Busting Out of the Grave with Unwill

Photo Credit: Josiah Moore

Busting Out of the Grave with Unwill

Unwill is a powerhouse collective from Rochester, New York whose dynamic brand of hard rock seethes with a glorious amount of brutal honesty, passion and conviction. Past Life is their name of their debut album being released through EOne/Lifeblood Records – a stunning auditory journey that will enlighten the mind and pummel the senses.  Fans of bands such as The Deftones and Underoath will surely be enraptured by what the compelling Unwill has to offer the world at large.  Highwire Daze recently interviewed Unwill’s charismatic frontman Rocco Sylvio to find out more about this exhilarating band on the rise busting out of the grave and into the realm of music fans everywhere.  Read on…

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Unwill, and how long the band has been together.
My name is Rocco Sylvio, I sing in Unwill. The band has been together for about two years but the four of us have all been in bands together for the past six years.



Where is Unwill based out of and what is the local music scene like there?
We’re based out of Rochester, New York. The local scene here is pretty crazy and diverse. The rock/metal scene has always been super prominent but there are always so many different things going on musically in this city. It’s definitely an eclectic scene that has birthed a lot of awesome musicians.



How did you wind up being signed to EOne/Lifeblood?
We had actually worked with the producer/engineer of ‘Past Life‘ (Shane Frisby at The Brick Hithouse) on a previous project. While we were launching Unwill, he was  forming a label (Lifeblood Inc.) through Entertainment One.  Our interests conjoined, we were looking to record a full length album and everyone at EOne/Lifeblood was into the new material we sent their way, now here we are.

Is there any story or concept behind the album title Past Life?
The concept behind the title ‘Past Life‘ really came from the main themes that kept coming up lyrically throughout the album, which are the two ways you can look at past life.  One being the detachment of the things you leave behind and the other being a way of looking at the future; looking past the life you’re living right now.

Select two songs from Past Life and what inspired the lyrics.
“The Way” was one that hit deep during the writing process, it was lyrically inspired around the idea that we cling to things like faith with the hopes of it making us complete.  I think the song “Tomb” is one that truly captured what ‘Past Life’ is all about. It was inspired a lot by the idea of finding your way out of the graves you put yourself in if you’re willing to take the initiative.


What could one expect from a live Unwill show?
You can expect a wild time from an Unwill show. We love playing live, it’s the reason we make music. We always try to put on a show that gives the crowd as much of a good time as the one we’re having on stage.

Has Unwill ever played live in the Los Angeles/OC area or plan to do so in the future?
We haven’t had the chance to reach that area yet but we will definitely be making it out there this year.


If Unwill could open for any band either now or from the past, who would it be and why?
We would love to open for Deftones, they are collectively one of our favorite bands and one that we would be stoked to watch every night.


If the music of Unwill was a donut, what kind would it be and why?
We would 100% be a Krispy Kreme original glazed donut, not for any reason relating to music, we just love those donuts.

Are you involved with any other bands or project outside of Unwill?


Unwill is all of our primary focus.

What would you like a listener to remember the most after hearing Past Life for the very first time?
We’d like listeners to remember the place that ‘Past Life‘ brings you when you hear it and know that it’s only the beginning.

Any final words of wisdom?
Step outside your box.

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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