Reclaim the Day is a key voice in the new class of faith-based rock and roll. Their song “Who You Are” introduced the band to the world, showcasing a passionate and dramatic rock sound reminiscent of Skillet and Evanescence. 2021 has kicked off with the band’s follow-up single, “Sentenced to Life.”
The band’s mission is driven by the power of their own personal experiences with depression, anxiety, and grief, every lyric screaming with the force of the hope they’ve found. On behalf of Rock On Purpose, Matt Sassano caught up with the band on their new single and what lies ahead.
Matt: For those just getting to know “Reclaim The Day,” bring them up to speed about the band, musical influences, members, and the overall essence of the band.
For those who don’t know us, the band has been together since 2019. It’s honestly hard to believe it’s already been 2 years! We’ve all been apart of different projects before, but when we are together, it feels like home because we are a family. We released a song called “Who You Are” almost 2 years ago, and we knew it was time to finally release new music.
As far as our influences go, we have multiple influences that are different for each song we write. We have one song we are working on that’s a mix between Killswitch Engage and Paramore. Then we have another song that was influenced by Meshuggah and Anime-style music. That’s what makes us unique.
My personal introduction to “Reclaim The Day came after hearing “Who You Are.” It’s almost been 2 years since that release, so I was excited to hear about your upcoming single “Sentenced To Life.” Explain what led up to the writing and recording of the song? What was the inspiration behind it?
“Sentenced To Life” has actually been in the making for quite a while. It started as a song called “Beautiful Scars,” and it was eventually re-written to what it is now. Every person in the band had a big part to play in the song. Becca worked together with Andrew Stanton and her husband Marcus to re-work the lyrics. The whole band had a huge part to play in writing the parts in the song musically. With the help of Andrew Stanton, Josiah Prince producing the song, Matt Arcani mixing the song, and Dan Shike, the version came alive for “Sentenced to Life.” We are so proud of it.
After hearing the song I was I was impressed by the lyrics and musical delivery of the band. In what ways do you feel Reclaim The Day has evolved or grown since your last release?
Now that it’s been 2 years since the band has been together, we have more time to practice and grow together as a family. Each of our writing styles complements the rest of the band. We just love having fun and being able to minister through our music.
That’s another thing that makes us so proud of this new song. It shows off each of our writing styles in different parts of the song, and it blended beautifully. On top of that, the lyrics were super personal to Becca, and that also makes us very excited for the rest of the new music because it is really going to explain who we are as a ministry.
Tell us a little about the recording process of “Sentenced To Life. Any stand out moments in studio?
With COVID last year, it was a little difficult for us all to get together, but we were able to hit the studio 3 to 4 times last year. It’s been more than an honor working with two very well-respected musicians and friends to help us. The one memory I cherish is the first time we went together and tracked the music for “Sentenced to Life.” Not only was the trip to and from Nashville adventurous, but getting to sit down and just enjoy a time of fellowship while eating Thai food with Josiah and Andrew was priceless.
As far as the recording process, we enjoyed it because the studio experience is always one of those experiences that not only shows you where you are as a musician, but it helps you grow and become better. That included tracking vocals as well. We will be going back to studio in April, and we are super stoked for that.
One of the things that caught my attention right off the bat was the unique art work accompanying the “Sentenced To Life” single. Tell us about the artist and the inspiration behind the single cover.
The artwork turned out super awesome. It was done by our good friend Matt Hanna from Rogue Design. We reached out to him with an idea, and he took and ran with it and made something that captures the song in its entirety. He’s done artwork for Becca over the years in her previous projects, and she even stated “This is the best he’s done yet over anything in the past!” We fell in love with this version and what he saw in the song. We are super happy with how it turned out. We definitely recommend him to anyone looking for artwork in the future!
“Sentenced To Life” is the first single off of an upcoming EP from Reclaim The Day. What can fans expect from the EP as a whole? Are there any collaborations? So far, what does the release timeline look like?
Well, for starters this is one out of three songs off the EP we will be releasing this year. The EP will have 5 songs total and will hopefully be released in full at the end of the year or the beginning of next year. We will also be ending the year with a bang, as we plan to release our song that we collaborated with Zahna on as well as a possible music video. The song is a heavy-hitter, and we can’t wait for it!
If you could send a personal message to a listener of “Sentenced To Life” what would you tell them?
The sole message of Sentenced to Life is that no matter who you are, you are destined to be alive. If you struggle with your past and feel like you can never amount to something because of your mistakes, Jesus Christ died so that those mistakes would be wiped away. You are free to be alive in Christ and not a slave to sin, guilt or shame. You are God’s masterpiece, and He has a plan for your life.
On a bit of a lighter note: on stage and in studio, Reclaim the Day is known for being bold, energetic, and your songs speak to a lot of heavy issues. Off stage, I personally know you guys to be fun loving, down to earth, and you all have very distinct personalities.
In a fictional world where our quirky habits or personality traits could get us “sentenced to life,” what would each band member be found guilty of?
Marcus would be found guilty of drinking too much coffee and his love for gear.
Alex would be guilty of his love for guns and watching a lot of 90’s movies
Logan would be guilty of buying merch from every other Christian rock band out there.
Becca would be guilty of watching way too much Golden Girls and never getting enough sleep because she is super stubborn and works a lot, either at her job or home with band stuff. We would all be guilty of playing video games and being nerds!
Any closing remarks or announcements we haven’t covered?
As always, we want to remind our fans to have hope. We want to encourage them to “take up their cross” every day and reclaim their day from anything coming against their peace. We want people to know that they are never alone and have a purpose. We also want to tell our “Reclaimers” how much we appreciate their patience in waiting for new music, and for the love and support we have received from everyone. We love you all!
You can find “Sentenced to Life” on Spotify and Apple Music.
Rock On Purpose 