Reigniting Nu Metal: On Somewhere To Call Home's "Downpour" and Growing With Their Music
Somewhere To Call Home
Sometimes the smallest of changes reflects growth in the biggest of ways. While Somewhere To Call Home has only changed producers currently for their latest cyclopean track, "Downpour," the band has been through so much more than that to attain the level of success they have now in the scene. Having completed 15 regional tours including Canada and three full United States tours, the band is already well-seasoned when it comes to showing the world what they have to offer.
With a louder and more dynamic sound than one would anticipate from 2018's Haunted and 2019's Panic Disorder, Somewhere To Call Home is organically showcasing their expertise with fast pummeling guitar riffs, percussive delivery, and engaging, crude vocal delivery.
While the fresh nu-metalcore band is still getting their feet wet into the scene, their sound shows and pays in dividends that they are ready for the next steps ahead for their future in the metalcore genre. The band is here with Scene Daddy to talk about their new track, their experience in the scene, and what's next for them this year.
How did Somewhere To Call Home get started? What was the music scene like when you guys first started developing your band?
We were all in separate bands before this and decided to make Somewhere to Call Home roughly four years ago. Our only original members standing are Tom (Bass) and David (Guitar). Alex (Vocals) joined us a few years back after leaving his band, Lowpoints. Then Jaddus (Guitar) followed by joining a couple of years ago after leaving his band, Callosity. The music scene back then was pretty similar to today. We didn't start aggressively touring and making lots of music until a year and a half into the band's life. That's when we really shifted gears and kept a consistent tour schedule, always hitting new areas and expanding our reach.
What are your music influences? How were you able to sew them into your latest single," Downpour?"
We took influence from our favorite heavy hitters like Prison, Barrier, and Gideon. For this release, we also took some inspiration from true "metalcore" bands, as you will hear within the song's structure.
Lyrically speaking, Where are you coming from with this latest single? Can we talk about what led up to this being written?
Somewhere To Call Home “Downpour” Single Art
The song lyrically was inspired by a feeling of apathy. It's about being in this state of mind where everything feels dull. Nothing feels good to you anymore, sort of like an emotional numbness. This song came about after it was presented by our guitarist Jaddus as a full song. From there, tweaks were made in the demoing stage, but we kept it close to its original sound. We knew from the get-go what we wanted.
How do you feel this is different from your latest EP releases Haunted and Panic Disorder?
This release is surely different from our older music. The biggest difference being that this is our first-time SWTCH has gone to another producer. Normally, we record with Jonathan Folino at Insightful Recordings in Latham, NY. However, we decided to go out of our comfort zone and try a fresh new mind. It was super nice working with Tyler Shoemaker at Grayscale Recordings in Ballston Spa, NY. Being able to create this song with a whole different workflow is exactly what we wanted. Who knows, maybe you'll continue to see more producers down the road as we experiment with our music and sound.
What was the writing and recording process like? I imagine this was quite different from your last two EP's considering "Downpour" almost feels like hearing a brand new experience in some ways. The approach feels more aggressive and in-your-face in terms of instrumental and vocal delivery.
The difference was changing producers. But, we certainly went for a specific sound with this. Less polished, and raw. We wanted to keep the riffs interesting, the vocals to pop, and the drums to flourish. We think we nailed the delivery of this song entirely and really hope people can enjoy the energy and message behind the music.
What have you taken from this release that you would want others to take from it? Has this helped you grow from your previous work?
One-hundred percent. Every time we release music, we grow a little bit with our sound. If we were to take anything from this release, it would be: to write what you want. We knew going into this release that we're experimenting with our sound. You even hear that aspect from us on "Panic Disorder" with the song "Are You Happy?". But each time we put out music that we try new things in, our fans are very supportive. Be confident in your craft, be confident in your sound. There will always be people out there that will relate to you through your music and support you as an artist.
What is next for you guys this year?
We don't want to spoil much, but what we have planned next is releasing something we've never done before, along with pumping out some kick-ass merch throughout the year. Touring, of course, but there is no guarantee because of the pandemic. But as the vaccines get distributed, and cases gradually decline, we're hoping to hit the road touring like we never skipped a beat.