“I genuinely mean this from the bottom of my heart, I couldn’t have asked for any more,” beams Jessie Powell, the enthusiastic and wholesome frontwoman of post-hardcore outfit DREAM STATE. 2023 has been a whirlwind year for the band who announced Powell with their Untethered EP, appearances at major festivals like 2000trees, Burn It Down and Radar, supporting post-hardcore giants FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND at Cardiff’s Utilita Arena, and not to mention relentless touring across the UK and mainland Europe. It’s been an exhilarating comeback for a band that had seemed lost in the wilderness for four years, but as Jessie explains, their return has been more than she could have hoped for.
“We went out on our first tour in February last year and we had shows selling out, and I’ve been in the band for four months! Whilst I appreciate there was that enormous platform pre-me and a four year hiatus, to have venues sell out and having people sing Taunt Me back to me was just unreal! And then we were invited by FUNFERAL FOR A FRIEND to play the arena show, and everything that happened just felt big, like we’d do something and then something else would come. We’re completely DIY so to go on tour with CASKETS, to support AS DECEMBER FALLS across all of Europe, we did that all ourselves. I’m really proud of us a band.”
For an outsider, it may seem that DREAM STATE‘s successful 2023 was plain sailing and one that feels natural for a band that been a firm favourite in our scene for over a decade. But, given their hiatus for four years which culminated in Aled Evans rebuilding the band from the ashes following the departures of bassist Danny Rayer, drummer Jamie Lee, guitarist Rhys Wilcox and charismatic vocalist CJ Gilpin, Jessie divulges that the beginning of her time in DREAM STATE was faced with levels of trepidation.
“There was a lot of naysayers in the beginning,” Jessie says. “Understandably. CJ had a humongous impact on the scene and her words resonated so deeply with a lot of the fans, she’s left a legacy. If I’m honest, I feel really privileged to be doing what she was doing. What’s really exciting is that a lot of those people in the beginning who weren’t sure, they are the ones coming up to me saying they have seen all the effort we’ve put in. I feel like we have proved ourselves.”
With such a legacy to live up to, it would be understandable if Powell withered under the lights due to the immense pressure of her predecessor’s impact but Powell is an absolute powerhouse of a vocalist and performer, not to mention her uncanny ability to lay her emotions front and bare for all to see, just as Gilpin had done so effortlessly years prior. “There are similarities [to Gilpin], but I feel flattered if people say that because I think vocally, she’s outstanding. And the way she can captivate the crowd with her emotions, it makes me cry knowing what she’s been through and listening to her words.” And in performing Gilpin‘s emotion-laden songs, Jessie explains that she is channelling her own thoughts and experiences to provide the same authentic delivery. “I think it works for me to sing her songs because I can relate to them a lot. I’ve suffered with depression and I have suffered with anxiety. I think I can still give that same emotional performance because I can channel it into my own thoughts.”
Indeed, by harnessing that same emotional connection, Jessie is keeping the essence of DREAM STATE alive and this is evident in their new mini-album Still Dreaming. Building upon the foundations of last year’s Untethered, Still Dreaming sees the band really expand on their current sound as thundering riffs intertwine with anthemic choruses. For Jessie, not only is their new record a vessel for her to channel her emotions, allowing her to be the best version of herself, but some of the material has been in her musical pipeline for years and years, only to now finally see the light of day.
“I’ve been able to release of these suppressed emotions I’ve held on to for so long. Some of the stuff I’ve written was when I was in my teens, Chin Up Princess, is actually a rework of a song I did in one of my earlier bands when I was in my teens. It’s like a new beast now but the chorus is practically the same so to hear this 2.0 version, it feels really important to me that the stuff I’ve written gets to be heard,” she explains. “I get a lot of fans who resonate with me and I’ve had a lot of messages thanking me for my music and how it’s helped them through difficult times. You can feel the anger in the songs and I’m really glad that I’ve got that out. When I joined DREAM STATE, I decided to go completely straight edge so I could present myself in the most positive way. I’m now 18 months completely straight edge and whilst I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been in my life, I can honestly say I’m the happiest. I will always thank DREAM STATE and the boys for giving me this chance.”
As we talk with Jessie, it becomes increasingly clear that honesty lies at the core of every word she says and the gratitude she expresses is genuine. It feels like her entire musical journey has led to this moment and now, she’s surfing the waves and going from strength to strength. Given the fact that the UK heavy music scene is in full bloom with quality bands across the board, the timing feels perfect for DREAM STATE to fully capitalise on the opportunity. And as we discuss the health of rock and heavy music in 2024, Jessie is ecstatic to see greater female representation across the scene. “I remember a time where the only people in the green that were girls were maybe like someone serving drinks or someone taking tickets,” she reflects. “Now, there’s been a huge positive change. When I was at Burn It Down Festival this summer, I looked around and you had HERIOT, you had LAKE MALICE, you had AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS. I looked around the room and I was so happy because there girls everywhere! It still could be better, but I’m very pleasantly happy that we’re seeing more girls on festival lineups and I keep seeing new girl bands dropping every week, it’s so exciting and I feel really lucky to be part of that scene!”
Jessie sings “Is this a dream or reality?” in Still Dreaming, but we can confirm their ascension and bright future is very much a reality.
Still Dreaming is out now via self-release.
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