‘The Ego’s Valley’: Deadlights and Mirrors talk music, a return to stage and their co-headline tour

Two of the nation’s most captivating and relentless heavy acts, Brisbane post-hardcore outfit Deadlights and regional Victorian metallers Mirrors, join forces for ‘The Ego’s Valley’ Australian tour.

Having extensively toured their mesmerizing live shows together across the country in 2019, both Deadlights and Mirrors are primed and ready to pick up where they left off and dive headfirst into an unforgettable six-date Australian co-headline tour in November. 

Ahead of the tour, which kicks off in Mirrors’ hometown of Melbourne, we sit down with Deadlights frontman Dylan Davidson and Mirrors’ drummer Rob Brens. 

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First up, can you introduce your bands to our readers?

DYLAN: Hey! This is Dylan from Deadlights, we make weird metalcore for weird kids.

ROB: G’day, this is Rob from Mirrors and we’re an alternative band from Victoria.

You’ve both released monumental new albums within the last year – The Uncanny Valley and The Ego’s Weight. Talk us through the releases.

DYLAN: Yo, thanks! We had some tour plans cancelled and had been taking extra time trying to choose where and who we wanted to record our album with. In the end, because of COVID, we had to do it all ourselves as we couldn’t go anywhere. This was a major blessing in disguise and led us to be able to create it however we wanted. It was a huge undertaking, especially for Tynan (our guitarist + singer) who tracked it all. But worth it in the end.

ROB: Cheers! COVID was a terrible time for everyone, but it provided the opportunity for us to really dive into the songs and get them dialled in without being interrupted by show prep (or anything else for that matter). 

You weren’t able to tour these albums at the time, how did you pivot to celebrate the releases?

DYLAN: We just played the top bangers from it on multiple support slots. It was kind of cool as we got to focus on getting those songs super tight. Now it’s time to finally bust out the deep cuts. 

ROB: We had all the usual online promotional material (film clips and singles etc), but we were fortunate enough to have also had some shows already lined up, so people have already had a taste of the album live. So we’re now especially excited to properly consummate the album with a longer set with our own production.

How did the co-headliner tour come about?

DYLAN: We love Mirrors and The Ego’s Weight. When we got asked if we wanted to do the tour, we thought it would make a more interesting experience for fans. This way, they’ll get to immerse themselves in two albums that are thematically complimentative of each other. 

ROB: We just wanted to hear Deadlights play “Born Of A Lie” live six times (joking, sorta). This was something our booking agent floated with us and the more we discussed it, the more it made a lot of sense given our respective situations. Stylistically, it’s a no-brainer and we’ve already spent time on the road with the guys so there’s no question it’s going to be easy and fun. Knowing how polished these guys are is great for keeping us on our toes.

 

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What’s it been like to get back on the stage in a live setting? What did you miss most?

DYLAN: The adrenaline rush of stepping out onto the stage and the crowd going wild. It’s such a unique thing that heavy music affords everyone (crowd included) to really embrace the energy and forget about the world for a while. Being able to share that with them is an absolute privilege. 

ROB: It’s hard to pick one thing. Even just going through those motions where you feel the strongest sense of purpose, even down to picking up your bags from the carousel. Then we make our way into town and Patty’s job is to find the best coffee, so far his track record is unblemished. See if we can get a nap in, the load in, the hang, the show, etc. It’s the ritual as a whole. So yeah, I guess I’m just saying “all of it” which is a heaps lazy answer.

What’s your favourite thing about the other band?

DYLAN: Mirrors music has huge levels of intensity and monumental crescendos. I appreciate a massive moment in a song and Mirrors do it best. Seeing them live gives me a permanent stank face. Oh, and Patty’s abs. 

ROB: I think what Deadlights do better than most is be able to tell a story with their music. The way the songs are structured and how they play with different feels, it’s less about spoon-feeding the listener and taking them on a journey. They’ve done well to pull a fast one on the metalcore crowd and get them listening to some really progressive stuff. 

The tour kicks off at The Corner Hotel in Melbourne. What can we expect from this upcoming co-headline tour?

DYLAN: Bigger production than we’ve ever done. Tighter sets than we’ve ever played. Smiles on our faces are wider than they’ve ever been. 

ROB: It’s the culmination of all the work and touring we’ve done over the years. We’re continuing to build a vision for how we want our shows to play out and we’re excited for people to finally see it. 

If your set was only one song long, which song would you pick?

DYLAN: ‘The Uncanny Valley’

ROB: Probably ‘Rebirth’, it’s mega fun. 

You guys are both on the up and up. Once this tour is done, what comes next?

DYLAN: Diving deep into our next collection of songs. 

ROB: Album #2 is already well underway, so we’ll continue sharpening those tunes up. 

Joined by special guests Inertia, the Destroy All Lines co-headline tour kicks off in Melbourne on November 4 at Corner Hotel. Get tickets here.