I Prevail vocalist Eric Vanlerberghe opens up on the making of their latest LP ‘Violent Nature’, out September 19.
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“It’s funny that people see things online and assume that they have just happened overnight.”
Eric Vanlerberge shakes his head as these words fall out of his mouth, because it’s a reality that I Prevail has been living with ever since they made one of the biggest announcements of their career.
On May 15 this year, the band announced that longstanding vocalist Brian Burkheiser would be stepping away from the band, with Eric taking on full frontman duties, supported as and when live by guitarist Dylan Bowman. A week later, the band would then drop the first track of their new era, the debauched powerhouse that is ‘Violent Nature’, a song that would then be revealed to be the title track of their new album.
For the unassuming keyboard jockey, this may seem like a quick turnaround, almost as if the band had switched gears instantly. But the truth, as it usually is when it comes to career shifts such as this, is that this new chapter had been months in the making. Everything they had been working on stretched back to the middle of last year, and internal and external conversations on the next step had been ongoing throughout the process. These things aren’t taken lightly, and it’s for this reason that ‘Violent Nature’ feels the way that it does.
It is the most realised, relentless and raw version of I Prevail to date. A collection of songs that feel like a culmination of everything they have attempted, conquered and learnt from over the last decade, turned up to 11 and delivered with the viscosity and vigour of a band ready to take over even more than they already have.
“There have been lots of conversations and understandings on both sides about the future, and those conversations were taking place over a long time,” Eric continues.
“But now, I feel like we are in such a good space. It feels like we have found the Venn diagram of I Prevail, the extent of our sound over the last few records. And now we are honing in on the things that we possibly didn’t do as much of last time around, as well as the things that we have wanted to push further into. I feel like we have really found our place. Really diving in and focusing on our craft and our art, the way I feel like every band should.”
To find out more, Rock Sound sat down with Eric while the band made their way across Europe and discovered all the thoughts and feelings that went into this latest statement of intent.
THE SOUND
Looking back over the I Prevail discography, you can see all the beats they have been trying to hit. From crushing metalcore intensity to atmospheric pop intimacy, the spectrum of their sound has been one of the keys to their success, bringing in ears from all corners of the alternative scene to sing from their hymn book. Though within that, in the past, the lines could be seen to be blurring. When it came to ‘Violent Nature’, Eric wanted every song to stand up in its own right. A proper array of everything the band was capable of, with no filler just for the sake of bolstering the runtime.
“We have never been a band that has been forced to write a certain way,” he explains.
“But saying that, there were songs previously that I feel towed the same line. We wanted to ensure that every song this time had its own unique footprint, and if we couldn’t find that, then we could set it aside rather than trying to force something just to fill up the tracklist. I think there are some songs in our past stuff I didn’t personally feel like I got to put my own stamp on, because of the timing of trying to get so many songs finished. It’s tough. That’s why I feel so proud of this one, as an artist. Making the hard decisions and battling it out over the details are what make these songs what they are.”
Much of that came from the fact that so much of the writing this time around was handled internally, even extending to production being taken over by bassist John Eberhard, who graduated from touring to a full-time member this year. From tinkering with demos whilst on the road with Parkway Drive last Autumn across Australia, to locking in on writing like it was a 9-5 when at home, being so hands-on between the five of them, instead of spending time in studio sessions with co-writers, meant that what was being produced felt closer to home than ever before.
It’s why a track like ‘Annihilate Me’ ebbs and flows between caustic and cautious so beautifully, and why ‘NWO’ perfectly embodies the most guttural and grandiose of the band’s heavy assets. Rather than trying to spread themselves out as far and wide as possible by playing up to playlists, they played to their strengths and took pride in making each storm as violent as possible.
Speaking of strengths, another aspect of the process was Eric pushing himself as the frontman. Already a dab hand in the harsh vocal department, the ‘Violent Nature’ process was his chance to show off that he had cleans down as well. And part and parcel of the tight-knit process was allowing his confidence to shine through. Because taking on such a role doesn’t come lightly, but he will be the first to admit that his bandmates were his number one fans when it came to pushing himself into the great beyond.
“To go in there and not have to worry about if I’m going to hit a sour note or if I’m flat or my voice going out after four hours, was huge,” he beams.
“Knowing I have these guys there supporting me no matter what is everything. So much of singing is being confident. I don’t think I would have realised that without them. And that’s not to say I am fully there yet, but having these boys behind me to pat me on the back and push me along when the days aren’t the best has set me ten steps ahead of where I would have been.”
THE LYRICS
Though Eric has contributed lyrically to I Prevail since the very beginning, harking right back to 2015’s ‘Heart Vs. Mind’, with ‘Violent Nature’, he feels as though he has been able to tap into feelings that he could only previously scratch the surface of. Much of the comfort that he has been given by his bandmates on the vocal front has also come out in his writing, with subjects and situations that he would probably have kept close to his chest in the past now flowing like wine. It’s what makes this record as volatile and vulnerable as it is, and it all goes back to, once again, how much tighter the quintet is now.
“Not that I have been judged or ridiculed or anything like that before, but in growing that relationship and then diving into it with this record and the things that have been weighing on me have been massive,” he explains.
“There are some things that happen in your life, some hardships that you come up against – be it losing someone or the end of a long-term relationship that doesn’t end that great – where it’s hard to look back and reflect on it. Sometimes you need to take a long time to process it, and that can help you gain a better understanding of that thing or moment. Being able to have this tight relationship has been such a huge thing in what has helped make the connection within I Prevail, and then it continues with our increasing understanding of each other and the band.”
The idea of relationships keeps cropping up, and it is a key cornerstone to the inspiration behind so much of ‘Violent Nature’. Be it those relationships that are chopping and changing within the band, or those that dictate the direction our lives end up taking – be that romantic, familial or friendly – the record has ended up serving as an arena for these comings and goings to be scrutinised and sorted. And in putting so much of themselves out there, Eric hopes that opening up old wounds and trying a different healing method will inspire those who feel like they need the same sort of outlet.
It’s something that they tapped into back in 2019 on the thunderous ‘TRAUMA’, specifically on the emotional ‘Goodbye’, a song that Eric penned about a close friend who took their own life whilst he was out on the road. It took a couple of years for him to get his feelings about that situation out of his chest and onto paper, but it was in hindsight that he realised the power in returning to the things that may sting and scare you. That sentiment is littered throughout ‘Violent Nature’, and he couldn’t be more proud of learning how to harness it.
“It just takes time to approach something like that with a clear mind. I think that this record was a lot of that. A lot of self-reflection within our relationships, both within ourselves but also our interpersonal and platonic ones. Even though the pain is still there and it still hurts to pick at the wound, it takes doing that to create something real that will connect with someone.”
For as long as they have been around, I Prevail has been about the fans. About cultivating a community that is open and honest in their expressions. Eric hopes that if even one person is driven to take action by something he says, then he is doing his job well, just as he did with bands when he was growing up.
“There have been moments in certain songs over the years, be it ‘Hurricane’ or ‘Bow Down’, where I have looked out into a crowd and I have seen someone full chest singing along,” he states.
“I could be in autopilot mode and then all of a sudden it will feel like they are singing it just to me for the first time. That passion the fan has hits me, and it’s so humbling. I love having those moments, and they happen more frequently now, too.
“There have been a lot of records I have listened to whilst growing up that are bookmarks in the chapters of my life. I was always so eager to take and filter my feelings through that music. Now that I’m on the other side, if I’m able to see one kid a night that has that feeling for a song that we play, it’s incredible to know that I was once that same kid. Taking and receiving in the same way. We have the opportunity to return the favour and repay.”
THE TITLE
More than anything, ‘Violent Nature’ is an album built on emotions. Which is why the title is so apt. A phrase conceived by guitarist and co-lyricist Steve Menoian, it is a perfect two-word descriptor for the human experience, which is so full of unpredictability. You can see red at any moment, triggered by something that you least expected, and there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s about being honest about what matters the most, not letting it become a weakness or vice.
For Eric, anger is just a part of life. But in making angry music in the way that I Prevail does, it is more about not being afraid to show off your true self. Because the moment that you stifle a part of who you are, you’re doing your heart and soul a real disservice. And if you don’t let that red mist take over every now and then, then you’re just not utilising every part of being human.
“Angry, hateful music doesn’t have to come from you being angry and hateful,” he remarks.
“Human emotion is something that you shouldn’t stifle. If this is the way you have to get things out, be it via a happy love song or a sad break-up song, the heavy side is there for you to express it. I say, ‘Hate is all I know’ on the title track, and we are the band that has always said something that’s the complete opposite. That’s not who I am all the time. But if there’s something that I don’t get out, it will just eat me like a cancer.
“A lot of this record was that. The gut-wrenching feeling if you keep it inside. Sometimes, when it comes out, it can sound violent and harsh and rough, and I think that’s the best way to describe it. It is just raw emotion. It’s authentic and it comes from a real place. It may not be pretty and beautiful, but it is part of what is a healing process to let these things out.”
THE FUTURE
In the time that it took to make ‘Violent Nature’, I Prevail were off the road for eight months. That’s up there with the longest stint that they haven’t played a show throughout their whole career. And though the reward for such focus is clear to see, now they are looking to make up for the lost time.
For Eric, the return to touring comes with its own new set of challenges. It’s one thing to be the frontman behind the scenes, but to stand on stage and take control in the same way that his heroes have is another kettle altogether. But in using all of the emotion that has been injected into ‘Violent Nature’, all of the confidence that his bandmates have instilled in him, and all of the years of practice leading up to this journey into the great unknown, he knows that no matter what, he is going to give it his all.
But you already knew that. This is I Prevail after all.
“In that time off, you start to wonder if anyone cares anymore,” he laughs.
“But the moment we started to play these songs again, we started to feel it again. You remember your marks, and everything starts to slot back into place. And then when you hear those fans singing along, especially to these new tracks, it’s such an incredible feeling. It’s a reminder of why you have to take this seriously. For this reason, you have to keep pushing and give as much as possible. Because what could be an 8/10 show for me could be the best show of someone’s life.
“That makes me want to be as great as possible.”
Rock Sound have teamed up with the band to offer an exclusive red tint cassette of ‘Violent Nature’, limited to just 150 copies.
Get your copy exclusively at SHOP.ROCKSOUND.TV.
