InVisions On Their New Record, Influences and growing popularity of Metalcore

Lucas Gabb talks creative process on Deadlock, an eclectic mix of musical influences, the rising popularity of metalcore and the future for InVisions.

InVisions have recently released their album Deadlock, the band’s third album that is as ferocious as it is ambitious. With themes that ooze emotion and lyrics that are the band’s most personal to date you’d imagine the creation process of crafting such a body of work either took it’s toll or was a cathartic part of processing and coming to terms with feelings brought to the surface. We took the time to take some of these thoughts and gain Guitarist Lucas Gabb’s perspective and understanding of the composition of such an ambitious album. From what we can see underneath all of the grit are poignant undertones and heart-wrenching themes that are wholly and tragically relatable there is a sense of optimism and hope in wearing these feelings so openly on the band’s collective sleeves.

Related: InVisions – Deadlock | Album Review

Talk us through the decision making process on the creative front and how the album came together, was this an organic process or one that took some adjusting?

Lucas: “In all honesty it was a bit of a roller coaster writing this album. We had to battle through a lot of uncertainty and self-doubt which meant we became our own worst critics. In hindsight, I think that became a huge fuel for this record. We were trying to prove to ourselves we could live up to our own standards. All in all, it was very organic and never felt fabricated or forced because if anything didn’t feel right or genuine we had the time to reflect and re-work it until it was perfect!”

What were the conversations that happened when looking to self record the album? Were you confident in your own collective ability to take this on or did you think you were taking a leap?

Lucas: “It just seemed like the next logical step for us. We’ve worked with Sam & Joe Graves of Innersound Audio on all our music over the years, but our pre-production of the songs has just got closer and closer to the final product that it didn’t make sense to re-record them! Capturing performances can be like catching lightning in a bottle and by recording it ourselves it meant we had the time and ability to really hone in and make sure every microscopic detail was perfect. Having worked with Sam & Joe in recording bands over the years, I’m familiar with their techniques and so taking on this responsibility felt very natural.”

In terms of the composition of the songs musically, was the transition from heaviness and breakdowns to leaning on other creative influences and experimentation a difficult one? How did that change feel? Was it an overwhelming task or a more freeing one?

Lucas: “‘Gold Blooded’ was a bit of an eye opener for us. When we released that song, it really kicked off and I think for the first time it showed us that we can really nail these emotive and catchy choruses and that definitely fed into the writing process for Deadlock. Having no live music throughout the duration of the writing process allowed us to dig deeper and  try some new ideas that we probably wouldn’t try otherwise. This time we weren’t drawing most of our inspiration from live music, where at small shows breakdowns are the common currency. We started thinking about the bigger picture and noticed that from all our previous records, the songs we always want to go back to and play/listen to are the ones that have more of an emotive impact and are traditionally speaking “better songs”. We wanted this record to be an entire album of songs like that. And I personally couldn’t be prouder with the record!”

On influences, what would you cite as your main musical and non-musical influences for Deadlock?

Lucas: “Musical influences are hard to as I believe that any band is just a collection of all their favourite artists combined, us included! But for the instrumental aspects of this record we were looking towards bands like Periphery, Bullet For My Valentine, Bring Me The Horizon & Architects. Lyrically we pulled a lot more from artists like Mac Miller & J Cole who have an incredible way of telling stories and opening up about their struggles in such a way that listening to their music makes you feel like you’ve learnt something about yourself! Non-musical influences would have to go out to a few incredible tv shows and movies. There are a few tracks on this record inspired by TV shows and movies that I saw throughout the pandemic that were just cool concepts and thought provoking. You, Spree and The Worlds A Little Blurry Billie Eilish documentary all leaked into our song writing.”

You talk about loss, frustration, self-doubt and other quite raw emotions across Deadlock. Given the more personal lyrical content on the album was there anything you were hesitant to put on record and out into the world?

Lucas: “100%. I think the initial struggle I had when it came to writing the lyrics for this record was due to being hesitant to open up and really address and accept that some of the things, I was experiencing are maybe actually a bigger problem then I’m letting them on to be. Whilst I didn’t really appreciate it at the time, looking back now it feels like all the weight that is carried in those songs has been given a place and a space to be heard. Writing these songs was a way for me to process these feelings and give them their own space and move forward.”

Were there any songs that felt particularly hard to write? Or did that part of the process come easier?

Lucas: “Each song becomes like a child to you. You slave away over them for so long that you know ever little nuance and layer. But it’s not always easy and I think the best example of this was ‘Half Life’. Whilst this was the first song I finished writing musically, it was the very last song to be completed for the album vocally. The chorus just wasn’t good enough and we couldn’t settle on something that didn’t live up to the rest of the album, after re-writing the chorus 14 times, we finally cracked it and it felt so obvious! Like, how could it have taken us so long to get that right?! But in the process, it helped shape the song!”

This may be a hard one to answer but how do you feel this album sets you up for future releases? Are there any considerations influenced by the release of Deadlock that you have already?

Lucas: “It seems like Deadlock is bringing a lot more attention to the band than we have ever experienced. We’re seeing that a lot of people who had been previously sleeping on us starting to get involved which is incredible! As for future releases, I think it puts us in great stead and it’s also given us a fresh burst of energy and momentum. One thing I will say is we’re always trying to top our previous releases and I think we’ve made it harder for ourselves with this record, but I’m looking forward to the challenge!”

If you were to showcase a song off Deadlock that captures the essence of the album and where InVisions are at the moment, what track would you pick and why?

Lucas: “It’s got to be the title track ‘Deadlock’! It’s an honest account of everything we experienced to make this album possible. It’s all the best bits of iV rolled into one BANGER package!”

Whilst you avoided talking directly about the pandemic on the record, the feelings and emotions purveyed are relatable to many of us with what we have collectively experienced. It’s an unsure time for all of us. Currently in the cultural zeitgeist are a lot of discussions around the state of the rock/metal scene, how do you think it will cope? Do you think it will bounce back, suffer, or take new shape altogether?

Lucas: “I can’t say I know what the consensus is, but to me it seems that the rock/metal scene is thriving! In the last week alone, I’ve seen so many Instagram posts about bands like Wage War, Motionless In White & Ice Nine Kills playing arenas. These are metalcore bands playing arenas, that’s huge! It just shows how much more accessible metalcore is now, and with the return of live music, how hungry both the bands and fans are!

The world is hopefully moving into some form of normality with live shows creeping back in and other doors opening, what plans do you have for the rest of 2022?

Lucas: “We’re going to be on the road as much as possible this year and into the next. We want to give this record the live experience it deserves and visit some places we haven’t been to for a while due to covid. We’re also hoping to get out to some new places we have never been before and play some shows with bands that we’ve been looking up to for a while now! We’ve got plenty up our sleeves so keep your eyes on our socials for all the good stuff!”

Deadlock is out now independently. Purchase the record here.

Catch InVisions live at the below dates:

15.04 – Leeds, The Key Club
16.04 – London, The Black Heart