In a world of pretty pop, mellifluous ballads and the sweetest singalongs engineered to radio-play perfection, there are few bands doing their own thing. But recent times have seen the re-emergence of raw rock ‘n roll: a grittier, darker version of the hyperbole, a tribute to what made rock Rock decades ago, when having money to pay for training and a studio did not guarantee anyone a charttopper. The Sleepers are one such a band. To The Sleepers, making dark music is not about being different for the simple sake of defying the norm; the music they make comes naturally to them, as it should for anyone who’d call themselves a musician. And while the band members are not particularly dark characters, they have created a somewhat moody sound; one that constructs a greater platform to explore the seemingly endless sphere of sonically creative music. As drummer Steven Jacobson laughingly declares, “It’s more fun being dark!” To an extent they revel in it, rather than creating a front of being dark and twisty to cultivate a certain image by pure command. Vocalist Simon Tamblyn describes themselves as “big girls who love to listen to ballads”, making clear that their darkness is not a farce of emotions deeper than anyone else’s. What they play is real to them, and it’s a bonus that it happens to be real to others too. The Sleepers have gigged predominantly in their hometown, with one or two ventures up the coast. While they’re taking things slow, they’re nonetheless gaining momentum. From picking up a guitar in school and teaching himself Smashing Pumpkins covers, guitarist Adam Hill has come a long way, and he shares the band’s aspirations for bigger things. Having recently played with Pretorian band, Isochronous, all members have their eyes set on the north for shows, as well as major festivals. Their live performances are loud and all-over-the-place in a rockstar kinda way that thunders of their love for being onstage.
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one small seed
The Sleepers are artists, beyond being musicians. Each gig poster is designed by Adam, who explains that the music and the graphics feed off each other in the creative process, amalgamating all aspects of their lives as musicians, performers and artists into something complete, unique and true. Their posters have quickly acquired a reputation, and if they’re not selling fast after gigs, they’re being stolen off walls and streetlights. Like their posters, their debut album is now in equally high demand after its much-anticipated, somewhat timeous release. Entitled A Signal Path, it boasts mastering in the true sense of the word and has been well worth the wait for all fans and losers of faith. It also flaunts incredible album art, and Adam stresses the importance he puts on creating artwork that is of a standard comparable to his band’s music. Essentially the darkness in The Sleepers’ music is not about colour so much as contrast. On its own, it is not exactly gloomy. But juxtaposed against the lively, buoyant music pumped out by the gallon worldwide, it is obvious why it is perceived to be so. Their music is by no means depressing, as is often assumed of that which defies the pop princesses and popped collars of today. A lot of their ‘dark sound’ is actually uplifting. Darkness cannot exist without light and light would be dark without darkness to compare it to. The Sleepers straddle both worlds, using light to enhance the dark, and darkness to create something stirring. It is a thrust of emotion. It is not for everyone, but it is from the heart. Whether the heart is a dark place or not, it is ultimately where all inspiration should be born. www.thesleepers.co.za