Awake & Dreaming’s Massive, Introspective Journey on Debut Album, Inevitable

Canadian alt-rock band Awake & Dreaming generate a signature magic that happens when moving music is translated out of the internal journey of a late-night confession muttered into the dark. On their debut record, Inevitable, Awake & Dreaming conjure the viscera of the 2 a.m. headspace where your brain cycles through every heavy thing dragging you down while lighting a fire to show you the way out of it. Emotionally immersive and in step with bands like Radiohead, Muse, Metric, Arctic Monkeys, The Cranberries, and Keane, their musical introduction to the world swallows you like a beautifully engulfing wave.

Releasing today, October 16th, Inevitable by Awake & Dreaming is an album that serves as a portal to an immersive journey through humanity, connectedness, dualities of life, and the endless spaces between it all.

Listen to Awake & Dreaming’s new record, Inevitable

The ten tracks function as a cohesive theatrical journey rather than a scattered playlist of singles. It plays out as an earnest engagement with the subconscious, and, at least for my ears, a sort of liminal mind-body awareness that was as engaging as it was disarming to sink into.

The record opens with “I U Me.” The title teases that its premise is about belonging to something, and it only gets more connected from there. The track is about a collective ability to lean on each other as other parts of the same machinery when the external noise gets unbearable. It’s a functional thread to the entire record, and somewhat of a mantra that the band carries with them as they begin the walk home with us, so to speak.

Watch their official music video for “I U Me”

By the time the second track “Rewire” hits, the song tears into the exhaustion of modern dopamine loops, anchored by the desperate plea: “Rewire me so I can feel again.” Its sentiments offer a refreshing perspective on all we can reach for, answering what calls to us nearly infinitely, excitedly, deeply.

Mid-album anchor “Cold Shoulder” builds slow tension before dropping into a whispered taunt, eventually cutting out entirely so Sasha can finish the chant alone. Meanwhile, “Underwater” floats on a weightless, melancholy current, trading a traditional chorus drop for rising ambient soundscapes. Later, tracks like “Faceless” tackle modern tech and AI head-on, layering vocals in stages until you find yourself bowing to algorithms whether you mean to or not.

Behind the board, the production matches the ambition. Mixed by Jay Dufour and mastered by João Carvalho, the record bridges the gap between intimate piano balladry and massive walls of textured, distorted tones. As big fans of the theatre, the physical and literal creation of the sounds on this record has a professional, passionate edge that isn’t shy or new to thematic and enthralling themes, even when the subject matter can feel darker than an abandoned opera house without its ghost light.

The founding members, Sasha and Stefan, started spending time outside together during the isolating COVID pandemic lockdowns, playing original songs and covers. Eventually, they went on to form an official four-piece with members Ryan and Phil. They balance varied day jobs in tech, writing, and academia with a deeply collaborative musical ambition. Seems almost like things worked out like a beautiful script from the cosmos to bring together this group of sharp, considerate, and creative minds.

As a group, as an entire record, Awake & Dreaming’s Inevitable is essentially an exploration of the human experience in a digital world designed to numb us out. They find ways to create sonic landscapes that feel like you’re watching someone’s mind play out on a mental stage of your own, and it’s both agonizingly familiar and too beautiful and immersive to just abruptly smash the pause button on.

The band elaborated on the inspiration behind the songs that make Inevitable what it is with Rock the Pigeon:

“We write about the human experience around technology because the world is full of influences that try to convince each of us how to think and feel. It’s noise. It leaves little room to actually feel and observe what we as individuals actually feel.”

Awake & Dreaming know how to both translate those thoughts just as well as they symbolize them. Their band name references their values and what this venture means for them, as a signal of foundational duality encouraging dedication to remaining conscious while aspiring for bigger things. Even on a more personal note, it’s directly tied to Sasha’s experience with Type 2 narcolepsy, raising awareness for a condition where those two opposing states collide.

Inevitable is out today, October 16, with a signed physical vinyl pressing available. Give the record an honest, uninterrupted spin over at awakeanddreaming.com, and let yourself slip into their intimate and massive story.

Follow the band on Instagram, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, Bandsintown, or wherever you want to discover your next favorite band.

Written by Samson Winsor

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