Sleeping with Sirens

Members

• Kellin Quinn

Deep Dive

Overview

Sleeping with Sirens is an American rock band formed in Orlando, Florida in 2009, though the group now operates out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Emerging from the metalcore and post-hardcore landscape of the late 2000s, the band synthesized heavy instrumentation with pop-inflected melodies and hooks, positioning themselves at the intersection of alternative rock and mainstream rock radio appeal. Over more than a decade, Sleeping with Sirens established themselves as consistent recording and touring artists within the rise of modern alternative rock and pop-punk-influenced metal, building a dedicated fanbase through prolific album releases and an energetic live presence.

Formation Story

Sleeping with Sirens coalesced in 2009 when members from two existing Florida bands—For All We Know and Paddock Park—came together to form a new project. The specific motivations and circumstances of their merger are not extensively documented in widely available sources, but the combination brought together musicians steeped in the metalcore and alternative rock traditions that dominated the mid-to-late 2000s underground. Operating initially from Orlando, the band quickly began recording and releasing material, positioning themselves within the competitive landscape of post-hardcore and pop-metal acts that were gaining traction through internet-distributed music and the rise of YouTube as a discovery platform. The band’s founding core included Kellin Quinn, who would become the band’s primary vocalist and public face, alongside a rotating lineup of instrumentalists who would define the band’s sound across successive albums.

Breakthrough Moment

Sleeping with Sirens released their debut album, With Ears to See, and Eyes to Hear, in 2010, establishing the sonic blueprint that would carry them forward: layered vocals, post-hardcore guitar work, and production that emphasized accessibility alongside heaviness. Their second full-length, Let’s Cheers to This, arrived in 2011 and began to widen their reach beyond the dedicated metalcore and post-hardcore fanbase. By the time the band released Feel in 2013, they had cultivated a significant following through touring and the band’s willingness to lean into more radio-friendly hooks and production sensibilities without abandoning the heavier elements that distinguished them from straight pop-punk acts. This period marked their transition from regional act to recognized players in the contemporary alternative rock ecosystem.

Peak Era

The years between 2013 and 2017 represented Sleeping with Sirens’ most sustained creative and commercial visibility. Feel (2013) and Madness (2015) solidified the band’s reputation as reliable practitioners of modern alternative rock that could appeal to multiple factions—metalcore purists, pop-punk devotees, and mainstream alternative radio listeners. Gossip (2017) continued this trajectory, confirming that Sleeping with Sirens had secured a permanent foothold in the contemporary rock landscape. Throughout this period, the band maintained a rigorous touring schedule and cultivated a devoted online following, particularly among younger rock listeners who discovered them through streaming platforms and social media. Their albums received consistent airplay on alternative rock radio and their music videos accumulated millions of views, establishing them as a dependable commercial entity within modern rock.

Musical Style

Sleeping with Sirens built their sound from a fusion of metalcore’s instrumental intensity, post-hardcore’s vocal layering and emotional directness, and pop-punk’s commitment to vocal melody and infectious hooks. Kellin Quinn’s approach to singing—alternating between cleanly delivered melodic passages and more aggressive, screamed or shouted vocal moments—became a signature element of the band’s identity, providing contrast and dynamic range within songs that are often structured around radio-friendly chorus sections. The band’s guitar work retains the distorted, heavily-palm-muted aesthetic of metalcore but organizes these elements around pop songwriting sensibilities, favoring driving rhythms and repeated melodic phrases over the technical complexity prized in heavier metal subgenres. Production on successive albums has gradually emphasized clarity and polish, making the band’s music increasingly accessible to mainstream listeners without sacrificing the visual and sonic heaviness that distinguishes them from pure pop-rock acts. This balancing act—maintaining credibility within alternative and metal communities while pursuing wider commercial reach—has been central to the band’s survival and relevance across the 2010s and into the 2020s.

Major Albums

With Ears to See, and Eyes to Hear (2010)

The band’s debut established their foundational sound: post-hardcore intensity coupled with pop-influenced vocal arrangements and production that prioritized hooks alongside heaviness.

Let’s Cheers to This (2011)

Released just one year after their debut, this album demonstrated the band’s rapid development and growing confidence in balancing melody and aggression across a full-length release.

Feel (2013)

A turning point toward broader accessibility, Feel refined the band’s pop-metal formula and marked their emergence as a nationally recognized act with significant radio and streaming presence.

Madness (2015)

Peaking the band’s commercial and creative momentum, Madness delivered the band’s most polished and radio-accessible material while maintaining their core alternative rock identity.

Gossip (2017)

This album confirmed Sleeping with Sirens’ status as a mainstay of contemporary alternative rock, applying their established formula with seasoned efficiency and continued technical growth.

How It Feels to Be Lost (2019)

Released in the late 2010s, this album sustained the band’s prolific output and continued to refine their approach to producing rock music that bridges commercial accessibility and credible heaviness.

Complete Collapse (2022)

The band’s most recent full-length studio release continued their established trajectory, demonstrating their enduring commitment to recording and releasing new material more than a decade after formation.

Signature Songs

• Kellin Quinn’s vocal delivery across the band’s catalog stands as the most consistent and recognizable element of Sleeping with Sirens’ sonic identity, oscillating between clean melodic singing and heavier vocal performances to create dynamic tension within songs.
• The band’s use of multi-part vocal arrangements in choruses creates memorable hooks that have driven their presence on alternative rock radio and streaming playlists, distinguishing them from purely metalcore acts.
• Palm-muted guitar riffing paired with pop songwriting structures has become a signature approach to creating songs that satisfy both heavier rock listeners and those seeking mainstream melodic appeal.
• Layered production techniques across their successive albums have enabled the band to achieve clarity and accessibility while retaining the visual heaviness and sonic aggression that define modern metalcore and post-hardcore traditions.

Influence on Rock

Sleeping with Sirens emerged during a period when the boundaries between metalcore, post-hardcore, pop-punk, and mainstream alternative rock were becoming increasingly permeable, and the band operated successfully within this liminal space. Their consistent demonstration that heavy instrumentation and metal-adjacent production could coexist with pop radio sensibilities helped normalize and legitimize this hybrid approach for a generation of younger rock and metal bands. The band’s sustained commercial presence on streaming platforms and alternative rock radio—without requiring mainstream pop-crossover or the kind of radio-dominating breakthrough achieved by acts like My Chemical Romance or Bring Me the Horizon’s more experimental phases—illustrates a viable long-term commercial model for post-2000s rock acts: building and maintaining a dedicated fanbase through prolific recording, touring, and social media engagement rather than betting on a single breakthrough moment.

Legacy

As of the early 2020s, Sleeping with Sirens remain an active recording and touring entity, representing a stable fixture within contemporary alternative and heavy rock. The band has accumulated seven full-length studio albums and maintained a consistent presence across streaming platforms where they draw millions of annual listeners, particularly among younger demographics who discovered rock music in the 2010s. Their decision to remain independent of major-label backing—operating under the alternative label Rise Records—while continuing to release albums and tour positions them as a model for sustainable mid-tier rock operations in the streaming era. The band’s Orlando origins and subsequent relocation to Michigan reflect the broader geographic decentralization of contemporary rock music creation, away from traditional industry centers and toward cities with lower costs of living and robust local music infrastructure.

Fun Facts

• Sleeping with Sirens was formed by members consolidating two existing Florida bands, For All We Know and Paddock Park, creating a supergroup from the Orlando alternative rock scene.
• The band relocated from Orlando, Florida to Grand Rapids, Michigan, reflecting broader trends in how contemporary rock musicians choose where to base their operations and creative work.
• Sleeping with Sirens have released both traditional studio albums and an acoustic EP, diversifying their catalog and providing alternative arrangements of their material for different listening contexts.
• The band has maintained Kellin Quinn as a consistent focal point across their entire discography, making him one of the few continuously present members from formation through the early 2020s.