His Dream Of Lions

The ascendant pop-rockers known as His Dream of Lions pulled their band-naming inspiration from Ernest Hemingway's 1952 classic The Old Man and the Sea. Is it any surprise, then, that the group's got a soft spot for an old-fashioned narrative?

The five-piece's new video, "Danger Close," premiering today exclusively on FM, is a short film in the shape of a longer, Oscar-nominated one. Three of the guys play runaway convicts chained together, dashing through picturesque fields, as the other two follow, the authorities, follow in hot pursuit. Is the vibe familiar yet? The band tells Fuse:

"We had been playing around with a couple different concepts for the 'Danger Close' video and nothing really felt right. We were in the studio tracking vocals on the song, and Ben, our producer, casually mentioned the idea of doing an O Brother, Where Art Thou? video. At first we brushed it off as a joke, but the more we sat with it, the more we realized that we could probably pull it off."

The Fairfax, Virginia act says the clip "was literally shot in our backyards." And while it's pretty immediately apparent from watching, this was an ambitious production:

"Probably the most physically exhausting thing any of us have been through. Everything you see in the video we did—we put on the chains, sat out in the heat, all of it. The craziest part though was the final scene where we jump off the bridge. [Lead vocalist] Seth [Coggeshall] cut his foot open on a rock and ended up in the hospital."

Blood, sweat, tears and black-and-white prison stripes.

His Dream of Lions will soon follow up their Part One and Part Two EPs with a self-titled EP on October 13. Before "Danger Close," the single "Cradle" led the way. - FUSE

Where the melodramatically melodic My Chemical Romance left off (the side projects don’t count) Virginia rockers His Dream Of Lions have picked up the slack with the ultra-appealing single “The Pace Car”.
The cut fronts His Dream Of Lions’ forthcoming Part II EP and combines Queen-esque operatic-rock influences with a bit of wincing fret-work that provides “The Pace Car” a sense of danger, as frontman Seth Coggeshall calls out unifying hooks about robbing the world blind; words that beg for mobs of teenage pit bosses to transform the refrain into a frenzied gang chorus.
“This is one of the defining songs for this record,” said His Dream Of Lions via press release. “We knew that if we could pull off some of the thematic elements that happen in this track people would know that we aren’t here to be pigeon holed as just another pop punk boy band … Lyrically, “The Pace Car” wears the message of the EP on its sleeve “I wanna’ I oughta’ rob the world and sell off all the rest.”
Stream “The Pace Car” below and stay tuned for more on His Dream Of Lions. - Speak Into My Good Eye

His Dream Of Lions play the type of music that lifts the mood and generates a good, honest, atmosphere. Their new self-titled EP is crammed full of hooks that will pull you in and it will leave you musically stimulated. If you’re a fan of Fall Out Boy and other bands in that scene, then you’ll lap this up.

The sound hasn’t been brutalised. It’s soft in parts and loud in others, with a tinge of empathy for good measure, and offers subtlety and courageous lyrics that alter. These lyrics change from being fun infused to being drenched in a sadness that doesn’t pollute the record, but gives it diversity.

The EP starts with ”Cradle” which is loud and becomes a instant pleaser. The riff isn’t volatile, it edges in sweetly. The chorus is massively infectious, and the vocals show attitude. ”He Was A Gentleman” begins with a full throttle riff that generates flamboyancy. There’s a solo also there that will keep the technical fan happy. ”’Jetway” is soft and subtle. It has been composed by a man that craves loves overcoat. He demands the pain to subside. The song lifts a little with a guitar frenzy and vocals that are emphatic.

His Dream Of Lions are a band that entertain but also abstain from polluting their sound with the norm. it’s compelling work. (Mark McConville) - New Noise Magazine

What inspired the initial formation of His Dream of Lions?

Our guitar player Nick was trying to put a band together and pretty much just assembled the best players he knew at the time. I think we were all just looking for a fun project to work on, but it took off when we started to get more show offers.



Where does the name His Dream of Lions come from?

The name draws its inspiration from the Ernest Hemingway novel The Old Man and The Sea. In the story the old man has reoccurring dreams of lions on the beach. The lions are meant to represent a sense of adventure the old man once had, or is still trying to cling onto. By taking on the name His Dream of Lions, we are reminded of the fact that life is about the experience. Events that are difficult to contend with usually leave us with more than what we had. The band will have its ups and downs, but in the end we’ll be glad it’s something we chased.



Where did the inspiration for the EP, Part One, come from, particularly the track, “Saratoga”?

The EP was inspired by our love of bands like My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, The All American Rejects etc. We were all in middle school when that kind of music was in, and it never really left us. We wanted the EP to be something that would hold its own lyrically and instrumentally. Honest, but not trite. When writing Saratoga I was really inspired by Leonard Cohen’s writings. His work has this weight to it that kind of brings you to your knees. At its core Saratoga is a song about admitting your flaws, feeling the shame, and then embracing it.



How does it feel having the EP be already such a hit?

We had been sitting on this material since the start of the band. Finally putting this record out has been a huge relief for us. Before we were scared that no one would really be into our songs, but the reactions we’ve been getting have been awesome. The radio success we’ve had thus far has been amazing as well. The opening track off the EP, “Novel”, is #12 on the NMW Top 40 Chart, and #11 on the NMW Hot 100 Singles Chart.



What was it like working with artists such as Aaron Carter, There For Tomorrow and Joe Robinson?

Very cool! Its strange to go from being a fan of an artist as a kid, to playing a show with them. Strange but awesome.



What can fans expect on the upcoming record “Part Two”?

Part One and Part Two were originally one big album that we recorded in the summer of 2013. I think listeners can expect to hear the second half of a complete thought. Lush, anthemic, and hard-hitting throughout.



What are some of your biggest musical inspirations?

My Chemical Romance, Jimmy Eat World, Paramore, All Time Low.



What has been your greatest tour experience so far?

We played a show in PA where they paid us in shipping boxes full of Mike & Ikes.



What do you guys like to do when you’re not working on music together?

When were not playing music we like to ride around on our scooters, and sword fight with wiffle bats



Interview by Taylor Hancock - Edge Of The Dream/Music Notes