Whereas She Sleeps have launched a documentary by which they verify that they’re stepping again from touring.
The quick movie titled ‘The Paradox Of Progress’ finds the band talking about their historical past, going all the way in which again to the flip of the millennium, from assembly at college to forming the primary iteration of the band in 2006, to travelling via each period since. It exhibits simply how relentlessly the band have moved over the past 20 years, and finally exhibits the toll that having to maintain on shifting has taken on them. The highs could have been extremely excessive, however the lows have been beginning to seep in and take impact.
With that in thoughts, the band then verify that they’ve determined to take an prolonged break from touring as a result of they consider it’s the easiest way for them to proceed. For them to have the ability to make one thing that they will stand behind, not simply one thing that retains the algorithm pleased or the momentum going, even when psychological well being is declining.
It’s a courageous transfer from a band that has all the time tried to carve out a means of doing issues otherwise, that doesn’t give into societal or trade pressures, particularly at some extent the place they’re larger than they’ve ever been.
But when it signifies that Whereas She Sleeps can carry on going for an additional 20 years, then that makes all of it value it.
A wholesome means of functioning comes at the beginning.
As drummer Adam Savage says on the shut of the documentary, “This isn’t about us being an even bigger band, that is about us being a band endlessly”.
Mat had this to say alongside the discharge of the movie, stating, ““The trade desires extra music, extra usually if we need to sustain with the rat race of streaming algorithms, which begs the query of what falls first, the sanity of the artist or the standard of their work? The documentary takes you on a lightspeed journey via the previous 20 years, which is usually how our profession has felt. There have been so many moments the place we most likely might’ve thrown the towel in, however we all the time selected to push via, help one another and take the street much less travelled to get to the place we’re. This subsequent step is among the hardest choices we’ve ever made. Sacrificing our monetary lifeline of dwell efficiency, for the wager of what’s attainable once we press pause on the surface world and ‘rat race’ of the music trade. It’s really easy to spend all of your time watching everybody else and suppose you must adhere to the identical tempo, on the sacrifice of your individual psychological well being. We’ve received the place we’re by doing issues ‘our means’ and that is us doubling down on that strategy.”
You possibly can watch the complete video under.
Whereas She Sleeps launched their final file ‘SELF HELL’ again in 2024.
The band’s particular Patreon ‘Sleeps Society’ could be discovered right here if you wish to be in contact and maintain supporting the band throughout their time away.
Right here is the gorgeous ‘To The Flowers’.
