“We post a lot of bite-sized content,” explains Jake Zavracky. “These quarterly reports are our way of giving fans the full picture – finished versions of the choruses they’ve fallen in love with on social media.”

The EP’s focus track, “Sacrifice,” takes that concept and dials it all the way up. Written after a late-night screening of Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu, the track spirals into moody, synth-drenched melancholia, capturing the quiet ache of someone desperate to matter to someone else – even if it means disappearing into their shadow. “It’s like giving up,” Jake says. “Like saying: you do everything, and I’ll be the weight on your shoulder.”

Produced in Toronto with help from vocalist/producer Jimmy Chauveau (The Strumbellas, Kadeema), the track showcases some of the band’s most evocative vocal performances to date. “Jimmy and I push each other a lot,” says Elizabeth LeBaron. “It really helped me tackle some of the vocal gymnastics on “Sacrifice” – this song required a lot emotionally, and technically.”

With a sound rooted in indie pop, dream pop, and synthwave nostalgia, The Dream Eaters continue to build a world uniquely their own – part late-stage capitalist fever dream, part tender love letter to the human condition. “This EP feels like it’s coming from someone who’s just trying to hold onto a sense of identity in a world that’s increasingly programmed,” says Elizabeth.

Formed in Brooklyn in 2015, the band has evolved into a cult art-pop project with hundreds of darkly whimsical videos and an ever-growing fanbase. Their web series, The Dream Eating Freakshow, along with viral TikTok clips and immersive music videos, have made The Dream Eaters as much a visual experience as a musical one.

Following past releases We Are a Curse and Pagan Love, and with a 2025 North American tour underway, The Dream Eaters show no signs of slowing down. Consider Q125 your first quarterly check-in from the edge of reality and “Sacrifice” its most haunting report.

Inspired by fever dreams Jake experienced during a bout with COVID-19, Deathbed Visions weaves together themes of longing, escape, and personal reckoning. The thread starts with the title track, then continues through songs like “Invite Me Over” and “Tiny Grass is Dreaming,” exploring a longing to escape suburbia and achieve something greater.”

The focus track, “SPANK BANK,” is a cheeky, upbeat ode to sexual fantasy, highlighting the pair’s knack for humor and authenticity. With hundreds of thousands of social media views, the track resonated with fans long before its release.

We wanted to write a positive song about sexual fantasies. It’s all just fun; we’re all human, and we all have urges. It’s playful and lighthearted. – The Dream Eaters

The Dream Eaters have cultivated a reputation for their eclectic and imaginative approach to music. Over the years, they’ve evolved from a dream pop band into a full multimedia project, combining catchy pop melodies with captivating visual storytelling. Known for their quirky, darkly comedic music videos, The Dream Eaters have gained a dedicated cult following through their presence on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, where they continue to push the boundaries of indie pop, post-punk, and new wave sounds.

Auteur Research

Jake Zavracky has written and produced several versions of new single, “CRUCIFIXXX,” with various artists, including The Dream Eaters themselves on their 2018 album Pagan Love; But he has never felt he got it quite right. The Dream Eaters felt it was too special to leave alone, so recently they tried recording it again, and this time they feel they nailed it. 

Singer Elizabeth LeBaron interprets the lyrics perfectly in her vocal, stating that, for her, “CRUCIFIXXX” is about the loneliness and hopelessness she felt when her life was a mess. Zavracky points out how in that hopelessness, there is a silver lining. “I can only go up from here. I think that’s reflected in the music too, with its ascending theme – you start at the low point and go up from there.”

This song makes me feel like I’m at absolute rock bottom. It’s the moment of self-realization: “lookin around these ruins…” and the frustration of having someone ask you how you are, hit on you even, when you’re clearly falling apart. –Elizabeth LeBaron

The Dream Eaters made several EPs before releasing their first full length album, We Are A Curse, in 2017. They followed up with their second album, Pagan Love, in 2018, touring frequently all over the Eastern US and Canada. In 2019, the pair started working on a web series called The Dream Eating Freakshow which they began releasing in September of 2020. Since then the band has released hundreds of videos on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube and has grown a cult fanbase.

Auteur Research

Vocalist Elizabeth LeBaron adds, “There’s a lot of vibrato and longing in it, like a wet 80s New Wave love song.” 

oh yesterday was so anodyne

then some little precious thing

moved just beyond our reach

The Dream Eaters duo started working together after LeBaron, originally from Calgary, started working at the same bar as Zavracky, originally from Boston, in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn.

The pair made several EPs before releasing their first full-length album We Are A Curse in 2017, followed by their second album, Pagan Love, in 2018. The pair launched a web series called “The Dream Eating Freakshow” in 2020. Since then, the band has released hundreds of videos on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube and grown a cult fanbase.

Auteur Research

How did you guys get together and start the band?
3D In Your Face started way back in 1999 by our lead singer Alan ‘Hot Rod’ King. Alan played and toured all throughout the 80’s. In 1999 music and especially music in the Midwest USA had become boring and stale. There was a need for something new and different. He decided that he would put together a band that played 80’s hair Metal/Glam Rock and put on an over-the-top spectacle of a performance. This was before there where tribute bands on every corner. 3D In Your Face was an instant hit due in no small part to the popularity of the glam metal and the over-the-top theatrics of the show. After many lineup changes over the years Jeremy ‘The Playboy’ Deans was recruited to play drums. Guitar virtuoso Chris ‘Sniper’ Hineline was the next piece of the puzzle. I was actually with the band on the sidelines for many years as the guitar tech and stage manager. When the bass player position opened up I jumped at the opportunity and learned the set-list in a month. The current lineup we have now has been together almost three years. We have done three tours together, recorded and released Midnight Devils on Dec. 6th 2013, and we are working on our next album hopeful due out by Dec. of 2014.

Is there any significant meaning to your names and the band name?
First of all I wish I had an awesome story for you about the band name. I get asked this question all the time. The idea for the band name was to clue anybody and everybody in as to what we were doing with just the name. “3D In Your Face” is an unapologetic, unabashed high energy Rock N Roll circus. When you say “3D In Your Face” you are talking about lasers, pyro, big hair, tight pants, and loud guitars. In no other words it’s “In Your Face” Rock N Roll. As for the names of the guys in the band, each member has been outfitted with a special nickname. Our singer Hot Rod got his name because he is the front man, the flashy one. He blows fire on stage every night. He is the ring leader. Plus he loves everything with an engine. Sniper the guitar player got his name because he is an ex-US Army Ranger. He served his country in two theaters of war as a Sniper in the 82nd Airborne. Our drummer The Playboy’s nickname is pretty self explanatory. He is blonde, thin, and hilarious. He flips the sticks and gets the chicks. My name is Spade and I got my name from an old radio detective named Sam Spade. My first night out with the band Hot Rod called me Spade and 9 years later everyone calls me Spade.

Being an 80’s themed band, who is your favorite band/artist back in the 80?
I love a lot of music from the 80’s but honestly it doesn’t just have to be music from that decade. Sure the music was amazing then and that was the height of Rock N Roll but I love music with that raw primal emotion. I love music with that swing and swagger. I was first really drawn to KISS and they are still my favorite band to this day. I also was highly influenced by early glam bands like The New York Dolls, punk bands like The Ramones, and even metal bands like Iron Maiden. I think my favorite band from the 80’s would have to be Twisted Sister. I think that Dee Snider is the president of Glam Rock N Roll and songs like You Can’t Stop Rock N Roll, I Wanna Rock and We’re Not Gonna Take are the back bones of 80’s hair metal.

What inspired the lyrics to your songs?

A lot of the lyrics for our Midnight Devils album were inspired by actual events and things that happened to us as a band out on the road. From the time we decided to write this album until the time it was finished was about two years. The songs came from the things we saw, the things we read, and the things we experienced. Our first single Generetion Durt is about being broke and having to work every day just to get by but still being happy and determined to make something out of life. I found a lot of inspiration in angels and demons, both playing against each other in a cosmic battle for our souls. The good, the bad, and the ugly. There are other songs that deal with love and finding that one true love. As well there are songs that strictly have to do with sex, the down and dirty kind. All 12 tracks I believe come from a very honest place. Mostly we write about loving Rock N Roll.

If each of you had to pick any other job, what would it be?
I believe that Hot Rod would be a Nascar driver. Sniper would be a professional life coach. The Playboy would be an antiques dealer. I would probably be a teacher.

This was a very tough question because we already have the best job in the world. I don’t think any of us would trade this job for something else. It gets in your blood.

Whose idea was it do dress accordingly to the 80’s era?
The idea to dress like a glam band from the 80’s started with Hot Rod but I think it was just such a natural thing to do. Bands at the time where wearing shorts and sandals with backwards baseball hats on stage. It was appalling. Each gut in 3D In Your Face derives his look and style from the bands and the music that they were influenced by. I started out playing in a touring punk rock band wearing fishnet shirts and lipstick. To this day it has become our battle armor, our war attire. The clothes are an extension of our individual personalities. When I was a kid and even to this day I didn’t want to go and see bands that didn’t look the part. I wanted bands to look and act like Rockstars, larger than life performers. I have the attitude that the stage is yours, the people paid for a show and you damn well better give them a show. The bigger and brighter the better. Nothing is off limits.

Do you have any advice to other bands who want to show off a bold image?
Never ever back down and never ever give in. People hated KISS when they were first starting out. They hated the look and the music. Look at KISS now. Be proud of who you are and be proud of your individuality. Don’t think that we still don’t get called names every day on a regular basis because of the way we look. The trick is to not let it bother you or get under your skin. To me eye liner and hairspray is normal who is anybody else to tell me differently.

Do you have any setbacks this day and age because of your image?
No, not really anymore. People will always talk and they will always mumble behind our backs. They will put us down because of the way we look but in reality they are jealous that we are out there chasing our dreams and living life by our rules. When we step out on stage usually peoples jaws drop and they can’t believe their eyes. By the second song in we have them hook line and sinker. People listen with their eyes and when they see the passion we have for the music that we play that can’t help but get on board. Our goal every night is to win you by the second song. We are passionate about what we do and it shows on stage.

What message are you trying to send with your music?
We are saying, purely and simply, follow your dreams and never give up on what makes you happy. If you believe in something so badly that you are willing to give up everything than you are willing to go the distance. 3D In Your Face started out as a band for fans of Rock N Roll and to this day I believe we are no different than any person in our audience. We are no better or worse. We are all fans of dirty, sweaty, down-in-the-gutter loud Rock N Roll. We are all in this together. We promote individuality and dedication. We promote passion and emotion in our music.

Tell us about your first time on stage? When was it and was the audience feedback?
My first time on stage was roughly ten years ago and it wasn’t so much of a stage as it was a backyard. My band was asked to play a party at a girl’s house when her parents had left for the weekend. We showed up early set up and thought we were kings of the world. I was wearing an Iron Maiden head band and playing an Ace Frehley Les Paul. My mother had custom designed me a shirt that looked like a cross between Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne during the Black Sabbath years. It was one of those with the long fringe that hung down from the arms. As soon as the sun went down we stepped out into the backyard and hit the first chord. The audience which was full of underage drunk kids freaked out and started running because we were so loud. Needless to say we played about 5 terrible under-rehearsed songs to 15 people. It was a magical evening that I will never forget.

How has your music developed since the first album to the third one?

I wasn’t around for the making of the first album but I was there for the second and third. On our latest album Midnight Devils we wanted to focus more on straight-ahead guitar oriented Rock N Roll. We wanted the songs to be fast and mean. We wanted it to sound like the band did live on stage. We enlisted the help of our live sound engineer Troy Way to produce, mix, and master the album. I think Troy captured our sound right on the nose. Most of the songs had been rehearsed and were ready to be recorded before we even hit the studio. Some we had even played live to feel them out with a live audience. Our main goal was to take all of our influences whether it be KISS, Whitesake, Van Halen, or Motley Crue and mix them together. But we also wanted to give this album a modern feel. We didn’t want to set out to recreate Appetite or another album from the 80’s. We wanted the songs to be relevant to people listen to our music today. Our goal was to make a good solid Rock N Roll record with no filler and no loose ends. I believe Midnight Devils was inspired by the 80’s but is an album that stands up in 2014.

Anything thing you would like to say to your fans?
Our fans mean everything to us and without them we wouldn’t be here today. They have dubbed themselves the 3D In Your Face Army. Thank you for all the years. We love you and we are very honored to be doing what we love because of your dedication and support.
KEEP THE FAITH
I STILL BELIEVE IN ROCK N ROLL

Sam Spade

Thank you guys for the amazing music, and I can’t wait for your next album. ROCK ON!!

Not many fans know about your first band Helium, and many more don’t know that it’s been reincarnated into Bullet in Jeans. Do tell us more about Helium, how you joined, and the idea behind Bullet in Jeans.

That’s quite an interesting question to start with. Well, the shortest version of the story is that John Henry (guitarist and co-founder of the band) believed that it was time to start our band. John wanted the band’s direction to be more into rock instrumentals while I was looking forward for more Heavy Rock songs. We both thought that there was no need for two bands sharing the same members just because we had two different directions, so we decided to blend them under one roof and Helium was born.

A few years later, after Helium disbanded, I missed performing rock music, so I called up some of the guys back from Helium; along with Sherif Watson (guitarist) and I proposed that we form a new rock band, only we’ll be performing originals in addition to “Recovers” this time around. We were all excited about it and we called the band ‘Bullets in Jeans’. ‘Recovers’ is just a name we gave to what we did to the covers we chose. We pick Pop, Motown and Jazz hits and instead of just covering them, we rearrange them to a Hard Rock sound. Sometimes we even rearrange classic rock songs.

This band introduced many sub genres to the music scene in Egypt, why did you split up?

Well, Helium was a great experience to all of us, we enjoyed trying out different stuff and most importantly, stuff that we liked. But the thing is, when John Henry decided to stop playing music for good and quit the band, we thought of disbanding Helium, because he was one of the main pillars. Next thing, each one of us started joining other bands and projects, exploring the vast oceans of music and expanding our horizons.

However, a couple of years later when we met Sherif Watson, we tried reviving Helium, but with a Blues/Rock direction. We did perform a few gigs as
Helium for a few months, but the band disbanded again. We enjoyed performing Blues Rock BIG TIME, but we believed if we were doing that, then we should be using a different name. I know it sounds crazy, but we felt like Helium wasn’t actually Helium without John with us. Moreover, we felt that Helium was the band that screamed Vai, Satriani and Alice Cooper…So we realized we had to get over that band’s name and start over with something totally different.

Your father played a huge role in your musical influence. Tell us about that.
That is so true, God bless him. He was a musician himself. Since I was 8 years old, he’d taught me everything from singing to music composition. I remember how he explained every single detail related to music; his body of work and his singing have always been a source of great fascination to me, and I actually learned a lot just from listening to his music.

So you’ve been engaged with Wyvern as a metal band for a while, now you’ve shifted to Funk and Blues in different bands. Why the radical change?

Well, believe it or not, I’ve never considered myself as a metal singer in the first place. Of course, I’ve surely enjoyed performing with Wyvern, it was such a rocking experience and we had a good run together. But regarding your question in specific, all my life I’ve listened to and been fascinated by Blues, Jazz, Funk, Motown, Rock and such. So it is not much of a radical change, more of like sticking to what I love doing the most.

Tell us, who created that kickass logo?

That would be me!

How did you get the idea of creating it?
Well, I got a bunch of papers and pen, starting drawing down some ideas but I wasn’t liking any of them. So I thought, since I love my zodiac sign, which is a Scorpio, by the way – so why don’t I include my zodiac sign with the logo. And while thinking about it, the image of the logo just popped into my head. I drew it on a paper to see how will it look like, and I felt that this would actually be my logo. Next thing, I went on Photoshop and started working on it and here it is!

How do you think you developed musically and lyrically in the past 10 years?

Very interesting one you got there. Well, the direction of expression has shifted, speaking in terms of change. Over the past 10 years, I believe I’ve undergone this transition in writing, whether lyrically or musically. I’ve changed from handling issues from a grey perspective to handling it with a much more positive attitude.

My songwriting and music composition were towards New Age back then and had a dark tone to them, like ‘A Psycho’s Dream’, ‘The Dancing Truth’ and ‘Facing the Truth.’ And then around 2010, I started writing and composing with a more positive vibe, much towards Funk Rock like ‘Get the Funk’ and ‘She Ain’t the Girl.’

In terms of progress, then I’d have to say I believe there is no ceiling for development. The knowledge and inspiration out there are just vast! I’m always seeking knowledge whether through books or online, or through fellow musicians. Besides acquiring proper knowledge, one should be exposed to a variety of music. Just turning on the radio and listening to it, plays a developing role on its own as well. Most of the time I feel like that some songs might be crap, but then again, usually one realizes and learns something or another while being exposed to different genres and songs. So, I believe it’s a natural process, as time goes by along with the accumulating experience and knowledge, one’s perception and expressive pathways keep on expanding.

In 2007 you had a vocal injury that caused you to put your work on hold for a year. What happened there?

Vocal abuse. I didn’t realize it but I used to perform daily with this band and after the performance I used to rehearse with another band and then there were other days when I would even have two performances in addition to two rehearsals. I would strain my vocal cords like it’s nobody’s business. In addition to not taking proper care of my voice, by smoking, shouting a lot and so on, all in all gave me a serious vocal injury. I took vocal therapy sessions and thank God I regained my voice, and it’s even more powerful than before, in about a year. And of course I eventually got rid of all the other abuse factors that could affect my voice and I’m proud to say that I’ve finally quit smoking too.

What makes a “Jazz” singer different from a “Blues” singer?

I don’t believe they’re all that different, specifically when it comes to singing. I believe that they shouldn’t be differentiated or categorized. They are more or less the same person actually; only two different sides of the same coin.

You’ve been in the music business for a long time. How has it changed since you got involved?

My friends and I have debated a lot about that question. You see, I really do believe that it has really changed to the better. First of all, the underground scene has become largely supported by more than one direction or entity.Not as much as we want it to be, but still way better than how it used to be.

I personally believe that it is Ousso and his SOS Music Festival that gave the underground scene a considerable positive push. One shouldn’t ignore how
the independent and underground artists are given more support and are becoming more recognized in the music scene. You got more than one venue now welcoming underground performances, from bookstores to music theaters. You’ve got Nile FM supporting Egyptian artists by dedicating an entire show just to play their songs on the radio! The media has been shedding more light on independent artists too. You got venues and organizers trying their best to come up with and maintain various and interesting music festivals, like ArtBeat Festival and Cairo Jazz Festival for example. The number of people hiring underground bands for their weddings has increased over the past few years. You can now drive around and actually see posters for some underground and independent artists, like Sharmoofers on Pepsi’s Ad or Cairokee on Coca Cocla’s Ad. As for the support addressing the production of records, it is actually quite little and poor, but it is still appreciated. Even the number of proper rehearsing studios is increasing. In fact, there are studios that really provide properly equipped rehearsing rooms and amazing services for underground artists. The most important of them all, is the fact that the support amongst the artists themselves has increased. Of course, I can’t mention all the changes or contributions, but I’m just mentioning a few examples with my utter respect to all the support and reputable contributions that are making the scene flourish.

Who were the first bands you listened to?

Well, a lot actually. It was mainly Ray Charles, Tom Jones and Elton John, followed a long journey of exploring what is out there, then one day my father played this concert on TV….Pink Floyd – Pulse and I was like what the fuck! And the next thing I know I bought all their tapes, followed by tapes for Queen and Whitesnake and I began exploring the world of rock music.

Who did you see yourself as when you were first introduced to music?
My father.

What kind of advice would you give to young vocalists?

Practice regularly and properly, don’t burn out and take great care of your voice.

In your opinion, what kind of challenges does a musician face in the ME?

There are a lot of challenges, which is quite a normal thing associated with living. Such challenges vary from ones as frustrating as financial issues to ones
as complicated as management. The thing is, musicians cannot be everything and everyone in the music business. Musicians are strictly musicians. Their job in the entertainment business is to express, produce and/or perform art. One cannot be the artist, manager, promoter, marketing specialist, sales person, graphic designer and social media manager all at once…it’s ridiculous! Focusing on more than one aspect will take away energy that should have been exerted on the main picture…being a musician. For instance, artists should not waste their time on promoting an event or a song, this is not their job and this hinders the development of each artist and the scene in general.

We lack the presence of enough agencies that manage each phase of the entire business. Yeah, we do have a couple of reputable agencies and independent agents, but they are not enough. We cannot expect the scene to expand with just two or three reputable agents or agencies. There is a lack of well-structured bodies that execute proper, relevant and presentable promotion for underground artists.

Which do you prefer, writing the lyrics or singing them?

It depends, I’ve written lyrics for other artists and music projects, and it was a great experience to see how another music composer will perceive those lyrics and come up with a different vocal line other than the one I had in mind. Surely, I do enjoy singing my own lyrics. Writing your own lyrics, with your own melody and composing your own music to it, a very logical process. I’ve also enjoyed singing songs where the lyrics were written by someone else, whether if I’d composed the entire song or just the vocal melody. I even do enjoy performing covers where you deliver the vocal line from your own perspective. So you see, it’s hard to pin point which one I prefer the most because every situation is like an adventure on its own, with its own enjoyable experiences and tastes.

Many wonder how you feel on stage with hundreds of people cheering for you and your band.
It’s a great blessing from God to be appreciated for something that you do, something that you believe in and always work hard on.

What are your plans for 2014?

In addition to my music projects, I’m looking forward to expanding my horizons to include composing music for TV ads, shows and films. You can always stay tuned and updated through my website for new work releases, projects, events and so on. adhamroshdy.com

Got some final words for your fans?

I really thank you for your wonderful appreciation and support across the years. No matter what genre, band or project I’m engaged with, your support is always true and deeply motivational. I hope God gives me the power to expand my horizons, deliver and produce even more artwork than before that you will like.

I have a few words for Rock Era as well. Ever since the beginning, you haven’t stopped amusing us with the magnitude of support and passion you express to uphold the music scene. Your prominence is recognizable and I wish you the best in expanding and successfully continuing to support the scene while entertaining and enlightening your audience. Thank you very much for this amazingly interesting interview, I’ve really enjoyed every question…Rock on RockEra!

All photo’s rights reserved by: Menna Hossam and Moustapha Berjaoui