A Q&A with Awake At Last

On Oct. 19, Basement Transmissions will host emo legends Hawthorne Heights. Touring with the band is Awake at Last, who are supporting their latest release, Life/Death/Rebirth — a six-song EP filled with powerful shifts between dark pop, hard rock, and post-hardcore.

To date, Awake at Last has found success in creating a national fan base, even playing the main stage at this year's Warped Tour in Columbia, Md., all without the help of a record label. 

Pictured is [l-r] bassist Tyler Greene, guitarist Eric Blackway, vocalist Vincent Torres, drummer Jon Finney, and guitarist Imran Xhelili, We were recently able to talk to Awake At Last's vocalist, Vincent Torres. 

Tommy Shannon: Aside from Hawthorne Heights, has Awake At Last toured with any other bigger bands?

Vincent Torres, Awake At Last: We haven't toured with that many bigger projects but we have shared the stage with quite a few reputable ones from warped tour and such. We've had the honor of playing with bands like Emery, Too Close To Touch, Eyes Set To Kill, and we even have a few show on this run with Famous Last Words. We always enjoy meeting new bands at different phases of their journey because we learn a lot from them.

TS: You seem to be doing pretty well without being signed to a label, are you looking for a label or do you plan on staying independent?

AAL: We are going to be independent until a label offers us something we can't refuse. In this day and age I think it is totally fathomable that a band can be independent but we aren't completely against it if the right deal presented itself. But even then we would play a very active role in the development of the band from that point on.

TS: From what bands do you draw your biggest influences?

AAL: I think we all take influences from different bands but a few in common would be The Used, My Chemical Romance, Danny Elfman, Muse, And a dash of coheed and cambria 

TS: Where else do you take inspiration from?

AAL: We all take inspiration from the road, the world, and most importantly our fans. We can really connect with our fans and if they find strength in us that's a huge inspiration.

TS: Are there any overarching lyrical themes in your songs?

VT: All of the EPS tell a story, and each of those stories take place during a place and time of an over story, so yes. The different themes represent the bands journey and I've always liked being a story teller.

TS: If you had to choose just one song from your discography to exemplify the spirit of Awake at Last, what song would you choose, and why?

AAL: I'd say Constellations is one of the best songs to represent because it carries themes of coming together and realizing we are all pieces of a much bigger picture and only when those pieces come together are we able to start to see the bigger picture. It's a rallying call to the artists and urges them to take their art or their passion and fight for it the way we do for ours because life is meant to be abundant.

TS: What does Awake at Last have in store for the future?

AAL: Currently we plan on being on the road as much as possible, but there might be a full length record on the horizon [smiles].