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The Trades You Make to Live Your Dreams - I Prevail

Eric Vanlerberghe is a vocalist, songwriter, and founding member of the band I Prevail. Gabe Helguera is a drummer, and co-founder of Drum Beats Online (DBO), and a member of the band I Prevail. From the outside, the life of a heavy-metal band seems larger-than-life. But behind the scenes, the truth is far more raw. Eric and Gabe of I Prevail share what touring is really like and how the rock and metal scene is shifting right now. Expect to learn what’s happening with the rock and metal scene is music right now, what the process of writing records which deal with deeply emotional personal topics as a group is, the biggest misconceptions about being a “heavy” band in 2025, how worried the guys are about the future of streaming and AI music, what life is actually like on the road for a successful touring band, what's next for I Prevail and much more… - 0:00 The Comeback: Why Rock & Metal are Rising from the Ashes 11:14 Why Does Metal Resonate So Deeply? 19:35 Turning Chaos into Connection: How Bands Tell Personal Stories Together 27:41 Are AI Music Artists Taking Over? 47:56 Why the Creative Process Feels So Freeing 59:56 Why We Turn to Music When Life Gets Overwhelming 01:07:50 The Hidden Costs of Success 01:26:08 Coping with the Guilt of Living Your Dreams 01:35:18 How to Stay Grounded When Your Identity Keeps Shifting 01:41:00 What Goes into Crafting an Unforgettable Live Show? 01:52:50 How Can Perfectionism Hurt You? 02:03:35 Does Obsession Destroy the Variety in Life? 02:12:50 Why Relationships are What Really Matters 02:29:07 How to Keep Morale High When Tour Life Gets Tough 02:41:49 Where to Find I Prevail - Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get $100 off the best bloodwork analysis in America at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom Get a free bottle of D3K2, an AG1 Welcome Kit, and more when you first subscribe at https://ag1.info/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic here - https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

Chris WilliamsonhostEric VanlerbergheguestGabe HelgueraguestGuestguest
Nov 21, 20252h 43mWatch on YouTube ↗

At a glance

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Modern Metal’s Emotional Cost: I Prevail On Success, Sacrifice, And AI

  1. Chris Williamson sits down with members of I Prevail to explore the current boom in modern rock and metal, contrasting its visceral, high‑risk live experience with heavily produced pop shows.
  2. They dig into how nostalgia, audience participation, and pop‑level melody are driving growth in heavy music, while also unpacking the emotional themes that give metal its cathartic power.
  3. The band discusses the hidden costs of touring life—burnout, relationships, grief, and missed life events—and how these struggles both fuel their songwriting and strain their personal lives.
  4. They also tackle AI’s impact on music, the business realities behind bands, and how obsession, perfectionism, and constant reinvention shape their identity and longevity as artists.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Rock and metal thrive on visceral, participatory live experiences.

Unlike many pop shows that lean heavily on backing tracks and spectacle, modern metal offers real instruments, risk of mistakes, mosh pits, and crowd surfing—creating a physical, communal energy fans can’t get from screen-based lives.

Nostalgia plus new talent is fueling a modern metal boom.

Older fans now have disposable income to attend anniversary tours and festivals featuring legacy acts alongside rising bands, often bringing younger generations with them and turning shows into multigenerational events.

Pop songwriting tools are supercharging heavy music’s reach.

Bands like Sleep Token and Bad Omens blend heavy breakdowns with ultra-catchy, pop-style melodic choruses and verse-chorus structures, making songs both emotionally powerful and radio‑friendly enough to stick in listeners’ heads.

Metal provides a healthy outlet for dark, complex emotions.

Aggressive lyrics and intense music let both fans and artists process anger, grief, alienation, and life’s pressures in a controlled space—especially in small clubs or pits where “ass beater” breakdowns become collective catharsis.

Touring success demands steep personal and relational tradeoffs.

Long stretches on the road mean missing funerals, births, weddings, and everyday life, juggling grief with performance, and navigating marriages and potential kids around tour schedules—often while living in cramped buses into their 30s and 40s.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

People are desperate for experiences. Metal and rock are more visceral—you might get punched in the face and scream your favorite songs. It makes you feel alive.

— Gabe (I Prevail)

It’s not the fear that someone’s going to choose an AI band over a real band—it’s that AI tracks will just be slipped into playlists until there’s no real musicians left.

— Eric (I Prevail)

If you can be defeated by AI or a robot, I don’t know what leg you have to stand on. It’s on you to be better.

— Chris Williamson

Our whole career feels balanced on, ‘We release one bad song and everyone rejects us and hates us.’ It’s not true—but that’s the insecurity.

— Gabe (I Prevail)

All this doesn’t matter if we take a shot and it flops. There’ll be more chances. You realize what’s important when you lose someone and still have to press ‘go’ on a release.

— Eric (I Prevail)

Resurgence of rock and modern metal touring vs. other genresLive show dynamics: risk, audience engagement, and uniquenessBlending pop structures and melody with heavy musicMetal as emotional catharsis and connection for fans and artistsTouring life: burnout, grief, relationships, and growing older in a bandAI-generated music, ethics, and the future of the industryBand business realities, creative control, and internal dynamics

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