Sanity’s Last Breath: Music As Therapy
- Ann Schlottman
- Sep 19
- 3 min read
There is a band from San Antonio, Texas emerging on the scene that I recommend everyone start following. It’s Sanity’s Last Breath. This alternative rock band is super talented, and I believe there is a bright future ahead for them.
Sanity’s Last Breath was recommended to The Sound 228 by their producer, Jonathan Norris of Kingdom Collapse. Their song “More Than Me” was added to the rotation back in June, and the music video for that song was premiered on The Sound’s live podcast.
Recently, I had sent the band a message asking if they could send me some photos for an article in The Sound 228 Magazine about the Rock For A Reason show hosted by The Sound 228 September 13th to raise awareness for suicide prevention, which they performed at. We got to talking about upcoming music, and they told me they had a new song coming out called "Broken Wings". I suggested writing about it and their project for the blog, and we got the ball rolling.
Sanity’s Last Breath includes Eli Salazar (vocals and guitar) and Isaac Esteves (guitar). Eli formed Sanity’s Last Breath in 2018, and released the Sober EP in 2019. The band disbanded in 2020 due to COVID and to pursue new music ventures. Isaac and Eli met through another project in 2023 and instantly vibed. They started writing their own music together on the side in the spring of 2024, and that music ended up becoming the new Sanity songs.
The band name Sanity's Last Breath came from the title of a song Eli had come up with in a previous band. He shared with me that Sanity's Last Breath is about the moments you spend fighting your demons between life and death.
Songwriting usually starts with Eli laying down instrumentals. Then Isaac will sit work on rearrangements, and some of the fine tunings. They like to have something that would rock and jam by itself before writing lyrics.
They then sit down with Jonathan Norris of Kingdom Collapse for production and to fully bring the song to life. Lyrics are usually written during the production process and are led by Eli and Isaac, with input and help from Jonathan.
Besides Eli and Isaac, Jonathan is the only other person to touch the production. David McGilvrey comes in clutch with the mixing and mastering. Eli told me they both have such an amazing ear for this project’s music, and that really makes the songs pop! Creating Sanity’s Last Breath’s music is a pretty streamlined process that keeps getting more efficient with each new song.
Song topics and lyrics come from Eli and Isaac’s real-life struggles. It’s their therapy, and that’s why the lyrics are usually written in real time with the production, so it’s as raw as possible.
Eli said this is the case with “Broken Wings”. “This last year was pretty bad in terms of real life, but great for content. These songs are a way of saying things to the people in our lives that might make a situation worse, but need to get said. Sometimes it’s better to just scream it out rather than tell someone to go f-ck themselves.”
Since the first song played on The Sound 228 was “More Than Me”, I asked for some background behind it. Eli shared that it is about putting someone in their place after they’ve taken advantage of your kindness, and humbling their ego.
“Broken Wings” has a bit of a different story. “It was written about our break-up and relationship drama that was happening simultaneously. It’s ultimately about the back-and-forth that happens through ugly break-ups and betrayal of trust from someone you loved. Remembering that neither of you are ‘an angel’ – you are both at fault.”
I am a firm believer that bands that write from the heart about personal experiences make some of the best music. Sanity’s Last Breath is a prime example of this. Their songs are relatable and meaningful and leave a footprint on your soul. I love the guitar riffs in Sanity’s Last Breath’s music. They are intricate and complex. Eli has a unique, distinctive voice that expresses the emotion in the lyrics he’s singing.
What’s coming up for Sanity’s Last Breath? A lot! The band shared that the next song is already ready to go. They’ll be releasing that in the upcoming months, along with an EP. The band is super excited to have more music videos coming out later this year, too. Aside from that, they have started writing new music that will take everything to the next level. I’m excited to hear and see more from this up and coming band!
Written by: Annie Schlottman Photos by: Jared Robles and Jennifer Touché
Comments