German band Dreams Don’t Sleep have crafted a high-energy pop-punk sound that harnesses heavier elements and they describe as “energy, enthusiasm and nostalgia.”
The band, from the Rhur area in western Germany, started out with founding members Nico (vocals and guitar) and Matthias (drums). They were soon joined by Nico (bass) and Alex (guitar), who both knew Nico from high school and had been jamming together since 2013.
On the sound they’ve honed since, Nico told us: “People often describe our sound to us as follows: ‘You sound like 2000s pop-punk era but in a modern way.’ This was feedback we got while playing a contest in our hometown, Recklinghausen, which you might have heard about in the context of Electric Callboy. I would definitely subscribe to this, as this is exactly what we are aiming at. Giving people a 2000s pop-punk era good-times-feeling in a time where the world is mostly a scary place.”
Our latest taste of this is the band’s fifth single Disappear, which was released at the end of last month. It opens up with a light guitar lick over driving chords and drums, which drop into a stabbing riff under Nico’s engaging vocals briefly interrupted by a screamed retort. That builds into a big catchy chorus, which ends with the pace slowing down before a big scream leads us into a heavier verse and another big chorus. A funky little stabbing guitar lick takes over, dropping back into a final blast of the chorus.
On the track, Nico told us: “Since we already played it live, people had an idea, and they really liked the heavier way we were heading with Disappear. It is not the basic pop-punk vibe we are normally aiming for, but fills in between punk and metalcore a bit. People should be expecting a wave of energy-driven, high-gained riffs with some nice screams and also emotional parts in the song.”
That follows on from a pop-punk take on White Christmas and last year’s pop-punk anthem Break Up. It also gives us a taste of the band’s debut album, which should be released next month and promises a little bit of everything for everyone.
“Working on the album was a lot of fun, as it was the first time for many of us to work in a real studio with a lot of analog technology and at a professional level,” Nico told us. “Our producer Markus (ml-records.de) lives just a few kilometres away from us (in Essen), so we were able to meet often, improve things on songs, work on the tracks, and had enough time to record a take 10 times.
“Coming from a digital world of amps and then playing with analog gear was a great experience and makes the album sound more authentic and real. No excessive effects, no auto-tune or pitch correction, just the raw energy of Dreams Don’t Sleep. We cover everything from classic feel-good pop-punk and emotional nu-metal sound to Disappear with a touch of metalcore, but we also get quieter and more sentimental on the album. Everything is written by us, and we are extremely proud of that. We are now going into production for the second album, so that we have enough time to prepare for a release in 2027. So there won’t be any long waits for more.”
The Dreams Don’t Sleep sound draws on pop-punk influences like Green Day, Blink-182, Billy Talent and Sum 41, but the band is very much focused on establishing its own style of music.
And on what inspires them to write music, Nico explained: “What appeals to us most is our love of music, which we discovered as children. Music also allows us to express our creativity and escape the stress of everyday life. We want to address topics that we believe receive too little attention, and also express feelings for which we have no words.”
In addition to releasing their debut album next month, the band is already hard at work on writing new music with a view to releasing a second album next year. They’re also aiming to play as many gigs as possible, with a view to playing more gigs outdoors.
And Nico added: “Just have a good time listening to our music, and expect more to come. In a digitally driven world of social media and smartphones, we want to have fun with people at gigs.”
You can follow Dreams Don’t Sleep on Instagram, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
GigRadar 
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