WHEN FOREVER ENDS – interview with Hayden (vocalist)

New wave of Melodic Metalcore is underway, and we have a lot of bands hidden in this highly competitive music industry. When Forever Ends is one such band who are all ready to take Melodic Metalcore by storm in near future. With an exceptional album being written and released, I had pleasure talking with Hayden discussing his musical restrictions and love for Sigur Ros.

When was the band found, and what were the circumstances leading to its formation?

The band has technically existed since around 2010 when Caleb started the band with some other guys. He met Jake at college awhile later. I knew Caleb through church and joined the band in 2013, and I knew Brennan through a mutual friend. He didn’t join the band until late 2016. Each of us being a part of this band is actually a great story and testimony of the work of God in each of our lives. Where we’re from, in Waco, Texas, there are not a lot of people playing metal, and playing it seriously at that. It’s pretty much a situation to where if even just one of us didn’t know each other, it’s hard to see how this band would exist. It had to be us four.

Tell me a bit about your latest record.

Return To Your Rest  had been seriously in the works for about 13 months when we released it this February, but some of the parts for it had been written as far back as 2012. It took a long time, but we are so thankful for every step it took to reach this point. The title comes from Psalm 116:7, where the writer is learning how to deal with pain, fear, and despair that threatened him greatly, and he speaks to his own soul, “return to your rest…for the Lord has been good to you.” I came across this passage when I was dealing with a great bit of anxiety and sadness, and as soon as I read it, I knew it was something I could hold onto. Since some of the songs on the record are about that period of my life and the emotions I was feeling then, it felt right to title the album as we did, sort of as a response to those songs.

What’s the hardest to be new to the game?

I’m not sure I understand the question. Do you mean what’s hardest about being a new artist? I would say it’s getting the respect of people above you. A lot of times, people don’t want to help you or give you the time of day, and that’s really frustrating. We feel like we have a lot to contribute to the metal world, but we need help in getting out there. So it’s disappointing when people look down on us.

Do you feel like your childhood and your home town kind of contributed to your music tastes?

Somewhat. I didn’t start getting into metal until I was around 17 years old.  I just couldn’t get into the screaming aspect of it. And now I’m the screamer haha. I did have some friends that were diligent in showing me good metal and eventually, I wore down and appreciated it.

Do you have any guilty pleasure when it comes to listening to non-metal? 

Almost all of us in the band do. Me personally, I don’t listen to metal unless I’m in the mood for it. I listen to all kinds of non-metal artists in my regular rotation, including John Mayer, Bon Iver, Sigur Ros, United Pursuit, Jack Johnson….things like that.

Does Metal restrict your lifestyle?

I do feel some pressure to keep my hair long, but that’s about it.

Which band or artist do you personally hate, and why?

I definitely don’t hate any artist. I will say this though: I don’t have time for people who make inauthentic art. I view art as an especially sacred part of what it means to be human, so when people sully it up with marketed crap just to lie to their fans and make money off of them…I can’t stand it.

If you could steal or share credit for any great piece of art, film or an Album which one would you claim?

To me, Valtari by Sigur Ros is basically the perfect album. It would be cool to have played a small instrument part on the record, just to be able to say I was part of that masterpiece of a composition.

What’s your take on Online Music Sharing? 

I think that stealing music is immoral. If you’re going to steal our music, at least buy a shirt from us or come out to a show. Artists put an incalculable number of hours into a record, and we might never see a fair return on that time we invested into creating this album. Looking back on it, I cannot believe how much work it took to make this album, and I feel like that’s worth someone’s 10 bucks to own these songs forever.

If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be? 

Presale tickets, and I think every band at our level right now would agree with me. Some promoters want to work with you and develop you, and some want to make money off of you. But it’s just part of it. You’ve got to keep your head down and play the game

https://www.facebook.com/whenforeverendsonline/

https://www.wfeband.com/