As Death Lens frontman Bryan Torres tells it, “We were always stuck in this limbo, not quite fitting the sound of hardcore or punk, but with the popularity of bands like Turnstile and Militarie Gun, there are more opportunities for us.” That feeling — and potent sense of community — only continues to deepen with their latest song, “Waiting to Know,” featuring the latter’s Ian Shelton.
Something to love about Death Lens is their willingness to voice anger, anxiety, and survival into songs that turn crowds into a swirling mass. In that vein, “Waiting to Know” is a little different than the tracks that populate their setlists, loaded with self-doubt, unease, and melancholy but erupting with the same urgency that’s threaded through their back catalog. What’s more, they aren’t afraid to admit when they can’t do something, as in the case of the guest verse: “The part Ian sings actually came from Tony [Rangel, drummer] in the room. When we heard it, we all looked at each other like, ‘Yeah… that’s not mine to sing.’ It had that Militarie Gun feel to it, and I knew I wouldn’t do it justice.” Having toured together multiple times, their chemistry stays immediate and deeply felt, weaving around each other and then coming together at the end.
Read more: Watch Militarie Gun’s Tiny Desk Concert
Long away from their days as an instrumental surf-punk band, Death Lens are practically unrecognizable. Nonstop touring that triggered a van breakdown, a desire to evolve, and the peers they’ve aligned themselves with have proved them unfuckwithable. Where 2024’s Cold World brought their huge energy and working-class anthems more attention, the follow-up, What’s Left Now?, doubles down on their “quiet panic” but loses none of their fury. It’s an upfront look at where they’re at, feeling time pass through them and their loved ones while maintaining appreciation for the people who keep showing up.
That’s enhanced by the song’s video, directed by Joél Verges and premiering below. “We rented a beat-up house right off the train tracks by the 1st Street Bridge in LA, near the river,” Torres says to AP. “It was kind of an homage to home and a video about the community that builds us.” The result is a daytime house party, where the band and several of their friends wreak havoc. Below, Torres gives us deeper insight into the track, What’s Left Now?, and the impromptu shot that gave him back pain.
Do you recall how “Waiting to Know” came together? Up for hearing about anything you remember from the writing process or laying it down in the studio.
It came out of a quiet panic, honestly. Time moving too fast, everything shifting, and me not really knowing where I was supposed to land with music, with love, with any of it. I had that line first: “It takes time, don’t have it/But I will never be the same.” That felt like the whole spine of the song. I brought it to the band, and it started becoming something bigger than what I had in my head. Ernie added those indie leads that feel like they’re reaching for something, Jhon brought in those pop instincts that gave it lift, and Tony gave it weight with how he plays. There’s always something heavy underneath with him.
The chorus was the one thing that wouldn’t land. We were out at Pale Moon Ranch, just kind of messing around, and Zach Tuch randomly hummed the cadence. One of those moments you almost miss. We made him do it again, and that was it. The song finally had somewhere to go, even if it still felt unresolved. And the ending didn’t feel right unless it was both of us. Not really a resolution, just two voices meeting in the same place, not knowing what’s next. We made a melancholy song you can jump to.
You mentioned that the song exists between “growing older and not knowing if you ever really do.” What’s been an unexpected pro of aging?
Growing old isn’t really the fear for me. It’s watching the people I love get older. Parents, grandparents, family, friends. That’s the part that sits with me more than anything. For myself, I know I’m getting older. I feel it. All the stage dives catch up to you. Hangovers last three days now. It’s not the same. But there’s also that question that never really goes away: “Am I ever actually going to grow up?” What does that even mean? How do you go from being young to not acting young? That part’s confusing, especially when you see life as a one-shot, and that’s it.
But one thing I didn’t expect was finally starting to love myself fully. Getting to a place where I feel like I know who I am without feeling like I’m pretending. When you’re young, you’re still piecing it together, figuring out the small things that make you who you are. I feel like I’m finally starting to understand that now.
Which shot for the video was the toughest to capture? Imagining it was Ian jumping and kicking you in the back, but I’ll let you tell me.
The hardest shot was exactly what you’d think — the kick to my back near my neck. Ian didn’t really give me a warning the first time, so my whole body recoiled, and I hit the wall pretty hard. [Laughs.] Honestly, the hardest part was agreeing to do it again after that. The first take was just on a whim. We didn’t even know that was going to happen. Bracing for it the second time was worse than not knowing it was coming at all. And that man can fly. He lives by his lyrics: “If I kicked you in the face, I’m sorry, but I will do it again,” literally!
What’s the statement of intent behind What’s Left Now?
What’s Left Now? is really about uncertainty. Not knowing how far we’ll go with this project, how long we’ll feel this young, or what’s next in whatever comes after this. Not in a dramatic “everything is ending” way or anything like that, and definitely not saying we’re breaking up — we’re not. It’s more just the reality of being alive and how there’s a financial weight that comes with trying to keep going. As you get older, that part doesn’t get easier. But at the same time, there’s something alive in it, too. Not knowing what’s next brings curiosity, and curiosity keeps things interesting. There’s mystery in it, and we’ve learned to like that feeling of not having it all figured out.
What’s your favorite memory of touring with Militarie Gun?
Ian’s gonna love this one. On our second tour together, we were like four or five shows in. Ian comes into our green room and goes, “You’re coming up for ‘Disposable Plastic Trash.’” I immediately hit him with “I don’t know the lyrics.” He just smirked and said, “You got 30 minutes to learn it.” So I grabbed a Sharpie from the merch table and wrote the lyrics on my hand. By the time I went up, it had already smudged from how nervous I was trying not to mess it up. I ended up botching it pretty hard. [Laughs.] He came back into the room after and goes, “Learn that shit because you’re gonna be coming up to sing it every night.” So after that, I basically lived with that song every day. It turned into one of the most fun songs to do live and honestly one of my favorite memories from touring with them.
Obligatory: What’s the best 4/20 song of all time?
Best 4/20 song of all time? Damn, I’ve got a whole playlist, and now you’re making me pick one?! I’ll try! I’m a huge nerd for ’70s pop, so I’ll throw on “Hello It’s Me” by Todd Rundgren and just let it take over. Lay on the carpet, zone out, that’s the one. And I gotta shout out Snoop, too! “Lodi Dodi” is still the move when you wanna get completely fried. West Coast love all day.
