Cleveland punk-metal rockers Along Came A Spider have had their fair share of ups and downs during the pandemic, but the past few years have proved harder than others, even before the coronavirus set in.
The introduction to their brand-new video shared: “In 2020, the music world paused because of COVID-19. But in 2019, our world stopped when guitarist Luke was diagnosed with cancer.”
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Luke Fockler currently is fighting the battle against Hodgkin lymphoma. Though the news of the illness is devastating in and of itself, his bandmates decided to be a light for both each other and others at this time. Thus, “Invisible Disease” was written into existence.
“Luke originally didn’t want to tell us, but we knew something was wrong,” bassist John Calo says. “Even now, he doesn’t want any extra attention, but this was a significant enough chapter in our story that it had to be told.”
“It was devastating to watch our brother and bandmate go through chemo, but we knew he was stubborn and would get right back through it,” keyboardist Joel Sedlak adds.
To help Fockler and listeners alike, the band recruited friends to share their personal experiences with invisible illnesses.
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In their video, band members and those they reached out to shared notecards of their struggles. They range from anxiety, depression and PTSD to drug addiction, diabetes and more. They shared their ailments as well as affirmations about how these illnesses don’t define them.
This overwhelmingly represents the main chorus: “This won’t break me/It tried to eat me alive, but I keep pushing.”
“This song is personal to us. We wanted the video to be meaningful to everyone else,” lead vocalist Jamie Miller explains.
Check out the full friend-driven video for “Invisible Disease” below.
Most importantly, the group hope you take away the song’s main message: Everyone has their battles, and you aren’t alone in the struggle.
You can check out their 2020 single “Your Reckoning” as well. Stream their Resurgence LP here.
For more information on invisible illnesses, you can find resources and more here. Consult your physician if you believe you are personally suffering from an invisible illness noted in the video.