, really understanding what these songs were about, and how they would fit into the context of the entire record was super key. Although we had to start from scratch in a way, it also helped us focus quite a bit.”

With all this growth and expansion, the band needed a new name to reflect their change in direction. From Lay Siege’s journey emerged the name Obeyer, a title that not only represented their new musical path but also captured the expansive world the band had tapped into while creating this album.

PURCHASE CHEMICAL WELL

“It’s still relatively new, the name to us,” says Brown. “The whole being Obeyer is still quite new. We were for over a decade. It was a tough call to make the change. But ultimately, we just felt the new material after hearing it for the first time was something different. It wasn’t Lay Siege. If we were to release this as Lay Siege, they would go on to Spotify, hear an EP from 2012 without me, and our 2015 record, which sounds drastically different from this. It would have been completely disjointed. I don’t feel a lot of people would have been looking at this or seeing the growth of this band. They sound like three completely different artists. So I think the change of the name lends itself well to the element of surprise. That level of intrigue from listeners has definitely helped with the early stages of us being announced as a band.”

“I think it drew a line into things as well for us,” continues Steadman. “There has definitely been a change in mentality. I was talking to a guy we have been friends with. He was in a band called ACODA, we used to ride on their coat tails. His name is Stephen Crook, he’s a bit of a local legend. I told him that I thought we were taking ourselves seriously as Lay Siege, but now we understand what taking it seriously really is. So, I think changing the band name has also shown the change in mentality of the band.”

The change brought its own set of unique challenges, requiring reflection on past mistakes and a commitment to embrace the future. Although this was not an easy task, the outcome was a band that had emerged from the ashes of its disjointed past emerged a cohesive unit.

“I think one of the failures of our previous album with Lay Siege was that Carl had joined the band halfway through the album. I think we failed to adapt to his vocal style,” Steadman admits. “We were essentially a hardcore band. When Carl came in, we were slow to react to it. We just sort of carried on with it. When I listen back to it, it sounds okay, but not as cohesive as it is now. Over the years, all of us playing together, we have just jelled more and leaned in to each other. Bringing in the metal influences, it feels like a natural place to be. This is the middle ground for us, as opposed to what we had in the past.”

“I think that is pretty accurate, I think what we have also learned during this time is to do the things we well and play to our strengths. In the first Lay Siege record, I was coming from a different place, and half the album was already written,” surmises Brown. “There was a learning period for us back then, having metal or hardcore influences on this album was not a conversation we had, it just kind of happened naturally within the practice space. And I think the electronic elements and the clean vocals came quite later on in that process within the creation of the album. It was a surprising element for us that we were able to integrate those elements, which lends itself nicely to the record. Knowing what works for us as a band has been the biggest change.”

Chemical Well intricately weaves a narrative that chronicles a band’s journey of growth and transformation over the span of a year, encapsulating both instrumental and vocal elements. Each track reflects a deep sense of pent-up restlessness and aggression, serving as a poignant response to the fast-paced, technical world that surrounds us.

In an era marked by remarkable technological advancements, one cannot help but reflect on the potential costs these achievements inflict on our human experience. As we embrace new tools and devices, are we inadvertently sacrificing our identities and sense of autonomy? The internet, while a powerful connector, often becomes a crutch that compels us to remain tethered to the external world. This dependence diminishes our capacity for independent thought and self-reflection.

Obeyer’s latest release captures this sentiment, delving into the complexities of our relationship with technology. Their music acts as a commentary on this growing codependence, challenging listeners to consider the implications of a digitally driven existence. Through their sound, they invite us to explore the delicate balance between embracing innovation and maintaining our individuality in an increasingly interconnected world.

“I think being at home and on social media, the ability to connect with people, be online, and being constantly connected to everything is a blessing and a curse. It’s just one of those things… we have young children now, and seeing the draw of technology and sort of trying to pry them away from screens and trying to make them be more active; having that live experience and seeing what happened during the pandemic, life has changed,” Brown analyzes. “With the introduction of all this technology into our lives, to a certain degree we have to tread carefully, because I think we are just now starting to seriously see the signs of its effect on people and their mental health. It’s impacting their daily lives and also what the expectations of life is. I’m a participant in social media, we all are. It is a bit ironic, with the relaunch of the band, we have relied heavily on social media, considering what the album is about, but I think I have enough experience in life to at least make that observation of what technology is doing and it’s not going to stop. It’s just going to continue and Chemical Well is talking about looking at a screen, not knowing what emotions you are going to feel. You can open your phone, look at your screen and it takes you down this rabbit hole, and the scary thing is its out of your control. They try to get you to do something else, drawing you in, and trying to keep you plugged in. If you’re not present enough in the mind to see what is going on and what is happening to you, that can be quite a dangeous thing, and that can be seen with a lot of events all around the world. That effect has galvanized people to do things they normally wouldn’t have done in the past, that’s for better or worse. But I think that is generally the impact technology is having on society, and it’s something to be mindful of.”

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Photo Credit: Kieran Gallop