View From The Outside

View From The Outside was tracked over twelve days at Earth Analogin Tolono, Illinois – the studio of Matt Talbott, guitarist/vocalist of one ofSleepwalk’s major influences, Hum. The band once again worked withZac Montez (Whirr, Cloakroom), a producer known for texturedatmospherics who also helmed their Underneath The Shade album.Montez’s love of electronic music enhances View From The Outside asan unusually three-dimensional aural and emotional experience. “The[newer] compositions are definitely more thought out,” mulled Davis,the band’s principal songwriter and lyricist. “A good balance ofgloominess, hooks, and raw emotions.”The album is introduced by first single and video “Sandbox,” an aptbridge between the old and new Sleepwalk and emblematic of ViewFrom The Outside, its clean-guitar verses succumbing to hefty, saturatedhooks, with screamed backups from Gargula.The lyrics to vibey follow-up “Jan 22” were written by Davis on a snowywalk home from band practice. “It’s kind of a love letter to wintertime inthe city,” he said. “Just observing my surroundings, because I’m one ofthe odd people out here that actually really likes winter.” Embroideredwith evocative synth and twinkling guitar, “Jan 22” is also an empoweringmetaphor for weathering dark times.View From The Outside roughly (if unintentionally) divides into twohalves: the first opaquely political and more reflective of the bandmembers’ collective hardcore backgrounds; the second more personal,experimental, and perhaps hinting at their future. Third single “Shell”epitomizes Sleepwalk’s vulnerable, confessional side, its robust riffsand snaking leads framing Davis’s struggle with introversion. “It’s aboutthe frustration of how I’ve closed off as I get older ... like I’m in a shell,”he said. “And hoping one day to break out of that.”“I hope that listeners get a sense of belonging or community, and thecatharsis of letting out a little bit of aggression with some of the songs,”Davis concluded. “But also, with the somewhat uplifting stuff like ‘Jan22,’ getting a really overwhelming emotional response.” View From TheOutside will be released on November 13, 2026.