Oli Sykes Wants to Teach Self-Compassion With Next Bring Me the Horizon EP
Bring Me the Horizon continue to work on the second EP in their proposed four-EP series and according to frontman Oli Sykes, the more emotional-leaning new record will focus more on recovery and practicing self care.
As with many of Bring Me the Horizon's albums, there is a theme and the theme for the new EP is recovery. The vocalist is utilizing his own journey through recovery from addiction and applying some of those touchtones to what the recovery of society will be like in a post-pandemic world.
“With this record, I’m going to try to teach people to have compassion for themselves, as someone who fucking hated themselves,” the frontman tells Rolling Stone U.K. “It used to make me sick to hear ‘you’ve got to love yourself’ — never. I used to put all my awards in a cupboard, I wouldn’t look at them. If someone asked me what I did, I would never say I was in a band, I’d say I own a clothing company or a restaurant. I just didn’t wanna talk about it. Now I love myself. I can look in the mirror and go ‘You’re doing good.’ I can say ‘I’m a rock star, my band’s doing well.’”
Within the chat, the band discussed trying to create a "future emo" sound, offering a fresh take on the scene for 2022. Speaking of why now is the time to approach their music utilizing this style, Sykes stated, "'Can You Feel My Heart' is ten years old now and comes at the end of that [emo] scene. Extreme emotion disappeared for ten years and kids are rediscovering that level of it. That's why I think we've got a chance, because we're highly emotive – that's our bread and butter."
The band also tipped a bit about what to expect from their future releases, with the third EP in the series expected to lean more electronic, while they were more tight-lipped about the fourth with bassist Lee Malia offering the one word descriptor "heavy."
Bring Me the Horizon last hit with Post Human: Survival Horror in 2020, initially teasing it as the first of four EPs issued over a calendar year. They've since revised that timeline, with keyboardist Jordan Fish commenting back in December, “I’d hoped to have all four Post Human records out in the space of a year, but that’s proven to be absolute fantasy. We 100 percent need to have this out by the time we get to Reading & Leeds, though. They’ll make us (laughs)!”
The band has already given fans a taste of what's to come with the 2021 single "Die4U."