Watersdeep, a post-hardcore/alternative band from Washington, D.C., has just released their single "Sweet Dreams of Self-Deprivation." Featuring the vocals of Anabelle Iratni, the track is a standout from the group's latest EP Fading Lights. Praise from Alt Press and Alchemical Records mirrors the devotion of fans, as Watersdeep ushers in a new era in the hardcore scene that still honors emo of the early 2000s.
We sat down with Gabe Jaar, lead vocalist, and Rohan Enamandra, guitarist of Watersdeep, to learn what tracks influenced their own work!
Gabe Jaar
1. Underoath - Reinventing Your Exit
"I feel like this song has always captured the overall vibe of our band. It’s the perfect mix of melodic, emotional, and heavy that we always incorporate in our music."
2. My Chemical Romance - Cemetery Drive
"There’s something really melancholic and haunting about this song, and I’ve always wanted to capture that sound in our songwriting. This song inspires us to channel a darker vibe into our music."
Rohan Enamandra
3. Galactic Pegasus - Volenti Non Fit Injuria
"This track had a significant influence on my writing approach when it comes to 'Sweet Dreams of Self Deprivation.' A lot of the riffs in 'Volenti Non Fit Injuria' are crushing and heavy, but are also driving grooves that leave you no choice but to bang your head. The ridiculously down tuned guitars also add to the madness. Oh and their guitarist, Andrew Baena, has a cool YouTube channel."
4. Sworn In - Hypocrisy
"This song has so many weird noises and dissonant riffs - some of which (I assume) are achieved using a whammy pedal/pitch shifter of some sort. Sworn In is the sole reason I started putting my guitars in unnecessarily low tunings. Chris George is a frickin' wizard. When I saw them at Mayhem Fest in 2015, I was taken aback by how low their guitars were tuned. This opened up a whole world for me as you can imagine. The Digitech Whammy pedal is slowly beginning to make an appearance in Watersdeep's music, with
Sweet Dreams of Self Deprivation' being Exhibit A."
5. Whitechapel - This Is Exile O
"Okay, this one might be a little hard to believe. But it's true, I swear! Many of the fills and nuances in the drums for 'Sweet Dreams of Self Deprivation' (particularly the cymbal work) are influenced by Kevin Lane's playing on this song. Now we just need more blastbeats, haha!"
Stream "Sweet Dreams of Self Deprivation" today!