Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
Vincent Torres (Vocals)
Eric Blackway (Guitar)
Tyler Greene (Bass)
Imran Xhelili (Guitar)
John Finney (Drums).
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Awake At Last? How long has the band been around?
Each of the members in Awake At Last all played regionally in different bands throughout our musical careers. It wasn’t until Vincent and Eric came together in 2011 that the band began. Tyler joined in 2012, Imran joined in 2014, and Finney joined in March of 2015. Each of the members played in different projects.
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
The name Awake At Last refers to a degree of spiritual awakening felt by all members of the band. We came together under the concept that music can be a catharsis and a profession, and that calling took time for us to realize. We’ve exercised the idea of changing the name but always decided against it. It’s who we are.
Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?
Each member brings something to the table creatively. I write most of the lyrics, with Tyler helping out as well. We’ve made it a point to try to be a band that promotes elevated consciousness and hope to inspire our listeners to help them overcome the obstacles we all face during these changing times.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
Musically, the inspiration varies from member to member. We listen to everything from classic artists like Rush, Journey, or Santana, but we also appreciate a lot of the bands that are relevant now in the current music scene. However, the band creates music inspired by the world at large. I’d say our biggest inspiration are our listeners, we do it all for them.
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
Actually there were a few concerts that really inspired us. One of my favorites was the Taste Of Chaos Tour. That tour featured so many of our favorite artists that seeing them live definitely made us realize what we want to do.
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc …
Actually yeah. We do our best to try to put on an energetic live show and in order to maintain that energy we always stretch and try to keep ourselves in prime shape in order to do so. We take pride in our live show and always try to bring a level of athleticism and theatrics when we perform live.
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
I’d have to say that the time we played a sold out show in Toledo, Ohio. It was amazing how we were so far away from home but so many people showed their support. There was a time were I didn’t sing a line and it felt like the whole room sang back to me. It was definitely a highlight and I think all the band members would agree.
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
I know that all the different members would have different answers for this but I think we’d all love to tour with bands that have inspired us. I’d love to play with Rush, Muse, Coheed And Cambria, or bands like The Used or I’d love to see My Chemical Romance together again. There are so many others but those are just a few that I think we could all agree on. To play with those who paved the road would be a great honor and privilege.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
No thank you everything looks great. If you have any other questions feel free to contact us.