Two Eyes Open is as a pop-punk solo project fronted by Dustin Parlier, singer/songwriter from Boone, North Carolina.

Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.

So technically, Two Eyes Open is just a one-man band for the time being (Dustin Parlier; singer/songwriter, guitar, bass). I put my first single, Disregard, out in late February and we all know what happened to the world shortly after with COVID-19 and all. Two Eyes Open is sort of a collective entity in that I've got a team of sorts behind the scenes, so it's not completely lonely up here, haha.

For starters, what bands were you a part of prior to Two Eyes Open?

The last band I was a part of was called BanDam based out of Boone, NC. I played with them through a majority of my college years. They're a great group of guys and we would play a large variety of covers with a few originals at bars, weddings, and so on. That was really how I developed a lot of my chops and ear for harmonies and got some stage experience, so I owe a lot to them.

They still play to this day quite often. For a majority of my time with them I played bass, but dabbled in guitars and keyboard for a little while. Prior to that, I played in a band in high school called Fringe Society, and that was my first taste of actually playing with other people.

How long has the band been around?

Two Eyes Open has been around off and on since 2015, and some of my songs, like Inconvenience, were written back then. We all went our separate ways after college though, and then I started really revisiting and writing for Two Eyes Open between 2018-2019. 2020 was the year I decided to put myself out there.

What’s the origin of the name and have you changed the band’s name before?

I really just wanted a name that was, as I describe, "neutral". Nothing limited by genre. For example, I always loved names like A Day To Remember because a band with that name could make any kind of music except maybe like, ambient soundscapes or something, haha. I think initially I thought of Eyes Wide Open but that's already another band. Two Eyes Open came shortly thereafter and I have grown to like the name a lot more over time. Back in 2015 we were Burning Bridges, which ultimately felt too much like a metal band. I had the name Two Eyes Open in my head as far back as 2011, and I just decided to embrace it years later.

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?

So I [Dustin Parlier] have written everything thus far with some minor exceptions. It's not on the books right now but on a future release I have some plans to revitalize some old songs that the Burning Bridges iteration of the band wrote. A lot of my songs could probably be described as breakup songs on a surface level but they usually revolve around different types and stages of relationships. I won't speak much about what's coming in the future but even the songs I have out currently have some lyrical variation.

"Disregard", to me, is a song about knowing your self-worth and standing up for yourself; removing toxic people from your life. "Inconvenience" is about how people who have been in a relationship before will sometimes use each other post-breakup because of that sense of familiarity or due to a lack of closure.

"The Summer" is about that temporary feeling you get when you'd like to go back to simpler times before you had certain responsibilities. "Face the Light" is a protest song about the current fight our BIPOC friends and family are fighting against systemic racism. And lastly, "Good Gone Away", my newest track, is about missing your shot with a soulmate, but it's also about genuine grief. I definitely think things will change over time; some of these songs are actually older songs so the things I wrote back then usually are different compared to what I'm writing now.

What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?

Currently, currently? Probably Neck Deep, Knuckle Puck, The Story So Far. Neck Deep's newest album has really been inspiring me. Some of my all-time inspirations are Sum 41, Static-X, Linkin Park, Box Car Racer, and Jon Bellion. You don't always hear that in my music, though.

Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?

Definitely Sum 41. That band changed my life. But Two Eyes Open was a "real" band following a Warped Tour that I attended with some friends in 2015. We were a three-piece back then; my friend Colt Jensen on the bass and Brian Perry on the drums. I'd say the Warped Tour really was what made us want to move the band into reality at the time.

What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc …

I haven't played a show in a long time, but yeah, definitely some push-ups to get the blood pumping and I think vocal warm-ups are very important. I didn't use to take those seriously but lately it's become more important. Sleep is important too.

What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?

So far the biggest thing I would say from a notoriety standpoint is that Matt Heafy from Trivium listened to and apparently liked my cover of their song "Sickness Unto You". I asked him for his honest thoughts on Cameo. I was absolutely blown away. More recently though, something that meant a lot to me was making the music video for "Good Gone Away". My girlfriend and I have been in a long distance relationship for awhile and I went up to Philadelphia to visit her.

I had no idea what I wanted to do for the video; I just had loose concepts and ideas. I was frankly a little overwhelmed, to be honest; I felt like I needed to have a crew. But we ended up piecemealing ideas together and I think we came out with a pretty compelling video completely by ourselves. Everything was shot with our cell phones, free Instagram filters, and a VHS filter app. It was a lot of fun and something that I'll never forget.

If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?

Sum 41, blink-182, New Found Glory, Green Day -- any of those "Godfathers of Pop Punk" kind of bands would be the most obvious big dream for me. Those bands have just had such an impact on me as a musician and a music fan and a person. If I ever opened for the Foo Fighters, I think I'd die. There are a lot of smaller up-and-coming bands I'd love to tour with one day when all this craziness is over.

Some of the bands I'd love to play with would be Cheer Up Dusty; The Maguas; All Systems Go; As The City Sleeps; and No, This is Patrick! as well as my friends Brian Quirk, Nate Flud, and Trent Jeffrey. They all make really cool music and are great, genuine dudes as well. There is a lot to love in the scene in 2020.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I'd just like to say that if you're taking the time to read this right now, you are either someone who knows me or knows my music in some shape or form. Even if you don't know me or have never heard my music, I'd like to give a huge shout-out to you for reading this far and giving your attention to me, even if just for a passing moment.