New Jersey’s Armor for Sleep first got here onto the scene within the early 2000s through the rise of emo with their 2003 debut Dream to Make Consider. At a time when a sophomore document may make or break a band, Armor for Sleep discovered additional success with their sophomore breakthrough, What to Do When You Are Lifeless (2005), an idea album following the protagonist’s suicide and journey by means of the afterlife. Then they adopted it up with their main label debut in 2007’s Smile for Them earlier than imploding and disbanding in 2009.
However (like lots of their 2000s emo compatriots) Armor for Sleep formally reunited in 2020, hitting the post-pandemic touring world and releasing their first album in 15 years, The Rain Museum (by way of Equal Imaginative and prescient Data). However not like a few of the nostalgia-fueled emo reunions, the brand new album feels acquainted with out being rehashed or outdated. Initially meant to launch pre-breakup as an idea album based mostly on a brief story written by singer Ben Jorgensen, The Rain Museum takes place in a post-apocalyptic desert world the place there’s no extra climate. However whereas the story stays on the album’s core, its idea has taken on new which means in its resurrection all these years later.
SPIN spoke with Jorgensen by way of Zoom from his Los Angeles dwelling after getting back from the Hi there Gone Days tour with Dashboard Confessional and Andrew McMahon within the Wilderness.
SPIN: How did the reunion dialog come about after greater than a decade aside?
Ben Jorgensen: The precise hardest conversations had been about doing the reunion excursions, as a result of I by no means wished it to look like a shtick. Dan Sandshaw from Equal Imaginative and prescient Data — the label that put out What to Do When You’re Lifeless and Dream to Make Consider — actually satisfied me that if we did reunion exhibits for What to Do When You’re Lifeless, individuals would come out to the exhibits. I used to be like “Nicely, if individuals will come out to the exhibits and luxuriate in it, then we’ll do it.” So he form of needed to twist my arm a little bit bit for that.
By way of the brand new document, that was simply one thing that occurred through the pandemic. It was undoubtedly a pandemic child. We had been truly alleged to go on the What to Do When You’re Lifeless tour in 2020, however the tickets acquired introduced two weeks earlier than the world went into lockdown. So we had been on this state of pleasure to do that 15-year anniversary tour and get the band again collectively, however the whole lot shut down. Everybody was alone of their homes, which sparked the thought in my head to resurrect this concept for an album that I had a very long time in the past, however by no means acquired to make — after which issues spiraled from there.
Talking of the thought behind The Rain Museum, what sparked you to revive it? What was that inventive course of like?
The rationale why the band was dormant for thus lengthy is as a result of we took an oath with one another that we by no means wished to carry the band again except it was for a respectable creative motive. Once we went into lockdown, everybody was on the lookout for their pandemic initiatives. Individuals had been doing jigsaw puzzles and stitching quilts. I simply remembered this concept that I had wished to do after What to Do When You’re Lifeless, which was our massive idea album. After that, I used to be enthusiastic about idea albums and the world-building you may do. I had this concept to do an album that might include a ebook, potential comedian books and all this art work. However once we signed to a significant label, the individuals round us stated we couldn’t do an idea document and wanted to simplify issues. It was simply “Armor for Sleep Gentle” for the most important label debut. I used to be bummed out that the idea document by no means occurred, so I considered my time in quarantine as a very attention-grabbing time to resurrect this previous concept that I had, however within the voice of Armor for Sleep. It may be a resurrection for me to revisit that model of music and people emotional musical ideas that I performed with the band — virtually like a twin resurrection. However my life took a stunning left flip within the course of, and I feel that actually made the album what it’s.
You went by means of a divorce, right?
Yeah. Proper after I was beginning to blindly go into this inventive course of of constructing this album — which was an excellent enjoyable expertise for me — I unexpectedly went by means of a horrible part of my life. My marriage of practically eight years fell aside, and I didn’t have the identical instruments that individuals going by means of breakups usually have as a result of the world was on lockdown, like assembly associates and hanging out with household. The one factor that I did have was focusing so laborious on this album. So I made a decision I used to be simply going to maintain creatively targeted on it, and it will assist me get by means of it. Then one thing bizarre began to occur. I used to be making an attempt to write down this album about this utterly fictional world, however I couldn’t assist however write myself into the story and into the world. After a number of songs, I used to be like “OK, ought to I cease at this level and break up the 2 concepts up?” However it occurred to me that the entire level of doing The Rain Museum and exploring these previous concepts was rather a lot about wanting again at previous issues, and that’s precisely what I used to be going by means of in my breakup. I used to be analyzing my life, how I acquired there and the heartache I used to be going by means of.
Seeing as you initially tabled The Rain Museum because of recommendation from a significant label, did returning to Equal Imaginative and prescient Data enable you the inventive management to make this document by yourself phrases?
Yeah. What to Do When You’re Lifeless might be the album that our followers linked with essentially the most over time, and the method for us making that album was Equal Imaginative and prescient trusting us and saying “Go make the album you wish to make.” We didn’t have to take a seat in a gathering with them. They weren’t coming to the studio on daily basis. So with this album, I known as Dan [Sandshaw] from Equal Imaginative and prescient and he was tremendous supportive. “No matter you wish to do when Armor for Sleep needs to return again, we’ll be there.” I didn’t play Dan a chunk of music. I didn’t present him a demo in any respect. He utterly trusted me. I feel that’s as a result of of their expertise working with me, the very best outcomes come out after I’m simply left alone, for higher or for worse.
The music panorama has modified a lot since your final launch because of streaming and social media. Is that intimidating as an artist coming again to this new enjoying area?
I don’t assume so. We used to exist as a mysterious band the place we’d by no means clarify what we had been doing and, to a sure extent, that may’t exist anymore due to social media. Persons are so used to getting content material delivered on a regular basis that you just virtually can’t be a mysterious band anymore. As an alternative of that as a bummer or like we would not slot in, I feel it’s actually cool. Once we broke up the primary time round, there was actually no social media. I’m truly form of excited to have Armor for Sleep as an lively band with social media round. I’m not saying we’ll begin doing Armor for Sleep TikToks subsequent week or something, however it’s cool to have these channels. It’s a manner we are able to talk with our followers higher.
How have the band’s dynamics modified over the past 15 years?
We toured collectively by means of our early 20s just about nonstop. Then when the band took a break, all of us turned adults — after which we acquired again collectively to play exhibits. It’s a very attention-grabbing relationship that I don’t assume we’ll ever have with anybody else. We’re all adults now, and all of us come collectively to do that factor, despite the fact that our lives have been very totally different. I moved to Los Angeles in 2015 and the remainder of the band is in New Jersey, so we haven’t been in a position to hang around like we did once we had been children — however once we come collectively as a band, it’s this actually particular factor I really feel like we’re so embedded in one another’s DNA. So to get to try this once more with the identical guys is simply actually particular.
Given the present resurgence of bands from the mid-2000s, what was it like to return again when a few of your friends are additionally coming again?
I undoubtedly really feel a little bit bit vindicated. I grew up going to exhibits in northern New Jersey after I was 13 years previous — seeing the rise of so many bands that formed all of our lives — after which we acquired to play this sort of music for thus lengthy. I really feel like this complete scene had a black eye after the mid-2000s, and I really feel like a number of us left that complete scene with our tail between our legs. It was all the time such a bummer to me, as a result of the whole lot got here from such an actual place. It actually did assist me develop up and face a number of darker emotional issues that I used to be going by means of as a child. I do know that my band and bands like us actually did influence individuals, so when “emo” turned the butt of a number of jokes after that, it bummed me out rather a lot. To see it come again once more and to see individuals of their late 20s, 30s and 40s coming again round and saying “Wow, that was a very essential a part of my life, and I wish to present help for that scene of music once more…” It’s a little bit little bit of vindication for me and a few of my friends too. It feels prefer it wasn’t all for nothing, and that it did actually matter like all of us thought it did.
What do you hope the longer term holds for Armor for Sleep?
I’ve by no means been one to assume too many steps forward, so within the rapid future, I hope some individuals on the planet are in a position to join with the album. I used to make the error of making an attempt to place too many flavors into an album — to be like “That is for somebody who’s going by means of this, however I wish to have a tune that’s like this for somebody” — however I knew that this album was principally a few relationship breaking down and that within the context of your life. If somebody needs to placed on a document to go get together with their associates, they’re in all probability not going to select up this document — which is completely advantageous. What could be superior is the chance that this might communicate to people who find themselves going by means of their very own darkish instances and simply on the lookout for one thing to attach with. After I was going by means of what I went by means of when scripting this album, connecting with the albums that I beloved and listening to different individuals going by means of their very own darkish instances undoubtedly made it simpler for me. Simply listening to that another person goes by means of that human expertise may be very useful. I hope that there could be a few individuals all through the course of time who can discover this document and join with it. That’s actually all I may ask for.
