Dreams in Peril are a five-piece death metal/hardcore band from Kansas City. The current lineup consists of vocalist Dakota Otte, lead and rhythm guitarists Joshua Crocker and Lucas Munoz, bassist Dalton Collins and drummer Jeff Atkins. The band is currently on a nine-city tour with the alternative nu-metal band Pigweed.
The show took place at the vibrant Graffiti Room located in Bedford Park, IL. Dreams in Peril delivered an unforgettable performance that was filled with so much emotion. With being no stranger to discussing mental health, their new single “Ascending” encourages you to rise above your struggles. Upon meeting the band, I immediately felt a sense of warmth and welcome. I had the chance to sit and chat about their origin and upcoming projects and had such a fun time doing it. Their love for what they do shows both onstage and in person. If you find yourselves wondering what to do this upcoming month, catch Dream in Peril live during the Tears of Blood tour. You will not regret one second of it.
Interview with Dreams In Peril
KMC: How did you guys come up with the name Dreams in Peril?
Dalton: All of us were previously a part of bands that did not work out. After forming the band and reflecting on our struggles, I landed upon the name Dreams in Peril. I felt as though the name slaps our failure in the face and we ran with it. It was the first name we came up with and it really resonated with us.
KMC: Dakota and Lucas, you’ve recently just joined the band! What were your feelings coming onboard?
Lucas: It feels awesome. I was also in that category of being in previous projects that unfortunately did not work out for me creatively. Upon joining the band, I felt welcomed with open arms. Like anything else, it has its ups and downs, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Dakota: I can’t explain how I feel about this project. I’d been in two other ones prior and they were nowhere near where Dreams in Peril are and where we’re going to be. Being able to join this band with open arms and have everyone latch on to my writing has been such a blessing. Music has a strong meaning for me, and I’m glad I found people who think the same way.
KMC: I’ve listened to your new song “Ascending” and absolutely loved it! Can you tell me a little bit about the inspiration behind the song and video?
Dakota: It was the first track that I heard and had to write lyrics for. Prior to joining the band, I’d been through a really rough time in my life. As a result, I wanted to pour my experiences into music. “Ascending” is about overcoming your struggles and rising to better things.
Dalton: Everything we do in this band is a metaphor for a personal reason. We came out with our first record in 2019 and it did fine, but I knew we could do better. With this song and a new record that will be coming out, we’re just ascending to a new level.
KMC: The song contains themes that surround mental health. Can we expect this to be the theme for the upcoming album?
Dakota: Yes 100%. Every single song is written about my emotions and what I’d gone through prior to joining the band.
Dalton: The band itself touches on personal struggle with everything we write about. I know if we can write about what we go through, we know that there’s someone out there that can resonate with it. It’s not just the music people are listening to. They want to feel the emotion behind it.
KMC: How will your upcoming album differ from your 2019 debut release “Mephobia”?
Dreams in Peril: I feel like our sound has matured since we were young musicians when we wrote that. As we’ve grown, our writing styles have meshed naturally and everything runs smoothly. There’s a reason the five of us were put together. We all contributed to the makings of this album which is unlike the projects we were in before.
KMC: This is the first date of the Tears of Blood tour! What are some things you guys are looking forward to on tour?
Dreams in Peril: We’re all simple midwesterners that haven’t really been outside of Kansas City, so we’re mainly excited to just see the new places. Playing in New York has been a dream of ours due to the vibrant history behind it.
Dakota: Second to our music is skateboarding, so seeing places that are popular with skating has been pretty cool. I love the music of course, but this is also a tour for skating.
KMC: What more can we expect from you guys for the rest of the year?
Dreams in Peril: We have a few music videos to release and our album will be coming out later this year. We’ve been sitting on this material for a while to build up for its release. We also have things planned for next year which include playing at the Las Vegas festival Apocalypse in the Desert. Nonetheless, we plan to continue our stride.
KMC: Is there one message you guys would like to send out to your fans?
Dreams in Peril: Keep your head up. Life is short, so have as much fun as possible. There are going to be days when you want to give up, but you’ve got to keep moving forward. We love and appreciate everyone single one of you.
Keep in touch with Dreams in Peril across social media platforms.
