Featherweight Creates Songs That Inspire Self-Reflection
- Ann Schlottman
- 14 hours ago
- 5 min read
Written by: Annie Schlottman Photo credit: Mains Media
Earlier this year, a friend recommended I check out the Ohio melodic metalcore band Featherweight. It was right after they had released their song “Hardship Always Brings A Friend”, April 7th. The first time I heard that song, I knew there was something special about this band and I was intrigued. I started following them and listened to some of their previous songs, and I have become a big fan these past few months.
Recently, Featherweight released a new song, called “What It's Like To Change”, July 24th. It's another fantastic song, and I decided that I wanted to write a feature about the band. I reached out to them, and they agreed to let me interview them for this story.
Featherweight is based in Akron, Ohio. Band members are: Richie Dolbow (lead vocals); Quentin (“Q”) Jakischa (lead guitar and background vocals); Ryan Snyder (rhythm guitar); Nate Metz (bass guitar and background vocals); and Adam McCloskey (drums).
Featherweight started in 2018, and the band has had some lineup changes leading up to the current one, which solidified in late 2024 as a reformation after some time off. Richie and Ryan recruited Nate while they were all working on a different project. Shortly after that, Adam and Q joined. The current group wrote and recorded their first songs together in early 2025.
The band’s name, Featherweight, stems from the meaning of the word, which is essentially strength in the face of weakness. This is exhibited in the style of music the band has chosen. They blend heavy music with themes of overcoming adversity and as well as introspection.
Songwriting is a team effort amongst the whole band. They usually come to each other with instrumental ideas and iterate on them as a group. A lot of the initial idea creation does usually come from Richie or Adam, but they have all been involved at different times. Overall, their writing style is very collaborative and experimental.
Richie writes a lot of the lyrics, but on some of the songs they have released recently, Nate and Q have been involved in that writing process as well. All of the writing and recording is handled within the band.
Behind the scenes, currently David Caplinger masters the band’s tracks. Drummer Adam McCloskey is their mixing engineer. Richie and Adam split responsibilities on recording. Other than song creation, the band also works with Mains Media (Matt Mains and Jenna Kinney) on their visual media. They help out with anything from live photos to promo photos and videography.
Something I love about Featherweight’s music is how interesting and varied it is. The instrumentals have an ebb and flow that range from heavy to melodic at different points in their songs. Richie’s vocals have the same range – they go from beautiful clean vocals to powerful screams via a transition that seems to come easy to him.
The band likes to leave their songs open to interpretation by their listeners. That being said, they did share with me that “Hardship Always Brings A Friend” and “What It’s Like To Change” (“WILTC") both deal with self-discovery and overcoming conflict. “Hardship . . .” is centered more around a theme of external conflict, while “WILTC” is focused more inward.
The band also told me the lyric-writing process is very fluid. They have a drive full of poetry that anyone can contribute to and then they sort through it and grab ideas to refine. They are often inspired by personal stories or feelings that they have dealt with that they think others will be able to relate to and connect with.
When I listen to “Hardship Always Brings A Friend”, it reminds me of someone admitting that they can’t overcome their struggles in life alone. They need help from other people, and it’s just a matter of letting someone into your life and accepting that help.
“What It’s Like To Change”, to me, is about someone who is going through a lot and knows they need to move on through their struggles, but they have to figure out how to do it. They can look to other people for inspiration, but in the end it’s ultimately up to them.
The band’s bassist, Nate Metz, directed, filmed, and produced the “Hardship Always Brings A Friend” music video. This was the second one he’s done, with the first being “Mouth Of Glass”, the song released right before “Hardship . . .”.
Mains Media worked on the “WILTC” video. The band is becoming good friends and partners with them and there is a lot of respect for their work and vision. Matt Mains shot and edited the video with the help of Jenna Kinney. They had a fun day of shooting on the beach!
The band typically comes up with ideas for their videos and works with people who bring those visions to life. There is definitely a back and forth between the band and the video team. Even when Nate is producing the videos he works in a dual capacity as both customer and client. Richie usually has a good idea of what he wants the videos to be and then they collaborate and refine from there.
The “Hardship . . .” video scene is what appears to be a living room in a home, which gives an ambience of comfort and familiarity. This goes along with my interpretation of the song, which is letting someone in to help you through your struggles in life. When you find that right person, they feel like home – your comfort zone.
The video for “WILTC” was shot at Headlands Beach State Park, on Lake Erie in Mentor, Ohio. It’s a gorgeous setting. It’s fun and carefree, which contrasts with the deeper meaning of the song. It could also be a reflection of escaping from our troubles, because a lot of people turn to the outdoors or nature when they’re struggling to help them relax and reflect on what’s happening within themselves.
There is a lot coming up for Featherweight. They have been in the studio for the past month or so recording some new material. Right now, the goal is to focus on their tours in August and September so they can get out there and meet some new people. They are playing in some places they haven’t before, and they’re excited to get on the road!
Featherweight will be headed out for seven shows on the By The Horns Tour with Left On Red and headliner Resider at the end of August. That run will include a hometown show at The Vortex in Akron, Ohio Wednesday, August 26th. They’ll then hook up with headliner Who They Fear, along with Left On Red again, for the Colorless Sky Tour at the beginning of September.
Make sure to follow Featherweight on all of their socials to keep up with tour dates and other news. You can find them on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Linktree, and the band's website. Also, don’t forget to check out their videos on their YouTube channel.
The band members of Featherweight shared this at the end of our interview. “We are just so grateful that we get to share our music with so many people. Live shows are definitely our favorite part of this whole crazy process. Come out and see us and grab a t-shirt if you like what you hear. We can't wait to meet new people on the road.”
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