Last month, Albany-based metalcore quartet Downswing dropped “For What It’s Worth” (featuring Colorblind’s Travis Moseley), the lead single off of And Everything Was Dark, their sophomore full-length and first for MNRK, which hits shelves October 24th. They also announced a tour with He Is Legend [celebrating (almost) 20 years of Suck Out the Poison], Eyes Set To Kill (celebrating the 15th anniversary of Broken Frames), and Teeth, which kicked off last week and will have them at our very own Johnny Brenda’s this Tuesday, September 16th, when they’ll be performing in-between openers Teeth and direct support act Eyes Set To Kill. I recently got a chance to chat with vocalist Harrison Seanor (who joined the band in 2020), guitarist Anthony Salvaggio, bassist Chris Arnold, and drummer Nick Manzella about close to a decade as a band, sophomore LPs (theirs and some of their favorites), and being on the road.
Izzy: You recently announced the October release of sophomore LP And Everything Was Dark. How do you feel like the album compares to your debut full-length, Good Intentions (which I just realized dropped a little more than five years ago), in terms of sounds, influences, and the writing and recording process? You put out two really cool EPs in between. Do you feel like they kind of bridged the gap between the two? I realize that’s kind of a lot of questions.
Nick Manzella: Yeah, it’s wild to think Good Intentions has been out for over five years now. That record feels like a snapshot of who we were at the time—angry, raw, and still figuring out our identity. With And Everything Was Dark, we’ve grown a lot as musicians and people, so it’s definitely a darker, more layered record both sonically and lyrically. We pulled from a wider range of influences this time, and the writing process felt much more intentional. The EPs in between definitely helped bridge the gap. They gave us room to experiment, push boundaries, and find out what resonated with both us and our listeners. In a way, those releases were stepping stones that led us to this album, and I think people will hear little pieces of each era tied together in And Everything Was Dark.
Izzy: Along with the album’s announcement, you released lead single “For What It’s Worth” (with a super cool music video). How did that song first come about?
Harrison Seanor: Honestly, Nick wrote the opening riff of the song, and instantly, we all just knew where it was headed. All of us collectively thought it was going to be a single pretty early on, ironically. And we just kept writing what felt natural, ended up throwing a solo on the end of the song to wrap everything together, and called it a day. It’s one of the first songs we had done for the record.
Izzy: Obviously, that track features Travis Moseley of Colorblind, but the album also features appearances by Cane Hill’s Elijah Witt and Like Moths To Flames’ Chris Roetter. How did you connect with each of them, and what was it like collaborating with them?
Harrison: Travis, we actually met recently when he was doing merch on a small run for Attack Attack and we hit it off right away. Got to hanging on that run, and we were all huge fans of Colorblind already, so we just asked and he was down. Fell into place pretty easily. Witt, we met through our producer, Jonathan Dolese, who was doing some work with him while we were at the studio. Another feature that came about pretty seamlessly and he absolutely crushed his part. Chris Roetter is one of my favorite vocalists of all-time. He inspired me endlessly when I was getting into metalcore and learning to scream and sing, so when we were going through options for the last feature, he was the one I strongly pushed for, and it worked out really well.
Izzy: You’ve actually collaborated with a number of really cool musicians over the years. Is there anyone you’d absolutely love to collaborate with that you haven’t gotten the chance to yet?
Chris Arnold: Honestly, there are so many talented people out there, but one that really stands out for me is Landon Tewers from The Plot in You. I’ve always admired the way he writes—his songs have this raw emotion and creative edge that’s just awesome. His band is incredibly talented, and I think collaborating on a track with him would push us to explore new ideas and sounds. It would be amazing to combine what we do with his unique approach and see where that energy takes the song.
Izzy: I realize this is super cheesy but, considering that this is your second full-length, do you have any favorite sophomore LPs in your own music libraries?
Anthony Salvaggio: Some of the first ones that come to mind are Ride The Lightning from Metallica, Milestone from Gideon, Make Your Own History from Stray From The Path, and For Those Who Have Heart from A Day To Remember. These are records that I’ve spun countless times growing up and they’ve left an everlasting impact on my musical taste.
Izzy: You’re on a really amazing package tour that includes He Is Legend celebrating the 20th anniversary of Suck Out the Poison and Eyes Set To Kill celebrating 15 years of Broken Frames, along with Teeth. What are your thoughts on your tourmates? Are you excited to spend some time on the road with them, seeing their live shows and just getting to all hang and bond?
Harrison: Absolutely, any time we’re on the road we try to bond with the other bands as much as possible. He Is Legend and Eyes Set To Kill have been doing this for a long time, and any time we tour with really experienced bands like that I’m always trying to learn things from them that will help me or the band out in the long run while we’re on the road. Teeth is an amazing band. Our producer one day in the studio was like, “Yo, check this band out,” and it was Teeth. We’ve been fans of them ever since.
Izzy: What can we expect of your live show on this run? I was really bummed to miss your show at Kung Fu Necktie two years ago. Can we expect some previews of the new songs?
Harrison: Tour’s always a blast, so we’re just looking forward to going out there having fun and crushing it every night. As far as new songs, you’ll have to come out and see for yourself.
Izzy: You’ve done a lot of touring in recent years. What are some of your favorite things about being on the road in addition to just playing the shows themselves?
Anthony: For me, it’s honestly just meeting people. You never know who you’re going to cross paths with on the road and it keeps things interesting to say the least. Sometimes you connect with people on a deeper level, and those connections can turn into lifelong friendships. I’ve met some of my best friends on the road.
Izzy: This is a huge question but, considering that Downswing has been doing this for almost a decade, what have been some of the highlights of the band?
Anthony: In the time we’ve been a band, we’ve been fortunate enough to experience a lot of cool things. Some of the main ones that come to mind are playing an amphitheater stage at Warped Tour, playing a sold-out show in a 300-cap room in New Orleans, and selling out our hometown venue.
Izzy: Finally, what are you hoping and planning for after the record drops? I’m guessing some more touring, but any chance of some more videos or possibly headlining dates?
Nick: Yeah, for sure, once the record’s out we definitely want to keep the momentum going. Touring is at the top of the list, whether that’s hopping on more support runs or getting to a point where we can do some headline dates. We’ve also got ideas for more videos and other ways to bring these songs to life beyond just the record, so people can expect more from us in that sense too. The main goal is just to keep pushing, connecting with as many people as we can, and making this record live on past release day.
*Get your tickets here.
