An Interview with Vocalist Marcus Vik of "Invent Animate"

Invent Animate has been enthralling Metalcore fans with their signature brand of ethereal, dreamy grooves for more than a decade. With the release of their latest full-length, Heavener, the Texas-bred quintet appears to be at the top of their game, touring with major household names like Beartooth & Bad Omens as well as headlining multi-national tours of their own. They have demonstrated a distinct musical evolution throughout their discography, creating memorable songs that are easy to sing along to but contain more than meets the ear. Their current vocalist, Marcus, joined the group back in 2019 and first appeared with the release of the single, "Cloud Cascade", off their 2020 record, Greyview. Marcus joins us today to talk a little bit about the band's current tour, his inspirations behind their recent material, and what 2024 has in store:

MSM: As a longtime fan and follower since the "Lightfinder" days (throwback!), it's been interesting watching and hearing the band's sound evolve from record to record over the last decade. What would you say has been the primary driving force in that evolution of sound between then and now?

MARCUS: "Lightfinder came out almost before I even did music, so a key to the evolution of IA’s sound is definitely the fact that we ourselves evolve our taste in music. As many years as it’s been since then, we could say that our taste has changed drastically and with it our sound."

MSM: Looking towards the future now, is there anything that you will be doing differently when envisioning and crafting new material in regards to the process or overall sound you're looking to shape?

MARCUS: "With years experience comes new tools and ways of creating art and I think we think with a bigger picture in mind today. We definitely want to explore sounds that we like and that has never seen the light of day from the bands songwriting. A ballad, a 4 minute breakdown or literally an a capella song maybe?"

MSM: I, personally, noticed the most dramatic shift in your overall brand image and presence with your most recent full-length release, "Heavener". What was your biggest inspiration around this record and was there anything that you feel sparked a notable turning point surrounding that album's creation? 

MARCUS: "My personal biggest inspiration for Heavener was the fact that I finally learned how to sing, so with that in mind I could finally draw real inspiration from my all time favourite artists like PVRIS, Hollow Coves etc. With Heavener, we wanted it to feel like an emotional rollercoaster that took you through the states of emptiness, panic, grief, healing and aftermath."

MSM: Since the release of "Heavener", there has been another single that came out a few weeks ago. What can you tell us about "Sleepless Deathbed"? Give us the run down on the meaning behind the lyrics and the intent behind the composition. Does it have any relation to "Heavener" in any way or is this song intended to be a showcase of the aforementioned future direction of Invent, Animate? 

MARCUS: "Sleepless Deathbed is about kind of a near death experience so real that it made me accept that I was dead for a couple of hours, and its about everything I experienced in that time frame. We wanted a heavy, fast and panicky song that would best showcase the direction we’re heading."

MSM: Currently, you all are on tour with Beartooth, The Plot in You, and Sleep Theory – a tour that has been selling out dates left and right, might I add! How has this tour been for you guys so far? Any interesting highlights and/or lowlights that have really stood out so far? 

MARCUS: "It’s been one of the most relaxing tours ever and we haven’t had any major issues (yet lol). Coming off our headlining tour into a bigger tour like this, it was a quick reminder how it is to not play in front of your own crowd where they sing your every lyric in every song. Also, the first show was the biggest show Invent Animate has every played so that was a shock in itself."

MSM: How do you decide which songs comprise your set lists each night, especially for a tour of this magnitude where you'll be reaching such a massive audience at each stop? 

MARCUS: "For this tour it was kinda easy, we want to showcase our newest songs and we wanna make sure we have the most hype, heavy and fast set possible."

MSM: Without giving away any specifics or spoiling any surprises, is there anything that fans should be getting excited about, expecting, or keeping their eyes out for in the coming months or throughout 2024? 

MARCUS: "Lots and lots of touring and we’re constantly working on new music."

MSM: What's something that fans and followers don't know about you that you would love to share some insight on? Is there something else that serves as a core aspect of the group or a mission statement that you want to accomplish with your music? Share something that's important to why you do what you do!

MARCUS: "I literally can’t think of anything important that we haven’t shared with the world but I will say this, I don’t have an appendix."

MSM: Finally, what are your hopes for Invent, Animate by the end of 2024? Where/how do you envision both the band collectively as well as yourselves as individuals over the course of this year? 

MARCUS: "Hopefully we’ll make some more fans, friends and songs."