It’s certainly been a tumultuous time for the world. Everything seems to be imploding around us, from political landscapes to natural disasters. All we can do to counteract the dread is hold on tight to creative artistry and see what music can do to help a wounded soul. The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die, the scene’s heavy-adjacent stalwarts, embraced that dread and turned it into their greatest work yet, Dreams of Being Dust, out now on Epitaph Records.
“This record has my favorite elements of what The World Is has been for the past 13 years,” explains guitarist/vocalist Anthony Gesa. “It sounds like a World Is record. It just sounds like the best part of what the band has done over the past decade.”
“I am very proud of it,” boasts guitarist/vocalist Chris Teti. “I love it. (It’s) a snapshot in time. (We were) challenging ourselves on how we wrote, to keep it fresh.”
Dreams of Being Dust is the fifth studio album to come from the New England natives. Co-produced by Teti and studio partner Greg Thomas and mastered by Will Putney, this record sees their sound transition to just a little bit heavier, a little more aggressive from 2021’s Illusory Walls. It’s a small step in a new direction for the band, but it’s a direction that has been slowly carved out over the years. It’s about stepping up and evolving, and fighting the uncertainty to create something beautiful.
“For me, with this record, I wanted to break anyone’s earlier perceptions of the band,” explains Teti. “This record is its own thing and almost reevaluates how the band sounds. Any preconceived notion someone may have had about the band for the past four records, it’s evolving.”
“It’s all a catalyst of what’s happening around us at the time,” adds Gesa. “Ninety percent of the lyrics are from Dave just being hyper-aware of the world around us and how things aren’t great right now.”
What originally started out as a planned split with a hardcore band blossomed into a burgeoning LP, reflecting the troubled times that we are currently living in. Every record has had a different focus over the years, each a unique version of what was happening at the time. While Illusory Walls focused more on the long form, linear song structures, Dreams of Being Dust shifts gears and highlights shorter, pack-a-punch songs. The overall goal, however, has always been just to create music in the moment.
“This is just a reflection of the record we want to hear, music we’re interested in,” shares Gesa. “We’re not trying to do the same thing. Illusory Walls was a big departure from the expectation of what the band is, and this is the best execution of where we’re at. This is the record we wanted to make.”
“I feel confident in the record,” adds Teti. “I’m proud of it and I’m just excited to get it out there. I felt like I’ve been holding my breath as we’ve been putting it together.”
On the shores of Lake Winnepesaukee in New Hampshire, Teti can’t help but take a big, deep breath and bask in the glory of a job well done. Gesa does the same, just stuck in Connecticut traffic. It’s been 16 years since The World Is took the world by storm, and that storm is still brewing and growing. Now a six-piece consisting of Teti, Gesa, vocalist David Bello, founding member bassist Josh Cyr, drummer Steven Buttery, and keyboardist/vocalist Katie Dvorak, the group are ready to embrace who they have become as they have created their own legacy and history over the years. Dreams of Being Dust is the latest and greatest, a brand-new era that has always been blossoming, just under the radar.
“If your band is confidently going into something you truly believe in, people will follow you into it, and that’s awesome,” says Teti. “You have to serve yourself first and make it rewarding to yourself artistically. That’s the point of being in a band, right? It’s making music, and you put effort into it and we certainly put effort into this record.”
“This is the first time I was just able to just enjoy what’s happening while it’s happening,” adds Gesa. “I get to spend time in a van with my best friends and go to different countries. I’m learning to enjoy every part of it because not everyone gets to do this, and I understand how lucky I am that we are able to do this.”
Dreams of Being Dust is out Friday, and you can preorder it from Epitaph Records. Follow The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for future updates.
Photo Credit: Lisa Johnson
