In just a few days, I Prevail will return to Australia for what promises to be the biggest headline tour of their career on our shores.
Michigan juggernauts I Prevail are bringing their Violent Nature Tour to Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney this June, joined by Swedish heavy innovators Imminence and progressive metalcore standouts Invent Animate.
For Australian fans, it’s the band’s first headline run since entering a new era with vocalist Eric Vanlerberghe stepping into the sole frontman role, it’s a transition that could have rattled many bands. Instead, I Prevail have doubled down:
“Any type of, for lack of better words, a breakup, it’s a struggle. It’s tough to go through,” Vanlerberghe tells us.
“But we’ve just been focused on the music and focused on the fans and making sure that we’re out and still playing these shows, playing these songs and continue to write music that people can relate to.”
“The first tour or two where it was a learning curve to go out there and to be the only guy running the show. And it’s been a learning experience, but overall it’s been fairly smooth.”
I Prevail ‘Violent Nature’ video
The band’s latest album, Violent Nature, is the first I Prevail record recorded in a professional studio in a decade, it also became the first to feature Vanlerberghe handling both clean and unclean vocals throughout.
Australia arrives at a particularly significant moment for the band, fresh off his wedding Vanlerberghe is quite literally bringing part of his honeymoon Down Under.
“It honestly worked out because she’s never been over to Australia and I’ve always wanted to take her to Japan after my first time going there,” he explains.
“And now I get to fly her to Australia. She gets to see our show in Sydney and then we stay an extra day. She’s told me, ‘All right, you got to take me to all these places.’ And then the next day we get to spend 10 days in Tokyo.”
Far from complaining about postponing a traditional honeymoon, Vanlerberghe sees the upcoming Australian run as the perfect opportunity to share one of his favourite parts of the world with his wife.
From Metal Stages To Magic Cards
When Vanlerberghe isn’t fronting one of modern metal’s biggest bands, he’s often found behind the scenes at Black Vault Gaming, the Michigan hobby store he co-owns.
Despite spending much of the past six months on the road, he says the business continues to thrive thanks to the team around him:
“It’s phenomenal. I mean, the last six months I’ve barely been home, but the guys at the shop have been absolutely crushing it.”
“I got to give them all the props because they’ve been absolutely crushing it from content, from upkeep in the shop to creating an incredible community that we have back in Michigan.”
Black Vault Gaming tour
The store has grown so rapidly that future expansion could already be on the table:
“We’ve been open a year and a couple months and we’ve already grown more than what we expected in the last year.”
“I think in a few years we’re either going to have to look for a bigger place or I don’t know if we are ready to expand to a second location.”
Gaming has become more than a hobby for Vanlerberghe, it’s an entire community and passion project that recently saw him invited to Los Angeles for a special preview event showcasing the upcoming Marvel crossover set for Magic: The Gathering.
“It was unreal,” he recalls.
“Just getting to mingle, talk about our love of the game and be able to check out these new cards and be excited about them.”
New Music Is Already Taking Shape
While most bands disappear for months between album cycles, I Prevail have adopted a very different approach Rather than waiting until touring commitments end, the band have been using every available window to continue creating:
“What’s cool about the last year and a half or so is that even a little further than that, in the past we would go, ‘Okay, tour, tour, tour, year and a half. Okay, here’s six months or five months off we’re going to take and start working on the record.’”
“But more recently it’s, ‘Oh, we have a month off. Hey, let’s get together and just get a weekend and see what comes up of it.’”
The strategy is already paying off:
“We’ve got some cool stuff that who knows and we’re not sure. It might be a deluxe, it might be a record,” he says.
“We’re so far from having a complete like, ‘Oh yep, we got 10, 11 songs.’ It’s just a bunch of ideas that feel good.”
While nothing has officially been announced, it certainly sounds like the creative wheels are already turning behind the scenes.
Shiny Cardboard And Vinyl Fun
Away from touring and songwriting, Vanlerberghe’s most prized possessions aren’t platinum records or expensive guitars, instead they’re trading cards:
“I’ve picked up a few Magic and One Piece cards,” he says.
“It’s a manga Luffy. I opened up out of a box. It’s the second rarest card of the set.”
“I picked up a couple old vintage Magic cards that I’ve been eyeing and finally it was like, you know what? I’m pulling the trigger on it.”
Summing up the collection in typical fashion, he laughs:
“Just a few pieces of shiny cardboard.”
His vinyl collection is equally impressive and continues to grow with every passing month, among his latest additions are records from August Burns Red, Bilmuri and PeelingFlesh, while one particular band has become a recent obsession:
“There’s this Irish band called The Scratch that I am obsessed with.”
The connection runs deeper than simply owning a record.
“I actually convinced my wife … that was our entrance song to our reception.”
“The song’s called Another Round by The Scratch.”
The Scratch ‘Another Round’
A Detroit Sports Fan With Renewed Hope
Like many lifelong Detroit natives, Vanlerberghe has experienced his fair share of sporting heartbreak, but the recent rise of the Detroit Pistons has reignited his interest in basketball:
“It did catch my attention.”
“I kind of fell out of basketball with the flopping and all the fouls and all that.”
“But watching the Pistons over the playoffs, it feels like the Detroit Bad Boys all over again where we’re aggressive, we’re not flopping, we’re taking no shit and that just represents Detroit better than I could even explain.”
The renewed enthusiasm may even lead him back into NBA arenas:
“I’m excited to see next year and maybe go to a game or two and see if it rejuvenates or revives the interest I had in the NBA.”
What Eric Vanlerberghe Is Listening To Right Now
If you’re looking for recommendations straight from the I Prevail frontman, August Burns Red currently sits at the top of the list.
“I think it’s peak ABR.”
“I love those boys and I’ve always been a fan of them, but this record is just another level.”
August Burns Red ‘Behemoth’ video
Outside of music, he recently watched The Backrooms with his wife and came away impressed:
“It was weird and unsettling and I loved it.”
Backrooms trailer
Australia Is The Focus
For now, however, all roads lead to Australia, Vanlerberghe is particularly excited to finally bring a full I Prevail headline production back to Australian fans after many first discovered the band during previous support appearances:
“I’m excited to come back and do a headliner.”
“I feel like I’ve gotten messages from fans that said it was our first time seeing you and can’t wait to come back and see a proper headline.”
He’s also eager to watch the stacked support lineup every night:
“Imminence is a band that as soon as I first heard a couple of their first songs, I was just blown away and was stoked when I found out that they were down a tour.”
“So I’m just excited because I’m going to be watching the show up until the moment I got to go get ready myself.”
I Prevail Australian Tour Dates
- Sunday, June 14th – Perth, Metro City
- Tuesday, June 16th – Adelaide, Entertainment Centre Theatre
- Thursday, June 18th – Melbourne, John Cain Arena
- Sunday, June 21st – Brisbane, Riverstage
- Tuesday, June 23rd – Sydney, Hordern Pavilion
Find out more and pick up your tickets here.
With Violent Nature continuing to resonate worldwide, new material already brewing behind the scenes, a thriving gaming business back home and the band’s biggest Australian headline run just days away, Eric Vanlerberghe has plenty to be excited about.
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