Delaware Rockers, Awake At Last, have proactively chosen to not allow another season of life pass without living out their Rock ‘N’ Roll dreams. I caught up with Lead Vocalist, Vince Torres, to discuss the doses of spirituality laced within their ‘Life / Death / Rebirth’ EP, writing songs about overcoming obstacles, playing video games ever since he was in high school, food as medicine, law of attraction and more.
Your ‘Life / Death / Rebirth’ EP is laced with spiritually rich doses of lyrical wisdom. What personal experiences led you toward taking that creative route with the release?
I had reached a point where I thought a lot about the afterlife, and what it means for most people. I’ve seen plenty of movies and read some amazing books that had described it and I wanted to explore one based on what I think mine would be like. There are themes of anxiety and depression, themes of love, and themes of heartbreak, and self realization.
Tell us about the profound connection that you have developed with ‘The Awakened’ and what it means to you.
The Awakened is still in its infancy, but I think that gatherings like “The Awakened” are key to success in this modern era of the music industry. I believe that an artist, and their fanbase are symbiotic in nature and anything that can remove all the smoke and mirrors, and put an artist directly in front of their fanbase should be explored. We sing songs about overcoming the obstacles we face while trying to chase our dreams and we hope that it will inspire others to experience an “Awakening” of their own. We want to be the voice in the back of your head that tells you to “Pick up that Paintbrush”, or “Write that song you’ve been working on.”….together we can be a support group that helps each other find ways to live fulfilling lives.
Showcasing the human in you, what is a challenging thought that you recently had and were able to overcome over time?
This industry is a hard one to navigate, and the recent success has boosted the band onto a slightly larger platform. I struggle with anxiety and there have been plenty of triggers that send me into chaotic thought processes. Like all artists I think we always ask, “Are we good enough?” or “Will anybody really listen?”, but the one thing that always remains constant to me are the voices of our listeners who loved a song that helped them through a hard time, or finished a drawing, or project they were working on while listening to us. Every wall that I come up to is met with hundreds of extended hands to inspire me to continue to push forward so that I can continue to inspire them. But when I take a step back and realize I’m just a piece of “The Awakening” myself, I don’t feel so anxious, or it’s a more excited form of it.
What is your perception on the digital world that we live in and social media culture?
Truthfully, I find it difficult to navigate. It has been both a burden and blessing for us in this band, but overall I’m beginning to understand it more. For the first time we live in a world where artists are right at the fingertips of their fanbase and the people who support them. I think that the digital era is revolutionary and i’ve seen how it’s transformed artists and given us the tools to scream our visions on the largest platforms ever. It is highly competitive, but I love that it gets us right in front of the people who support us. I think that like all cultures it has its positives and its negatives, but without it we wouldn’t have been able to do what we do today so it has helped to guide and challenge us.
No career path or amount of followers negates the fact that you are a human being that has feelings. Tell us about some parts of you beyond being a musician that you take pride in.
I love music more than anything and it has always been a comfort for me through everything. I’m also however very interested in telling stories and have also considered paths as an author, or writer. I always like to tell stories with my music in a visual way. I’m also a bit of a nerd and have been playing games like Dungeons & Dragons since high school. I love the thought of exploring other worlds, and crafting worlds for people as well. I’m also very interested in psychology and I enjoy the study of the mind. I’m also an avid believer in the law of attraction and try to live by it every day.
As you are exposed to tons of stimulus, how do you proactively take care of your mental and emotional health when you’re out on the road?
I wish I had a good answer for this but truthfully it can be a bit of a struggle still. I try to occupy my mind with other worlds to weave and get involved with and tend to be a bit of a daydreamer. I try to eat as healthy as I can and the band always goes to the gym while we’re traveling to exercise and create positive habits. Sometimes I’ll play a video game, or read a book or draw. I try to stay sharp and creative.
You have toured with a wide variety of musicians over the past years and have played at some major festivals. Tell us some words of wisdom that you collected along the way.
Be ready to wake up early. I love playing festivals, but they’re a grind from dawn till dusk. However the hangouts afterwards are always worth it. Another huge piece of advice or word of warning would be that the high highs can come with low lows. It’s important to reflect on the good times when you are faced with difficulties or bad times. I also think that it’s usually a good idea to follow your gut. Sometimes if you have a bad feeling about something or sense a disturbance in the force just take yourself out of the situation.
What has been your favorite new city or country to explore while on the road? What stuck out to you?
I’m in love with cities like New Orleans, and Nashville. The culture and vibe is just very vibrant and competitive and there is music everywhere.But I’ve also fallen in love with some of the aesthetics of New England, and we have made amazing friends and fans in Virginia. I love going south because it stays warmer usually and everyone is really friendly. The musicianship of some of the artists i’ve met in Nashville are mind blowing, Canada was amazing as well. Everything was just slightly different and It was amazing to explore a new city with a slightly different culture. I love all of the pieces that make up the tapestry of what we do.
Last but certainly not least, any closing messages for your fans?!
I just want to reach out and let them know that we wouldn’t be anything without them and as we come up on this new year and this new album there isn’t a better time to get involved. We finally found some people who believe in our vision and we can’t wait to show them what we have in store next. We want ‘The Awakening’ to be felt by all of our fans and loved ones and want to inspire and continue to grow alongside them and pursue fulfilling lives.
