Interview Forever in Transit

Forever in Transit returns with "A Coming to Terms," a deep dive into self-discovery. We discuss the album's themes, creative processes, and musical evolution.

1. "Streams of Thought" explores the twists and turns of the psyche. What inspired this theme, and how did you approach it musically and lyrically?
The album, A Coming to Terms, is largely an exploration of the theme of acceptance, and the process of discovering your core identity for the purpose of growth. Each song on the album represents a different step in the process. “Streams of Thought” was inspired by my own exploration of different philosophies and psychological principles, and the realization that there doesn’t seem to be a “one size fits all” approach when it comes to exploring our mind. We have all kinds of different biases and attachments that can skew our perception of ourselves, and sometimes it can be a difficult and frustrating process unraveling those different forces. Additionally, I feel that sometimes that drive for growth can become maladaptive and damaging - we lose ourselves in the process.
Musically, I represented this concept by using polyrhythms to have two different time signatures or groupings of notes occurring at the same time. Depending on the instrument, some are implying groupings of 5 beats per measure, others 4 beats per measure. The song starts with all of the instruments playing in unison with a constant pulse which feels like it is in 4, but then after a few measures the drum groove starts playing around it in 5, and this rhythmic relationship is developed in different ways during the rest of the song. I felt that this was an interesting technique to represent the concepts explored by the lyrics - you can take any thought or piece of information, and it can take on a very different meaning depending on the context or lens through which it is viewed. The 4 over 5 idea for me conveys cognitive dissonance in a musical way. I also wanted to balance inertia with a driving pulse in the verses, with an extended ambient break in the music which I hope allows the listener to reflect and be drawn into the concept.
2. Your upcoming album, "A Coming to Terms," seems to emphasize the journey and growth rather than the destination. Can you elaborate on this concept and how it influenced the album's creation?
For me, Forever in Transit is a vehicle to document my growth as a composer, as well as a person. With each release, I want to progress in some way, whether that is in terms of songwriting, technical proficiency, or the ability to create a more moving experience. Forever in Transit’s music is intended to be an honest portrayal of where I am at a moment in time - lyrically, what moves me, what am I working through in my own life, and what I have experienced. Musically, I want to push myself to the limit of what I can create. Thankfully I have a wonderful group of friends who help me to realize this music!
A Coming to Terms really is an extension of this theme of self-growth. Lyrically, the album starts at a place where the narrator is questioning where they are in life and asking fundamental questions about who they are, especially when you strip away external attachment. From there, each track unveils a different step in the journey, until we arrive at a place where the narrator is at a place where they can fully accept the person they are, as they are, realizing that integrity to self is what will allow them to reach the goal they are after. Along the way, they have to navigate the pitfalls of their own biases and attachments, fears and insecurities, and emerge on the other side a better person. In a way, this is what Forever in Transit is for me - the lyrics are informed of my own experiences in this pursuit, but I wanted to present them in a way where anyone can find a bit of themself or their experience.
3. Forever in Transit is known for its ethos of artistic freedom and forward-thinking mentality. How do you maintain this approach while working with such a diverse collective of musicians?
I wrote essentially all of the music and lyrics for Forever in Transit’s two albums, and by the time I involve other musicians, I already have the entire song sketched out. In that sense, each song, as different as they might sound from each other, very much comes from my musical DNA. From there, I select musicians that I think will serve the song in the best way. On this album, our vocalist is Chris Lamendola, who had excellent input interpreting the vocal melodies and delivered, in my opinion, a very compelling performance. I also brought Daniel Ross on board on bass guitar, as well as a guitar solo on “A Coming to Terms” - he had freedom to arrange his bass parts on the album, which added more counter melody and harmonic movement than some of the songs originally had. This differs from the previous Forever in Transit releases where either I recorded the bass parts myself or another musician performed parts I had written. Finally, Jeremy Schroeder has played guitar on every Forever in Transit release. One of his strengths is taking my guitar sketches and elevating the performance to a much higher degree - I always know he will deliver, and his precise guitar performances are an integral part of the DNA of Forever in Transit!
As far as the actual sound of the music, I always want FIT to accomplish three main things. I want the listener to be taken on a journey, the music to sound timeless, and for it to be a representation of my growth as an artist. In that sense, it doesn’t matter to me whether I am incorporating elements of progressive metal, world music, even video game music - as long as I have those objectives, and the music is coming from an authentic place, then I feel I can pull from all of these different places, and the music will still feel like FIT to me.

4. Dan, as a multi-instrumentalist and the band's leader, how do you balance your various roles in the band, from keyboards and drums to backing vocals and sound design?
I wear a lot of different hats in Forever in Transit, and I think balancing all of the different roles and responsibilities was a struggle for me for a long time. What I found works best for me is focusing on one role at a time - I used to try to bounce between working on drums or sound design or vocals all in the same session and it either became detractive or wasn’t nearly as productive as if I had just focused on one thing at a time. Usually, when I’m writing songs for FIT, I focus more horizontally - I aim to write at least a few sections on one instrument, and then once I am sure I have a solid foundation, I switch roles. What I love about being able to wield so many different roles is that I can really hone in on the details, create very intricate and dense passages, and craft a soundscape that is totally unique. I can follow different trains of thought and experiment, and approach songwriting in a lot of different ways! Starting a song with a guitar riff yields a different result than starting with a vocal melody or a soundscape. And again, for this album, Jeremy, Chris, and Daniel were invaluable to bring these songs to life! If you listened to my demos and compared them to the songs after their input and performances were added to the mix, it is night and day!
5. The song "Streams of Thought" was mixed by Diego Tejeida and mastered by Andy Vandette. How did these collaborations come about, and what impact did they have on the final sound of the track?
I first met Diego when he was touring as keyboardist with Haken in 2016. At the time he offered tour lessons, which is how I originally met him. I was interested in learning how to design sounds for the Roli Seaboard, which is kind of like a continuous silicone keyboard that lets you play vibrato, sweep across the keys, and control sounds in a more tactile way than a traditional keyboard. (You can hear the Seaboard on FiT’s “Level All Waves” and “Impermanent” songs). Fast forward to 2020, when bands couldn’t tour, and Diego started offering online lessons through Zoom, which I took him up on. When it came time to mix the album, Diego was up for the challenge! He is very detail-oriented and diligent with regard to creating movement throughout the mix! He also performed a keyboard solo on “Enter the Void”, which will be on our upcoming album A Coming to Terms!
Andy VanDette is a renowned mastering engineer. He is originally from the Buffalo, New York area where Forever in Transit is based. Nick Borgosz, our recording engineer, had networked with him, and another Buffalo prog band, Turning Virtue, had worked with Andy previously with their album, Beautiful, which I had contributed guest keyboards to. Andy has worked with a lot of my favorite artists, including Porcupine Tree, Devin Townsend, and VOLA, so being able to work with him on the FIT album was a dream!
6. Your music blends high-energy melodic metal with ethereal stretches of ambience. How do you achieve this balance, and which bands or artists have influenced your sound the most?
What really helps in that balance is that I am both a drummer and a keyboardist, so playing with interpretations of rhythm and contrasting those different rhythmic ideas with immersive soundscapes has been a defining aspect of Forever in Transit’s sound. For example, I had mentioned with Streams of Thought how I wanted the verses to be driving, but rhythmically intricate with the 4 and 5 polyrhythms, but then the bridge, while it still explores that rhythmic idea, is contrasted with a wash of synthesizers and experimental textures. My intent is to create a push-and-pull dynamic of intensity in a more typical “metal” sense, but then contrast it with these weightless, open passages which add a layer of intimacy and emotional depth. You get pulled along for the ride on the more metal sections, but then are left floating in outer space for the ambient passages.
One big part of why I love to write music for Forever in Transit is that I enjoy the feeling of being taken to another place while listening to music. I remember when I was first diving into progressive music, being taken for such a ride on these epic, 10’+ songs! I always admired how many different influences and sounds could be incorporated into the genre, and loved how the music tends to take you on a journey. On the opposite extreme, I am a fan of ambient music, where you can just drift off and lose yourself in a wash of sound. I love creating music that transports you to another place, and balances busyness and driving energy with floating stretches of ambience. Some of my favorite artists that have influenced my sound are Dream Theater, Cynic, Haken, and Pain of Salvation.

7. Can you share some insights into the songwriting process for "A Coming to Terms"? How do you develop ideas and themes into full-fledged songs?
One of my starting points for A Coming to Terms was that I knew that I wanted to use more diverse guitar tones than I did on our debut album, States of Disconnection. This resulted in using the guitar as much as an ambient or textural instrument as a traditional rhythm or lead instrument. I also wanted to tighten up the songwriting, while still leaving the possibility of longer instrumental sections with a lot of parts. For example, if you listen to “The World That Never Was” or “States of Disconnection” off our debut album, both tracks have these very long, tangential bridges. The songs on A Coming to Terms are long, but I wanted to be more intentional and focused within the trajectory of each song. I also composed a number of motifs that are woven into each track to create a more unified feeling for the album. Our lead single “Let Go Your Earthly Tether’ for example presents a number of melodies, lyrics, and instrumental lines that pop up in many of the other songs.
As far as developing my ideas into a full song, I think the most important detail is to make sure that the initial idea is strong enough. If something I’m working on doesn’t hold my attention or move me emotionally, then that is a sign to me that I need to go back and reexamine the foundation. Looking at each song, what I find fascinating in retrospect is that each one had a different starting point for me. “Streams of Thought” was originally based off a keyboard riff I wrote while designing a new synthesizer patch, and that turned into the verse sections of the song. “Let Go Your Earthly Tether” was originally intended to be instrumental, and I wrote almost all of the guitars first before adding anything else.
8. The preorder campaign for "A Coming to Terms" is live on Bandcamp. What can fans expect from this campaign, and are there any exclusive offers or special editions available?
Currently, there is both a digital and CD preorder, including a bundle of A Coming to Terms with our debut album, States of Disconnection. As far as special editions, I plan on releasing an instrumental version of the album in 2025.
9. Your music aims to take listeners on a sonic journey without regard for established convention. How do you ensure that each song maintains this sense of exploration and freedom?
I aim to challenge myself by exploring a new musical concept, or a different emotion or experience, or by changing up the process. Sometimes I’ll start a song with an instrument I am less comfortable with, which breaks me out of my patterns. In this way, I can keep my sound fresh and I can keep growing as an artist. I don’t like to repeat myself. I generally try to give myself parameters to keep myself focused as I develop an idea (ok, I’m going to stick to using guitars in this tuning, incorporate this palette of synth sounds, etc.), but I also try to keep a no-holds-barred approach which allows me to take the time to follow my ideas to a conclusion, then I can always pull back when I am in editing mode. Lately, I have been getting heavily more into synthesis and sound design, including using analog synthesizers, guitars to box effects, and tape machines in my process. Depending on the different tools I am using, I already set myself up to create something different because the interface is so different. It keeps me from falling too heavily into my patterns, and gives me a fresh and exciting perspective when I start with a new idea!

10. Chris, as the vocalist, how do you connect with the themes and emotions of the songs? What is your process for bringing these elements to life through your performance?
Chris: When I approach any song, the thing that I find most important is to make the vocal performance mesh with the music. In other words, it needs to sound good first and foremost. Many times the lyrics are already written for a song and after hearing how the song comes together there may be lyrics that need to be changed and phrases that need to be altered in length to fit the music. Once the vocal lyrics are set then it's just a matter of keying in on the dynamics required to bring the lyrics to life. Connecting with the lyrics of a song just seems to come naturally especially since so much planning goes into making the lyrics fit the music. I also really connect easily with introspective lyrics so it was fun working on this album because the lyrics really spoke to me on a personal level.
11. Jeremy and Daniel, how do you approach your roles on guitar and bass to complement the band's dynamic and diverse sound? What techniques or styles do you incorporate?
Jeremy: I definitely approach this project like the way you might look at ingredients in a recipe. Instead of any one instrument being centerpieces at different times, every instrument adds to the flavor at all times, to be consumed as a whole meal, every sound complimenting each other. A guitar riff will exist in consideration of every instrument, so when it has empty space, it is specifically crafted to have synth, drums, bass, or vocals in mind to fill in the gaps. The songs work like a well oiled engine, pistons firing in sequence. To pull a riff out and focus only on it, or a vocal line, or a synth melody without the context of the other instruments is moot, just like an ingredient in a dish.
Regarding technique and style, I will adjust my playing depending on the context of the song. I lighten my pick attack on softer parts but will dig into the harshness of it during hectic and heavy sections. Variance is probably one of the biggest things I incorporate into my playing.
Daniel: That’s a good question. I had to really sit with these tunes in my ears for a while to really soak them up internally, even before I would pick up my instrument for many of them. In part due to how mathematically complex & intricate these songs are, so I wanted to find a space and create a lane that was very groove centric, in order to serve as a grounding and textural part, tight with any unison lines, of course. I would basically boil it down to the simplest form & embellish and build dynamically. If I can't unhear a part, I know it’s the one I build from there. I really had to get out of my own way & let my inner ear/spirit's voice lead, to be more free amidst so many metric modulations & polyrhythmic parts. At times it looping section by section in the compositional phase was absolutely helpful for certain songs. “Empty and Become Wind” was very much one of those - when you hear that track, it will make sense. However, I must say that the most fun I had writing/performing & recording on this record, song wise, were the two yet to be released fretless songs, of course.
My background musically is a pretty eclectic one, as I've played in gospel churches, with big bands, surf rock bands, jazz, jazz fusion, lots of hip hop. . . I mean, I guess what I’m getting at is that I don’t really ever think about a genre while I’m writing. I'm mostly listening to see what I feel will best serve the track, maximize impact dynamically, support the vocalist & be mindful of all the mid frequencies with so many guitars & synths & such. But, every genre & style & part we learn, as musicians and artists, becomes a part of us. Maybe that sounds kind of esoteric, but I don’t ever really seek to replicate anyone, you know? I try to trust my gut, my ear & what the frequencies pull out of me. Technique wise, it was challenging for some harmonic parts with the fretless & I had to explore some things I hadn't done before. I'll go over some of these in a play through for “A Coming To Terms”, the title track.
Dan's rich sound-beds, intricate drum patterns, with Chris's stellar vocals & Jeremy's ripping on guitars gave me a lot to work with and was a real joy to be a part of & pour into.

12. What are your future plans following the release of "A Coming to Terms"? Are there any tours, music videos, or other projects in the works that fans should look out for?
I’m already working on a follow-up album to A Coming to Terms, so that will be taking much more of a focus following the release, as well as promoting A Coming to Terms. I also hope to eventually develop Forever in Transit into a live act as well, most likely initially limited to the Western New York area.
As far as other projects, I contributed keyboards and sound design to the upcoming album by Turning Virtue, which is another Buffalo-based prog act. Jeremy has his own emotive Indie project he has been developing, and Daniel has a prog rock/fusion album in the works that will be released under Daniel Ross Project, featuring a collective of high-caliber musicians - keep an eye out for those!

Forever in Transit