The five-track melodic metal EP sees Dines handle guitars, bass and drums in Washington, while Heafy tracked vocals and select guitar solos in Florida.
Dines and Heafy first collaborated on Dines’ Shred Wars YouTube series back in 2017, which eventually led to Dines filling in for Heafy during Trivium’s 2018 tour.
It was during this time that Dines shared a folder of ideas that would become the blueprint for the new EP.
“Matt was pre-internet in the way he launched his career, releasing records, playing shows, and signing to a label,” says Dines.
“I’m post-internet in the way I launched my career by using YouTube, Facebook, and all of these other video apps. It is interesting to see the crossover though. Matt has done everything traditionally. At the same time, he embraced new technologies instead of shutting them out. By doing this together, we get to be in both worlds.
It does not matter if you are a guitarist from Instagram or you are in a big band, you can do things together
Jared Dines
“The EP was recorded in a raw and real manner. So, it has a different element. It would be cool to show everyone it does not matter if you are a guitarist from Instagram or you are in a big band, you can do things together. At the end of the day, the goal is simple – we’re just trying to write good songs and create some cool shit.”
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“Streaming actually helped me improve as a singer and as a guitarist, because I’m practicing all day in front of people,” adds Heafy.
“The culture is very regimented. However, I have always had that mentality, because my mom is Japanese, and my dad was a marine. Now, it is a combination of three things: streaming, training, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
“Those practices made me better at what I do and prepared me to jump into something new. I took a very different approach to Dines x Heafy. It all came very organically without any planning.”
Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and over a decade's experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.
