Exclusive Interview with Awake for Days

Artist Spotlight: Awake for Days

Awake For Days is a five-piece modern metalcore band from the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, Italy. Over the years, the band has steadily built an international following through relentless touring, independent releases and a constantly evolving sound.

With wisdom and candor, Lukas Moore of Awake For Days opens up about the creative process, personal growth, and why the music still matters.

Outverge: Can you walk us through your typical songwriting process?

Lukas Moore of Awake For Days: In this new era, I've changed the way I write songs quite drastically. In the past, our songwriting process was almost the opposite of what it is today. Our former producer strongly believed that the music should always come first, often treating the lyrics as something secondary. That meant I usually had to write and adapt my lyrics to instrumentals that were already locked in, with little to no room to change the structure.

As a lyricist, that was incredibly challenging because I often found myself trying to squeeze emotions and ideas into a framework that couldn't evolve with the story I wanted to tell. Looking back, it sometimes kept me from being as direct, personal, and emotionally honest as I wanted to be.

At the same time, I'm grateful for that experience because it forced me to become a much stronger writer. Having to work within those limitations taught me discipline, phrasing, and how to make every word count. Those years shaped the songwriter I am today.

Now I usually begin by writing the lyrics and developing the core concept, then I build a detailed demo that already includes the melodies, arrangements, and the overall vision for the track. Once that foundation is there, I bring it to the rest of the band, where everyone adds their own personality and ideas. Whether it's a guitar part, a different rhythm, a vocal melody, or simply a creative detail, those contributions help elevate the song while staying true to its original vision. It becomes a collaborative process where everyone leaves their fingerprint on the final version.

We never force a song to fit a trend or a genre. If something doesn't feel honest, we keep working on it until it does. I think the best Awake For Days songs are the ones where every musical choice reinforces the emotion behind the lyrics. That's something we've really embraced in this new chapter of the band, and I believe it's what has allowed us to create our most authentic music to date.

Outverge: Where do you find inspiration for your lyrics and melodies?

Lukas Moore of Awake For Days: Most of my inspiration comes from real life. I rarely write fictional stories because I don't feel the same emotional connection to them. Every song starts from something I've lived through, witnessed, or spent a long time thinking about. Sometimes it's a personal struggle, other times it's something happening in the world that resonates with me on a deeper level. Once I find an idea that genuinely moves me, I spend a lot of time trying to understand it before I even start writing. I want the lyrics to say something meaningful rather than just sound good. If someone can listen to one of our songs and feel understood or see a situation from a different perspective, then I've achieved what I set out to do. 

Once I find an idea that genuinely moves me, I spend a lot of time trying to understand it before I even start writing. I want the lyrics to say something meaningful rather than just sound good. If someone can listen to one of our songs and feel understood or see a situation from a different perspective, then I've achieved what I set out to do. 

Melodically, I usually let the emotion of the lyrics guide me. I don't separate the two anymore. The melodies should enhance the message, not compete with it. I always ask myself one question: "What would this emotion sound like?" That's the approach that has shaped this new chapter of Awake For Days.

Outverge: How do you handle writer’s block or creative slumps?

Lukas Moore of Awake For Days: Honestly, I've learned not to fight writer's block. If I have nothing meaningful to say, I'd rather not write at all. I don't believe great songs come from forcing creativity just to stay productive.

Instead, I go out and live. I spend time with people, travel, read, watch movies, listen to music, or simply pay more attention to what's happening around me and inside me. Life is where the songs come from, so if I ever feel creatively stuck, it's usually a sign that I need new experiences rather than more hours in front of a computer.

Ironically, some of my best ideas have come when I wasn't trying to write. They usually appear while I'm driving, taking a walk, or in the middle of a completely ordinary moment. I've learned to trust that process and always keep my phone nearby to record ideas before they disappear.

Outverge: What comes first for you: the music or the lyrics?

Lukas Moore of Awake For Days: I touched on this a bit in the previous question, but I'd be happy to go a little deeper. Today, the lyrics almost always come first. More specifically, it's the concept behind the song that comes first. Before I write a single note, I need to know what I'm trying to say and why it matters.

Once I have that, I start writing the lyrics and building a detailed demo at the same time. The music isn't there just to sound heavy or catchy; every melody, chord progression, and dynamic should reinforce the emotion and the message. I want the listener to feel what I'm trying to say, even before they've fully processed the words.

I think that's the biggest shift in my songwriting. In the past, I often had to adapt my lyrics to music that had already been written. Today, the music and the lyrics grow together from the same idea, which allows both to serve the story instead of competing with each other. That's made our songs much more cohesive and, in my opinion, much more honest.

Outverge: How do you know when a song is truly finished?

Lukas Moore of Awake For Days: That's probably one of the hardest parts of songwriting because I don't think a song is ever truly perfect. At some point, you simply have to let it go. 

For me, a song is finished when there's nothing left to say. Every element has to serve the same purpose. If I find myself adding a part just because I can, it's usually a sign that it doesn't belong there. 

I'm also lucky to have a band that isn't afraid to challenge my ideas. Once I bring in a demo, everyone is free to suggest changes if they genuinely make the song better. We keep refining it until every one of us feels that nothing else needs to be added or taken away. 

In the end, I ask myself one simple question: "Does this song still make me feel something?" If it still gives me goosebumps after listening to it hundreds of times, then I know it's ready to be shared with the world.

Outverge: How do you decide on the theme or concept for an album?

Lukas Moore of Awake For Days: Our approach has changed quite a bit. Instead of writing albums, we're currently focusing on releasing singles. That gives me the freedom to write about whatever genuinely moves me at that particular moment, without feeling the need to make every song fit into a larger concept. 

The themes always come from something real. Sometimes it's a personal experience I've lived through, other times it's a story I've witnessed or an event happening in the world that deeply resonates with me. I don't sit down thinking, "What should I write about?" I wait until there's something I genuinely feel compelled to say. 

I think authenticity is what people connect with the most. Even if a listener hasn't lived the exact same experience, they can usually recognize when a song comes from a real place. That's what I try to achieve with every release.

Outverge: Do you write music on the road or only in a dedicated space?

Lukas Moore of Awake For Days: I don't think creativity cares where you are. Some of my best ideas have come while I'm training at the gym, driving, sitting on a plane, or lying awake at night alone with my thoughts. Those quiet moments, when there's nothing distracting me, are often when my mind starts connecting emotions, memories, and ideas that eventually become songs. 

Whenever inspiration strikes, I immediately write it down or record a voice memo because I know it might disappear just as quickly. 

The actual writing happens later in my recording studio, which is my creative home. That's where I produce Awake For Days and work with other artists as well. I take those raw ideas and develop them into lyrics, melodies, and eventually a complete demo. It's the place where inspiration turns into something tangible. 

So, in a way, I write everywhere, but every song truly comes to life in my studio.

Outverge: Have you ever had a dream to inspire a song or an album?

Lukas Moore of Awake For Days: Not directly. I've never written an entire song because of a dream, although I've definitely woken up with an idea, a melody, or even a lyric in my head. If that happens, 

I grab my phone before I forget it. 

That said, I think dreams and the subconscious can still play a role. Sometimes you wake up with a feeling you can't quite explain, and even if you don't remember the dream itself, that emotion can find its way into a lyric or a melody.

Outverge: How do you handle a song idea that doesn't fit into your current project?

Lukas Moore of Awake For Days: I don't force an idea into Awake For Days just because I think it's good. Every song has to feel like it belongs to the band's identity and to the chapter we're currently living. 

If an idea doesn't fit, I don't throw it away. I save it. I have dozens of voice memos, lyric ideas, and demos that are simply waiting for the right moment. Sometimes a song that doesn't make sense today becomes exactly what I need a year later. 

I also produce other artists, so occasionally an idea that isn't right for Awake For Days ends up inspiring something for someone else. Every song has its own home. The challenge is understanding where it truly belongs instead of forcing it into the wrong project.

Outverge: Do you ever revisit old songs to rework or find inspiration?

Lukas Moore of Awake For Days: Absolutely. I still go back and listen to our older songs, not because I want to recreate them, but because I want to understand them. I analyze what worked, what didn't, and what I could have done better. That's one of the biggest reasons we've evolved so much over the years. 

Every song teaches you something. If you're honest with yourself, you'll always find areas where you can improve, and I try to carry those lessons into the next composition. 

I don't think you ever stop growing in this job. The moment you believe you've arrived and there's nothing left to learn, you stop evolving. For me, that would probably mean losing part of the passion that drives me to create in the first place. Keeping an open mind and accepting that you can always become a better songwriter, producer, and musician is what keeps the process exciting.