What Lies Below Starts A New Story With “The Silence We Keep”
- Ann Schlottman
- Jun 3
- 7 min read
Pennsylvania metalcore band What Lies Below has had an interesting year so far. After a weekend run of shows back in March with Theoria Records labelmate Set For Tomorrow, the band dropped a brand new banger called “The Silence We Keep” April 18th, and a fantastic video to go along with it. Right after the release, What Lies Below set out on an amazing journey as the opening band on a national tour with Asking Alexandria, From Ashes To New, and Royale Lynn.
What now? Well, that remains to be seen, but no doubt this talented band is planning their next moves very carefully in order to make the biggest impact possible. No matter what comes next, one thing is certain – if they keep doing things the right way, What Lies Below has a great future ahead of them.
What Lies Below is based in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area. Band members include: Andrew Watson (vocals); Mike Watson (vocals/guitar); Sam Hart (guitar); Zach Erickson (bass); and Jonah Luteman (drums). The band became part of the Theoria Records lineup in May 2024, right before releasing their Darker Colors (Deluxe) full album last July (which is an extended version of the Darker Colors EP from 2023).
The band started as an idea Andrew had in high school and always wanted to do. He was in a couple different local bands before he decided to create his own and see that out. The band started as Andrew and a drummer, and from there they built their lineup. Andrew’s brother, Mike, was in the band almost right from the beginning. After some member changes they landed Sam and Jonah at the end of 2021. Most recently, last summer, Zach joined the band and completed the current lineup.
I asked Andrew about the band’s name. He told me he used to play a lot of RuneScape and What Lies Below is a quest on that game. He didn’t think it was really that interesting, but honestly, I think it’s awesome. You never know where you’ll draw inspiration from for band names, song titles, lyrics, and so on. It can literally be from anything.
The way What Lies Below songs are written varies for each individual song. Andrew shared with me that they’re blessed to have a lot of different writers internally in the band, so songs can come from anyone. Lyrics and vocals are done primarily by Andrew, but he always shares what he’s working on with his bandmates and takes any ideas they have and tries them out.
What Lies Below worked with a great team on “The Silence We Keep” (a.k.a. “TSWK”), including: Jeff McKinnon (Mix/Master & Vocal Engineering); Chris Wiseman (Co-writer/Producer); and Zac Allen (Production). Andrew Watson did vocal engineering, and of course each band member was part of the process on his respective instrument.
Andrew told me, “We work with Chris to get some new ideas flowing and older ideas into better states. Zac has been instrumental in our sound since day one. There hasn't been a single song we haven't worked on with him in some capacity. Whether we start a new song from scratch or bring something that's close but needs some love, he'll be there.”
As for the meaning behind “TSWK”, I had actually caught Andrew doing an Instagram Live right after the song came out, and he talked about it, He said it’s kind of a progression in a story following Darker Colors. He mentioned that Darker Colors literally came from “a dark place" because he had been going through a very hard time when he wrote the songs. Now, instead of anger, when I listen to “TSWK”, I sense a theme of sadness and longing.
I actually found a quote from Andrew in a Theoria Records press release:
“This song expresses feelings of loss, confusion, and emotional struggle. It explores the pain of watching love slip away, like sand through fingers, and the resulting emptiness. The lyrics convey a search for clarity amidst a fractured reality, where the silence and unspoken emotions suffocate and keep the speaker trapped in a cycle of hope and regret. The recurring theme of time slipping away and the desire to escape a decaying place or situation reveals a deep longing for peace and release from inner turmoil.”
Andrew told me in my interview with him, “That pretty much covers ‘TSWK’ well. It is indeed a continuation from Darker Colors. I have always written about personal topics in my life and this one is no different. Until I'm out of stories to tell I can't foresee that changing. My main goal with this song was to acknowledge ‘DC’ (such as the line ‘Let the colors wash away’), and also to start telling a new story. Writing songs this way can certainly be a task, though. You're not always in the mood to have a self-therapy session and write it all out, but sometimes you have to and it's good. At the end of the day, I just hope someone out there relates with what I write and can use the songs as a catalyst for change in their lives.”
Musically, I think “TSWK” is a tremendous song. There’s something different about this track compared to the songs on Darker Colors. It’s hard to explain. Is it confidence? Maturity? Something like that. I just think What Lies Below is a band that is not afraid to think outside of the boundaries of metalcore box. There are so many different elements to their music, and “TSWK” showcases all of it. Andrew’s hard vocals, combined with Mike’s cleans. The catchy guitar riffs and intricate melodies. Something interesting about this song is how it comes in and goes out with an ethereal quality that contrasts with the heavy, fast-paced nature of the rest of the track.
When I first heard “TSWK”, there was a song it reminded me of a little but it took a couple days for it to come to me. Then I realized it’s an older song, “Mikasa” by Veil Of Maya. I think it was mostly because of Mike’s singing. the complex melodies, and the fast pace, but both tracks are also so interesting in the way they’re structured. More recently, if there was a current band I would compare What Lies Below to, in my opinion it would be Bury Tomorrow. Again, it’s not just because of one thing – it’s all of the different elements, including vocals, music, and how the songs are pieced together.
The music video for “TSWK” was done by Eric Taylor Parker of SeventhSide Studios. Andrew and Eric collaborated, coming up with the ideas for the video. Andrew wanted a dark room with “moody” vibes, and they built out the set based on that concept. Andrew calls Eric “a beast” who handles everything from the filming, editing, and so on. The video is so well done! The use of the different light patterns (primarily purple and white) combined with darkness and the special effects are exquisite. It’s a fast-paced video like the song, and it is apparent how much passion this band has for their art.
Something else Andrew had mentioned when he was talking on Instagram after the “TSWK” came out was that he feels like the band’s color is purple. You’ll see the color in a lot of the band’s visuals – artwork, videos, and so on. Purple is actually my favorite color, and what Andrew said really stuck with me, so I looked up “purple aura” online. This is what I found:
“A purple aura is a type of aura that’s characterized by shades of purple, lavender, and violet. It’s said to signify creativity, intuition, spirituality, and a deep connection to the divine. People with a purple aura are often described as wise, intuitive, and highly imaginative. They’re also said to possess a strong sense of purpose and a desire to make a positive impact on the world.”
I think this could actually describe What Lies Below. The band’s music is written from deep within and is very relatable because so many people have experienced the struggles and emotions their songs are about. I asked Andrew about his thoughts on this.
“I like that a lot! I've never heard of it described like that, but I feel like it fits WLB very well. My main goal with starting this band was to have an impact on people like my favorite bands growing up had on me. Purple is my favorite color, and luckily everyone else seems to like it too. It kind of became ‘our color’, which is cool.”
I closely followed What Lies Below while they were on tour with Asking Alexandria, From Ashes To New, and Royale Lynn in April and May, thanks to the awesome photography and videography of Jonny Servais which was shared on Instagram and Facebook. Jonny gave me permission to use his photos in this blog, which I really appreciate. I was so happy for and proud of this wonderful band to be included on a big tour like that, which took them all the way from New Hampshire, to Nebraska, to Florida, and many other places in between. I saw from the photos and videos that fans were really loving What Lies Below! I asked Andrew about the experience.
He said, “The tour was amazing! Everyone from the bands themselves to the crew were all so great and fun to hang out with. The shows were some of the biggest we've played and we made some new fans. Big shoutout to the AA guys, Sam [Bettley] in particular, for making this one happen. We love those guys. We can't wait to do some more touring later this year.”
Andrew shared that now, following the tour, the band will have some planned off time so they can fully invest in what’s coming next. He said they want every release to be special, so it may take a little time in between, but they feel it’s for the better. They are willing to take a little more time making their music so it comes out exactly as they want it to. Andrew said we should hopefully find out something about new music later this year.
In the meantime, please listen to “The Silence We Keep” on whatever streaming platform you use, and definitely check out the awesome music video for this banger. I also highly encourage you to listen to the Darker Colors (Deluxe) album the band released last summer, and even go back and check out some of What Lies Below’s older music. You’ll be very impressed by the work this band has put in and the progression they’ve made in their sound.
I have had the opportunity to see What Lies Below live three times – twice in 2024 and once this past March. They have an amazing energy and stage presence, and sound as good live as their recorded songs are. When they do get back on the road for shows, if you have an opportunity to go see them perform, don’t miss it. If you’re like me, you won’t know what hit you when they’re done. They’re that good.
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