
Sheffield's While She Sleeps are not easy to neatly pin down for the music media – and that seems very much by design. Their six albums so far haven't just seen a band willing and able to stretch beyond their metalcore roots, but their whole ethos as an independent outfit willing to lead and inspire when it comes to self-sustainability in an often brutal music industry.
The approach of While She Sleeps musically, and their label Sleeps Brothers to whole ethos in the way they treat their fans, defines punk rock spirit for me, and when I met them at Norway's Tons Of Rock festival in Olso following a triumphant set on 26 June, I was pleased to see this extends to the way guitarists Sean Long and Matt Welsh approach their instruments.