Let us introduce you to one of our new favorite bands, UNWELL, and their latest single ‘Airless.’ We saw Unwell on tour with Broadside, Bearings, and Stateside a few months ago and instantly fell in love. So when we got the chance to chat with them, you can imagine we were beyond stoked.
We could go on and on about why we love ‘Airless’ and the lyricism and why it’s stuck in our heads, but we feel like it’s summed up pretty well by the band themselves:
Airless’ is a desperate gasp for something more—a song that captures the suffocating weight of isolation and the relentless chase for light in the dark. With raw lyricism and a haunting melody, it explores the feeling of being trapped in your own mind, questioning whether the world outside offers freedom or just another illusion. It’s the sound of fading, fighting, and searching for air where there is none.
Airless via press release
The raw lyricism truly is one of our favorite parts of this track. It creates visceral imagery, which is supported by the melody and overall sound. And the vocals? Absolutely amazing. ‘Airless’ is a track that has us excited to see where Unwell is going to take us as their musical journey continues. But that’s enough yapping from us, let’s get into it! Before diving into the interview, be sure to check out ‘Airless’ and the rest of UNWELL’s discography.
We’re loving ‘Airless’ so far, can you talk a little bit about how that song came about?
It was the first song that we wrote out in LA last year when we started on our album. It was a brand new adventure for us working with a new producer, so we were very nervous heading into that first day at the studio. Within the first 4 hours of the session, though, ‘Airless’ was basically completely done. It came naturally and just felt incredibly authentic.
With a song like ‘Airless,’ what comes first? The lyrics or the sound? When a song captures a darker, more raw experience, are you drawing from personal experiences that end up becoming part of your music?
Every song is unique in the way it comes to be, but with ‘Airless’ specifically, the instrumental came first. The darker instrumental definitely influenced where we wanted the lyrics to go. I specifically remember It reminded Matt of being in a dark cave, and that imagery is what started the whole story.
What was the creative process behind the concept for the ‘Airless’ music video?
It’s kind of a funny story – We got added to The Amity Affliction tour very last minute and the label decided to release ‘Airless’ right away to go along with the tour announcement. With the time crunch, we weren’t able to plan and budget for a music video. We initially weren’t going to release any visuals at all for the video, but that didn’t sit well with us. On our way to California to start the tour, we stopped in Colorado to pick up our drummer, and we had a free evening to ourselves before we finished the drive to California. We decided to shoot the entire music video ourselves on a VHS camera that we brought with us for the tour. We started brainstorming that morning, just spitballing ideas until we had a couple of cool ideas. That evening, we just spent three hours shooting a bunch of different shots with no expectations. We were happily surprised with the results, and that’s about it! It was all done in a matter of 36 hours or so.
What’s your creative process in general when creating things like album artwork, music videos, or specific visuals for specific projects? We think the artwork for ‘Airless’ is so sick!
We have a lot of internal discussions about creative direction for anything we put out. There’s a lot of input and thought put into everything. Each song, project, etc., is vastly different in the way it comes to be, but it generally all stems from the music. Everything always comes back to the music, and the music influences every creative decision made after. ‘Airless’ specifically uses a lot of vintage/medieval sounding synths and soundscapes in the music, and that reminded us of the medieval/fantasy ages. So without getting too nerdy into it, that was the basis of the visual elements for this song.
You’re wrapping up a tour with The Amity Affliction! What has that experience been like? What were you most looking forward to or hoping for from that tour, and did you get to see it come to fruition?
It has been monumental. This tour was a massive step forward for our career, and we’re incredibly grateful for the tour package, crew, and fans that came out and supported us. It was everything we hoped it would be and more.
Speaking of tour, we know it’s been a little while, but we loved seeing you guys on tour with Broadside, Bearings, and Stateside! What were your favorite songs to hear live from your tourmates?
Stateside – ‘Thirty Mile Stretch’
Bearings – ‘Blue in the Dark’
Broadside – ‘Stranger’
What has been your favorite part of touring so far? Are there any big memories or moments that stand out to you?
There’s an ungodly amount of memories, good and bad, that we could talk about. It’s hard to pick one out, but this past tour with The Amity Affliction was, as a whole, the best tour we’ve ever been a part of. Some of the best moments on that tour were all the new fans we got to meet at the merch table. We met an abundant amount of incredible people.
One of our members spoke to you a little after your show in Los Angeles on that tour, and you mentioned the band took off during quarantine, even though you were ready to head to NYC and star in a Broadway show. How do you think that life-altering event affected your outlook on the band and what you aspire to as a band?
The band definitely wouldn’t exist if COVID had never happened. I think that’s the biggest factor, and if we weren’t all trapped in a studio together during that time, UNWELL would not be a band.
A lot of pop-punk bands have nostalgic ties to the genre’s classic albums. Do you have a personal “pop-punk Bible” — an album or band that you think perfectly captures that image for you?
‘Underclass Hero’ by Sum 41
’21st Century Breakdown’ by Green Day
‘Infinity on High’ by Fall Out Boy
‘Homesick’ by ADTR
What’s next for fans to look forward to from you guys? Any secrets you can spill?
New album in 2025. 🙂
And there you have it! A big thank you to UNWELL for taking the time to talk to us. Be sure to stream ‘Airless‘ and let us know your thoughts about the track. Are you already an Unwell fan? Let us know your favorite of their tracks in the comments below or drop us a line on our socials. We’re always buzzing about something on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
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