AOTM - Sleep On It

January's "Artist of the Month" was formed in Chicago, Illinois and their name is three words long..... no, I am not talking about Fall Out Boy.

I am talking about Sleep On It.

Sleep On It is a pop punk band that formed back in 2012. The group originally consisted of guitarists TJ Horansky and Jacob Marquis, bassist AJ Khah, drummer Luka Fischman, and vocalist John Cass. Under these five, Sleep On It put out two EP's between 2012 and 2015.

In early 2016, it was announced that Sleep On It had a new lead singer in Zech Pluister, who is still with the band today. Later that year, Sleep On It released their third EP, Lost Along The Way, under Equal Vision Records. It was through this EP that I found Sleep On It. Even though the EP may only consist of five tracks, don't let this fool you. These five tracks are some of the most smooth sounding tracks you will ever hear. With tracks like "Unspoken" and "See You Around", and my favorite "Let Me Go" it was very hard for me not to fall in love with this band. I immediately loved the vibe and sound that you get from Sleep On It, and to me, it was very unique and unlike anything I was listening to at the time. Between Zech Pluister's amazing vocals , soothing guitar rifts , prominent and catchy bass lines , and short one or two line backup vocals from TJ Horansky and Jacob Marquis, I was left wanting more. I was very surprised with just how good this banded sounded for being only on their third EP. The band has found a way to make sure that everyone is "heard" on their tracks. When I say this, I mean that there isn't just one thing that defines who Sleep On It is. The band does a phenomenal job of making sure that the vocals, drums, bass and guitars are all weighted equally and no one is drowned out. I admire this. While they may be a pop punk band, they have found a way to make their sound unique and stand out from the rest of the scene. While it has the typical pop punk elements, there are many soft rock, rock and alternative elements that blend beautifully into what has defined Sleep On It's sound.

When it was announced that the band would be coming out with their debut album in November of 2017, I was beyond thrilled. After more than a year of having the same few tracks on repeat, I would finally be getting more music from my favorite Chicago band. Sorry Fall Out Boy.

On November 3rd, 2017, Sleep On It dropped their debut album "Overexposed". The twelve track album was met with great reviews and it really is where the band started to see an increase in attraction to the band. For example, a month after release, Kerrang Magazine had Sleep On It in their "Top 5 - New Bands of Year". From start to finish, this album in my opinion is a masterpiece. This is one of the few albums that I actually struggle listening to. I say this because its hard for me to just sit down and listen to only one or two tracks off this record. Every song is special in its own way and so I feel that the only way for me to properly listen is to listen to the entire record. If I was asked to choose a top track off the album though, I would have to say that "Always Crashing the Same Car" and "Overexposed" are my two favorites. I say this because the lyrics in both of these tracks are incredible and I can connect with them so well. Lyrics are one of the key components as to why I believe Sleep On It is a cut above the rest and is destined for great things. (I will touch on this later)

Getting back to their debut record, a whole year after the release, two of my top five tracks in my "Spotify Wrapped - 2018" were off this album, "Window" and "Fireworks". Overall, Sleep On It had six tracks on my Top 100 List this year which tied State Champs for the most amount of songs from the same band. This made me laugh. Why you may ask? This is because Derek DiScanio who is the lead singer of State Champs, had a helping hand in producing Sleep On It's debut album. DiScanio even features on one of the singles off the record, "Fireworks".

Following the release of this record, Sleep On It wasted no time going out and touring this album (rightfully so). Three days after Overexposed released, they embarked on the "Monster Energy - Made in America Tour" with Waterparks, As It Is, and Chapel. Following this, they played a few shows over in the UK. Over the summer, Sleep On It had the privilege of making the journey across the US on the Vans Warped Tour's final cross country trek. I had the privilege of finally getting to see Sleep On It perform live for the first time this summer at Warped. (See photo) They then went on tour again this fall opening up for With Confidence and Broadside. I admire this band so much for taking the time to get out there and tour. I have seen numerous videos of the guys talking about how rough tour life is, (Band Invaders, etc.) and yet they are out there doing it trying to promote their band. For the Made in America Tour, they actually had only a van and a trailer. On Warped Tour, they had to share a bus with another band which could not have been easy. I saw the dedication in these guys first hand at Warped Tour this summer. Before the day started and at the very end of the day, these guys were out there grinding trying to promote the band and sell records. It is so admirable to see these guys endure what they do because they believe in themselves that much.

Warped Tour "Mission"

They aren't alone as there are many people like myself who have been going around independently trying to promote the band. Earlier this year, the band actually created "The Sleepy Head Team" which is their official street team. This is a direct line of communication between the band and some of its most loyal followers. Periodically, the band will send out an email with a "Mission" whether that be to share the band on social media, etc. Once you have completed the mission, you simply send the band an email with proof and then there is usually a "reward"which in some cases has been being entered into a raffle for goodie bags, etc. For example, the "Mission" for Warped Tour was to make signs to post up around the venue that you went to. (My posters are in the photo)

On top of this, the band even created a Facebook group page for the fans which currently has over a thousands members. It is a great space for fans to converse about the band, post photos from seeing them on tour, etc. Most of this work has all been done by guitarist Jake Marquis who is the "Unofficial head of marketing".

This idea of building a community and a safe space for fans is something that the band really prides themselves on and it is something that so many of the Sleep On It fans appreciate. The band is also very active on social media with fans as well. There have been numerous times where I have either tweeted at the band, or members individually and without failure I always get a response from them. Sleep On It have said before that they try to be close to the fans because it makes that connection even more special, which is very accurate. It makes for a very loyal fan base which is only going to be growing in the coming years.

One of the things that I touched on earlier was the lyrics that Sleep On It brings to the table. I know most people will say that they blend in with all the other pop punk bands out there but Sleep On It is able to put their own spin on it which keeps it fresh and new. Many people are of the belief that since Zech is the lead singer, he comes up with all the lyrics. This isn't the case. While yes, Zech does write lyrics, guitarist TJ Horansky rights many of the lyrics as well. Every song that Sleep On It has written has a sense of purpose and there is a true meaning and story behind the lyrics. Whether it be about sadness, being lost, regret, love or trying to be hopeful, they make every song count. There is not a dip in quality in any of there tracks. Many bands write lyrics with similar themes as Sleep On It but the maturity and complexity behind their lyrics are what make them stand out amongst everyone else. I have included my favorite lyrics at the bottom of this post to prove my point.

Looking towards the future, guitarist Jake Marquis announced on Facebook a few days ago what the new year holds in store for the Chicago band. He said that Sleep On It is headed to California for the entire month of January to write their second album. He also mentioned that they will be teaming up with Mike Green and Kyle Black to produce the album. This is important and ties back to State Champs yet again because both Green and Black have worked on music with State Champs in the past. While Jake didn't say, I am sure Derek DiScanio will help with the album in some capacity as well. In terms of touring, there have been comments made by a few of the band members saying that there is things in the works for 2019 but there is nothing official yet.

Sleep On It has brought a breath of fresh air to the music world. It has reassured me that true bands still do exist. This upbeat rock band that has honest lyrics is bound for greatness in my opinion. Sleep On It is simply "underexposed". While their first album,"Overexposed" brought them fans and attention, I am sure that this brand new album coming soon will bring in even more.

Mark my words, 2019 is going to be a great year for Sleep On It.

My Top Sleep On It Lyrics:

1. "I'm stuck here forever floating on a reel that you'll never pull in" -Window

2. "You say you want to turn a new leaf, but you poisoned every tree around me" -Hope

3."I'm the concrete, that you feel beneath your feet, cracked and broken the weather took its tool on me" -Distant

4."I'm looking out the window trying to find a splash of color in this grayscale life" - A New Way Home

5. "I'd like to be the water where you float" -Overexposed

6."Climbing walls I've built on my own, to find my unknown" -Always Crashing the Same Car

7."I've got things on my chest that I can't find a way to talk about" - Let Me Go

8. "You always said that I would be a warmth that you could hold, you are only just a blanket that's always left my feet cold" - A Brighter Shade of Blue

9."My thoughts of you fade even more, you're a photograph left in the drawer" -Photobooth

10."I've been digging so deep for something to keep me pulling myself through" -Unspoken