Interview with Unsettled
Unsettled
November 23, 2025
Born from a new era and fueled by pure intensity, Unsettled has quickly made an impact with their chaotic, emotion driven sound. Here, the band talks about their origins, influences, and the journey shaping their next chapter.
1. For people who might be hearing about you for the first time, how would you describe Unsettled in your own words?
A) Unsettled is controlled chaos. When a mixture of unbridled rage and destruction meets a wave of new age metalcore it all culminates in the beautiful chaos that is Unsettled.
2. How did the band originally form? Was it a planned project or more of a “right place, right time” situation?
A) We initially were a band called Gates Of Sheol, and we decided we wanted to put that version of us in the past and go in a new direction once we wrote Trigger. It was the beginning of a new era for us and we knew we had to treat it as such. A rebirth. Alex, Trent, and Mike then formed Unsettled and soon after recruited Dan to add his talent to the band. The dynamic was then complete and Unsettled was truly born.
3. Every band has that moment where things click creatively. When did you first realise you had something special together?
A) It was pretty early on when we were writing Trigger. It was an entirely different direction and style from what we had written in our previous project and that was the moment we knew this was something entirely different that had to be given all of our energy and drive.
4. What’s the writing dynamic like between you all? Is there someone who usually brings the first idea, or does it shift around?
A) Typically it is Trent that has written a majority of the songs. He will randomly send us a new song and we pick it apart and decide what we like and don’t like. Prior to Dan joining, Trent wrote all the instrumentals. Sometimes one of us will throw Trent a basic idea and go off of that. Now that Dan is a part of the band, he will take a drumless track and he will add his own take and flare to the mix. Once that is all done we sit down and really piece everything together. Lyrics are mainly done by Alex but we all have input and influence in each song.
5. Musically, who have been the biggest influences on your sound and who influences you outside of heavy music?
A) Recently a lot of inspiration has come from bands such as Polaris, A Sense of Purpose, Spiritbox, and many more. Outside of heavy music we take inspiration from all walks of life, we don’t contain our influences to a certain genre or sound.
6. When it comes to lyrics, what themes do you naturally gravitate toward? Do you write from personal experiences, wider commentary, or a mix?
A) There are a mix of topics that our lyrics can cover. Trigger was just an overall angry and frustrated time and that manifested itself in the lyrics. Other songs not released yet have lyrics that can range from a social commentary we witness to personal experience to maybe just a topic we think is interesting to write about. There are no limits and we don’t stay away from making ourselves known.
7. What’s one thing you think people misunderstand about your band or your music?
A) What I think most people misunderstand about our band is that while we do have fun, write crazy mid song interludes and owned creating a new lane of metal called Gooncore, we are actually serious about the music we make. All jokes aside, each member of the band contributes something that makes us Unsettled, and everyone knows that while having fun and being a presence live we still maintain a high standard for quality which means being on time with each other, synchronizing transitions and many more things.
8. Touring can be chaos in the best and worst ways. What’s been your most memorable show so far for any reason?
A) So far we’ve only been a band officially for 8 months which is when Trigger was released. Since then we’ve been selective on the shows we do take. We would say the most memorable show though was our first out of state experience. A few months ago we got to hit the road to go to Newark, NJ and it was an absolute blast. Being able to play with local heavy weights such as Feed The Addiction and PRDX and make those friends was phenomenal. And the local crowd really responded well to us. Being able to see people outside of our local scene really connect with our music and what we do meant the world to us. It helped solidify why we do this, to be able to see people react in such a positive way and say for those 30 minutes they got to forget their problems and just vibe with the entire room is everything to us.
9. If you could collaborate with any artist, from any genre, who would you pick and why?
A) We would love to collab with Kasey Karlsen from Deadlands. She is a powerhouse and someone we love seeing live everytime they come around.
10. What’s something you’ve learned as a band in the last year that changed the way you approach your music?
A) Patience. Don’t rush a song just to finish it and say it’s done, sit with it and really work to make it the best you can whether it takes days or months. As well as patience in the community and the music industry as a whole. There is no shortcut to overnight success and nationwide touring. Take your time to really organically build and connect with your fan base. Your local scene will help you more than you’ll ever know.
11. How do you handle creative disagreements when they pop up? Every group has them, it’s how you deal with them that matters.
A) Fortunately, we do not have these often. I can say the few we’ve had we just talk it out and come at it from an objective side and we’ve never had an issue explaining why we think something will work or won’t. More importantly, we all respect each other’s opinions infinitely. We know that if one of us doesn’t like something, it’s for a reason and we come to an understanding together to make the experience positive for the entire group. We are all here for the love of the music and the love of what we do, that understanding will get you through anything.
12. What’s been the biggest challenge in growing the band, and what’s been the most rewarding part?
A)The biggest challenge is definitely social media, although we will say that since Dan has joined and taken over those duties, our reach has significantly increased. Social media is hard to become and stay relevant on people’s feeds, and consistency is the hardest part. The most rewarding is probably just the positive feedback we’ve received. When someone really gets what your song is about and connects with it, that’s an indescribable feeling.
13. When fans listen to your music, what do you hope they walk away feeling?
A) Cathartic. We all know this world has many problems, and if for 3 or 4 minutes we can help you forget about those problems and just unleash all that frustration you’ve been feeling, we’ve done our job.
14. What’s something outside of music that inspires you creatively?
A) All the different types of art in the world. The way someone can take anything, from a canvas and paint to everyday items and just create something that is a representation of themselves. It’s crazy how a canvas can be blank one moment, and then after a little color you can start to see and feel the emotion that the artist is trying to portray.
15. what’s next for Unsettled? Anything you’re excited to hint at?
A) Currently we are ready to get back into our release cycle. We took a break from releasing anything new while we sat and created new music once Dan joined the band, so we are ready to show the world what Unsettled has been hiding away, maybe sooner than you’d think. As for next year, we just want to be able to travel as much as possible and make new friends in every city we can.
