To thrive and ultimately succeed, this process requires shedding ego and letting go of pride. It resembles an active admission of humanity in all of its idiosyncrasies and imperfections. Most importantly, the message only resounds when the audience responds and resonates.
On their aptly titled third full-length album and first for Fearless Records, Signals, Devour The Day didn’t just blur the line between musician and listener; they abolished it entirely. The trio—Blake Allison [lead vocals, guitar], Joey “Chicago” Walser [bass, backing vocals], and Ronnie Farris [drums]—focused on getting closer than ever before by preserving the purity of these “signals” and honoring the crowd above all.
“If you’re part of the rock community, you’ve chosen to be a musical outsider,” says Joey. “The choice represents a certain integrity. We respect that so much. There’s no distinction or hierarchy between us and the people who listen to us. We’re all the same. A lot of times, that’s not clear in this business. It’s stuck in The Matrix where the artist is on a pedestal and the fan is below. We said, ‘Fuck all of this tired bullshit’,” he exclaims. “We’re admitting we don’t have ownership of these songs. Rather, they’re all gifts we’ve organized and put into the soundtrack for a community story. This is an escape from the norm. We’re just honored to have the opportunity to make another record and put everything into it.”
“We’re celebrating this community first,” adds Blake. “Whether or not we make music, we’re recognizing the fact we’re lucky enough to do this. We can’t take credit for the ability to create. We highlight the fact it’s a gift on this record by looking at everything from a different angle.”
A growing discography and countless gigs positioned the trio to do so. 2014’s Time & Pressure yielded the Active Rock Top 10 hit “Good Man,” which impressively sold 100,000-plus singles. Meanwhile, the band lit up festivals a la Rock on the Range in addition to touring alongside Sevendust, Three Days Grace, In This Moment, and many more. Most recently, 2016’s S.O.A.R. ignited a flurry of streaming success. “Lightning In The Sky” generated over 3 million Spotify streams and “The Bottom” cracked 2.6 million as the band regularly averaged nearly 200K monthly listeners on the platform.
Following tours alongside Skillet and Alter Bridge, the group returned from the road to commence work on what would become Signals in 2017. They eventually reteamed with S.O.A.R. producer Dan Korneff [Paramore, Lamb of God], but they revised and revamped the entire process prior.
Instead of penning a handful of songs and rushing to the studio, they accumulated nearly 100 pieces of music on their own. Without showing anyone outside of the core three-piece, they allowed the songs to evolve over six months, adding and tweaking along the way.
After laying down the music at Korneff’s spot, Blake personally tracked his vocals in his home studio.
“It was like being 12-years-old again and locking yourself in a room with your guitar amp and total freedom,” Blake smiles. “We got back to our roots and set about on our next creative evolution through doing so.”
The first single “Faithless” hinges on a hulking stomp brushing up against Blake’s guttural delivery. As a hyper-charged riff kicks in, the chorus rises in tandem to arena-size heights, seesawing between pummeling and passionate.
“The truth about so many aspects of our world has come to light,” the frontman goes on. “Dark secrets are being exposed in almost every corner of our society. The hidden prejudice of how we treat people is being uncovered. Power and greed have distorted our leadership. We are demanding a change. We must challenge the rules of conduct and refine them in every way to create an authentic world worth believing in.”
A barking dog trumpets the opener “One Shot” as muscular guitars and propulsive drums give way to another anthemic chant, “You only get one shot!”
Joey says, “Life moves like a passing shadow. We are a mist that appears and then vanishes. We can strive for success, power, glory, victory, fortune and acclaim but they too will fade. We have one shot at a legacy. We have one shot to be humble and gracious with a tireless and sincere conviction for something greater than ourselves. Keep your eye on the target.”
Elsewhere, “Wonderful Creatures” tempers thick beats and emotionally charged vocals as “Cliffhanger” encapsulates an all-encompassing theme, “There is a choice that begins all positive change.”
These Signals find Devour The Day stronger than ever, but they’re sharing their strength in the end…
“We want to level the playing field,” Joey leaves off. “We’re being real with our responsibility that we’re lucky to have.”
Step Aside
Devour The Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How would I've laugh
With no word
Choose you up
Than it splits out
You without a doubt
You're just a smoke
You're the worst fucking joke
Aside
Of mine
I will make it disappear
Step aside
You parasite
You are the reason no one cares
It's so clear to me
You act up with a strength
Than you hang
All the words
That have asked control
You do what you've told
You lay on your back
And they pull the stress
They speak to you
Aside
Of mine
I will make it disappear
Step aside
You parasite
You are the reason noone cares
Step aside
Parasite
Step aside
Parasite
Aside
Of mine
I will make it disappear
Step aside
You parasite
You are the reason noone cares
You parasite
You parasite
The lyrics of Devour The Day's song "Step Aside" convey a message of empowerment and taking control. The song is about breaking free from someone or something that has been holding you back, and asserting your independence. The first verse describes the subject of the song as a "joke" and a "smoke," indicating that they are not to be taken seriously. The chorus tells them to "step aside" and calls them a "parasite," suggesting that they are draining energy and resources from those around them.
The second verse emphasizes the idea of taking control, with the lyrics "You act up with a strength / Than you hang / All the words / That have asked control." This suggests that the subject of the song may have previously held power over the singer or others, but that power is now being taken away. The repeated use of the phrase "step aside" throughout the chorus reinforces the message that the singer is no longer willing to take a backseat to this person or thing.
Overall, "Step Aside" is a powerful and anthemic song that encourages listeners to stand up for themselves and take control of their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
You have no idea
You are completely unaware
How would I've laugh
I would have laughed
With no word
Without saying anything
Choose you up
To pick you apart
Than it splits out
Until it falls apart
You without a doubt
It is definitely you
You're just a smoke
You are insignificant
You're the worst fucking joke
You are the most terrible and unfunny joke
I've ever heard
That I have ever come across
Aside
Stepping aside or moving out of the way
Of mine
My problems and troubles
I will make it disappear
I will make these troubles go away
Step aside
Get out of the way
You parasite
You are a leech on my life
You are the reason no one cares
You are the reason why nobody cares about me and my troubles
It's so clear to me
It is obvious to me
You act up with a strength
You pretend to be strong
Than you hang
And then you falter
All the words
Everything you say
That have asked control
That try to manipulate and control
You do what you've told
You do what you are commanded to do
You lay on your back
You are passive and submissive
And they pull the stress
And they heap stress upon you
They speak to you
They talk to you
You parasite
You are a parasite
Step aside
Get out of the way
Parasite
A person who takes advantage of and feeds off others
Contributed by Juliana R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gizmo
Lyrics:
You have no idea how hard I will laugh
when the world chews you up then spits you out
You're without a doubt mirrors and smoke
You're the worst fucking joke I've ever heard
Out of sight
Out of mind
I will make you disappear
Step aside
You parasite
You are the reason no one cares
It's so clear to me you have puppet strings
And you hang on the words of who has control
You do what you've told
You lay on your back and beg for the scraps they feed to you
Out of sight
Out of mind
I will make you disappear
Step aside
You parasite
You are the reason no one cares
Step aside
Parasite
Step aside
Parasite
Parasite
Out of sight
Out of mind
I will make you disappear
Step aside
You parasite
You are the reason no one cares
You parasite
You parasite
Zombl337
really need to see these guys live.....ROCK IS NEVER DEAD
FiNiSH Random
it isnt just rock, its full fucking metal!!!
Gizmo
Lyrics:
You have no idea how hard I will laugh
when the world chews you up then spits you out
You're without a doubt mirrors and smoke
You're the worst fucking joke I've ever heard
Out of sight
Out of mind
I will make you disappear
Step aside
You parasite
You are the reason no one cares
It's so clear to me you have puppet strings
And you hang on the words of who has control
You do what you've told
You lay on your back and beg for the scraps they feed to you
Out of sight
Out of mind
I will make you disappear
Step aside
You parasite
You are the reason no one cares
Step aside
Parasite
Step aside
Parasite
Parasite
Out of sight
Out of mind
I will make you disappear
Step aside
You parasite
You are the reason no one cares
You parasite
You parasite
Dexter Funk
That Intro though!
Eli Bainbridge
Love the song, so epic intro
Profu
The intro was amazing, so stuck around for the whole song! Boy oh boy, I'm sure glad I did! :D
Chris francis
That Aerosmith style intro is mint
Pshemckoo
So badass.
Muh Feelings
damn I have goosebumps
Max Piku
THIS GROUP IS SO FKING UNDERRATED