Photo Credit: Kyrhian Balmelli
Dreamshade released their new album A Pale Blue Dot earlier this month, inspired by US scientist Carl Sagan‘s famous book Pale Blue Dot. Ahead of the release, the Swiss metallers teamed up with Italian singer Rose Villain for their single Stone Cold Digital, which explores the negative impacts of technology and social media addiction. We caught up with vocalist Kevin Calì to find out more, including the song’s writing process, themes and stories from behind the scenes.
Can you give us your quick elevator pitch on this track? Why does this one standout for you?
It’s certainly a singular piece for us, as it detaches a little from our usual style. Indeed, it’s the first time that we have written such a particular and unique song. I find the topic raised very interesting, because it’s something that concerns us all closely today and certainly makes us reflect on many aspects. The song is about the downsides of technology and social media addiction and our aim was to highlight the problems this new modern life can have. I believe social media is a very useful tool when used intelligently. There are more and more abuses and wrong ways of using this technology and unfortunately it’s a phenomenon seen very often today. I believe that it’s up to each of us to become aware of this ‘new’ medium that has been made available to us and to use it in the most reasonable way possible.
How did you tackle the writing process for the song? Was there anything unique about this track compared to your usual/previous approach?
Well, certainly the writing approach for this song was different from our usual, and the fact that we had the possibility to collaborate with Rose Villain also made us think out of the box. We wanted something that married well with her voice and we had to find the right parts to let her sing. That’s why in this song we focused more on a versatile sound, dynamic and with atmospheric parts that are out of the ordinary for us. Also, we really love to experiment with different vocal styles.
Can you tell us how the song’s theme came about?
The song comes out of the need to communicate our point of view to our listeners. Make them aware of what we think is happening around us and that technology is a powerful tool, that can facilitate but also harm us if not used correctly. It’s a tool that can bring people closer, it can help keep us in contact at a distance, but it also has dark sides that, if not taken into consideration, can distance us. There are many pros and cons regarding these means of communication and it’s in our interest not to become slaves of them, but to take advantage of them instead.
Tell us about the video, do the themes of the single transfer to the video?
Yes, of course the theme of the song is also transferred to the video. In fact, we wanted to highlight two very distinct eras. The video starts in the 50s / 60s where the technology was still to be discovered and there was a more serene, convivial type of atmosphere and life was less hectic. The boys are at the diner pub where they dance, play pinball and have real contact with others. The main character then time travels and gets catapulted to the present day, where he finds a completely different world where the new generation appears to be enslaved by their devices. Technology sells us solutions while it creates problems.
Do you have any behind the scenes stories from the video shoot?
Yeah! There are certainly a lot of backstories that have made things more laborious for us. We had to deal with the COVID-19 situation and all the restrictions it entails. It wasn’t easy to organise, plan and manage the people on set. We had a really strict time schedule and only one weekend to get it all done, so we couldn’t do wrong. It was stressful, but also an experience that we will not forget and that taught us a lot. In a way we are used to working under stress, but it was the first time that we had to create something unique in a very short time and with these kinds of limitations. In the end, the effort paid off and we are very happy with the final result.
Anything else you’d like to add for our readers?
We live in a moment where we can’t wait to get back to living our lives in total freedom. Don’t get caught up in the negativity of what’s happening to us. Take care of yourself, your loved ones, others and the beauty that surrounds us. This is the energy and motivation we need and will give us the strength to return to the ‘light’ more aware than before of what is at stake. See you soon on the road guys!!
Dreamshade‘s new album A Pale Blue Dot is out now, available to stream or purchase HERE.
