sleepmakeswaves delay the release of new EP trilogy

sleepmakewswaves — (Image credit: For The Lost)

Australian instrumental post-rockers sleepmakeswaves have announced they are delaying the release of their upcoming EP project these are not your dreams. Originally set for release on 15th May it’s now been pushed back until 17th July.

The band have released the following statement earlier:

"Our heart goes out to all of you sharing in the anxiety and disruption caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 worldwide. Having been fortunate enough to travel widely over the years, we send big love not only to our Australian fans but also our friends in Asia, NZ, greater Europe and America. SMW and our team are all doing our best to remain calm and rational while also taking the pandemic seriously.

"An unfortunate consequence of this is that we cannot proceed with our Australian tour this year. It's not only that the Australian Government directives render events unfeasible - we also believe that it's our duty to minimise community transmission of the disease in Australia. Our hearts are heavy making this call, but we firmly believe it's the right thing to do. Our intent is to reschedule the shows and to retain Rolo Tomassi on the lineup, but that could be a long way off, potentially even as late as 2021. Any tickets bought will be valid for the new dates and we'll announce details as soon as we can.

"We also need to push back the release date of the EP trilogy to July 17, as some of this music still needs to be recorded and produced. Otto has just returned home to a two-week stint in quarantine, and it's not out of the question that someone else in SMW could find themselves in a similar situation. Giving ourselves this extra time to complete the recordings means we can deliver them to you without any serious creative compromises. We are aware that some of you have already paid for these releases, so this decision is not made lightly and we do appreciate your patience."

The band's current EP, No Safe Place, is currently streaming in full at the sleepmakeswaves bandcamp page.

The band also highlight in the financial impact the crisis is having on artists.

'The economic impacts of this pandemic will be vast. For musicians specifically, the cancellation of live shows is a necessary evil that puts the main income stream of any given indie band on ice. This also has flow on effects through the live music economy, as we are just one of a number of bands that can no longer provide work to our tour manager, live mix engineer, guitar techs, light operator, backline/production spec providers, etc. You get the picture.

'If you want to support the wider industry, please make a donation to Support Act (supporting Australian music workers during the crisis). Or buy our tour manager's fundraiser t-shirt "RIP LIVE MUSIC 2020" (available now).

Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.