In 2012, Shayley Bourget left Of Mice And Men in pursuit of his own happiness.
A sufferer of anxiety, Shayley's path has not been an easy one and his newest venture, DayShell, reflects the ups, downs, trials and tribulations of risking it all to begin anew. “I left Of Mice And Men … just to do music that's more me and to be around people that are more for me,” he says.
“This is a lot harder … it's really hard, like with everything. But at least I'm writing music and still touring and travelling. I just wanna get stable, that's what I want – to be happy and content. But it takes time.”
When your band is taking off and garnering millions of fans in the process, the decision to split is understandably going to be a tough one. “I gave everything up just to start over, and it's kind of like 'fuck, dude'. I just can't wait to get that feeling, can't wait to at least get on the same level. It's always gonna be on my mind like, 'did I fuck up or not?' But at the same time, I don't care if I fucked up or not, I'm happier. It just kind of bums me out.”
Struggling with alcoholism and depression, Shayley stated in a press release of his departure how he felt he was bringing the rest of the band down. Although recovering from the worst of it, he still has the underlying constancy of anxiety to deal with. “It gets to the point where you're just shaking, you're about to pass out; you're so terrified … you just get through it. There's no stopping it.”
With this cloud, though, there comes a silver lining. The adage of 'suffering for your art' is one Shayley is well acquainted with. “It definitely helps with my writing … to me as a writer I feel that I'm putting my emotions into it. I feel what I'm singing … you've got some singers who sing about ‘Transformers’ or goblins or something. I for one don't do that, at all. I just sing about my life experiences, or fantasies. Things that I wish I could do or be.”
Musically, his new project is moving in a different direction. The guitars substitute typical nu-metal breakdowns for a more melodic approach, instead focusing on the band's strength – Shayley's unique voice. Instantly recognisable, his soaring vocals have been likened to that of Deftones' Chino Moreno. A comparison Shayley no doubt relishes. “My inspiration comes from, well we really like the Deftones. We started to add all these different genres with this Deftones-y pretty, guitar feel that I like … it all kind of complemented each other and kind of made something a little fresh.”
Dayshell are currently working on a new record, their second effort, and have released several demos via the internet. But what can we expect when the full-length finally lands? “You can expect a lot more of an intense, overall sound, whether it's softer or heavier, whatever kind of song we're gonna write. It's just gonna sound a lot more exciting.”
DayShell play Soundwave 2015.
Written by Luke Ward
DayShell Tour Dates
22 Feb – Bonython Park (Adelaide)21 Feb – Flemington Racecourse (Melbourne)
1 March – Olympic Park (Sydney)
28 Feb – RNA Showgrounds (Brisbane)
