Interview: Silent Theory vocalist Dakota Jerns on new album, metal music industry challenges, influences, origins, new year ambitions

Written By Neil Shumate, OOTB Publications

Fresh off an October tour following the recent release of their fourth album Tell Us How It Ends, Idaho alternative metal band Silent Theory singer Dakota Jerns spoke with OOTB for an in-depth interview about the new album, the creativeness behind the “Made Me This Way” music video, longevity and challenges in the metal music industry, significant personal influences, origins as a musician from a young age and goals for Silent Theory looking forward into 2025.

With your new album Tell Us How It Ends (ONErpm) being released in September, what would you say is your favorite song and why so?

That is always a tough question because we spend a lot of time with each song and at the end of tracking it, I always think it’s going to be “the best” song. After having a chance to perform it live, I would say “Made Me This Way” is my favorite off the album. It’s heavier than we’ve gone before, we had a chance to work with Keegan McDonald on it. I think the consensus, when we heard it in studio was, that song was going to be the sleeper!

The music video for “Made Me This Way” (Watch Video Here) is very mechanical, fast paced and animated. How did that idea come together to match the lyrics so well?

When I received the music for “Made Me This Way,” I instantly wanted to get everything off my chest lyrically. At the time of writing, I was feeling very angry—angry that we weren’t necessarily being taken seriously as a band around the industry.

I’ve always used songs as a showcase to show off different styles under the same sound that Silent Theory has always provided, but this time I wanted to make something bold.

I wrote from the perspective of Pinocchio and being built in a way that each day I would be preoccupied with picking up the pieces that fell off during the night, never able to move forward. This designed ‘1 step forward, 2 steps back’ was how we were feeling as a band. I simply referenced this “Junkyard Pinocchio/Geppetto” to the Dor Brothers and they created the video we have.

Being in the music business for more than 10 years, what’s been the most challenging thing you’ve faced in the industry and how have you overcome that or are overcoming that?

The most difficult part is staying. Honestly, most bands fail because it becomes too tedious for too long.

The Rock and Metal music industry is trying heavily to compete with Pop and Country. The market shares for Pop and Country music are so exponentially large compared to that of Rock and Metal that, in order for the genre to stay relevant, the blending of these audiences becomes VITAL! This is why you hear Country on your favorite Metal station or why your favorite metalcore band has gone Pop.

The interest in this music has to grow to stay alive. I grew up listening to the post-grunge, prog-metal and nu-metal of the late ‘90s early 2000s and it is very evident in our sound, and unfortunately, that is considered a dated sound.

If you are not something that can directly compete with Pop and Country artists, labels will have no interest in you; if labels have no interest in you, then booking agents ignore you, if booking agents ignore you then you can’t tour with an impact. Especially now, with how expensive touring has become. If you can’t tour, you can’t grow. Stations won’t play you, playlists don’t pick you up.

Irrelevance is the rope that is always tied to your leg that you know will one day be pulled. It always comes down to money and metal simply doesn’t make enough. So the hardest part is staying.

You stay because you have a passion for this, not because you think it will make you uber rich or famous, because it really, really won’t.

What’s your biggest influence in music and how would you say that shows in your approach as a musician?

I have 4 massive influences: Trent Reznor, Dolly Parton, Billy Corrigan and Prince. All amazing lyricists and composers.

I take songwriting to heart the most. I believe as music evolves, lyrics will probably be the most to suffer. It’s already prevalent in pop music that lyrics don’t matter; if I can keep lyrics important just a little longer while I’m in the genre, I’ll consider my career successful.

When did you first become interested in pursing music as a career and what was it?

I had to be around 2 or 3 performing George Strait and Garth Brooks in my diaper and cowboy boots for family. My house was always full of music and my mom liked to sing a lot.

From the moment I started making friends I started making make-believe-bands with them. I graduated high school and made the seemingly mandatory pilgrimage to Los Angeles with a group of guys, failed. Came home, failed again.

I didn’t succeed until finally joining the family I have in Silent Theory. I can’t remember a time where I didn’t want to be the singer for some rock band someday. So my interest has been lifelong.

What’s next for the band as far as plans and goals?

To grow. We had a good year in 2024 that we would like to build off of moving into 2025. The response to the new album has been amazing and we don’t intend on looking back. We will probably get a little heavier in sound.

You can expect new music at a fast pace, but I don’t plan on changing the way I write, and in my opinion, until we truly break, everything I’ve made is just a demo. I will still be looking to hit it out of the park with every release.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Yes, we are looking to tour a fair amount in 2025 so please stay on top of our socials! Most, if not all information is going to come from or Facebook, Instagram and YouTube channel!

Get Album Here

https://silenttheory.bandcamp.com/album/tell-us-how-it-ends

Silent Theory are:

Mitch Swanger-drummer

Scott Swanger-lead guitar

George Swanger-bass

Robert James-rhythm guitar

Dakota Elliot Tyler-vocals

Follow Silent Theory

https://m.facebook.com/silenttheorymusic/

https://www.instagram.com/silenttheorymusic/

https://m.youtube.com/channel/