The proverbial expression âabsence makes the heart grow fonderâ is often used to describe the growing affection between loved ones who are apart. This adage can also appeal to fans waiting for their favorite musician to return with new material, leaving space in their heart for them as time goes by. For fans of the post-hardcore legends Pierce the Veil, itâs a sentiment that was worth holding onto for so long. The time has come to revive our emo adolescence and reunite with Vic Fuentes, Tony Perry, and Jaime Preciado. âIt just feels amazing to be back doing everything that we feel like we’re born to do,â Fuentes tells Remezcla via Zoom.
After a reflective seven-year gap, the Mexican-American rock stars dropped their long-anticipated fifth studio album, The Jaws of Life. The LP aims to give a new perspective on who Pierce the Veil is today and how far theyâve come since their last album, Misadventures. Remezcla chatted with Pierce the Veilâs frontman about the new album, the importance of representing their Mexican culture, and their deep connection with fans.
âIt almost feels like a new band to us because weâre all in different places in our lives now, and we really appreciate it now more than ever,â Fuentes says. During their time away from music, the members have settled down, marrying their significant others, and Fuentes is expecting his first child. But even as the years went by, one constant remained for Pierce the Veil: returning to music. âIt feels like a huge relief, [because] we were really craving this in our lives againâto be back on tour, to be back together as a band, to be putting out music, to be reunited with our fans,â he says with a warm grin on his face.Â
From 2007âs A Flair for the Dramatic to 2016âs Misadventures, the bandâs discography aspired to convey their angsty and apprehensive lyrics through screamo, pop-punk, and alt-rock. Itâs always been important for Pierce the Veil to keep their lyric messages sincere as they previously articulated poetic sentiments, natural tendencies of human nature, and symbols of hope. Fast forward to today, the band touches on enduring their toughest battle. The Jaws of Life is a musing journey through their darkest days, approaching the light at the end of the tunnel, drawing inspiration from classic rock, grunge, and alternative soundscapes. Ahead of the albumâs release, they put out the tracks âPass the Nirvana,â âEmergency Contact,â and âEven When Iâm Not With You.âÂ
With 12 new evocative songs on their album, the title track, âThe Jaws of Life,â struck a chord with the band as it impacted their lives. âItâs about finding your way through a dark time in your life and feeling like life can [sometimes] have its teeth sunk into you and have a grip on youâ[and] you need to try to fight your way out of that,â Fuentes explains. âItâs not an easy process, clawing your way out and finding your way to happiness again in the sunlight.â
Pierce the Veilâs eloquent and pivotal lyricism is something everyone can resonate with, even the band members themselves. âAs a unit, we felt very disconnected for a very long time. And though this album brought us back together, it [also] got us to a higher level of connection and stronger bond than weâve ever had as a band and as friends,â Fuentes says. âThis album did a lot for us, and âThe Jaws of Lifeâ kind of represents that.âÂ
As Southern California locals with family in Mexico, the band is proud to be Mexican-American musicians, and itâs not unfamiliar territory for them to incorporate their roots into their work. At the When We Were Young Festival, True Power Tour, and three New Yearâs shows in 2022, they played Vicente Fernandezâs âEl Reyâ as their introduction song on-stage, and Preciado was often seen sporting a Mexican National Soccer jersey during performances. They also had folklorico dancers perform during the guitar solo of âBulls in the Bronx.â The band has a natural quintessence of appreciating their culture. âIt’s important to us, but itâs also [just] part of us, and we do it very naturally. Weâre proud of it,â Fuentes says. âWe did it naturally, but itâs exciting to see young kids always being like, âIâm proud to be Mexican because of Pierce the Veil.â And it really makes us super happy to hear, so we want to keep that going.â
“[I]tâs exciting to see young kids always being like, âIâm proud to be Mexican because of Pierce the Veil.â And it really makes us super happy to hear, so we want to keep that going.â
This all ties back to the early 2010s, when Fuentes coined a term to describe Pierce the Veilâs musical styleâMexicore. When asked about the term, Fuentes laughs and replies that the band will never forget it. âWe made that up because we were tired of being asked what type of music we were, so we came up with something unique, so thatâs what we call ourselves,â he explains. With endless flashbacks of memories flooding through his mind, Fuentes says Pierce the Veil is still âMexicoreâ a decade later. âMexicore will live on forever!â he says with a laugh.
Nearing 16 years together, The Jaws of Life opens up a path forward for Pierce the Veil, and it takes their loyal fans along for the ride. Together, both the band and their fans find healing and support on the days they need it the most. âThe fans keep us motivated, even during dark times or times where we donât have anything new out,â he explains.Â
âWe even printed out big posters of the crowdsâbecause we have some amazing photos of our crowdsâand put them up all over the studio to remind us of our fans and where we are going to be playing these songs eventually. That kind of kept us in a good headspace of reminding ourselves that this is your goal, this is where you are going to be, and youâre going to be reunited with these people again.âÂ
Listen to The Jaws of Life below.Â