For any band, the first physical release of an album is a big deal, and for locals Dream Sick it’s no exception. The forthcoming album, to be released on Saturday, Morkkis, is the band’s second collection of songs, but the first for which the band has made CDs and tapes, complete with full artwork and download codes for maximum audience impact.
Needless to say, Morkkis has Dream Sick pretty excited. With the shoegaze shine and expansive songwriting skills of Dream Sick, any band would be psyched to unleash these songs upon the masses.
“For Morkkis we had to mature our sound a little bit because we did all the instrumentals live,” said drummer Matt Baquet. “Ultimately, I think it came out more polished. It was nice to have someone to kind of direct us.”
Upon first listen, Dream Sick seems a little bit overwhelming, given the sheer scope of the band’s artistic vision. Songs often veer between the excitement of punk or jam music and the more nuanced, noisy riffs of psychedelia. Yet, on Morkkis, there’s rarely a moment in which a song feels cluttered or a musical change seems superfluous, which is a byproduct of the band’s collaborative writing process.
“We all definitely have a hand in the creative recording process,” said bassist and vocalist John Bullock.
The making of Morkkis ended up being more complex than anyone could have predicted, with the primary recordings taking place in spring of last year, before the band’s funds started to drain, forcing them to sit on the recordings a few months.
Finally mastering in January, the band set about making a hundred CDs and a hundred tapes to support Morkkis in ways they hadn’t tried previously. Everything about the album, from the anthemic lead single “Warning” to the eye-popping album cover, dares to aim bigger than anyything Dream Sick has done previously.
If the master recordings are any indication, it’s a risk that certainly paid off. Even the album title finds the group extending its reach from their solid but more reticent debut.
“_Morkkis_ is Finnish for a psychological hangover,” Bullock said. “The kind of lasting regret everyone’s had at some point or another. That’s something we’ve all really experienced.”
The cooperative and thoughtful approach the band takes to its records is reflected in the band’s decision to release Morkkis this Saturday, as part of an all-ages Heap Collective event that Baquet helped to found. Rather than settling for a typical release show, Dream Sick wanted the release to be part of the community.
“Time moves slower in Tucson. It’s definitely an inspiring city,” Baquet said, who also promotes shows with Stateside Presents in addition to Heap Collective. “I believe in Tucson; they’re finally trying with all the work that’s happening downtown, and there’s going to be plenty more people to come out to shows like the Morkkis release. We’re a city on the rise.”
