• Hi Dominick! Thank you for another opportunity to chat. We are smitten with ‘Signs Of Yesterday’. We can see large stylistic differences between all three of the singles you released this year thus far. From the ballad tendencies of ‘Frozen Tears’ to the 80s operatic rock of ‘Providence…’ to the electronic soundscapes of the latest, do you think there’s one of the three approaches you would prefer to explore more than the others?

Hi Moataz, and thanks for having me on again! And huge thanks for the appreciation of my new single. I`m very excited to answer your questions about my work.

Yes, indeed there are significant stylistic differences between the three songs and I`m very proud of them all. Both `Frozen Tears and `Providence De La Jetset represent my musical background in a very profound way and they where also written and recorded pretty effortless since that style and approach comes very natural to me. `Signs Of Yesterday‘ however was quite a bit more of a challenge and also that song differentiates in the way that the process goes as well. The song has basically been in the works for years before I had it finalized and released. Despite the fact that the song is a bit more experimental, still I always had the idea that `Signs Of Yesterday‘ would be more of a “hit-song” than the two previously released songs. At least that was my main intent.

The stylistic direction on my upcoming releases will certainly tilt more towards the approach of `Signs Of Yesterday.’ The main reason for that is that I aim for the broader audiences and would preferably be regarded as a mainstream kind-of-artist as opposed to a musician locked into the nished metal category. I think that `Signs Of Yesterday‘ has that potential. My upcoming songs will be created from that very standpoint. They will also showcase more of my funky and groovy influences alongside with the grandiosity of the symphonic and bombastic elements. The melodic and catchy choruses that is heard on the previous releases will still be a profound focus in my future material, but less routed in the classic metal-style.

• On writing ‘Signs Of Yesterday’, what was your approach to coming up with such a unique arrangement? Did you have a particular sound in mind that you were going for? or do things fall in place as the process progresses?

Well, I had an intent of doing something different in terms of arrangement and stylistic approach where I started off with the idea for the groove. It`s funny because the actual main riff was inspired by a song by Joe Satriani called `Wormhole Wizards.’ From there I composed the rest of the song and the end result has no similarities to the “Satch-song” whatsoever. It turned out quite different just like I wanted it to be (and obviously not an instrumental song). Usually I write like that meaning that I start off with the instrumental parts and then I write the lyrics as the process progress and the song takes form.

• We can hear a fantastic string sequence, a great beat, and an involved synth performance, all right alongside the great singing and lyrics. Do you receive any assistance in preparing your songs or is your approach wholly DIY?

Thanks! No, it`s all me. I do it all by myself. Songwriting, performing and recording is all the DIY-method including the marketing side of it which I do under my own label. It`s kind of a danting task to be an independent artist especially when you`re new to the whole thing and the music industry has changed quite a bit from the old days. The possibillities are way better now I think but it requires a lot of work to carry it through and to manage it on you own. But over time I hope it will pay off and that i will be able to see some results. The only exception to the standard procedure in the music side-of-things is that the mixing/mastering of my songs is done by my producers (Anders “Theo” Theander and Johan Snofeldt) at `RoastingHouse Music. `Signs Of Yesterday,’ however, is the only exception to that since I already had that song mixed and mastered long before I hooked up with `RoastingHouse. So I am therefore listed as the producer myself on this particular track. 

My next release and all the following releases will be mixed/mastered and produced by `RoastingHouse Music  just like the first two was.

• Regarding your time in Morocco and in Malta and the profound story you shared with us, now would be a good time for our readers to also get to know the inspiration behind the song, from the man himself. How did it feel to finally realize where you belonged and what you wanted to do? Was it more scary or exciting?

In hardship and struggle we often find out who we really are. Our strenghts and weaknesses come to show in a very profound way when you realise that something within you has do be dealt with in order to reach the next level. 

The song is all about growth really and growth often comes with a price just like as described in one of the lines from the lyric “For any gain in life there is a sacrifice” which in my case was to face the root-problems of the occuring setbacks that I encountered in my life. The particular sacrifice for me was to deal with things like limiting beliefs and some self damaging personality traits that never served me in getting forward in life. As you let go of certain aspects of your own state of being it might even mean that you have to distance yourself from things that you are emotionally attached to. You simply have to do whatever it takes to become the person who is able to fullfill your life goals and dreams. 

As for the details in my life that inspired the song it was simply that I was more or less forced to abrubtly end things that I had going back home in Sweden. Circumstances made me have to plan my whereabouts from where I could land a job in a crisis of temporary homelessness.  I just couldn´t wait around for any more rejections back home so I left for other opportunities. Of all places in the world my next job-offer came from Malta after having travelled around a bit prior to that. It was just in time before I was dead broke I had to take the chance on flying to Malta for a casino job which I miraculously landed already the second day after I came there. A great job and a fine way of living but eventually I had to face the facts that I left plenty of unfinished business back home in Sweden. Malta was to small of a place for me and the music scene there is also very limited. I lived a good life that I didn`t wanna give up on but I didn`t progress there. I was “stuck” in the wonderful island in the sun. 

Again, the lyric line “For any gain in life there is a sacrifice” is another example of just that even if applayed to the relative trivial situations during my travels. In greater aspects of life the message is still the same I think.

So I guess the sense moral (if there is any) to the story simply is to listen to your inner desire for fullfillment and purpose as opposed to stay in the comfort of superficial convenients. 

• The background story for ‘Signs Of Yesterday’ is very deep and personal, and I’d dare say that as a song, it might be your most musically intricate and most empowering. Would you agree to that? And if you had to pick a favorite of your three latest singles, which one would it be?

Thanks for the acknowlegde of the musical and instrumental aspects of the song as well, considering it carries a strong message. I´m very proud of the song as a composition and I would agree to the fact that it is probably the one that I`ve put the most effort into in terms of arrangements and groove-making so far. 

If I had to pick a favorite (it`s almost like asking someone to pick their favorite child) it has to be `Signs Of Yesterday‘ for the same reasons as just mentioned. Another reason might be my guitar work on it as I provided `Signs Of Yesterday‘ with a well composed guitar solo that is a bit more extended than the one in Frozen Tears. 

From a sound-production point of view however, it isn`t as good as it`s predessessors. 

So it`s a tough call, but “Signs” would be my pick all together after all, due to the composition value.

• Finally, what are your plans for the immediate future? Should we expect a fourth, completely different single to come out soon? Or is it finally time for an album? Or maybe a tour? Where can fans find you next?

I plan to release new songs leading up to a full album but I will release them as singles. That is the so called “waterfall release strategy” meaning one song at the time will be released. I also have some plans for an EP with songs that will be in the style of blues rock. This will probably be a reality a bit later on. I haven`t come that far in the planning of that just yet.

However, the fourth song is in the making as we speak. This new song (that haven’t got a title yet) will stylistically pick up from where `Signs Of yesterday‘ left off, but it also has some similarities to Frozen Tears as it has similar rythm patterns. This new one I am very excited about since it has the groove and a very strong melody in place already. As a disclosure I can tell that it has some jazzy and very funky elements to it but still with a common thread to the previous songs. 

It`s gonna be a banger and I can`t wait to see how it will be recieved. If you like `Signs Of Yesterday‘ you will love the new song for sure!

Release date will be set to somewhere in the end of Januari of next year (2025).

There are no tours or shows in the pipeline just yet but the plan is to make that a reality if there will be demand for it over time. Until then I just will enjoy the entire process.

• Thank you, Dominick for the chat. It is always rewarding to connect with the artists and give them the space to speak about their creations. We hope the conversation was as compelling to you as it was to us, and we hope to reconnect again over your great music soon.  

REVIEW – Signs of Yesterday by Dominick Keath

• First of all, thank you Dominick for giving us this opportunity to chat. We would like to start with a bit of history. When and how did you start with music, and what would you say are some moments that shaped the musician you are today?

Thanks for having me on and nice to talk to you!

My very first introduction to rock`n`roll was during the 80`s when I grew up. I wanted to be just like my (by that time) biggest idol Nikki Sixx. When I saw Motley Crue live in Sweden 1986 (which was my first live consert ever) my life changed completey. I was 12 years old when I was in front row at that Motley-consert banging my head like crazy to my greatest idols. From that day on I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Music was my thing! I started my first band at the age of 13. 

Decades later as a member of a tribute band in honor of the great canadian blues rock guitarist Frank Marino I got my actual musical training.I was a singing bassplayer and we as a band geeked out totally into this jazzy and groovy cool stuff that eventually laid the foundation for my bass playing. We named our band Jive Baby after a song by our great hero Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush.

The next moment that has shaped me as a musician is when I got recruited as the bassplayer to a metal band called Cloudscape where I participated on their 3 first albums. My songwriting has had an great impact from the years I played with those guys .We eventually got signed by a record label called Metal heaven and played on venues such as Bloodstock Open Air (UK), Prog Power UK, Sweden Rock Festival and played in  countries such as Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Netherlands and UK. 

• For ‘Providence..’, a lot of the words seem to be rooted in personal experience. For writing lyrics, do you believe that the writer must have lived the situations they are writing about for the lines to have an impact on the listener? Or do you believe that simply feeling something is enough to carry the emotions across?

A very good question and my answer would be no, I don`t believe that you have to have your own experiences mixed in there when creating a good story or a strong vibe for the song. A good story that conveys a certain feeling for the listener I do think you can acchieve just as good by making it up. In the case for “Providence De La Jetset” the lyrics are partly inspired by some events in my own life as far as the message for the song goes… but the overall story and the specific scenarios that are illustrated in the lyrics are fictional.

• For classic rock, when more songs were band-centered efforts, we often catch a feeling that the words and the music are part of one being. Inseparable, because they were strictly written around one another. For your own songwriting, is there a band to help in building the groove or the song structure, or is your work done totally solo? And how would you say the presence of a band could impact the songwriting process?

In the case of my own solo thing I work completely on my own and it differs quite a bit from when I work in a band situation. When I have a band incorporated in the writing process usually I get some riff or the entire background presented to me. As an example, this is the case in the recording of the full length album that I just finalized with my previous band Soulweeper (I`ll get further into that in just a second). In that process the main songwriter/guitarist provides me with his songs and then I write the lyrics, record the bass guitar and put down the vocals. My lyrics are usually well though out and they are written seperately from the actual writing of the song, as opposed to have the lyrics come to life when jamming together with the band.

• Does the music come to you before the words, or is it the other way around? Which angle do you seem to focus on more in your songwriting process, and which would you prefer to leave a longer lasting impact on listeners?

My standard process is to start with the music and then I write a lyric that matches the vibe of the completed music. I`m one of those artists that put very much value in the lyrics in general despite my background as an instrumentalist, so this is a tough one to answer. Yeah, a song can still be great even if there`s a subpar (or even bad) lyric but the other way around would never work. Meaning if the lyric is poetic and top level but the music is lesser good the song will not really go that far. So at the end of the day I do think the melody has to have the longest impact on the listener. 

• For production purposes, do you prefer having a complete vision of where you want the production style to go, and it is a matter of finding a producer capable of delivering this vision? Or do you actively seek producers who have their own distinct way of seeing things, hoping they could help you see different faces for your songs?

This is another great question. In the case of my recent songs I did appreciate the collaborative venture with my producers in terms of production and direction since I haven`t precisely carved out my sound at this point. A creative producer that has a vision for the material could be helpful at this stage in my career but there has also been several situations in the past where I have had a certain song already completed, a clear vision in my head and just needed a great mix and mastering to finalize it. It all depends of the current situation but over time I think I will tilt towards wanting to have a producer who can deliver my own vision.

• What do you have planned to follow ‘Providence De La Jetset’ with? More singles, or maybe an EP or an album? What can your fans expect of you over the coming months?

I will continue with single releases (the so called Water Fall Strategy Releases) and the follow-up song after “Providence de La jetset” will be released in 8`th of November. The song is called “Signs Of Yesterday” and is slightly different from it`s both predecessors. It is still a rock song with all those elements that include rock guitars, organic drums and catchy vocal melodies. This song however has an energetic beat and bassline that would define it as heavy funkrock with some electronic elements added to it. I`m very excited to see the reactions on this release since it is less of a hard rock-song and more of a “mainstream” kind of song with some heavy guitars and a furious bassline .

As I mentioned earlier I am also releasing a full lengt album with my previous band which is going to be released somewhere near the start of the next year of 2025. This is another side of my artistic expression. The name of the band is Soulweeper which is a heavy metal band that sounds slightly different from the music I release on my own. At the time of the writing of this article there are no details for a full scale reformation of Soulweeper though, however this might be the case during 2025. I`ll be glad to keep you updated further on this! 

In the meantime you will hear more from my solo releases which is gonna lead up to a full length album as well. Plans beyond that will be settled based on the public response over time.

• Thank you, Dominick, for this nice discussion. It was great getting introduced to your music and we are wholly excited for many more anthems to come.

Thanks a lot for the interview and look forward to talk again soon!

Based in Malmö, Sweden Dominick Keath’s career and presence in the music scene can be traced back to several bands he was involved in in the 90s, before taking a long break until earlier this year when he regrouped and focused all his energy into his songwriting and his own solo career, fruits of which include today’s ‘Providence De La Paycheck. 

‘Providence..’ is a classic rock, a driving anthem that harkens back to glam and hard rock from the 80s with its simplistic but hefty drum and bass groove, its wealth of glistening synth leads, and of course with Keath’s hearty and passionate rock vocal delivery. The lyrics, written from the standpoint of someone living the high life so much that he finds himself missing the simple pleasures of the common man’s day to day life, this anthemic cut features riffs that are catchy and powerful, right next to the healthy classic rock mix done by Anders Theander and Johan Snofeldt.

‘Providence De La Jetset’ is an exciting and comtemplative return to form for Dominick Keath. A showcase of his songwriting talent and his vocal abilities, it is a powerful single that will easily find an audience of hard rock lovers. 

Though with a modern touch, “Frozen Tears” is organized in the manner usual of classic rock tunes. It begins with a mysterious beginning with echoing guitar riffs that set a sad tone right away. The song then picks up intensity from hard rock rhythms, pounding basslines, and forceful vocal delivery. Keath borrows from his background in bands like Cloudscape, using melodic metal and progressive rock to create seamless transitions between the several sections of the song.

Supported by a neat guitar riff and consistent drumbeats, the quiet but rich-in-texture verse parts are Keath’s powerful vocals, and a more forceful orchestral backdrop helps the chorus blast with vitality. The middle eighth portion provides a glimpse of Keath’s soaring guitar solo, therefore acting as an instrumental break and showcasing his abilities.

One can make analogs with venerable rock stars like Scorpions and Whitesnake. The song has parallels with these bands’ skill at fusing a driving rock sound with sincere songwriting. Furthermore, the melodic structure reminds me of bands like Def Leppard, where the melody is equally vital as the rhythm.

Though varied, the instrumentation of “Frozen Tears” is harmonic. The track opens with guitars, which alternate between crunchy, distorted riffs in the chorus and clear, chorus-laden tones in the verses. A strong rhythm section supports this, giving the song a hefty backbone from the bass and drums. A highlight, the guitar solo highlights Keath’s mastery and provides the track’s climax point. This allusion to the guitar-centric rock of the 1970s and 1980s pays obvious homage to Keath’s inspirations from groups like Mahogany Rush.

Supervised at the Roasting House Music studio, the production is polished and professional. Every instrument is placed deliberately in the mix so that Keath’s vocals may be heard above the heavier parts. Though having a modern edge, the sound reminds me of vintage rock records, thereby giving the song both a nostalgic feel and a modern appeal.

The highly intense and profoundly resonant voice of Dominick Keath in “Frozen Tears” His voice has a rawness that complements the melancholy and introspection tone of the song exactly. He makes good use of his range, especially in the chorus when his voice rises above the instrumentality. With a strong delivery that doesn’t overwhelm the instrumental parts, Keath’s vocal performance is like that of classic rock vocalists such as David Coverdale (Whitesnake) or Joey Tempest (Europe). His years of fronting bands have helped him to have vocalist confidence and control.

Frozen Tears’s songs explore ideas of sadness, loss, and emotional fortitude. “Frozen tears” are a metaphor for unexpressed grief and repressed emotions. Keath explores the concepts of emotional solitude, and the challenge of future mobility hampered by the past. This idea both lyrically and musically fits the sombre tone of the song. The song is both a personal and global anthem since it seems to inspire listeners to consider their challenges with loss or emotional suffering.

Classed as melodic hard rock and classic rock, “Frozen Tears” fits quite nicely within the framework of late 20th-century bands who balanced melody with hard-edged rock. Keath combines melodic hooks with rock’s unique intensity to produce a sound that is both recognizable and novel, hence the genre designations fit. The strong but melodic approach of the song reflects his influences from the blues rock and metal scenes—honed throughout his time with Cloudscape and Soulweeper.

Dominick Keath‘s solo career opens with a powerful first track called “Frozen Tears.” It produces a song that will appeal to listeners of both vintage and contemporary rock music by deftly combining the features of classic rock with modern production methods. This song is interesting to listen to Keath because of his rich musical history, great vocals, and deft musicianship. Keath lays the foundation for what seems to be an amazing full-length record with this release, and it will be fascinating to see how he keeps developing as an artist.