The Refrain Interview: (the) Unslept

Toledo, Ohio grunge rock outfit (the) UnSlept has just dropped their debut offering, the 10-track album Bad Chapters. The band has spent the last year perfecting the album at Mohawk studio with Shawn Patrick Thomas Daley at the helm. For (the) UnSlept, the emotional, thematical density of the debut is the result of years of living, loving, losing, and learning how to navigate the entanglement of the human condition. Bad Chapters is truly a rattling junket that rudders through the abyss of rock and roll.

The album was preceded in rollout by the lead single “Soul 4 Sale”, featuring lead vocalist Dan Cain’s world-weary rasp, a flanged-out bass riff, and some overall great musicianship, all wrapped up in a true radio-ready stoner rock stomper.

We had the chance to ask them a couple questions as part of The Refrain Interview Series. Check it out below.

Refrain Music Blog: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. You have a new album out now. What’s it called?

(the) Unslept: The title of the album is Bad Chapters. We chose this to reflect the human condition and hopefully help anyone that may be going through those very bad chapters themselves. This album is an emotional rollercoaster filled with highs, lows, that turn you upside down, sideways and back again.

RMB: How many songs on the album?

(the) Unslept: We decided to record 10 tracks for this debut album based on the material working together well and the time we had set aside for studio work.

RMB: Is this your first album? If not tell us about your previous work and how this differs from your previous work.

(the) Unslept: This is our debut album, collectively we have all worked on different music projects in the past but this is our first recording with the UnSlept together.

RMB: What’s the story on how it was recorded? The Who, When, Where etc. Was it a long process or quick? Any good stories about the recording process?

(the) Unslept: We recorded Bad Chapters, all 10 songs, in a 4 day period working from the moment we woke until we went to bed at night, only breaking for meals. It was physically grueling, mentally tiring, but also one of the best experiences we have ever had. We were fully immersed in music in every way possible. Shawn Patrick Thomas Daly, led us through the process at the incredible Mohawk Studio in Sandusky Ohio in July 2021. He has transformed a beautiful old church into a studio with out of this world acoustics and charm. We worked together to tweek and finalize the sound in the following months.

There was a whimsical moment that came up on the track, the Job, when all 3 band members plus Shawn went into the vocal room and sang the gang vocals together and it was just a really uniting moment of clarity for me. I remember seeing Shawn stand up on top of the bar and sing over top of our heads, allowing the vocals to stand out but also blend together in harmony. We were all standing there in that moment, exhausted, had given our all, and here comes this amazing moment. It just felt like everything in the world was right, right then. I don’t think I’ve ever felt quite as connected before, knowing I was exactly where I was supposed to be in that moment, for the first in my life probably.

RMB: Do you have a favorite song on the album? Tell us about it?

(the) Unslept: Everybody has their favorites, but I think my favorite is “the Job.” It was one of the first songs we all wrote together as the UnSlept. Some of the other tracks I had already written over the years and Matt and Justin helped me mold them into their amazing new form that has become the distinct sound of the UnSlept. But ‘the Job” takes us through a story where we feel sympathy for the villain, exploring why sometimes there are good intentions behind villainous actions, but are put into play with bad ideas.

RMB: Are there any overarching themes on the album?

(the) Unslept: It’s an introspective look at the tough times we all go through. It’s about the things that people just often don’t talk about: loss, dealth, self doubt, self reflection, while trying to make sense of it all.

RMB: Who are some of your biggest musical influences?

(the) Unslept): Axel Rose actually opened my eyes to what musical greatness looked like when I was in my teenage years. I could not explore enough music after I really just fell in love with rock and roll. It made me want to master song writing, singing and performing and took me on a journey. When November Rain came out, teenage Dan thought, I could never write on that level. It felt like a god-like greatness that was unattainable. But then I discovered Eddie Vedder, and he made me feel like, yes, I can do this. The very first full song I ever learned to play was Pearl Jam’s “Black.” As I have developed as an artist, Josh Homme has become my inspiration for answering the question, what can I do next? He writes in a way that is unlike anyone else, experimental, yet you can still feel every emotion he puts into his work.

RMB: What’s the one thing you are most proud of in your career so far?

(the) Unslept): It actually just happened! We had an album release party for the Bad Chapters July 30th and it was such a success. I’ve never had the kind of feedback we received that night. People asked us to autograph their CD copies and t-shirts, it just felt like everyone had this buzz that knew we were on the path to something greater.

RMB: If you had to pitch your music to a potential fan in less than 10 seconds, what would you say?

(the) Unslept): Can you hear? Can you feel? Do you want to feel more? Do you want to know everything you’re doing is just right?

Emotion introspective Rock and Roll.

RMB: What’s one piece of advice you’ve gotten that you think everyone needs to hear or that has meant the most to you?

(the) Unslept): I appreciate humbling advice such as, you may think you’re the best, but someone is better. And that doesn’t mean that you’re less, but it shows you that there is always room to grow.

RMB: If you could go back in time, what’s a piece of advice you would give to a younger you?

(the) Unslept): Don’t lie to yourself, people love you. Because of my struggles with my awkward personality through my childhood, I was often a target of bullying, becoming the subject of a lot of peoples “fun.” I struggled with social communication and understanding. I had a hard time deciphering who was truly a friend and who was taking advantage of me through my childhood and early adult life. Recently, I was diagnosed with ADHD and autism combined. I have spent the last year researching and making changes to help me function on a higher, more productive level, allowing me to make strides inside my music career and life.

RMB: What’s coming up next for your musical project?

(the) Unslept): We have 2 album ideas in the works. One being an acoustic album and the other the 2nd electric album. We hope to continue to play live shows and get onto the festival circuit. We are actively interviewing with podcasts, radio shows, blogs, and magazines hoping to grow our fan base and share everything we are doing with as many people as possible.

RMB: Anything we haven’t thought of that you want to talk about?

(the) Unslept): We always write with the listener in mind and we really hope that people will listen to this and be able to connect and understand what we were feeling when we wrote it. So if you haven’t heard it, please give it a try!