INTERVIEW: DEVOUR THE DAY

Joey ‘Chicago’ Walser and Blake Allison have been hard at work perfecting the debut album from Devour the Day, Time & Pressure, which will release via Fat Lady Music on May 7th.  With all eyes on these two since the split of Egypt Central, they felt the pressure more than ever to produce a powerful, meaningful record for their long-time fans.  

RockRevolt™Magazine caught up with Joey Walser to get the latest on the upcoming album, and details of the process.   When they’re not playing disc golf or being film fanatics, Joey and Blake are focusing on their first love – music!  Being a little older and wiser now, this band is ready to take it to the next level with this album. 

Interview with Joey ‘Chicago’ Walser – Devour The Day

By Cassie Carlson

Cassie / RR:  Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to give us the latest on the new Devour the Day record, Time & Pressure!  I notice you and Blake are responsible for fulfilling almost every role for this band.  What has that been like versus working with a four or five piece? 

Joey / DTD:  We took on a lot of work, but at the same time, Blake and I have a very similar vision of what we wanted to do for this band, so it was much easier to keep the creativity untainted between the two of us.  We have been playing together since we were kids, so ideally we have just gotten better at what we do.  I honestly feel like we are in the prime of what we’re working on. It feels good having the duties under our wing, because there are no outside voices telling us what to do.  It feels like we’re just getting started! 

Cassie / RR: How excited are you for the release date of Time & Pressure?! 

Joey / DTD:  I honestly cannot wait!  It’s been a long time coming, and I am beyond ready to get it into our fans, friends and family’s hands!  The first responses may be good or bad, but I’m just ready for the world to hear it.  For the few that have heard it, the response has been strong and I think people can relate to the authenticity of the record.  We feel really blessed to be in this position.  

Cassie / RR: The title of the album, Time & Pressure, does that hold a strong meaning for you and Blake? 

Joey / DTD:   Specifically it has to do with a short story Stephen King wrote, which was eventually made into a movie called the Shawshank Redemption (1994).  But during the course of making the record, there was this feeling that ultimately everything breaks down into “time and pressure.”  The two unchanging factors in our life encompasses what the idea of this record is.  In the movie, the main character swims in a “river of shit” if you will, and struggles to come out clean on the other side.  Metaphorically,  this movie is really relatable for us.  Plus Blake and I are total movie nerds!! 

Cassie / RR:  The artwork for this album it is extremely intense!  What made you decide on Dmitry Ligay’s illustration? 

Joey / DTD:  Well, originally I was just searching through the catacombs online, looking for someone I really connected to.  I came across his (Dmitry’s) artwork, and it was instantly something that connected to our record.  He is from Uzbekistan, all the way across the world, so we started emailing back and forth to get a feel of what Devour the Day was looking for.  He sent this piece back and we were instantly blown away!  It is such a blessing that we found it, and we are speechless to how well everything has worked out so far.  

Cassie / RR: I’ve listened to the new album numerous times, and let me just say this record doesn’t hold anything back!  It’s extremely powerful and exerts many real-life messages throughout.  What was recording like? 

 Read the review on RockRevolt for Time & Pressure Here!

Joey / DTD:  Thank you so much!  It’s great to hear that!   The first 80% of this was done in Little Rock, at my home, and the finishing touches were done in Nashville at The Sound Kitchen.  We were doing most of the writing and singing in the comfort of my own living room.  One of the best parts about it was being so comfortable, giving us an immense amount of freedom and eliminating any unneeded stress.  In comparison to Egypt Central, we were more able to expand on our artistic palette.  And even though we were in a relaxed environment, it was still all business.  There was a lot of insecurity and doubt before we finished, and we realized that we have received two ‘one in a million’ chances to do this. 

Cassie / RR: As far as the first single, “Good Man,” why did DTD decide to make this the first single? 

Joey / DTD:  It was such a great way to bridge the gap between the end of Egypt Central and the birth of Devour the Day.  During the writing of this song, I literally was on my knees, crying out to anyone who would listen, even if it wasn’t necessarily God.  When you’re in a place like that you question what you’ve done in life to bring such negative karma on.  You ask yourself “is it my fault?.”  I think a lot of people can relate to that.  Our band goes above and beyond because we show we’re comfortable exposing ourselves even in our weakest state.  We’re not going to be a “stripper band” (laughs).  Blake and I agree that this song comes from a place of humility, and that is what this industry has been missing lately.  We’re all human beings; cars money and everything else amounts to dirt in the end, so we might as well make music with substance. 

Lyric Video for “Good Man” 

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Cassie / RR: What is the literal message of the new album that you want your fans to take from listening?  Also, I picked up on a few religious undertones in a few songs, do you guys claim to be a religious band? 

Joey / DTD:  We aren’t a religious band in any sense.  You always get slapped with a label when you bring up God,

or believing in something.  We’re far from a Christian band.  Don’t ever stop questioning your origins and future.  We want to show that we are very aware of what is around us.  Blake and I  have deeper issues than what pants we’re going to wear tonight (laughs).  This album has brought us deeper into our cores than we have ever been.  Taking the risk of diving into our values and beliefs has paid off, and given listeners something more to think about than materialistic things.  

If you listen to “You and Not Me,” track four off of Time & Pressure, that is a song about me and my struggle with organized religion, and the mega-churches that are sweeping across the nation.  Fast food religion has deterred them from focusing on what their purpose is.  Are you even thinking about discussing anything with someone who doesn’t believe?  Are you trying to help save someone that isn’t saved?  Americans sometimes fall into this trap.  There are two sides to it; needing help so badly that you’re calling out to a God you don’t know is there, and someone being absolutely positive of something that no really knows is there or not.  They haven’t interviewed dead people yet to find out, but let me know when they do! 

Ultimately it is our job as artists to strike up the conversation.  We designed the record to motivate evolution of what is happening around our culture.  The lyrical content is clear; no matter what you’re going through, or have been through, you can find a place where the glass is half full.  Kick yourself in the ass!  Pick yourself back up and keep going!! 

Cassie / RR:  My favorite track off the record is “Blackout.”   Would you like to elaborate the meaning on the lyrics? 

Joey / DTD:  I see it as an eye-opening experience and a challenge for the listener, because it is easy for Americans to take advantage of our privileges.  We get so caught up with the day-to-day grind that we aren’t taking time to look back out into the world and take action against the negativity.  People don’t realize we’ve been at war for a decade now; our lack of awareness is unsettling.   I want to listen to my own music and be challenged.  We woke up every single day living up to our title, Devour the Day.  

Cassie / RR:  That song really spoke to me.  I wanted to throw my cell phone away, shut the laptop off, go outside…and “shut the machine down” for the use of a better phrase!  We need to appreciate the things we have, and enjoy what is around us. 

Joey / DTD:  Absolutely!  I really, really like the way you said that – and I’ll probably steal it.  

Cassie / RR:  What was the reason behind ending Time & Pressure with the acoustic song, “The Drifter”? 

Joey / DTD:  I think that song, more so than any song on the album, goes out to our family and friends that sometimes don’t understand why we are the way we are.  Why we HAVE to write, why we HAVE to pursue this music.  In a bitter-sweet way, we’re saying this is who I am, and this is why you’re going to have to accept me.  It’s not a party out here all the time.  There is a part of being born a drifter, with demons on your back.  We needed to explain who we are to everyone around us.  We can’t help it, it’s the way we were designed. 

Cassie / RR:  What are some musical influences as a whole and individually for Devour the Day? 

Joey / DTD:  I have so many influences, but I have to go back to my favorites like 311, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Led Zeppelin, Rage Against the Machine, and the list goes on!  We’re heavily influenced on the progressive, digital movement in music today.  We love pulling from those musicians that we grew up on in the heart of the 1990s, before Nu-Metal took over.  And everything else from As I Lay Dying, Killswitch Engage, Bury Your Head, and that whole metal-core side.  Blake loves Katy Perry and her vocal range and melodies.  We definitely try to keep a positive outlook on music.  We never want to hate on anyone’s music.  Also, I personally don’t like music about getting wasted and such, but let me clarify that music like that DOES have it’s place.  

Cassie / RR:  Do you feel like the vision of Time & Pressure has culminated into your vision intended from the beginning? 

Joey / DTD:  I really do.  But then again it has become so much more than I ever expected.  The decision to be so honest with my lyrical content this time around, it really has become the most fulfilling artistic endeavor I’ve ever been a part of.  I love my band SO much, I love the music, and I love the people involved.  I am so appreciative to have Blake in my life, and I’m really excited for the fans to share that with me.  I want to be that much more connected with our listeners the next time around, so I want to learn what they want as well.  

Cassie / RR:  That was one of the most honest answers I could have ever asked for!  Awesome to hear;  seriously.  

Joey / DTD:  Right on!  I’m glad.  What is so crazy is that people try to figure out who and how to be in this crazy music business, and in the end even after 15 years of doing it…it was so simple…BE HONEST.  That is a hard concept for people to grasp, because they’re afraid of exposing themselves.  I want to leave an honest legacy for my fans, friends, family, and my children.  

Cassie / RR:  I cannot thank you enough for your time, Joey!  This has been one of the most honest, informative interviews I’ve ever conducted.  It gives me hope for the future of this music industry. 

Joey / DTD:  Thank you so much for such a great interview!  I wish I could spend more time but I have another interview to answer!  Come see us on tour this May! 

Cassie / RR:  No problem, Joey!  See you on May 31st in Fort Wayne, Indiana! 

Devour the Day will be heading out on tour soon after the release of the new album.  Members from Bury Your Dead, Egypt Central, and Walls of Jericho will be accompanying Joey and Blake for that time on the road.  Make sure you get out to a show – check out all of the TOUR DATES HERE! 

~Cassie Carlson, Journalist – RockRevolt™Magazine

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