The dynamic London-based musical duo, The Survival Code, comprising Gary and Simon, has been performing in the music industry for more than 10 years, performing hard-hitting and energetic music. In an interview with Barbie Edonia of Chunedesk, Gary shared interesting experiences and unique views on their latest release, “Whispers Of Woe.”
With roots in UK indie movements from the 1990s and 2000s, Alkaline Trio, Nirvana, and Smashing Pumpkins played a role in shaping their sound by including grunge rock’s distorted, edgy sound coupled with pleasant melodies. Rhythm has been one of the most important ideas for both of them since they are also drummers. From guitar riffs to vocal intonations, everything is based on rhythm.
“Whispers of Woe” their new album comes to be a wake-up call, it is the result of a four-year period full of tests, difficulties, and tribulations. Notwithstanding the obstacles which the 2020 and 2021 pandemics brought, the album still remains a demonstration of their ability to resist and be creative. Boasting a massive collection of 16 songs on the deluxe edition and 14 songs on the standard edition, The Survival Code demonstrates their passion for providing their audience with the most satisfactory experience.
The Survival Code’s music is thematically a tool to aid in sorting and navigating through the intricacies of life. They choose to tackle problem areas in their songs, such as hardship, doubt, and perseverance. Their lyrics sound true and sincere. Therefore, their songs becomes a medium to give feel to the broken hearted and to express their own feelings.
In an industry where trends come and go, they have remained steadfast in their pursuit of musical excellence, refusing to succumb to the whims of fleeting fame. It is this steadfastness that has guided them through the process of growing and making adjustments to their sound until now, giving birth to an audio character that belongs to no one other than themselves.
Beyond accolades and recognition, their long-term goal is to come up with one recognizable hit that will connect with everyone all across the globe. Whether through a spark in commercials or a viral breakthrough,.
As they gear up to unleash their electrifying live performances once again, The Survival Code invites audiences to join them on their musical journey, where raw energy meets melodic bite and every chord strikes a chord in the soul.
Can you tell us about your musical background and what inspired you to pursue a music career?
Gary: We’re The Survival Code, we’re based in London and have been going over 10 years and 2024 marks the release of our 6th release and 3rd album “Whispers Of Woe”. We had a few line ups over the years but have been settled as a duo known for riffs, energy, artwork and catchy tunes ever since
In 2019 we released our best known song “So Serious” from our EP “Crosses To Carry, Coffins To Fill”. This tracks has gone on to have millions of streams across all platforms helping differentiate us from the bands we started out with and giving us some credibility in a crowded space
We wanted to pursue a career in music as all of our heroes have been musicians! We just wanted to be like the people we loved. The bigger dream has always been to touch people with our music. We really wanted to see could we affect others’ as we have been over the years by our favourite songs and bands. It’s such a special space, albeit one of the hardest eggs to crack 🙂
Who are your biggest musical influences and how have they shaped your sound?
Our influences range from the UK indie movement of the 90/00’s and the grunge and rock of the same era. Alkaline Trio, Nirvana, Slayer, Smashing Pumpkins and Silverchair all helped form the sound we deliver to this day. We love edgy, distorted rock with melody and bite. Our metal passion and the fact both “Simon” and I are drummers means the rhythm comes through in every aspect of our music from intonation to guitar picking
Could you share the story or inspiration behind your latest Album “Whispers Of Woe”?
“Whispers Of Woe” has been a four year journey. It took longer than we ever expected due to that wonderful time none of us could leave our houses’ in 20/21… All that time and energy lead to us creating a 16 track deluxe album along with a 14 track version. All of which the videos and artwork for the release. It meant that we got to endeavour to offer the most comprehensive offering we’ve ever known from a band. Every single thing about last year’s 12 singles in 12 months from album was made by us. All the videos, one for each single along with different versions of the songs. The artwork which totalled over 200 pieces that reflect the imagery, themes and lyrics of the songs to help colour the picture of the story.
Are there any specific themes or messages you strive to convey through your music?
This band started as we write songs to understand and comprehend the world around us. We deal with real issues and we fight for those without a voice. Most of our songs are about adversity or confusion and finding solutions or acceptance to deal with such thing
Are there any collaborations or dream collaborations you hope to pursue in the future?
We grew up listening to Alkaline Trio and that pop- punk element to our band has always been there albeit a much smaller piece of the pie than it used be. There is no denying that their imagery, feel and music helped us to find ourselves growing up and it left an indelible mark. So having Matt Skiba on one of our songs would be a dream come true. Having our album out the same day as theirs was a great buzz all the same
What do you think sets you apart from other musicians in your genre?
Longevity and an unwillingness to take “no” for an answer. So many talented acts have come and gone since we started. Some were the “next big thing” and others had untold hype and exposure. Most if not all of these are gone by the wayside, life got in the way and took away what they had. We set this band up differently, hence us being a little older than our collegiate at shows, but means we’ve been able to develop our craft which meant we found our sound which we feel is undeniably ours. Something that took us 3 releases to find
Are there any upcoming projects or releases you’re particularly excited about?
We’re excited about demonstrating our show live again to be honest. We haven’t been able to tour much since 2019 aside a few select shows to test out new music before recording. We did a free live stream online for our album launch as so much of what’s special about the band is the energy and performance live. We’re usually on the edge as our music is so full on. That balanced with our catchy songs and riffs elevates it from the record and we truly believe people respond sp positively. So we will be announcing UK dates for the second half of the year soon and have another FREE live stream planned for March 15th at 7:30pm on our Facebook, YouTube, Insta and X
Looking ahead, what are your long-term goals or aspirations as a musician?
To have one iconic song that people know is ours, whether through a sync on a commercial or computer game or a lucky break with a release – we’ll take any of it. We’ve been fortunate for one of our songs to match the algorithm on Spotify and we have had nearly 20k listeners a month for 4 years on the back of it. The problem with Spotify and playlists generally is that people may like you music, but often people don’t know the band, it’s very transient as an experience so if we can ever get a few hundred in a given City off the back of a song we released… that would be perfect
