Evil Eyes: An Interview with Dying in Designer

Dying in Designer has lived multiple lives as an artist. Before breaking out globally with singles like “Lately” and “PTSD,” the Chicago-based musician cut his teeth fronting hardcore and deathcore bands throughout the MySpace golden age, then spent time touring alongside EDM artists, all preceding his eventual arrival at a reflective emo-rap sound that was strung across his debut solo album, 2019’s Nobody’s Happy.

After a stretch of label turmoil that led his music to become shelved and spending time away from music due to a toxic relationship, he returned in 2024 with Nobody’s Happy 2. The album was a fresh extension of the sound from his breakout debut, but Dying in Designer found himself searching for something new that seemed to elude him. That creative walk through the wilderness led him to the sound of his brand new single “Evil Eyes,” a heavy nugaze track complemented by a full band that redefines the possibilities of Dying in Designer. Wearing his nu-metal influences on his sleeve and making the heaviest music since launching his project in 2019, it’s a creatively bountiful cut that conceptually examines the judgement of others cheering for your failure.

With a new sound and a revitalized sense of creative freedom, we spoke with Dying in Designer about the bands that defined his childhood and teenage years, his commitment to radical honesty with his audience, and much more.

End Overdose: Who were some of your earliest musical influences? What was bouncing around for you when this project started?

Dying in Designer: Early influences like Blink-182, Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Korn, Slipknot. That was the stuff that really sucked me into that side of music. And then from there, I dug into a lot of the post-hardcore, the hardcore stuff. So stuff like Emmure and Silverstein and The Devil Wears Prada, long list goes on, but, yeah, those were some of the early influences. And, you know, as I've grown as an artist, getting older, I'm finding a lot of cool stuff that came out back in the day to stuff that's coming out now. And it's funny, like, one of my favorite bands was my mom's favorite band growing up, Alice in Chains. I used to like them a lot, but as I've gotten older, I really love them, and they're one of my favorites. Just, like, even just stuff as simple as Nirvana, you know, we grow up listening to Nirvana and Kurt and just all that stuff, and then as you get older, you appreciate it more, and you start digging into more of it. So, yeah, I like all types of things, and I'm listening to music constantly. It's fun to be able to listen to anything and find some joy in it.

EO: I love that you name-dropped Emmure. I feel like they're never brought up and like they were such an interesting, pivotal band. I feel like they get overlooked in that early 2000s conversation when it comes to heavy alternative music.

DiD: Yeah, I think so too. Like Frankie's vocals, his highs and his lows, the way they just sit. They sit better than anything. And you just feel it in your soul. He's screaming through you. It's amazing. And they're so heavy, like that beat-down, straight hardcore, and it's just gut-wrenching, some of the lyrics and the stories, but yeah, Frankie's the reason why I started screaming, getting into hardcore deathcore bands at an early age, and I'd probably say he's my biggest screaming influence when it comes to music. Yeah, I think they get overlooked a little bit. But people listen to Emmure, they got their cult following. People know how damn good Emmure is.

EO: I'd love to hear a bit more about being in hardcore bands before Dying in Designer because I feel like there's so much crossover between those two genres.

DiD: I started this band called Victory At All Cost with my buddy Steve. It was the MySpace era. I was always playing in bands with different people from MySpace or school, and me and Steve were messaging on MySpace back in the day, and we linked up and we created this band, Victory At All Cost. My cousin joined the band, and then a kid I went to school was the drummer, then his cousin, and then, yeah, we were like hardcore deathcore, and we dropped an EP on MySpace, and it caught some traction, and we were playing a lot of shows [in] Indiana, Wisconsin, Chicago, suburbs over here. That was really fun. And then they ended up kicking me out of a band I started, and then I joined another band called I Killed Everyone. I think they're still around to this day, but that's like, straight deathcore. And that was a fun little project. So from like 15 to 18, I was playing in like hardcore/deathcore bands. So that's where that origin started. And then started a little rap project, and that kind of blew up. And from there, sold out House of Blues at a really young age. And I was touring with EDM producers and stuff like that. And then I went back to my roots and started Dying in Designer. I was like, I really want to make something with what I'm going through at this current moment, my roots, and mix hardcore, post-hardcore, pop-punk, emo. And that's how Dying in Designer came to life. I started in 2018 and it came to life. 2018, 2019 [is] when I really started hitting.

EO: Would you say going solo gives you more creative freedom and the ability to really dive into all your influences, with Dying in Designer starting in 2018?

DiD: When you're in a band, you gotta rely on a bunch of people and everybody's opinions and everybody's work ethics, and if guys are showing up, or if guys want to do a show. So when I started the Designer project, I'm like, I'm going to do everything the way I want to do it, and I'm going to say what I want to say. So it's kind of like DIY, building stuff out, and from there, just getting emotions out, being able to touch people and help them around the world that were going through similar stuff that I was going through. At the time, it was a pretty traumatic relationship, and anxiety and depression, and just feeling alone. So that's kind of where that all started, and it was really cool to be able to touch as many people as it touched. But now, where everything's going now is where I've always wanted to take this.It's just building out the chapters and this chapter is the biggest, most full sound, live band, it's heavy, but it's still impactful. The lyrics, the melodies, the production, everything about it is what I've always wanted this to sound like. There's so many cool things in what I'm doing now. So I'm excited for the world to hear, because this has been all along, what I've always wanted to get to.

EO: Definitely. How did it feel to have songs like "Lately" and "PTSD" really connect with people so deeply? How have you creatively evolved since that period?

DiD: [During the writing of] "Lately," I was in this toxic, up and down relationship, and it was written like a suicide note. I never acted upon things, but it was internal thoughts and how I was feeling, and that one blew up, right away. A lot of people to this day message me about it, share it on their stories. And it's got, like, a half a million saves on Spotify alone. People really love that song. So being able to be in such a dark place and get so many people around the world listening to it, and, you know, hopefully helping is really cool. It's a beautiful feeling, and I'm glad that my art was able to reach as many people as it did.

"PTSD" was post-breakup. I was dealing with a lot of different things out of that relationship and how I was feeling. I think breakups are inevitable – you can't get away from a breakup. Most people don't get lucky to meet their partner right away. So there's a lot of tough feelings in that. And I think that helps a lot of people, because most people do go through breakups in their lifetime. It's kind of a way to be like, "I feel this." So yeah, both of those songs crushed and I'm really excited that they were able to help people. But yeah, this new chapter is kind of the best way to put it is big sounding, very impactful lyrics. When I initially started Dying in Designer, I had this nasally sad voice and flow, because that's how I was feeling. And I really sat in this and I was like, you know, I want to impact more people. I can't sound sadder than the listener. I've got to be able to sound like, "Hey, I'm going through this with you, and I'm going to help you get through it." So there's a source of power and strength of getting through this. We all get through things. We all go through things, and it's okay, let's get through it. It's not the end of the world.

EO: I've seen you've been very candid on a recent stream of videos on your socials about label issues and going through a relationship that sidelined music for a time being. What enables you to be so candid about these things and share with your audience so vulnerably, and honestly?

DiD: I had an interesting upbringing. Everyone's raised differently. I never really had a father figure or a mentor or guidance. I had a great mother and a grandma. People always treated me differently, people hated that I listened to rock music, from teachers to classmates to friends or family. I was always unapologetically me. I think me just talking about what I'm going through is a way of me expressing how I'm feeling, and not being scared to do that. I wasn't really taught much. No one taught me how to be a man. So this is me being a man, and trying to get my point across and explain what's going on and being vulnerable. I think a lot of men, you know, bottle their feelings and are told, "You gotta be tough and get through this." The suicide rate is so high, and men, because they don't have anyone to talk to, or they're programmed to "you got to be tough." For me,I want to be able to at least explain that I'm going through this, and hopefully it can help other people in the process. Because if we have these thoughts and these feelings, and you're just like, how are you going to help anyone, if you're not talking about it? Or how are you gonna feel better if you don't talk about it?

EO: I would love to now dive into the upcoming era with "Evil Eyes," the concept behind that one, and how it felt right to make that the introduction to this new Dying in Designer era.

DiD: Picking that one is the first one is interesting. Not a lot of people have heard this stuff. I've kept it very tucked and safe. Probably 10 people in my circle have heard this stuff. And it's funny, because my therapist does not listen to heavy music or anything. So I sent her a bunch of the songs, and she was like, "Yo, 'Evil Eyes.' I don't listen to screaming, but this is a perfect song." It's just the storyline behind evil eyes. Like growing up, I've always had people who just didn't want me to win. People always viewed me differently because of the way I carried myself. I was always a quiet kid growing up in school, and, you know, teachers didn't really like that. I always dressed differently, always had band tees and long hair, and was always listening to music. When I was in grammar school, high school, people just bullied the fuck out of me for just being who I was. That translates in life – not everybody has good intentions. You gotta protect your energy and who you put yourself around with, and, you know, not really let people stop you from becoming who you want, because words are like a weapon. Someone can say something to you, and you can live with that the rest of your life, and it could put you down and make you feel worse about yourself when it was really just them doing it to hurt you. So 'Evil Eyes' just really explains people not wanting you to do well. It's like people want you to do well, but not better than them. So there's this source of hate and jealousy, and wanting the worst for you without you even really knowing it.

EO: Sonically on this track, it's such a cool evolution into heavier elements – like you said, balancing the melodic with the heavy. Do you feel like you were able to authentically tap into some of your earlier influences that maybe weren't influencing your earlier eras?

DiD: When I started this whole journey of this sound, I kind of blacked out in it all. My body, soul, mind was fully indulged in all this. Every song I would make, I would listen back, and I'd be like, "Whoa. This is fucking amazing." I wasn't really sitting there saying I need this or need that. It just was how I felt. And this specific song, I worked with the producer from Ireland, and it was a gloomy, shitty, rainy day here in Chicago. It was not a good day. We built up the production together, and it was really quick. It was like, maybe an hour and a half hour Zoom call, and then I cut the vocals on BandLab, and then sent them back. When I went and actually recorded it, I got in the booth, and he was like, "That was sick." I was throwing different layers on it ... It was all feeling coming into this one, how I've felt my whole life. Expressing the energy that I've always felt ... It was a really cool one.

EO: I feel like the most interesting music comes out of flow states. Like you said, going in the booth, blacking out, and you have the song, rather than sitting around and trying to force the construction of a track.

DiD: Everything I've been making has been like that. Like they say, you put your 10,000 hours into something and you're just a master at it, but like, I feel like a master in my craft right now where things are coming from places that I don't even have to think.

EO: The green LimeWire aesthetic of your new work is really interesting. Can you talk about the overarching concept of the new era, new project, and what we can expect?

DiD: I've been going through EMDR therapy, which is for trauma based things from my childhood and current life. It's really interesting. So I didn't put two and two together, but [EMDR is] like you're looking at a light well, processing and thinking about things, and it's back and forth. The color was lime green, which is crazy. LimeWire was so impactful for me as a kid that's always discovering all this music, but my room was in the basement, and I had the family desktop in there, so I was always downloading, discovering music. And, you know, just being down there, discovering this music, it was helping me so much. So when I started making all this stuff, I really put myself in the situation that shaped me who I am today. So it's a mix of both worlds. And I think in the sound you'll hear, it's really nostalgic, but they're still modern, so it's like a blend of the two. I just really listened to a lot of the old stuff that I grew up on, and I was dissecting the albums front to back, and putting myself in the mind where, you know, the artist or band was, and from there, that's how I kind of built out my concept for what's coming next. It's just really everything my upbringing to where I am today helped shape this out.

EO: Those days of downloading on LimeWire were like the Wild West –you're just hoping you downloaded the right song.

DiD: That was, like, the best way artists would market themselves. You'd be like, oh, yeah, I'm downloading blink-182 and it was a Thursday song. And you're like, "Wait, this isn't blink-182," and you're looking up the lyrics, and you're like, "Wait, this is the band Thursday." And then you're downloading all Thursday stuff. So it was such a crazy era where people were actually discovering music their own way. It wasn't force fed to you. You were finding things and then downloading it, messing your family's desktop up. You felt like it was yours. You had your iPod loaded up, or your burnt CDs and your Walkman, and you were like, "Yo, these are my songs." LimeWire really spread music to everybody. I think it really helped shape rock music, because rock has expanded into so many sub-genres in rock alone.

EO: What do you hope listeners take away from your new era and the new project?

DiD: I hope that the music with the new era and everything coming really helps people realize that they're alright, they're going to get through this, that other people are feeling these things and [give them] some hope to keep going. The easiest thing in the world to do is give up. Anyone can give up at any moment. And you know, we need you here. People need you. There's so much more life to live. So I'm hoping that I can give people strength through my music, this new sound. I'm in it with you, and you're not alone, you're never alone.

EO: What are your plans for live shows heading into the rest of the year?

DiD: So I have a full band now. It started out as a three piece, but now a four piece. The fourth member is a surprise. No one knows. OG legend in the scene. So we got a full live band. We've been practicing every week. You know, the live stuff sounds really big and chunky and heavy. I love these guys. We really have amazing chemistry. Once we get this out to the world, and we get to play on stage, people are going to see we have so much fun. It's like the dream team. It's like watching, like, your favorite team win a championship. That's what it feels like with these guys.

EO: One more question for you. Can you talk about how you approach not just in your music, but also your visual aesthetic direction?

DiD: Looking at social media, not knocking the way anyone's doing it, but like we were talking about how music feels like it's being forced to you,there needs to be a source of us discovering it and having fun with it in art, going back to the art, not just "stream our song." It's telling a story through your art. I wanted to really tell the story of what it was from the artist's side, not just "listen to my song and send it to your friends." No, I want you to come and experience and feel what it felt like. So that whole storyline of the cinematic series has been dropping in bits and pieces. There's going to be a big, long one coming out soon. It's just that feeling of people watching you, having these eyes towards you. You don't really know what it feels like, why it's happening, and it's your feeling in the process. So it's kind of spooky. And I wanted to make it into a movie. I never acted a day in my life, and we're just sitting there doing it. We're having fun, so just being really creative with it and having fun, and not trying to do the, you know, Tiktok kind of way of pushing music, but kind of more like, "Hey, this is back to art," and that's what I really wanted to do with everything. So there's so many cool things coming out. There's something I'm really excited coming out that I'll just drop it.

Think about the nostalgic era. We grew up on cartoons, big time. Cartoons were our life, full of cereal and cartoons. So I built out a whole animated series around everything that's coming; the storyline of it, and with the band and how I met them. It's sick. There's going to be a really cool animation series coming out that's going to turn into a little movie, which is really cool. So, like, just different things, feeling what we used to feel, and having fun with it, where you could discover it on your own if you want to listen to it, heck, yeah. If you stop and check it out and you're like, "Yo, this is kind of cool." The music will get to you one way or another.

EO: Building that world for listeners to engage at whatever kind of depth they want to, from streaming the song to watching the cartoon, is really exciting. Is there anything else you'd like to add?

DiD: I'm excited for you and everyone to hear it, so thanks again for letting me get on the platform. I really appreciate you guys. And just want to say one thing to the readers. If you're going through a hard time, just know I think everybody is and you mean so much to people in your life.I know sometimes it doesn't feel like it. Not everyone knows how to show you their appreciation, but you're better here than not. So keep getting through what you're getting through. Life is never going to stop getting hard, but if you know you do it with a smile on your face, I promise it'll be so worth it.