Ocean Sleeper dive darker and deeper into near-tragedy in isolation
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14.09.2021

Ocean Sleeper dive darker and deeper into near-tragedy in isolation

Ocean Sleeper
Words by Lucas Radbourne

Gippsland heavy-hitters Ocean Sleeper were forced to "look inward for answers" before returning with only their second single in two years.

It was in 2019 that Ocean Sleeper released their debut ARIA charting album Don’t Leave Me This Way and after releasing a reimagined ‘Six Feet Down’ in 2020, their first single of 2021, ‘Forever Sinking’, is one of their heaviest songs to date.

The Victorian outfit first penned the track in early 2020 as they grappled with the near death of a close friend. ‘Forever Sinking’ then underwent a deep transformation, as the almost-tragic event was compounded by hard border closures and the sudden loss of support networks.

What you need to know

  • Ocean Sleeper are about to release their first single of 2021
  • It’s only their second release since 2019’s album Don’t Leave Me This Way
  • It will be released to the public on Friday, September 24. 

Stay up to date with what’s happening in Melbourne here.

“These events of nearly losing a friend was so difficult for not just our band but our friends and family,” vocalist Karl Spiessl says.

“Having Covid lockdowns happening shortly after made it even harder being locked away from our friends in a time when we needed  each other’s support more than ever”
“We faced logistical challenges which forced us to look inward for answers,” guitarist Ionei Heckenberg continues. “The result was having time to properly flesh out what we were saying and how we were saying it.”

The lyrical themes on Forever Sinking are quite dark. The song outlines the mindset of an already damaged soul trying to function in the day to day world. After a years of dealing with personal demons and mental illness, the protagonist is finally pushed to the point of complete emotional collapse: “I’ve been falling apart for so long it starts to show”.

Ocean Sleeper’s message throughout is that despite the hopelessness, you can still “burn out the misery and pray for change”.

All recording duties were taken on by guitarist Ionei Heckenberg and mastered by the ever-talented Jeff Dunne (Chelsea Grin, Motionless In White and Crystal Lake). This saw the band diving into their own vision, translating their experience on their own terms.

Pre-order or pre-save the new track here.