Sleeping With Sirens has bounced between genres since 2009. The group’s first album, With Ears to See and Eyes to Hear, was defined as post-hardcore, a punk-rock offshoot. Since then, the group’s sound became more emo or pop-punk. Now the outfit’s upcoming album, Gossip, set for a Sept. 22 release, is described as “straight-up rock and roll.” 

Guitarist Jack Fowler, on the heels of winning Best Guitarist at the 2016 Alternative Press Awards, spoke to The Chronicle about growing up, southern rock influences and Sleeping With Sirens’ genre shift in Gossip. 

THE CHRONICLE: How would you describe Gossip’s themes? 

JACK FOWLER: If you look at the album cover itself, it has this ‘80s, retro, “Stranger Things-y” vibe to it. To me, it sounds like we’re the band we always wanted to be. It’s a very, very dark roll ‘n’ roll album with a sense of pop to it.

How has your style changed since your last album? 

Since the last album, we finally captured our own unique sound. We’re all older now, so with that growing period as a band from Madness [in 2015] until Gossip, we all found ourselves as musicians and vocalists, and we’re writing the kind of music we want to write, without straying too far from being Sleeping With Sirens.

How did that come about? 

It just comes with age, honestly. We want to grow up with our sound and grow up with our fans instead of writing the same CD over and over again. 

Do you have any favorite anecdotes about making this album? 

This whole album process was completely different than any other album process for me, so I’d say doing this whole album in general was my favorite thing that we’ve ever done. 

How was this process different?

We went with a guy named David Bendeth, who is a well-known rock producer. He’s done Paramore’s Riot! and many other gold or double-platinum records. He’s meticulous in what he does, so if you’re not playing something right, it’s not like he’s going to fix it in a computer for you, or tell you, “You almost got it.” If you can’t play it, he’s going to make you go sit there and practice until you can play it; he’s not going to waste any of his own time. So to us, it was the most meticulous album process we’ve ever had to do.

What other artists influenced your performance style? 

My mom was a musician, so watching her play gave me the motivation to be my own musician. As far as influential people, I grew up on southern rock. I grew up on Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers and stuff like that because that’s what my mother played. So on this new record, there are hints of that bluesy rock that [are] finally able to show. Now [is] the right time, since we’re growing up with our music. I can actually do what I love as a guitar player.