Art has long been a remedy and vessel for the human experience. With the confusion, fear, anxiety, death, political unrest, and the unknown that flooded our world in 202o, many of us found music we never heard before while we sat in our homes, isolated from the busyness of daily life. For some, the pandemic even paved the way for music to take shape as artists.
One such artist is Daygraves, a blackgaze solo-act based in Austin, TX. From the mind of Travis Estes, Daygraves has garnered a quality fanbase throughout its brief existence in a niche musical community.
At its core, blackgaze infuses black metal with mysticism, ambiance, atmosphere, and haunting, trance-inducing nuances that are derived from shoegaze. Thanks to bands like Deafheaven, the sub-genre has earned recognition in the metal community, where more and more blackgaze acts are rising to the surface.
True to form, Estes’s music embodies dark, brooding, and contemplative artistry, all while reflecting a sense of serenity and introspective self-examination. Both in his music and in his personality, he exudes a sense of awe when he talks about music, particularly blackgaze, post-rock, and black metal. Some musicians do it because they want to be heard by the masses; I’m convinced Travis does it because he simply can’t help himself. He must make music; it’s in his blood…
A couple of months ago, you released your second EP, Imperishable, following up your introductory release, Silver. How do you feel Imperishable has been received since its release?
I’m really happy with the way it’s been received so far. I heard feedback today about how it’s a more confident version of what I put out in the past, and I think that’s true. I put a lot more effort into getting the right sounds, getting the right mix. This round, I actually had a vision, which was helpful [Laughs]. So, I’m happy with the reception, man. I think it’s great. Couldn’t ask for more.
What inspired your writing in Imperishable?
I have a chronic illness and I was hospitalized. I’ve been hospitalized a few times. I wrote the lyrics lying in bed, just like, “What’s going on here? How do I wrap my brain around this?” So, I wrote the lyrics for “Desert Dust” while I was there, and I figured, well, I’ve only got 3 other songs. I should just make this whole EP about me dealing with this. When it’s over, I can take my creative energy and focus on different things rather than thinking about being sick all the time [Laughs].
Musically, man, I was just listening to a lot of Show Me a Dinosaur; I think they’re the best. I was listening to Dödsrit. I was like, “Yeah, I’m going to take some of this and see what I can do.”
How did you get fall into blackgaze?
I remember this very clearly. I stumbled upon Nothing’s Guilty of Everything, which isn’t a blackgaze record; it’s like a shoegaze record, but it’s pretty heavy. So, I just got on the internet and was like, “Give me the heaviest shoegaze records possible,” and that just naturally pushed me in that direction. I stumbled upon blackgaze then. I realized that it was perfect for me because I’m also a post-rock nerd and I love metal and shoegaze. I was thinking, “This is all the things that I love; how am I just now finding it?”
If I’m not mistaken, you only started Daygraves two years ago. Is that right?
I started Daygraves because of the pandemic. I was like, “Well, if I’m going to be sitting at home more than normal, then I should do something with it.” I had a few ideas just hanging out because I had been listening to blackgaze for so long, so I just threw it together and put it up. I didn’t really think anybody was ever going to hear it, so I just put it together really fast. I think it took me like a month to do Silver. I just got it out there, and then a few people actually heard it, so I was like, “Oh, maybe I’ll make another one.”
What is the meaning behind the name Daygraves?
It doesn’t have a real meaning; it’s more like the image. I knew I was making blackgaze leaning towards post-black metal, so it was going to deal with elements of darkness. But since I also knew what the lyrical content was going to be and my spirituality was going to be involved, I knew that there was also going to be this element of light. I wanted to combine those two things. That’s why there’s not a space between those two words.
If you had to select your most influential artists when it comes to Daygraves, who would you pick?
Woods of Desolation, Show Me a Dinosaur, Dödsrit, and So Hideous. Those are the ones I think about the most when making this album. What I’m doing right now is going back to records that I’ve loved for decades that won’t leave me and I’m asking myself, “Why is it that I can’t leave these records behind? What makes these records last 15 years for me?” Hopefully, that helps me grow to another level of writing and production, as well.
Do you have plans to make a full-length album?
I’m hoping to have it finished by June. I’d like to have it all written and mixed by June, but then there’s a whole process for getting it released, so I don’t know how long that will take. Probably early fall or late summer.
How would you describe it?
It will be similar to Imperishable. There are certain sonic elements that I’ve limited myself from bringing into this project that I want to welcome in — bring in new colors. But I’m not trying to make something that doesn’t sound like me. Honestly, I’m not trying to make a more mature record. I think when bands try to make “mature records,” they make boring records [Laughs]. I’m trying to escape that.
Who are you outside of your music?
Outside of my music, I’m a super boring dude. Honestly. I have a family that’s great. I have a wife and a kid; I have a church community that’s great; I have friends who are great. So, I have no real drama or good stories. I’m just living the good life and enjoying it, you know [Laughs]?
“I just think that if you’re an artist and you’re making stuff that you care about, then the subject matter should be things that affect your life and the things that move you.”
Let’s talk about what makes you “controversial” in the world of blackgaze and post-black metal. You’re a Christian, which is likely a bit off-putting to many gatekeepers in the genre’s fan base who still think black metal is thematically satanic, which is no longer the case. As black metal has spawned into sub-genres of their own, many bands are influenced by paganism, nature, Eastern spirituality, and some (sadly) straight-up misanthropy, not satanism. Why do you think Jesus hasn’t been given a seat at the table [yet]?
I think the most succinct way to say it is this: I don’t really have a spiritual agenda here. I just think that if you’re an artist and you’re making stuff that you care about, then the subject matter should be things that affect your life and the things that move you. For me, like I said earlier, I’m a boring dude and I don’t have a wide array of interests. I have, like, three things that I love: I love my family/friends, I love music, and I love Jesus. Nobody wants to hear record after record about how cool my wife is, and nobody wants to hear about the bands that I like. That would be weird. So, I’ve got this other thing that supplies me with an endless number of things to think about, thus an endless number of things to write about.
This is the thing that affects every aspect of my life, so it comes out in my music. I don’t have an evangelistic agenda with it or anything; it’s just what I care about. I appreciate other artists who do the same. I listen to a lot of artists who have very different worldviews than I do, but I think that if those are their worldviews, then they should sing about them too. I have nothing else really worth making music about.
Do you plan on releasing new merch in the near future?
I have a little bit of merch on my store now. It’s mainly just t-shirts and hats. I would love to do pins and things like that in the future.
Do you think you’ll ever go on tour or play any live shows?
No. In theory, it sounds fun, but it doesn’t sound more fun than just making more music at home. I think that if I can stay home and double my output, that would make me way happier than going around and playing shows.
You can follow Daygraves on Facebook, Instagram, and Bandcamp.
